can hear the shock in her voice, and because I’m an asshole and already pissed off, I feed right into her fears.
“I would, and worse yet, I would enjoy it.”
I hear her gasp and can only imagine how red her cheeks are right now. Thankfully, that shuts her up, and soon silence falls over the room. She tugs against the cuff a few more times, trying to get comfortable but eventually stops moving.
Time passes slowly, but Dove soon falls asleep. Her even breaths giving her away.
Her body gravitates toward mine in the night as if her subconscious knows what her mind doesn’t yet.
That she’s forever safe, in my arms, in my bed, and in my heart.
15
I curl up into a tight ball. Trying to make myself as small as I can, wishing I could just disappear altogether. William is next to me on the mattress, his hand tightly wrapped around mine. Our door is closed, but our foster parents are fighting so loudly, it sounds like they are in our room. The walls shake when someone slams a door shut somewhere inside the house. I jump at the noise, and William holds my hand a little bit tighter as if to tell me he’s here.
“It’s okay, don’t be scared,” he whispers into the dark room. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
Like a warm fuzzy blanket, his words settle over me, giving me warmth and shelter, I wish I could shelter him too. I wish I could protect both of us, but we’re only kids. Our foster parents are supposed to take care of us.
Heavy footfalls meet my ear. Fear trickles down my spine. Larry is coming up the stairs. Coming for us… any time he’s in the room, something bad happens. My stomach tightens with worry. A moment later, the door flies open, and my worst nightmare fills the doorframe.
The light coming from the hallway is almost completely blocked out by his body, but there is a sliver of light that casts through, allowing me to see his face.
His bloodshot eyes tell me he is drunk, no surprise there. I think he’s been out at the bar every day since I arrived, and when he isn’t there, he’s fighting with our foster mom. He sways lightly on his feet as he moves to take a step forward, an evil smile spreading across his face.
“Hey, little bird,” he slurs, stepping inside the room.
I squeeze William’s hand so tightly, it must hurt him, but he doesn’t make a sound. He, like myself, is frozen in place, knowing what’s to come.
“Come here, Dove.” He motions for me to get up, but I can’t move, my limbs are useless, petrified.
“No,” William says, his voice stern and almost… scary. To me, anyway.
“No?” Larry, our foster father, starts laughing. “Did little Will grow some balls overnight?” He shakes his head. “I said come here, Dove. I want to spend some quality father-daughter time in the other room.” He licks his lips, and my stomach churns.
“I said, no!” William growls. “You don’t touch her.”
“What are you gonna do about it, Willy boy?” Larry taunts. “I thought I already taught you a lesson. Obviously, I didn’t beat it into your head hard enough.”
Though drunk, Larry is still fast and crosses the room, coming straight for me with ease. I’m shaking so hard, all I can do is sit there and wait for the inevitable to happen. At the last second, Will lets go of my hand, and moves to stand. He’s sluggish and I know it takes a monumental amount of effort for him to move.
Pain contorts his features, and I want to tell him, no, to stop, but my tongue is too heavy, the words lodged deep in my throat, refusing to come out.
“I said, don’t touch her!” I’ve never seen or heard Will speak so violently, and a new sense of fear washes over me. What if Larry hurts him again? Just as the thought enters my mind, all hell breaks loose.
Larry lunges for me, but William intercepts. I know this isn’t going to end well, not for me or for Will. Everything happens so fast. Fists start flying, landing with heavy thuds against skin and bone. Tears fill my eyes as screams and grunts erupt inside the room. I can’t make out what belongs to who. All I can do is pray that Will is going to be okay. He has to be, he’s the only thing keeping me together here.