Collie

IV

Bennie

I woke up to hushed voices and my TV on standby mode. Jordyn is asleep next to me as I check the time on my phone. It's midnight. I see a bunch of missed calls from Taylor and texts that I don't want to read.

The hall lights are on and I can still here Mom's hushed yet angry tones.

I follow the noise out and I see Billie and Danny sat on the couch, being interigated by Mom and Mama.

Their eyes land on me and they smile wide. My parents turn around and their eyes go soft.

"Sorry, kiddo. Did we wake you up?" Mama asked.

"No. What's going on?" I yawned.

"Nothing, sweetheart. Go back to bed." Mom tries.

"Mom, please don't do this to me. I'm seventeen. What's happening?"

"Billie and Danny ran away and your Mama tried chasing them but they were long gone. We have no idea where they went and they came back about half an hour ago. We almost called the police." Mom explains.

My eyes found the twins who smile again at me.

"What did you do?" I ask, sternly.

"Did you answer your phone?" Danny asks.

"Tell me you didn't go to her house." I say in disbelief.

"Maybe?" Billie shrugs.

"What did you do?"

They both did the gesture of zipping and locking their mouths and throwing the key away. I picked up my phone and called Taylor. She picked up immediately.

"Taylor? Are you okay?" I ask, leaving the room and heading out the back.

"I'm sorry, Bennie. Please forgive me." I heard her sob. She sounded like she was in pain.

"What did they do to you?"

"They told me not to tell you."

"I'm coming over." I declare.

"No! Please!" she begged.

"No, Taylor. I'm coming to you."

I hang up the phone and make my way through the house. Getting my keys, putting on shoes and getting into my car. Heading straight to my girlfriend's house.

Once I arrived, I saw that all of the lights were off, apart from her bedroom, I know that her parents went out of town so she's home alone. I let myself in and go straight up to her room. I jiggled the door handle but it was locked.

"Dammit." I swore under my breath. I stepped back and raised my right foot and kicked the door in. It swung open and hit the wall. Fuck, that hurt. I think I dislocated my knee.

There, on her bed, was my girlfriend, battered and bruised and covered in her own blood. She looked up at me with fear, regret, guilt and genuine terror.

"What?" I got out in shock. I rushed over to her, but she moved away.

"Don't touch me! I don't deserve someone like you. I'm a monster." she sobbed and winced.

"Taylor. Please, let me hold you. And we need to get you to the hospital."

"No! I don't want to get them into trouble. I deserved this!"

"Taylor, please!" I beg, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Okay. But we need to lie."

"We can't."