Halo And Horns

Chapter 09: When you're in hell, only a devil can point you out

Nick's world fell apart again. Everything turned distant; Clary who was laying right under his body seemed like she was laying feet away. His ear seemed muffled and all he could hear was his own pulse and his own breathing. Heavy breaths. What? He thought to himself. What do I do? He wondered. He wanted to grab her hand and just rush into her house and confront her father but what if that only made things worse?

"Your mother...?" he heard his own voice say but it too felt distant, as if it was someone else speaking.

"She—she knows." He heard Clary answer and everything came back into focus, he saw again that Clary was laying right below him, he could hear the quiet harmonic whirring sound from the fan above and the sound of the occasional car passing by outside. That's right, it must be 8am now. People must have woken up and started their daily routines.

"What?" he asked, surprised, sad and angry but not at Clary, at her mother. "And she doesn't stop it...? She doesn't say anything?"

"She can't stop him..." she said.

"Why not? She is your mother, his wife, no mother would let her daughter be treated—" he was saying but Clary's hand came up and covered his mouth. It was a gentle touch from the palm of her hand to his mouth but he still stopped talking.

She had a smile on her face. Not genuine. It was forced, strained and sad. "It's okay..." she said then.

At that he pulled her hand away, gently. "It's not okay!" he said, harsher than he had intended and saw her startle. "I'm sorry." He added, quickly.

"He hits her too... I can hear her... He abuses her as well. Maybe it's because he gets to do that to her... that he spares my own virtue..."

"Bullshit!" Nick said, loudly and sat up. Clary followed his motion and sat up as well, pulling both sides of her shirt front closed, covering her exposed skin. "You have to stand up to him!" he said.

"NO!" she yelled.

"Why not?!"

"It will destroy my family!"

"How?! It's already destroyed! You can't save it but you can save yourself! Your life is only beginning!"

"If I stand up to him, he will make it worse for me, I tried telling him 'no' and he hit me, over and over and over again! If I report him to the police I will not be able to face the world! I will be ashamed and embarrassed!" she said, looking down at her hand which was placed beside her leg, gripping the sheets tightly.

Nick placed his hands on her shoulders, "Look at me," he said and she looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling, whether it was just because of his affection for her or tears, he didn't know, but it was beautiful. His heart skipped a beat. "I love you! And I am here for you, I will always be here for you. You will not face anything alone, not your father, nor the world. I will protect you from their wicked gazes, from your father's filthy hands but nothing can be done before you take a step forward first. You have to take the lead for it is your life."

She kept her gaze steady and stared into his eyes as he spoke. She could feel the palms of his hands pressed gently against her shoulders and both his thumbs rubbing softly against her collarbones. He looked so worried. He had anger in him as well but she knew he was trying to hide it; anger for her father.

"It was the last time my mother did anything," he started. "but I am proud to be the son of someone who stood up for herself. I told you what my father had done to her... and I told you how she died. She died standing up for herself. She died because I couldn't protect her. I will not let that happen to you. We're going there now," He took her wrist and started off the bed, pulling her along. "And you're going to tell him off."