𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 | 𝐜.𝐛

2

{WARNING THIS CHAPTER DOES HAVE ELEMENTS OF ABUSE IN IT. IF THAT TRIGGERS YOU PLEASE SKIP THIS CHAPTER}

Noelle

My feet pound against the ground as I try to make it home before he gets there. The running doesn't help. His truck is already in the driveway. Cursing to myself, I sneak around and try to go through the back door. It's locked. 

"Noelle, where the hell are you?" Fear fills me as his words slur. He's not as violent when he's sober. When he's drunk, things get bad. The tree in my backyard is my last hope. Climbing up, I push my window open and slip through. Letting out a breath of relief I turn and see him. "Where the hell were you?"

"I-I was just practicing, Henry, I promise." He stalks closer to me and grabs my jaw. His fingers dig into my bone as the alcohol fills my nose.

"You know better than to lie." His voice is low and deep. Fear rolls through me. This isn't the first time he's given me a bruise but it doesn't stop the fear from burning inside me. The first hit is my cheek. A searing pain that will later turn into a bruise. Tears prick in my eyes but if I let them fall everything will just get worse.

"Please, Henry," I beg. He smiles wickedly. His hands give me a hard push and my back hits the wall. He grabs my neck and pulls me close. His lips brush my ear.

"I don't like people who beg." He throws me to the ground. Every time he does this, I ask myself, should I fight back? The answer is always no. Fighting back will only make it worse for me. When I'm on the ground, he knows he has an advantage over me.

His boot meets my stomach and I hunch over. My stomach screams but he doesn't care. He'd never care for another human. He picks me up and throws me against the wall. He presses his forearm to my neck and holds me to the wall. The hits are to the stomach now more brutal. 

The bruise is already forming on my stomach will hurt like hell in an hour. He's going to make me clean his knuckles after. He hits my jaw and my head goes off to the side. He releases me and I collapse to the ground gasping. 

"You're pathetic," he spits. My breathing is labored and my head screams. He slams the door and I hear him stomp down the stairs. He's my step-father. He never cared. Slowly and painfully, I stand and limp to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I realize it could be worse.

My cheek is already starting to swell and there's a cut on my jaw. I've been in worse conditions. When I lift up my shirt to see my stomach, I see a giant bruise already forming. Every time my stomach contracts to breathe it hurts. 

"I'm going to get out of here one day. One day," I whisper to myself. Walking over to the tub, I run cool water in it before getting in. I allow my body to drift mostly under the water. Not only will this help with the swelling, but the pain that comes with it.

When I'm out of the bath I walk down the stairs and he's in his chair watching football. There's a beer bottle in his hands.

"There you are. Clean me up." Nodding, I rush into the bathroom and wet a rag. Grabbing the rubbing alcohol, I rush out of the bathroom and kneel before him. My hands shake as I clean off his knuckles. He chuckles deeply. When I'm done, he grabs my hair and pulls me close. "You like it on your knees, don't you slut?"

A chill runs down my spine. He places his hand over his groin and my heart stops. He's never gone that far before. He snickers before pushing me away.

"Not this time." As soon as he lets me go, I scramble up to my room. Shutting the door behind me, I sink down. I'm nineteen-years-old and living with my abusive step-father. Today was one of the only days I felt safe. The Barn. The guys. I barely know them but they treated me differently than my father did.

My walks are the only time I get to be out of this damn house. The only time I get to see him.

Colby

"What are they saying about the video?" I ask Elton as he walks in from outside.

"Mostly good things. Most are about Noelle."

"Like?" Sam questions.

"Her dancing. The fact that she screamed like that," he looks over at Corey. He glances up from Fortnite and shakes his head.

"That was horrifying."

"That was dangerous," I comment. "She didn't know if we'd hurt her or not."

"It didn't seem like she cared," Sam replies.

"Did you get her Instagram, Colby?" Elton asks.

"No, I never asked."

"Damn. Maybe you should catch her on one of her walks." I shrug. I don't want it to seem like I'm stalking her. There was something about the way she left. How she was in such a rush. How small she was.

"You good, Colby?" Sam asks, hitting me in the arm.

"Yeah, just... I feel like there's something off about her."

"There's a lot off about a lot of people."

"Well... why was she so small? Why did she leave in such a rush? Why was she dancing in an abandoned barn?"

"Maybe you can catch her at the barn again?" Sighing, I lean back and run my hands down my face.