The Secrets We Keep (Formally WAIT)

Chapter 15

I had Becca drop me off a few houses down and waited for her to drive off before walking towards home. I nervously open the door to find everyone sitting at the dinner table eating.

"Hi hunny," my mom says sweetly. Ugh cut the crap, it's all a facade.

I wave hello, and start to head to my room.

"Don't walk away," Darren growls. "Say hello to your mother."

"Hello mother," I sigh turning again to leave.

I stop when Darren screeches his chair back against the wood floors and starts to walk towards me.

"Don't take that tone with your mother," he says wiping his face with his napkin.

"Sorry," I mumble.

I look at the table to find Avery smiling and mom just staring at the situation unfolding in front of her. Why doesn't she say something?

"Louder," he says sternly as if he was talking to a toddler.

"I'm sorry," I say a little less muffled.

"Good girl," he says pleased with my response. "Go to your room."

I follow his command immediately and lock my bedroom door as soon as I enter. I take a deep breath and blink rapidly, trying to prevent any tears from leaving my eyes. My own mother just stood there and didn't even try to defend me or stand up to Darren. This is so sick.

I tell my grumbling stomach to shut up and strip down into my undergarments. I slip on an old baggy T-shirt and some pajama shorts before crawling into bed. Twitter sounds like a really good idea, so I plug in my headphones and scroll through my Twitter feed.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know I'm jumping out of bed and racing to the bathroom to shower. After waking up from another nightmare, I find my phone and read the time as 6:45 a.m. meaning I'm super late.

Unfortunately, the bathroom door is locked and Avery yells at me "you snooze you lose!"

I turn around in defeat to find Darren staring at me from his bedroom door frame. His only in a pair of black boxers and I will my eyes to look anywhere but his waistline. Ugh. I think I've scarred my eyeballs permanently.

Unfortunately, I have to pass him to reach my bedroom and as I do he grabs my wrist, the same one as before and yanks me towards him. Only inches away from his body, I can smell his hot breath as it fans over my face. My palms start sweating and my heart starts racing as he bends down towards my neck. He takes a deep breath in, inhaling the scent of my hair and pulls back, a smile on his face.

"I've missed f*cking with you, Lyssa," he says, sending chills down my body.

I quickly glance behind him to find the bed empty. Damn. My mom must have left for work already.

With his other hand, he slowly reaches towards the now scabbed over gash on my temple. I flinch away and grabs a fistful of my hair forcing me to stay still. He gently strokes his thumb over the cut.

"I'm sorry you're hurting," he says.

Yeah right, I think. He's never been sorry in his whole life. Especially not for hurting me.

"Let me make it better," he says looking into my eyes.

"No," I say squirming away from him.

"You bitch," he growls punching me in the face.

I stumble backward and run into my bedroom locking the door. I slide my dresser in front of the door using practically every ounce of strength in my body to do so, and I grip the side of my face where he hit me.