Love Led By Loss

Chapter 6

I knew I shouldn't have said what I did, I knew it as soon as I said it. I expected yelling, but instead Mikey's eyes filled a little with tears. He looked me in the eye, the lifted his hand and slapped me. Right across the face. But it didn't stop there. He punched me. I fell back on the floor and hit my head on somebody's shoe. My nose cracked and started bleeding. He kicked, then hit some more. I could tell that Brayson was trying to pull Mikey off of me. I could tell Josh and Mark were trying to too. I heard the other people that were at the house whispering to each other. I don't know where Xavier is. Maybe calling the cops, maybe he left. I don't know.

I just know that I don't feel anything right now. This pain is nothing compares to the abuse I grew up with. Maybe that's a bad thing. Maybe not. I don't know.

Mikey kicked me in the head. I don't know what happened after that.

~~~~

I woke up in a hospital bed the next day. I wasn't alone though. Josh was sitting in a chair at the side of my bed. He was asleep with his head on my bed. Brayson was here too. He was sprawled out on the floor in front of my bed.

I coughed and both of the boys woke up.

"Good Morning!" Josh smiled at me. His hair was sticking up all over the place.

"Morning." I laughed a little which causes a shot of pain in my ribs and in my head. "Well this is just freaking awesome."

"How are you feeling?" Brayson questioned me.

"Embarrassed. Like crying. Pain. Anger. You know. The normal." I answer "I can't believe that just happened." I laughed a little and choked on the tears that started pouring down my face. "Why did that even happen?" I cried a little harder "Why do they get everything that I freaking don't? Why did I lose everything?" My voice had raised to a yell. "What did I do for any of this to happen?"

"Shh. Calm down Lillie. I know this sucks, but it will all get better. I promise. Things can only her better from here." Josh rubs my arm "I mean you made one friend so far right? Xavier seems to like you. Plus I'm here now. So is Brayson. I mean those are all gains right?"

"Making on friend doesn't really mean I'm gaining anything. I want my old friends. The friends that know everything about me." I cried harder "And the two of you might be here now, but you weren't when I really needed you. Brayson ditched me during our dads abusive days. He took you and ran. Tyler, Jimmy, Kayden and I stayed! He didn't try to take anybody. I was stuck in that house for six years! Dad his us all the time! He never stopped until mom bribed him to leave! He left not worried about if mom, the boys and I were going to make it out of that house!" I was screaming with tears streaming down my face. "I know you couldn't do anything Josh. We were six. There was nothing you could do except cry with me. But Brayson could have done something. I always thought he would. He was my big brother! But he didn't do anything! He took you and left me."

"Whoa... Lillie calm down. You know that was not my intention... We talked a lot about it before I left. I asked if you wanted me to do anything. You kept saying no." Brayson put another hand on my arm.

"Dad.. We were six. I remember being scared out of my mind whenever I was there. Even if she said no, you should have tried some thing.." Josh said quietly. "Lillie I didn't want to leave you. I didn't want my best friend to get hurt. I really didn't..."

That's when the doctor walked in.

"Everything okay in here?" The doctor asked looking at me.

"Everything is fine." I wiped my face and smiled at him.

"That's good because I came to tell you that you're going to be in the hospital for three days. Then if the observation goes well and your ribs look like they are healing well, you can go home."

Great.