His To Keep

Chapter Fifteen

“Eat!” Father Aaron snapped angrily, his brow creasing in frustration towards me. Flinching, I brought the fork up to my mouth and chewed on the tasteless peas that felt like mush in my mouth, I swallowed quickly before I gagged.  

Another week has passed by, which means another week stuck in hell. I was beginning to think that I’d never get out of here as my sadness prolonged into a painful and gloomy misery. I don’t know how much more I can take of this. How much fear can one take before surrendering to insanity like the rest of this disturbed family?

Everyday has been the same routine, meal times working around Father Aaron, who seemed busy at the church. I was relieved by this, because it seemed to distract him away from me or Callum, which resulted in him leaving us alone. But now, I couldn’t help but notice how agitated he seemed. It was the way those cold, blue eyes of his would linger on me for long periods of time. I felt as if something was coming, something bad.   

Callum shifted in the stool next to me, even he was getting aggravated by his father’s snappy mood. Penny seemed to shrink into the stool next to him even more, telling me that Father Aaron was in a mood worth fearing.

Even she has been getting the blunt end of his mood, yesterday she browed his bacon too much and he hit her that hard she fell to the floor. She didn’t cry or even whimper, instead just got up and remade his entire breakfast to his disgusting standards. I was worried in case I would become her, would Callum do that to me in time?

I glanced at him, he was stabbing the slab of beef with his fork, which was a piece of pure fat. He hadn’t spoken to me since the kiss and it was secretly killing me. We sat in our room at opposite ends in agonising silence, it was a silence that was slowly eating away at me.

It frustrated me that I didn’t have the guts to confront him about what happened between us, to see what it meant to him. I knew kissing him was wrong, especially given the circumstances. It was sinful of me, but that feeling I get when we kiss, it’s more just some kiss.

Callum turned his head towards me then, catching me in my staring act. I swallowed dryly as my stomach flipped as we looked at each other. His eyes were like molten crystals again, so deep and captivating. I tore my gaze away from him finally, the shine of my wedding band catching my eye. I pushed my hand underneath the table, so I didn’t have to look at it or continue to think if it was true or not.

I looked up from my plate to see John staring at me. He was sat in front as always, slightly leaning back and smirking at me. I scowled and looked away in disgust, I hated him.

“Ava,” Father Aaron called my name, it was in a tone that required me to look at him. When I looked up I was shocked to see he was smiling at me, which seemed like a rariety with him this week, “I have a present for you, stay behind after dinner.”

I began shivering nervously, my heart furiously beating excruciatingly against my ribs. Oh god, what did he want now? What present? He glanced at the door in the kitchen, that particular door that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. He was planning on taking me in there? That feeling that something bad was going to happen was now laughing at me, cold and clear. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? I was beginning to breathe heavily. I couldn’t catch my breath. I can’t take this anymore, the fear is just too much.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my own, squeezing my fingers gently, but firm enough to snap me out of my despair. I looked down at my lap to see Callums hand in mine. Was he was trying to reassure me? I swallowed and clasped hold of his hand tighter, making him shift at my sudden need for closeness. My inner being was shaking her head at me, disapproving. But I couldn’t seem to care as my breath finally came out deeply and heavily, relieving the pain from my achy lungs.

I raised my eyes to Callum, who was looking at me with concern. It didn't help. I had the urge to lean my head on his shoulder and submit to my tears. But thankfully I refrained from doing so. I shouldn’t give into my sodden tears and show Father Aaron that I was afraid of him, that I’ve always been afraid of him.

The meal resumed in a pitiful silence, I caught even Penny giving me a saddened look, which told me a lot. What was going to happen to me? Will I be murdered or tortured like Callum was on his birthday? I couldn't even think of it.