Almost.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Conley and I never left that spot. We stayed there for the rest of the evening and when we did get back into the car, I was sneezing and coughing. I could feel a fever forming at the base of my neck and Conley always glanced towards me with a worried look etched into his eyes. Everything seemed perfect now, it was like going through Hell and coming out without one single burn mark but when I arrived home that night, I had just realized that I was walking into Hell not out.

My mother was sitting at the kitchen table with her arms folded, her eyes devoid of any kind of emotion she could be feeling at the moment. She had papers scattered over the wooden surface and Breton sat beside her. His eyes were lit with that trembling fire and he wavered through the papers, examining each one with a nod of his head and curse beneath his breath. It wasn’t late but it was nowhere near the time I come home from school. I had my bag upon my back and my eyes lingering at the two sitting at the same, my hair was damp and moist from the crying sky and when the loud echoes of thunder roared from above, I jolted and Breton caught my eyes.

He stood, the fire upon his deep sapphires glowing in the moonlight and his stance stiff like a soldier. My mother never gazed up at me, her elbows now propper up on the table and her hands over her forehead, her head shaking slightly. I could feel Breton’s gaze upon my frame when I moved throughout the room. Ansel wasn’t here and I could see the trauma hidden beneath Breton’s eyes when he caught sight of my drenched, dripping bag.

“Where were you?” he questioned. His eyes studying me, like just by seeing me, he knew what my uttermost thought was. I felt my eyes itching to gaze into his but I prevented the itch and simply shrugged, trying to ease the fire between his eyes and cease the tension that enveloped me in. My mother still sat, wordlessly as Breton gripped my arm firmly, the same exact spot his yellowish bruise was beginning to heal. I felt my body instantly weaken and my mind screamed at me to glance at him, to show him my fear but for some unknown reason, I wasn’t listening. For once in my life, it felt like I was suddenly in control, like I was the one that enforced the rules and executed the punishment.

I sighed, gently yanking my arm from Breton’s strong hold upon me and sitting across from my mother, my eyes scanning the loose papers that lingered around the tabletop. “I was out with Savannah,” I don’t know why I lied, to this day it still crosses my mind, how easily it would’ve been for me to just say I was with Conley, how simple my life would’ve became if I said I was out with Conley, how it would’ve been so much easier if I just stated the truth and didn’t lie.

“Why are you soaked from head to toe?” At this comment, my mothers eyes darted up, her stiff frame relaxing slightly and her eyes capturing mine in an everlasting gaze. I couldn’t hold it though, seeing my mothers bloodshot, watery eyes and her stiff, firm figure made me want to holler and run. I was ready for an escape, I was ready to be left alone, to wander the world and find out what place was right for me but then there was something hidden deep within me that screamed at me, saying that I would never last to that point.

I stuttered for an excuse not to think. “We went outside for a while before it started raining,”

“It’s been raining since twelve,” Breton said, catching onto my words and the fire inside of his eyes increased, leaving me left with a wild thought and a racing mind.

“I know,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I never said when we were out.”

When he hit me, I didn’t see it coming. It was like a one second chance to duck. A burning, red-hot itching sensation curved down my cheek and neck. My head snapped to the side and my hair curled around my face. I felt tears prick at my eyes and the silent gasp my mother held in. I could feel the anger rolling off Breton in waves so high, they crashed down on me, weighing me down and pushing me deeper and deeper into the water, drowning me without a second thought. My cheek was red and it stung to think about, I closed my eyes, holding in the last of my tears. I felt like everything was piercing my ears, my dizzy head went numb and my body felt shattered. I felt broken and withered into small pieces that made me rethink coming home in the first place.