breathe// 5SOS

43

"Talking to Marcus,"- "he won't love me anymore,"

"You need to stop saying that, because he will. Take your inhaler,"

He helped me sit up and pressed it for me, squeezing my hands tightly afterwards.

"They're listening dad,"

"No one is here babygirl," he said, kissing my head.

"My chest hurts,"

"You need to talk, and take deep breaths,"

"I don't know what to say,"

"Anything," he said desperately.

"Viola asked if I told you everything and- and I haven't, and-and-and it's built up, then I-I had a dream that I was there again,"

"You're at home, poppet,"

"But I remember it,"

"I know for your age,"- "not that. Lucy helped, and it sill hurts, but it's not that,"

"Then what?"

"They did more than hit me, and bruise me a little,"

"Ava," he said quietly, "I guessed that sweetheart, you didn't need to keep it in,"

"I don't know why it's coming back,"

"A lot of things can make that happen. Why don't we try and sleep again?"

"Not while they're here,"

"Ash, you two go to our room," Viola said, rubbing his back, "if she's seeing her friend tomorrow then she needs sleep,"

"Come on poppet, lets go and calm down,"

Still holding his hands, I followed him to the bedroom, climbing onto the bed.

"We are going to do some breathing together,"

"I'm sorry dad,"

"You have no reason to be sorry. We should be more open, but that's hard, I understand,"

He guided me through some breathing, not getting mad when I started crying again or struggled. Eventually, I laid on his chest, feeling sleepy.

"You are safe in this house," he whispered, "you're safe with me,"

In the morning, dad was ready for work when he woke me up. He gave me a plate of toast, and sat beside me.

"Will you be okay today?"

"Yeah,"

"Jordan probably knows a bit more about it than Sam, so if anything starts happening then tell him,"

"Please can I take sweets?"

"I think you've eaten enough rubbish lately, don't you?"

"No,"

"Don't be cheeky," he chuckled, "we need to be healthy, don't we?"