Abused {ACM}

Chapter 14

Abby's POV

By the time the sun was setting, we were both sweaty, dirty, and tired. A relaxed grin was plastered on both of our faces, and we walked towards the car.

We drove to Austin's house, and I lingered on his driveway, wondering if I should go back home or not. What if my dad was passed out drunk somewhere, drowning in his own vomit? Or what if the police arrive and see the mess, but nobody's there?

"Abs? You coming?" Austin was on his porch, holding the front door open.

"I think...I think that I should go home, Austin, just for a little." I said.

His eyes immediately hardened.

"Why, Abby? I don't get it! Why do you keep on insisting on going back home when all that's waiting for you there is the man that hurts you practically every day? The man that's supposed to love you unconditionally? There's nothing good for you there!"

"I don't know, Austin! Maybe it's because some tiny, stupid part of me still loves my father? Have you ever thought of that? Maybe I'm hoping that one day I'll come home and everything will be different, and he'll hug me and tell me that he's sorry, and that he didn't know why he's been doing what he's been doing these past few years! Maybe I'm hoping that my mom will come home and control him! Maybe I'm hoping that...maybe I'm hoping that I'll have a family again." My voice slowly became softer, and I sagged against his car, clutching Squigs to my chest.

I heard him walk over, the front door closing again. He pulled me into his arms, bending a little, so that his head was nuzzled into my neck. My hair was moving from his exhales of breath, and Sir Squiggles was pressed in-between our chests.

Austin silently turned his head and placed a slow, lasting kiss on my jaw, his lips lingering on my skin. And then turned his head and continued hugging me, breathing me in. His smell enveloped me, calming me down.

"Austin?" I asked.

"Mmm?"

"If...if we have a baby...he or she will have a better life than I do, right? We wouldn't let anything ever happen to our baby, right?"

His grip tightened, and he murmured against my neck, "No. Of course not. When we have a baby, he or she will be safe and sound, and they'll have two extremely loving parents who will spoil it to death."

I smiled, because he said 'when we have a baby', not 'if we have a baby'.

I nodded and sighed contently. He still didn't let go of me, and we rocked back and forth on our driveway. For a moment I imagined Squigs being our baby - with Austin's hazel eyes, but my blonde hair, pressed in-between our chests as we hugged, a family.

The baby would lack bruises and cuts, and would be glowy and healthy and happy, and never know pain. Suddenly, a sharp voice broke us out of our little world.

"Austin? Abby? Care to explain why there are bloody beer bottles all over Abby's lawn, and why there's blood dripping down her hair?" Alex, Robert, Zach, Jake, Zoey and Macey stood their, hands on hips, eyebrows cocked, scared confusion written all over their faces.

We hadn't even heard them drive up, then park and get out of their cars. We must've been out of it.

I pulled away from Austin, who brought a hand to the back of my head. It seemed to have opened up again. He pulled it away, and it was bloody.

"Shit," He murmured. "How did we not notice that?"

"Did he hurt you again? Are you alright, Abs?" Alex walked up, examining my head.

I nodded. "I'm fine. It's an old wound, but it opened up again."

Suddenly, a familiar old rattling engine noise came from a few few down the street.

"Crap. Crap! That's my dad!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

We stood there in shock for a second.

"Quick, everybody get inside." Austin ordered, tugging on my hand. I quickly grabbed Zoey's, who was closest to me, and she grabbed Alex's.

We all sprinted inside and shut the door, slamming it. We went to Austin's living room and peeked out the window.

My dad's car was parked in front, and he was getting out of it.

He saw me.