The Stepfather (MxM) ✓

Chapter 13

Violet was on the phone the moment we stepped out of the graveyard. Alice's hand somehow found its way into mine yet again as we followed Violet's brisk pace.

Alice looked up at me in question, presumably about what just happened. I ignored her gaze and continued walking. Once we hit the town, Violet hailed down a taxi without halting her conversation on the phone.

She only briefly paused from talking to tell the driver the house address. She hung up as soon as the car started up and switches to texting, her eyebrows furrowed in either frustration or concentration. Her thumbs didn't stop for the whole drive, even when we reached the house. I unlocked the door, letting Alice and Violet go ahead of me.

"Pack," Violet uttered a single word, holding the phone to her ear and closing the kitchen door behind her. Alice looked up at me again and this time, having no answer, I shrugged. I led Alice into my room and set her down on my bed as I rummaged around for anything I wanted to bring with me. This would likely be the last time I would step foot in this house, and I didn't feel particularly sad about it.

"What did Henry do to you?" she inquired suddenly, cutting through the silence. I stood still, looking down at the clothes in my hands and tried to think of an appropriate way to explain it to an eight year old.

"Henry... he wasn't very nice to me," the sentence sounded like a question on my tongue. Alice didn't seem appeased with that pathetic answer.

"How?"

"He used to... hurt me. A lot," I shoved my clothes into the bag with some force.

"Why?"

I shrugged.

"He didn't like me very much, I guess."

I never knew why. Did someone have to have a reason to hit their kid other than being fucked up themselves?

"Is that why you came to us?" the innocence in her voice was astounding, like she was just asking what my favourite colour was.

"Yep."

We left it at that. Alice twiddled her thumbs and watched me pack all of my belongings into a bag. Everything that I hadn't thought of as essential the first time around fit into the rucksack. Which struck me a little. There was still plenty of things in the room. Was I not going to miss any of it?

It's kind of pathetic, come to think of it.

A while later the door creaked open and Violet stepped into the small room. Alice was looking for hidden treasure beneath my bed.

"Are you guys ready?" she asked, looking between Alice and myself.

"Mom!" Alice exclaimed suddenly, emerging from under the bed, "look what I found," she help up a large heavy book, decorated with glitter and coloured paper. I blinked a few times, peering over.

I internally groaned when I remembered what it was as Violet sat down at the foot of the bed, setting Alice on her lap.

"I remember this," she said softly, opening it up. I hadn't a clue what the first photograph was, I hadn't opened that photo album in years, but it must have been hilarious because Alice and Violet started laughing.

"Is that Sammy?" she asked.

"Ahuh," Violet responded, her voice warm. I looked up again, trying to see what they see. I caught a glimpse of a baby attempting to eat suds in a bath. My cheeks flushed red immediately. The next picture was a family photograph; myself in a rackety looking pram with Violet and Henry steering it. Violet didn't comment on that and turned the next few pages quickly.