As Long As You Love Me

Chapter 1

"Stay away from my daughter, boy," my father spat in Justin's face. "You don't even come close to deserving her."

"Daddy...please stop," I whispered as my father leered at Justin.

"Go inside Faith, I'll deal with you later," he ordered, fixing his steel eyes on me with promises of retribution, and I cringed back, but didn't leave.

"Sir, please—" Justin started, but my father cut him off.

"You better start leaving boy, Faith I said go inside!" he hissed and I flinched, but I wasn't going to give in so easily this time. I looked at Justin, he looked in my eyes and mouthed, Go, but I just shook my head.

My father turned his attention back towards Justin, walking forward he said, in a deadly voice, "If you dare come back here—"

"Daddy! Stop! Please!" I pleaded.

My father whipped around and grabbed my upper arm, dragging me back towards the house, "I thought I made it perfectly clear to go inside!"

"Hey!" Justin shouted, taking a step toward us. "Let go of her!"

"Justin, no, just go, please," I turned and looked at him, begging him with my eyes to leave as my father continued to drag me towards the house.  

"I would listen to her if I were you, boy."

"Faith..."

But I just shook my head, "Just go."

His eyes were tortured, trying to gauge what was the best choice, he turned and got in his car, he looked at me one more time, I nodded, reassuring him that I would be fine, my gut twisted when I realize what a lie that was, I was in a lot of trouble.

My father continued to pull me inside, and I followed. He waited until Justin was gone to turn the full force of his wrath on me, grabbing my shoulders he slammed me against the wall. "How dare you! How dare you defy me!"

"I love him daddy, and he loves me."

"No you don't, you don't know what love is Faith!" he raised his hand and slapped me across the face; I would have fallen to the ground if not for him, pinning me against the wall.

"Daddy—"           

He shook me so hard my teeth rattled. "You don't know! But I do, and that is not love!"

"Yes it is!" My eyes widened as I realized what I had just done. "No—I didn't—"

He grabbed my neck, gripping it so hard I choked, shoving me farther up against the wall. His eyes blazed with anger, and he didn't let up, "Apologize, you don't know what love is and that's final."

I opened my mouth, desperately trying to get air into my lungs, floundering like a fish out of water. "I'm—s-sorry," I finally choked out.

"Good, now go to your room," my dad snapped, loosening his death grip on my throat.

I gasped, collapsing to the ground.

"Go!" He commanded, I started to stand and he shoved me towards the hallway, and I tripped again, falling back to the ground.

I scrambled backwards, toward my room, then turned and pushed my self up.

When I reached my room I fell on my bed, my face still stinging I tried to breathe calmly. I fumbled the nightstand looking for the cell Justin had slipped me when he found out that I didn't have one.

I opened it, one new message from Justin;

Meet me tonight, train station, 11 o'clock and we'll get out of here.

I smiled, but my smile quickly disappeared when I thought about actually getting out of the house. It would be impossible, he would be expecting me to try something like this, I would no doubt be punished. I looked again at the text, but...Justin would never ask me to do something like this lightly, he knew what would happen to me if I were caught. I knew the risks were big, my father was already pissed at me, if he caught me this would no doubt provoke him into something more extreme than just shoving me up against the wall. If he figured out Justin was behind it he it would be even worse, and not just for me, Justin would be blamed for everything, and if that happened my father would be out for revenge, and I had no idea where he would draw the line. I couldn't take that risk, he meant too much to me to have my father destroy him. I would not be going tonight, I would not take that risk; I could not gamble with his life.

My decision was made, I would have to stay. With that in mind I grabbed a book and tried to ignore the passing time. But it was impossible, and I started to pace, second-guessing my decision, even though I knew it was the right one.

The phone began to buzz and I knew Justin wanted to know where I was, I couldn't answer it, I let it go to voicemail, my gut twisting.

After half an hour I was still to wound up to even think about sleeping.

There was a sudden rap on my window, and I jumped. I turned, it was Justin. I hurried forward. His palm was on the window; I put my hand up to his and leaned my forehead against the cool glass. A tear slid down my cheek. I had made my choice...but Justin had come, already knowing what was going on, he had come to change my mind, and I knew it was hopeless, he would talk me into going no matter how long it took.

My hand turned the knob on the window and opened it.

"Faith...you know—" but he stopped when I looked at him. "Faith, what happened to your cheek?!"

 "Nothing," I mumbled, turning my face away.

"That is not nothing! Did you dad...did he..." Justin ran a hand through his hair, turning, glancing around, he's eyes blazing with anger.

"It's fine, he's done worse."

"Faith, you have to come with me, you can't stay with him, not when he's doing this to you, please, come with me," he pleaded.

"I can't he'll track you down, and hurt you, please Justin, you have to understand I'm doing this for you."

"And I'm doing this for you, he won't catch us, and if he does I've taken some precautions, we'll be fine," Justin promised.

"I can't just leave..."

"Yes you can, you'll be eighteen, in two weeks and legally he'll have no hold on you, I don't know why you haven't left yet, but whatever, we're leaving now."

I looked at my room; it had been my prison, and my refuge for so long. "He's going to check on me soon, we should wait until he goes to bed."

"Faith I'm not stupid, I know he wont go to bed for another three hours."

Just looking in his brown made my reasons for staying fade to the back of my mind. "Justin," I broke eye contact, I could not afford to look in them if I wanted to protect him.

"You know I'm right, I can tell, so just...come with me Faith." His fingers found my chin and made me look in his eyes, using my weakness against me.

I closed my eyes, a tear sliding down my cheek.

His thumb stroked my cheek, "Please."

I gasped, he knew exactly how to slice through my defenses, "Yes," I whispered, finally giving in.

"Thank you," his lips brushed mine. "We don't have much time."

I nodded, and pulled away, "Okay, I'll just...grab some things." I snagged my backpack and went to my drawers and started pulling things out and shoving them in my bag. I grabbed my toiletry bag and shoved it in. I went to my closet and also grabbed a board game.

"I don't think..." Justin started, but I shot him a look and he shut up, I opened the box, dumping the continence into my backpack.  It was full of granola bars and power bars.

"For the nights when my dad decided not to let me have dinner. I was prepared." I explained. After packing a few more things I was ready.

"Okay, I'm parked the next block over so we can cut through the woods, okay?"

"Good," I muttered as I climbed through the window.