Charmed Life.

Chapter Twenty Three.

© All rights reserved. LittleThingsInLife

"When I was ten my mom died in a fire." I'd started, even just saying that I knew it was right for me to finally get everything out in the open. It probably wasn't the right person to tell; ideally it should have been a professional, or at least someone I'd know longer than a week but sometimes it helps to tell a stranger, and Cameron was a comforting stranger.

"I moved in with my st-stepdad and his friend. They weren't nice people. Everything I did was wrong. Any excuse to h-hurt me and they jumped at it. It wasn't sexual at first. Weirdly in Dereks defence I don't think he ever intended it to be; He hated me after mom died. Said it was my f-fault. She'd begged him to go get me when they woke to the fire and that she'd g-get herself out. I was told afterwards that she'd been trying to get a few keepsakes and tripped breaking her ankle. I'd been knocked out f-falling down the stairs with Derek so I didn't wake until the next day. Apparently when Derek brought me out and couldn't see m-mom he'd tried to go back in but the firefighters wouldn't let him. They'd gone in themselves but it was t-too late."

"Like I said, He hated me. You know, I'd actually been given the option to live with my real dad... he'd left me and mom three years before that and barely saw or spoke to me so I was mad at him. I was mad so I said I didn't want to live with him. Hindsight ey." I was getting angrier, and it improved my speech.

"Yeah so, it wasn't sexual at first. Derek was actually mortified the first time it happened, I was about Pipers age, thirteen. Yeah I think as I got older I started to look more like mom. If he was sober it would fuel his anger. If he'd had a drink...

"Princess, get me two bottles of beer." I quickly did as I was told and handed him both bottles.

"Sit down." He ordered again. When I was sat as far from him as I could he handed me one of the bottles and then used his free hand to drag me closer to him. Derek never wanted me near him. He barely looked at me.

I assumed he was just using me as the bottle holder and so when he motioned for me to take a sip I looked at the beer and then at him in confusion.

"That ones for you princess. You deserve it, you've done a good job today, done everything I said... drink." He finished, when I still hadn't touched the drink.

I didn't want to but I took a swig anyway. The taste was awful but Derek patted my head and said I was a good girl and my heart swelled.

He'd praised me. He said I'd done a good job. He wanted to sit near me and now I was a good girl. I was almost floating on air with happiness. My old Derek was back.

"What do you want to watch princess, your choice."

Had I died? .. Three years of abuse and now he was being kind to me. Stephen was away on some work trip for the weekend. Maybe Derek was nicer when Stephen wasn't here.

"I- I don't mind Derek." I whispered.

"Fine. I'll chose." He flicked through the movie selections and something was just about to start.

"Don't forget your drink."

I took a few more gulps. He put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulders proudly.

A little while into the movie Derek stood up, I copied him.

"No, sit, watch the movie. I'll be back in a minute. Just getting another drink."

"I'll get it Derek." I went to walk around him but a grip on my arm halted me.

"I said I'll get it. Sit down and enjoy the movie." He pushed me back into the sofa and went into the kitchen. I couldn't watch the tv. I was watching the kitchen door for when he returned.