What They've Done To Us

08 ➹ not hurt i'm tense

"No reason." Chris shrugs. Liar.

I turn to Valé bored of his voice already. "Aren't you going to look at me?" I ask. Why can't you look at me? I did nothing to you.

"I was just getting around to that." She lies, looking up at me and meeting my gaze momentarily.

"I'm sure you were." I savor her presence and I hate myself for it. Why do I want to savor her? Out of everyone she is the last person I should want anything to do with.

"I was."

"I just said that."

"I know."

"Well, isn't this the least awkward conversation to ever exist." Christopher says like he's wanted or something. I want to reassure the poor guy, that if you don't want to stick around just fucking leave. 

"Don't you have other people's lives to ruin? or expose as you put it." I ask.

Valé looks up at me. "Yes, because that's exactly what I do. I sit at home writing in my journal plotting against every single boy." That's my girl, show me who you really are under that fake innocent act.

"I wouldn't put it below you."

"I thought you liked that?"

"So, you're a comedian now?" I mean, private investigator was my top recommendation, but you know comedian works just as well for her.

"Leave me alone Delvaùx."

"Leave her alone bro." I personally choose to ignore the joke of a Christopher who keeps on talking for God knows what.

"I don't think I will when this is so entertaining. Wouldn't you agree Valé?"

She looks at me, with a look I've yet to see on her. I call it; the calm before the storm. "No. It's not."

"Good thing I'm not trying to entertain you."

"Then what are you trying to do? Rattle me? What are you going to do Caleb?" She asks, presses is the right word for the way she's currently looking at me. "Hit me?"

"Mom. I can't protect you eight hours away. I'm not going." I'll go to St fucking Valentines for all I care, I'm not leaving her and Elisé. Not here, not with him.

"Caleb, you can not protect me here either."

I draw back from her, and I think in this moment, this is so much worse than anything dad has done. "Take that back." She doesn't. "You think he won't touch Elisé Mom? vous êtes délirant." [You're delusional]

"Caleb -"

"I was six sitting behind the door hearing you guys argue and waiting...waiting to hear him hit, I stepped in when I was six! and now, you want to insult me by telling me I can't do anything?"

"You and Elisé are different in his eyes, he...he...."

"Loves her?" I finish off.  "He won't hit her because he loves her?"

Valé stares back at me, everyone fucking stares back at me. Look somewhere else, boring excuse of fuck ups.

"Right, because that's something I would do." I finally answer with a blank face. She doesn't know, I remind myself...but if she did...would she even fucking care?

Atlas is the one to break the tense silence. "Let's go to Luca, leave her."

"Hey, that's no way to talk to someone." Christopher adds, again.

"Quick question Do you think if you had the ability to suck yourself off, your mouth would be full enough for you to shut the fuck up?" I ask.

When Christopher is about to answer Atlas cuts in. "Yep, I'm definitely hearing Luca now. Let's go Caleb." He seethes.