Hands off

Five years later

Lauren's POV

The first day of summer vacation! I was really happy when I woke up this morning. It was only 7 a.m. but I stepped out of bed and got dressed for the day. I walk downstairs to make breakfast for Marcus because I know he has to go to work at eight. He came down ten minutes after me and was surprised to see me.

''Hey beautiful.'' He said to me.

''Good Morning, I made you breakfast.'' I say happily and point to the plate with pancakes on it.

"I can see that, thank you very much.'' He walks up to me and kisses me on the top of my head.

He sits in his chair and stares at me. ''Aren't you going to join me?''

''No I need to make your lunch. I am almost done. Just begin or you'll be late.''

'' You don't need to make me lunch, Hon.''

''I know that I don't need to but I want to do it. You have to work hard so you need to eat good food and I believe I am the only person in this house that can make normal food. Oh and before you day anything, food from a vending machine at work doesn't qualify as good and healthy food. You taught me that.'' I point at him with a spoon.

Marcus begins to laugh a little. ''What is it?'' I ask him.

''Nothing you're just adorable.'' He lowers his head down and takes a big bite from his pancake.

''Well I'll take that as a compliment.'' I turn back around to finish making lunch while Marcus is eating his breakfast.

''You should do that'' He chuckles for a little bit. I put his lunch in his backpack and go sit next to him and watch him eat.

''Taste good?'' I ask him when he's almost done.

''Yes very good. Thank you.'' He places a kiss on my cheek and places his now dirty plate in the sink.

''I got to get going now, have a good day.'' He takes his jacket and kisses me again on the top of my head. The door closes and he is gone.

I wonder if dad came home last night. I didn't hear him come up the stairs and he isn't on the couch.

I look around and see his jacket and shoes in the hallway. I bet he is in his bedroom.

Because I quickly got out of bed, I didn't yet have the time to get ready. But since Collin and Jeffrey probably won't be up for another two or three hours, I have plenty of time now to get ready.

I make my way up the stairs for a shower, but I run into dad in the hallway. ''Goodmorning.'' I say carefully.

He looks down at me with a big sigh, and I can smell the alcohol coming from his mouth. He looks at me like I did something terribly wrong. I already know this isn't going to end good for me.

He pats down my hair. ''Such a mess.'' He says. ''Your mother would be ashamed.'' I turn my eyes downwards to the ground, trying to ignore his comment.

His rough hand grabs my chin. ''Look at me when I speak to you.'' I look up and he is looking me straight into my eyes. ''You're coming with me.'' He grabs my wrist and pulls me with him to his bedroom.

You might wonder why I'm not resisting. Well there is this phrase; been there, done that. I didn't end well, so to not make him more provoked I just keep quiet. What more can I do? I'm no match for him.

He pushes me against the wall and just look at me. He locks the door behind him and slowly makes his way towards me. I can hear my heart beating in my head, while trying to keep my breath at a steady pase.

Once he is close up his arm swings back, I try to shield my face in time but I failed. His fist connects with my nose. I can already feel the blood coming out of it. The next hit is to my midriff, making me gasp for air. He hits there twice and I can't hold my body straight up anymore.

I lower myself to the ground. I know I'm more at risk there for the harder blows but I just can't stand up straight. On the ground I'm able to shield my face.

He starts to kick my body, that is now curled up in a ball. The kicks aren't controlled he just kicks my somewhere he can reach. He isn't saying anything, he is just releasing his anger.

I try to keep quiet so I don't wake my brothers up. Knowing damn well that the fight will only get bigger. But my body is slamming against the wall with each kick I receive.

Collin's POV

I wake up to something or someone banging on the wall. Who on earth is trying to renovate this house in the morning. But coming more to my senses, I clearly hear it coming from my father's room.

I take a glance at the clock and worry fills me, Lauren. I quickly get out of bed and rush to the room. The door is locked. The banging against the wall stops and the door is opened. He walks out his room without even acknowledging me. I rush in and see my sister laying on the ground. Her head hidden under her arms.

I quickly pick her of the floor and go up another flight of stairs to her room. I lock the door behind me, before laying her down in her bed. There is blood on her face that probably came from her nose, where I see the majority of the blood.

I grab a towel from her bathroom, making it a little wet on one side before going back to her bedroom. Carefully I wipe the blood away. Each time some more comes dripping out.

I sit next to hear for an agonizing thirty minutes before she finally opens her eyes. Tears start to form in her eyes.

''Sst it will be alright, you're save know.'' I say to comfort her. I lifted her up to get her in my lab but she only cries harder when I touch her.

''Where does it hurt?'' I ask her and stopping my movements instantly.

''My ribs, it hurts when I breath''. She cries even harder. I stand up and go back to her bathroom for some painkillers and a glass of water.

''Here take this.'' I hand her the tablets and the glass. She takes them and lays back down again.

It's the worst when one of your family members is hurting. But it always kills me a little more when I see my little sister in pain. Especially when the pain came from her own father. The person who we're are mend to love and to feel safe by. But that definitely isn't the case anymore, for years now.

If we could we would get out of here but Charles, our so called father, has connections with people in high places. Marcus, Jeffrey and I could easily get out of here, because we're of age. But Lauren is only sixteen, without custody we can't take her. So we all stick together in this shit hole for two more years.

Not that we're good at protecting her from him, as it makes clear now. Dad beats her up because she looks the most like mom. And Charles hates that she is gone, so he takes his anger out on her.

Lauren is now sound asleep in her bed, I move to the hanging chair so I can keep a watch on her.