Together (Sequel to Slipping Away)

Chapter Forty-Four

Everyone was on the edge of their seat as she began her story.

"My mom's boyfriend was an okay guy. He seemed really nice and my mom really loved him so I decided to push my childish dislike of him to the back of my mind. Something always seemed kind of off about him and it unsettled me as a child." Alice said and took a deep breath. "One night he got completely wasted while my mom was out with some friends. She'd left me with him because she was confident that I would be safe. I was sitting in the kitchen doing my homework when he came in and started to play with my hair in a manner that made me feel very uncomfortable. I told him that if he didn't stop that I would tell my mom. He eventually stopped and everything was normal for a few weeks until one night he crept into my room. He thought I was asleep and he started to touch me and that's when I started crying. He ran out and my mom came to check on me. I told her what happened but she didn't believe me. She smacked me across the face and told me to stop making up lies because I was bitter. He would only come into my room late at night once a week, then twice, and then it was every night. The touching became more intimate and I had to bite my cheek to keep from crying because I didn't want him to hurt me or my mom to smack me. Things got progressively worse. My mom's boyfriend ended up roping her into doing drugs and so I've had to raise myself since I was seven. My mom's boyfriend ended up taking all of our remaining money and disappeared. My mom was broken because not only was she addicted to heroin but she was broke with a child that she had let down. We moved into a run-down house on the bad side of town and that gave me a bad name. As I would walk home I would have drug dealers and gang members pushing for me to buy something or join their gang. I would have to walk home with my head down for fear of angering someone that I shouldn't and being killed. When I went to school I was alone because I lost all my friends. No one wanted their child being friends with a drug addict's daughter. People would bully me at school and push me into lockers. This lasted until I left school but it got really bad my freshman year of high school. People would spit at me in the halls and the girls would tease me. No one physically hit me during school hours but certain girls would pay some of the guys that were strapped for cash to 'teach me a lesson about being trash'. I'd come home with bruises on my stomach and legs but I wouldn't cry." Alice stopped and wiped her eyes carefully. Everyone was staring at her with shocked expressions. Harry sat forward from his position on the couch and gave her a comforting smile.

(BREAK FROM BACK STORY)

"What do you need?" Harry asked softly and Alice took a shaky breath.

"I need fresh air." Alice whispered and stood up, quickly walking through the kitchen and disappearing through the back door. Harry got up to follow her out but Liam stood up, shaking his head at Harry.

"I'm going out there." Liam said in a soft voice and Harry nodded, watching as Liam followed in Alice's footsteps. Liam poked his head out the door and saw Alice swaying slightly on one of the swings of Adaley's playhouse. He sat down next to her and gently bumped her knee with his. "Hey you." He said with a small smile and Alice choked out a laugh.

"Hi." She murmured softly and hesitantly looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. "I'm really sorry that I just ran out of there." She mumbled and Liam shook his head.

"Don't be sorry love. We understand that it's hard for you to talk about your past." Liam said comfortingly and she smiled thankfully at him. "We all have a hard story in our pasts but the fact that we've conquered the demons from them is proof that we really are stronger than we think we are." He gently told her and carefully took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers together. "You don't have to keep telling your story if it's become too much for you. No one would judge you or be upset with you." Alice shook her head and looked down at their intertwined hands.