Trust Me Again

8: Learn to Live

My father's eyes quickly flashed to me before smiling down at Jacob. I was relieved when I had turned on the light and saw his eyes were not blood-shot. He was sober. He would at least be nice to Jacob, and Jacob wouldn't suspect a thing.

"Jacob, I haven't seen you in ages!" he held him at an arms length when Jacob had reached the top of the stairs. "I'm good, and you?" I was surprised to not hear the hostility in his voice I had grown so used to. For a second I envied Jacob, he had gotten his friendly side that I hadn't seen in years. But I quickly dismissed the thought as soon as it came. It wasn't fair to be jealous, how could Jacob possibly know about my fathers real attitude towards me when we haven't talked to each other in the longest time? Alyssa doesn't even know and she came into my life around the same time my father started his hateful actions on me. I suddenly felt bad that I never told her the truth about my home life. I am a horrible best friend, we are supposed to tell each other everything, every secret. But if I told her I know she would either make me tell someone to take me from my fathers custody or she would do it herself. She always said she wanted what was best for me, even if it meant losing me in the process. It went both ways, I cared about her safety and I would go out of my way to make sure she won't get hurt.

"Why are you coming home this late, Mikayla?" he asked when his conversation with Jacob ended. "It's two." He yawned.

I mentally rolled my eyes. 'Like you care.' I thought to myself.

"Actually, that's my fault. I convinced her to come to the fair with me and we lost track of time then we ended up getting McDonald's on the way because we hadn't eaten." He lied about the stopping by to get something to eat. I wish I could have some McDonald's. At the mention of food I realized I had only had a peanut butter sandwich in the morning and the cotton candy at the fair. It was probably a good idea to eat.

"Okay, well it was nice seeing you again." He pointed at Jacob with a smile. "But I have to go back to bed and I think Mikayla should already be in there."

I didn't want Jacob to leave, it would only mean I would be left alone with my father.

I gulped as Jacob nodded. "Nice seeing you, too. Sorry for waking you," Jacob said politely while waving to the both of us before turning and walking out of the house.

My father waited until he heard the roar of the engine and the sound getting lower and lower until it was completely silent.

My heart started racing when he walked slowly down the stairs. He stopped when he was less than a foot from me and looming over me. He raised his hand as I sucked in a breath and shut my eyes. I felt the all too familiar stinging pain on my cheek. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold in the whimper that was about to escape my mouth. I wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of hurting me. I opened my eyes and turned my head down to look at the floor so I wouldn't have to meet his cold eyes.

He cupped my chin and lifted my head to force me to look into his eyes. He held it in his hand way too tightly and I winced in pain and closed my eyes again trying to block out the misery. "Look at me!" he hissed.

When I refused to so much as glance at him he pushed me to the floor and my head hit the wall before taking another hit as I fell to the floor and I let Little Mikey slip from my grasp. I clenched my jaw as my head started to throb and my mind flashed back to Monday when I had fallen all those times. He kicked at my thigh and hip. Bending down he grabbed my hand and pulled me up and struck hard at my neck. I almost had the air knocked out of me. I gagged at the loss of oxygen and bent down to my knees as I tried to catch some air back into my lungs.

"Get to your room," he gruffly said and I didn't have to be told twice before I snatched the little monster from the floor bolted up the stairs and locked myself in my room. I lay down on my bed and let the tears fall from my eyes and fell asleep to the sound of my own hiccups.