The Boy in the Jersey ✔️

20

Chapter 20

Josh had fallen asleep shortly after he laid down in bed. I knew he was tired. After I agreed to stay he gave me one of his shirts to sleep in. I changed out of my clothes and snuggled in his bed next to him. He draped his arm over my side and pulled me close to him. He gave me a sweet kiss before he fell asleep.

That was four hours ago. My neck was stiff and my arm had gone numb but I was too afraid to move. I didn't want to wake him up.

My phone buzzes on his nightstand and Josh shifts in his sleep. I reach over and look at the screen before silently cursing myself. I had forgotten to tell mom where I was.

I quickly sit up and answer the phone.

"Hello?" I whisper

"Kelly! Oh thank god. Where are you? I've been worried sick!"

I quietly slip out of Josh's grip and tiptoe out of his bedroom door.

"Mom I'm fine don't worry."

"Don't worry? Kelly where are you? Why aren't you home? Your father is worried sick, he's out driving around town looking for you!"

Guilt settles in my stomach and a limp forms in my throat.

"Im sorry mom, I went out"

"Where?" She says sternly

"Josh invited me to his birthday party. He asked me to stay over because he didn't want to be alone."

I hear mom sigh on the other end before a long silence stretches out.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to text you. But I'm fine I promise I'm fine."

"Kelly I need you to come home."

"I can't mom. He needs me tonight, you didn't see him." My voice cracks

"He looked just like I did mom. I can't let anything happen to him."

"You really care about him huh?"

I nod my head before realizing I was on the phone.

"Okay. You can stay, but I want you home tomorrow morning for breakfast. And please be careful honey"

"I will mom. I love you"

"I love you too baby"

I end the call and lean my head against the wall. How could I have forgotten to call her? That was such a stupid move on my part.

I suck in a deep breath before slowly heading back to Josh's room. I slip inside and quietly close the door behind me before tiptoeing back to his bed. I put my phone back down on his nightstand and slide under the blankets, snuggling up to him again.

I rest my head on his and run my fingers through his hair before tracing my hand down his face taking in all his features, from his thick, dark, furrowed eyebrows to his plump lips that were set in a solid frown.

My hand moves to his shoulder and down his arm. My fingers were ghosting over his skin, just slightly touching him until I feel his scar. My eyes shoot to the mark on his skin as my fingers trace over it.

"It's been seven years today" Josh mumbles

I quickly retract my hand as Josh sits up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you"

"You didn't. I wasn't fully asleep. I haven't been able to sleep for a few years. The nightmares keep me awake."

My heart clenched. I scoot closer to him and grab his hand.

"I'm so sorry Josh"

He offers me a weak smile at me as he laces our hands together.

"Its about time I told you about it"

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know. But I want too"

A glimmer of light flashes in his eyes as he looks at me. I knew he was hurting, and I didn't want him to suffer alone anymore.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes before he starts to speak.

"My parents didn't have a good marriage. They fought constantly. I thought it would get better when Kiana was born but it didn't. It got worse only the fights weren't about the money or the girls dad would bring back home. This time it was about his drinking. After Ki was born he turned to alcohol whenever he got pissed at one of us. She was either crying to loud or I didn't do the dishes. There was always something that made him snap."

I felt him tremble slightly so I gripped his hand tighter.

"This time my dad got violent. Mom came home late from work one day and he lost it. He started shoving her and hitting her. I moved Ki into her crib and put on some lullabies for her to listen to. I heard a loud crash and my mom scream so without thinking I ran out of Ki's room and to my mom. My dad was standing over her with a knife in his hand. He had shoved her down and had a knife pointed at her. I didn't know what to do. My mom was sobbing and dad had this evil look on his face. There was no emotion at all. It was like he didn't even care what he was doing."

His voice is shaky and a storm is swirling in his eyes.

"I didn't think and I ran in front of my mom as he brought the knife down. I put my arms in front of me to protect myself. I didn't even feel it. My adrenaline was spiked and all I could hear was my moms screams echoing in my head. I don't remember what happened after that. I just remember waking up in a hospital the next day with a bandage all over my arm."

"Oh my god Josh. That's horrible. What happened to your father?"

"My mom tried to call the cops on him but I begged her not to. She filed for divorce instead. Nobody knew what he did to me, or what he had been doing to my mom all those years. The court asked me who I wanted to stay with in the divorce and I chose my dad. My mom thinks that I hate her for the whole situation and that's why I stayed with him but it isn't. I stayed because he threatened me. He told me that if I left he would finish what he started before I interrupted. I was eleven at the time and terrified, so I stayed. Afterwards mom moved to Denver with Kiana and dad forbade me from seeing her. I had to beg him to let me go to the wedding."

"Why didn't you call the cops? Why are you putting yourself in danger?"

"I wasn't eighteen yet. I didn't want to leave Troy. I grew up here this is my home. I knew that if my dad got arrested he would do everything in his power to keep me from my mom still and I didn't want to go in to foster care."

I was silent. I didn't know what to say to him. What do you say to that? His father was abusive and he kept himself in a horrid situation for the sake of him families safety and they don't even know.

My grip tightens on his hand as we sit in silence on his bed. I didn't know what to say to make it better. But maybe he didn't need me to say anything, maybe he just needed someone to listen, to be there for him.

I promised myself right then that I wasn't going to go anywhere.