The Secrets We Keep (Formally WAIT)

Chapter 19

After screaming for my mom to let me out or for someone to help me, panic really sets in and I hyperventilated until I passed out. Waking up in a dark enclosed spaced with little oxygen is one of the scariest places to be. 10/10 do not recommend. I've finally calmed down and realized that I had my phone on me. I pull it out of my pocket and press my thumb on the screen to unlock it.

Great. No service. Seriously? I mean come on! This is getting ridiculous. How much more can life f*ck me over right now?

I lock the screen deciding that saving battery is more important and place it in my lap. It's been two hours since he locked me in here, or at least that's what I'm estimating as I guessed the time it was when I arrived home and he threw me in here.

I can feel sweat dripping down the back of my neck and my clothes are sticking to my body uncomfortably. It's so stuffy in here that breathing is almost impossible. I decide that taking short shallow breathes is my best option. I strain my ears trying to hear something or someone moving around, but I can't hear a thing. It's completely silent. Maybe they left?

Oh god, please don't tell me they left me in here to die? Oh my god. My heart starts to speed up again and I take a couple of slow deep (well as deep as I can) breathes. I take my phone out again and stand up reaching up towards the ceiling. I turn around trying to get a bar of signal and sigh in relief when I finally get one bar of service.

Sh8t I didn't think this through. What do I do? Call the police? Call Ash? If I call the police maybe he'll go back to jail? But will they believe me? What will Avery do to me this time? I can't tell Ash he will get hurt and I can't lose him.

I turn my head at the sound of a door opening. Laughter fills the house and I stand still trying to hear if someone will come let me out. I can hear Darren's chuckling getting louder as he approaches the hallway. The locks are undone and the second the door opens I lunge forwards taking in big gulps of air.

Darren grabs my chin and turns my head so look at him.

"Don't even think about calling the police you little slut. If I hear you've spoken about any of this to any one, you won't be the only one dead. I might have to kill your beloved brother too. I made plenty of friends in prison, I know how to make it clean."

He spits in my face and roughly jerks my head out of his way leaving me standing in the hallway. Avery sneers at me as she enters her room and I lock myself in the bathroom before the tears start falling down my face again.

What am I going to do? I can't let Ash find out. I can't let him get hurt because of me.

I strip off my damp clothes and stare at my reflection while the water warms up. My face is flushed and splotchy with dried tears and sweat. The rest of my body is pale in comparison and riddled in scars. I trace the almost healed incision on my abdomen and sigh remembering that night. The left side of my rib cage is sporting a fresh bruise from Darren. Luckily he didn't break the ribs that had just healed and it was only a red splotch across the bony area.

God, I need to eat. I could tell that I had lost weight in the last few weeks, and my already petite frame was getting even smaller. I basically had no boobs left and my hip bones were starting jut out pretty sharply. The mirror was beginning to fog up so I stepped into the shower.

I sat on the shower floor underneath the warm water until it started to run cold. I finally stood up and washed my hair and body before grabbing a towel and stepping out. I wrapped my towel tightly around me and unlocked the bathroom door. The hallway was clear so I raced to my room and spun around to lock it.

Dammit. I forgot about not having a lock. I moved to my dresser to slide it in front of the door when Avery kicked the door open.

"The police are here for you," she said with a sour face.

She gazed at me up and down once before tutting and turning away. I closed the door again and quickly threw on the first thing I could find.

My palms were sweaty as I sat on the couch across from a young police officer who was sat on the coffee table in front of me. My mom and Darren were sat behind him on the couch opposite me with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

"So, like I said, in your previous statement, you had said that there was another car involved in the accident. Do you remember what the car looked like?"

The memory played in my mind like a movie and I shook my head no.

"No," I said firmly as Darren gave me a pleased nod.

"Do you remember anything about that night that might point us towards another car at the scene?"

The officer, Sloan, as his badge read, waited for me to reply and looked over his shoulder following my gaze. He straightened up and gave me a stern look.

"If you're more comfortable, we can talk about this down at the station, with your parents consent of course?"

I searched my moms face for an answer and she stood up and came to sit beside me. Her touch felt foreign and cold as she laid a hand on my arm.

"Oh, that won't be necessary officer. I think she's answered all your questions," she said patting my arm.

He gave me one last look and I begged with my eyes that he wouldn't ask me anymore questions. Finally he nodded and stood up to leave. He put his notepad in his pocket and pulled out a card.

"Here," he said handing me a business card with his name and telephone number.

"In case you remember anything."

He nodded to Darren and let himself out.

I crumpled the business card in my fist and crossed my arms over my chest. My mom gave me a dirty look before walking into the kitchen and I waited for Darren to let me leave.

He just sat there staring at me with his beady eyes. I took a deep breath and averted my gaze to the floor.

"Remember what I said about keeping your mouth shut. Go make dinner," he said sternly.

I stood up and raced to the kitchen before he changed his mind. Well that's easy, I already keep my mouth shut as it is.

************************
I'm so sorry for the delay in postings this week. My depression has been kicking my butt. Please keep reading. It's about to get juicy.