Blissfully Unaware

Chapter Eight

Sawyer

Beau looked so hot in his tight blue workout shorts and white cut off t-shirt. His arm muscles more visible this time, sent a jolt to my center. I wonder what it would be like to have them wrapped around me. To have his hands explore my body. To run my fingers through his hair. It always looks so soft. Yup, Beau is dangerous. I don’t think about stuff like that. Ever.

    I continue the journey to my house. Lost in thought my 15 minute walk flew by. As I turn left onto Jackson Street the dread starts to creep in. Trenton is a sloppy drunk. Dishes will be piled high from his middle of the night drunken cooking attempt. There will be pictures of my momma placed in random spots all over the house. I’ll find him passed out on the couch clutching momma’s obituary in one hand with an empty bottle of Jameson in the other. Trenton has been this way for as long as I can remember. Even before momma’s diagnoses although, that’s the excuse he uses now that his problem is out in the open. So me being, well me, I keep up the house. I do all of the chores including the lawn. Our house is the typically white picket fenced white house with a blue door and blue shutters. Walking passed it you’d never suspect the horrors that took, still take, place in it.

    Trenton hasn’t laid a hand on me since the day he slapped me in front of everyone at momma’s funeral. That’s also the day Beau’s step dad, David Murray, took Trenton outside and had a stern talk with him. I was too busy being embarrassed to care about what was said. I ended up staying with Lucy and her family for a couple of weeks until Mr.Murray made sure it was safe for me to return home. I couldn’t be more thankful for his kindness. Now Trenton and I only speak out of necessity, no small talk.  

    “Trenton.” I say in a half whisper.

    “Hmm, Huh?”

    “It’s Friday, I’ll be gone from the weekend once I’m done cleaning up. Luke’s flight from Georgia to Denver comes in on Sunday at 6am. He should be here around 10:30.” Luke took a football scholarship to Georgia State. He loved it here in Casper Wyoming, but he wanted to get as far as he could from Trenton.

    “Mmmmkay.” He quickly passed back out.

    I walk up the stairs and veer to left heading towards my bedroom. My door that was locked when I left for school this morning, is wide the fuck open. I peer into my room to find things everywhere. My dresser doors flung open with clothes piled on the floor while others hung off of the drawers. My closet’s content thrown on my bed. That’s when I see it, the loose floorboard that I kept the letter’s my momma wrote me before she died, the pictures of her, Luke, and I; and the paperwork for the secret bank account she had set up for me so I could go to college. Luckily we put it in my name the day after her second Diagnosis. She never trusted my father with money.

    I marched down the stairs, my hands in tight fists. “TRENTON, WAKE UP!” He startles for a second and then passes back out. This time I yell his name and start to shake him. All of the anger I have pouring into my arms as I violently shake him harder.

    “What the fuck. You little bitch, I’m sleeping.” His favorite pet name for me.

    “Where are they?”

    “Where’s what?” He slurs.

    “Mom’s letters, pictures, and the bank paperwork. Those are mine and not for you to plaster all over the damn house.” My eyes are blazing with hatred.

    “That’s my hard earn money.” He hiccups. “ You’re going to give it back to me.” He’s sitting now, trying to stand but his legs can’t stop wobbling.

    “Like hell I am. Mom left that for me to go to college with, not for you to shove down your throat.” I could feel the fire begin to rise in me.

    “You’ll watch your fucking mouth you little cunt. This is my house, you’ll show me respect. You’re going to drain that account and give it to me. I’ve had to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly.” He spits the words out and I can feel the wetness hit my face. He’s made it to his feet but he’s still shaky. My anger boils over and I can’t contain my self control any longer.

    “Mom left me that money because she knew she couldn’t trust you. You’ve always let her down. I had to take her to all of her doctors appointments because you were too drunk or passed out. Luke and I didn’t have the heart to tell her we caught you fucking the secretary while she was fighting for her life. You were a shitty father and an ever shittier husband. I wish it had been you instead of-”

    *SMACK*

    Trenton fell back from the force of his blow. My cheek burned. I touched my face. I can feel the heat radiating off it. I finally catch my bearings and start to run for my room, I need to grab my purse and make a run for it. Trenton scrambles to his feet. I make it halfway up the stairs before I feel his hand around my ankle. He pulls me to the bottom of the stairs, my head hitting every step on the way down. I taste the iron on my tongue before I see the blood on my hand. The fucker busted my lip wide open. He pins me to the floor, cocks his fist back, and releases. His knuckles collide with my my right eye socket. Warmth spreads across the right side of my face. My chest is moving rapidly while my heart pumps wildly.

    I find my voice and start to scream. He releases my left hand to cover my mouth. Leaving my hand free, that was his mistake. I searched for an object, anything heavy. My hand brushed against something round, cold, metallic feeling. With all of the force I could muster, I bashed the object into his head. The blow knocked him off of me. This time I ran for the front door. I swung it open and took off sprinting. Being an ex cheerleader has its perks, I knew he couldn’t catch me once I was outside and running. I made it to the door of Johnny J’s before I stopped. Resting my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath. Tears fill my eyes as I fall to the ground. Through the blurry mess I see a hand reaching out to me. I look up trying to focus on his face.

    “Zeek.”