Where the Skies are Blue

Chapter Sixteen:

The moonlight begins to leak through into my room. A wave of white light shifting back and forth along my ceiling. My chest aches, my eyes hurt as I stare blankly at the wall next to my bed.

A soft knock at the door. I don't look or move. I don't think I've moved for hours now, not since I dragged myself off the floor and moved into my bed mindlessly.

My brain working on overdrive, rethinking the confrontation with Katherine over and over again. To the point where I feel ill. Things have gotten to this point between us countless times before. Incidents where she's slapped me, called me names, or gotten in my face. Points where we were both screaming at one another back and forth. Where I had almost hit her back. So many times I've wanted to. To hit her back when she hit me. Yet, every time I've restrained myself. It's a line I don't want to cross. There's no going back from that. Plus, there's no telling what she would do.

"Auden?" I hear Henry say carefully, followed by my door creaking open. "Are you hungry? I ordered some pizza."

"No."

"Your mother went out." He tells me. "I know you two got into a disagreement. Are you okay?"

Henry isn't like her other boyfriends. He's not. I know he isn't. It's not possible. I feel comfortable with him. I don't feel scared. Rolling onto my back, I shift my gaze to him. He's standing outside of my room, because he always respects my space. He gives me a sad smile.

"I'm okay." I lie to him.

He nods slowly. "Maybe we could watch a movie downstairs? Or I can bring you some pizza up to your room and give you some space?"

I appreciate him trying. It surprisingly makes me feel a little better that he's trying. I sit up. "A movie would be nice."

He lights up. "Okay, your pick. I'll meet you downstairs." With that, he leaves me alone to get out of bed. I move over to my closet and pull on a sweatshirt and fuzzy pumpkin socks before making my way downstairs into the living room, where he's sitting in his recliner, a box of pizza on the entertainment center. "What kind of movies do you like? What's your favorite?" He asks me as I grab a slice and move over to the couch, where I curl up with a blanket.

"Um, all kinds, I guess. I don't really think I have a favorite."

"If you could name any movie." He is clicking with his Firestick remote, moving through the movies.

"I like Harry Potter."

He looks over at me. "Harry Potter marathon it is." He pulls up the first movie and it begins to play.

I smile to myself and take a bite of my pizza. We get halfway into the movie, both of us watching it silently, yet his presence is comforting, before I tell him, "Thank you."

"No problem, kiddo'." He says. "I don't want to get in the middle of your mom and you. I know it's not my place. But I'm here, whatever you need."

"Why?"

He looks back at me with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why? Why would you do anything for us? You're just...really nice, is all."

He smiles. "I care about you two."

"Really?"

"Yes, Auden. I've been really happy since you guys moved in. I'm glad you're here, and I want the best for you. Whatever it is."

I nod quietly and give him a smile. He smiles back before turning towards the TV. He cares about us. And yet, my mom is going to fuck him over. She's going to try to ruin him. My mouth opens, and I want to tell him, I think I'm going to. But nothing comes out. I feel like crying all over again. The guilt and shame eating away at me. She doesn't love him. She doesn't care about him. She's completely using him. Just like she uses everyone. My heart breaks for him and for the life I'm going to lose. The lives she's going to ruin. All the people she's hurt and will continue to hurt.

I don't want to lose this. This happiness I've begun to feel. The friends I've made. Hunter. My job. This town. Henry. Everything I have here is everything I've ever wanted. I want to keep it. Forever. For things to stay how they are. I don't know how long I have before she makes a mess of everything.

My mind is only half focused on the movie, as I begin to mourn what I haven't lost yet, but know eventually I will.

***

Katherine comes stumbling through the front door when Henry and I are in the middle of The Prisoner of Azkaban. It's late. The cold breeze follows her in.

The smell of booze is strong as she wobbles into the living area, flashing on the lights. Her eyes widen when she sees Henry and I watching TV in here. Then her eyes narrow at the sight of me, "You're out of your room..." Her words slur as her gaze shifts over to Henry in the recliner. "With my boyfriend watching movies." Her tone is accusatory, almost as if she's walking in on Henry and I making out. Like she believes something is going on. I can see the jealousy on her face.

"Honey," Henry says sweetly to her and stands from the chair to give her a hug. "How was your night out? Someone got tipsy." He teases.

She gives him a forced smile, but her eyes continue to glare at me. Henry is oblivious to the tension, to the anger that she is throwing my way. "Yes, one of the ladies I was telling you about was insistent on buying us all shots." Lies. Big fat lie.

Henry laughs. "Sounds like fun. Want to join us for movie night?"

"I thought I told you she wasn't allowed to leave her room?" She asks in a passive-aggressive voice.

"Well, Kat, she didn't go out. We had some pizza and have just been sitting and watching movies. There's some left if you want a slice."

"How sweet." She says bitterly before she stumbles over to me and squeezes my cheek with her fingers. My jaw clenches, and I hold my breath to prevent myself from breathing in the smell of alcohol that seeps off her. "Glad you're having a fun night, baby." She then pinches my nose before standing and grabbing onto Henry's hand. "Why don't we go up to bed? She can finish the movie on her own."

Henry looks back at me and I wave him off. "Go ahead. I'm going to go to bed anyways."

"You sure?" He asks hesitantly.

"Yep. We can finish it another time."

"Okay, night, Auden." He smiles and follows Katherine up the stairs.

My whole life, Katherine has never gotten along with other women. To her, they're always competition. The men always need to have their full attention on her, nobody else. It's scary to think she might see me as a threat—another woman in competition with her. It's almost as if she preferred it when I hated her boyfriends, when I hid in my room away from them. She didn't feel threatened then.

I've never been a daughter to Katherine. But now, I'm becoming her enemy. I can feel it in the way she talks to me. The shift in behavior. The different way she looks at me. Like she thinks she has to compete for Henry's affection. She wants me to hate Henry, so she doesn't have to worry about me.

I can't let her get away with this. Not this time.