Toxic Us.

: E :

It was getting worse, everything was worse.

I peered at my reflection, taking in the print of a palm across my cheek. It was red and flaring with anger, hurting to even prick it with a fingernail. It would swell, but still drew the make up her mother kept under the skin and dabbed it across my skin.

It was a mistake I made me mad.

Mad was an understatement but somewhere the word which lurked waiting to be said was lost in my head of jumbled thoughts. His palm caressed my other cheek and I tried my best not to flinch away, ignoring the spasm in my foot. He smiled.

“It looks beautiful”

I sucked in a breath whether in fear or resentment was yet to be deiced.

Ocean eyes burned a hole in the back of my neck, they weren’t s calm sea any longer, now they seemed like raging tides pulling in and out without warning before ripping any foothold you had from under you. If I cried Kevin would hear me, I know he would.

When the hand of fury came down on my neck, resting there almost in a warning I stilled. If I could make a sound or ever had been able to the ability was now forgotten. He took the brush from my hand throwing it into the sink. I stared after it for a while longing to have the courage to retrieve it.

I looked up at him wide eyed.

“Where have you gone?” I asked too the shell of the man I’d once known.

“Nowhere”

I knew he was right, he hadn’t.

I knew it in the way he always held to tight or cried a little to hard almost as if those tears were forcing their way to stream down his rose colored cheeks. I leant against the door and he pulled me back.

“Ssh” He whispered before opening the door, sling an arm around my shoulders and smiling at Kevin who’d been waiting beside the door.

“You alright?” His eyebrow rose and I nodded feebly enough to be convincing.

Seth laughed ran a hand down my hair, pausing at my neck.

“Just scared herself, ran into the doorframe” He inclined his head to my red cheek and Kevin shrugged.

“Yeah – a doorframe” I murmured looking at my feet.