Dance In The Rain

~55~ Cuts Deep

"I start to like you until you pull this shit," I say in a subdued voice as I awkwardly get over his lap. I'm expecting him to start in, but he just keeps his hands on the bed with me weirdly draped over his knees.

I hear him sigh after a long thirty seconds, and then feel him grab my arm to pull me off his lap and sit next to him on the bed.

"I know you well enough that I've learned you, Jules...Or at least some of you...So I know that you saying this is just to cut me and you don't actually mean it. But it cuts the shit outta me, and I wish you would stop."

"And I wish you would stop. I'm not a bad person! I did fine on my own all of these years. I never even got in trouble with teachers!"

He looks hard into my eyes as he nods slowly. "I know you're not a bad person."

"Obviously not!" I scoff as I wave my hand around both of us, bringing attention to our situation.

"You're not a bad person, Julianne....But actions have consequences, and you never really saw that before because you were always alone. It's hard to act out when no one is there to see it, or care to correct it."

I just stare at him, not sure what to say. I liked being alone. I miss being alone

"Sylvie had consequences for her actions against Brandy. Although it destroyed me, she broke a law and assaulted someone, and she got arrested. Brandy assaulted both me and you, and she got arrested. Would you rather be arrested?"

"You would call the cops on me?" I gasp as tears fill my eyes.

His eyes soften as he presses a kiss to my head. "No. But this is you getting arrested. This is your consequence. If you would go out and hit a random person, they very well could call the cops on you....You have to realize how serious this whole thing is if you don't find a way to use your words instead of your hands."

"I'm still mad at you," I mumble as I look at my evil hands.

"I know, and you're allowed to be. But please stop saying that you don't like me...I love you and your brother more than anything, and I would love it if you felt the sa....Dad never loved me, Jules. Mom was...Well I know you don't remember her, but she was just really really sad and she didn't have the energy to love me. I finally have you back, and you....Please just stop saying that to me."

When I simply nod, he kisses my head once more and pats my thigh. "Let's give you your consequence, girly."

"Couldn't you just ground me?" I ask as I get over his lap again and rest my head on one of my throw pillows.

"I could, yes....." he says as he tightens his arm around my waist and places his big hand on my bottom. "But I'm not going to."

He starts with a stinging slap to my right cheek, and I forgot how much it hurts as I clench my butt cheeks together and push my head further into my pillow.

"Ow!" I cry as his hand comes down a second time, and I wish more than anything I never hit Tate. This hurts so bad!

"I'm going to find out what he said to you, and discipline him if I feel he needs it, but I want to hear your side too, Annie," Holden says softly as his hand contradicts his voice completely and hits heavy on my sit spots.

"Ah!" I screech as I start to twist my body in agony, praying he will take pity on me and stop after just four slaps.

But he doesn't

He pins my legs so I can't twist at all, and continues his steady rhythm as the tears fall from my eyes.

"Please stop!" I grind out through clenched teeth as the burning becomes so intense, I feel my resolve already breaking. Each smack that lands on my bottom brings me closer and closer, until the dam breaks and I start to cry.