Frisson

35 | insomniacs

Trevor nods sluggishly, trying to cover his battered face.

Chace stands up and rubs his nose. "You're pathetic. All of you." When he turns back to me, his jaw is slightly red, but his eyes become gentle, and he gives me a saddened look. "Let's go."

We can't go. Not anywhere. People are going to talk if that kid and Trevor's little sister haven't already. They'll identify us and figure out who our parents are. It won't matter that he and his friends started this or that they harassed me. No. All that will matter is that Chace is the troubled son of a businessman, and he's been in a dozen fights during his high school career. All that will matter is that our parents are high profile millionaires, and it'll take one incident to send them into a world of controversy.

Chandler is going to kill Chace.

I tell him this during the car ride and he listens in silence. He knows what's waiting for him when we get home. What's waiting for both of us. Whatever he did to those boys, he's going to get it worse.

"We could run away," I whisper. It's a thought that's been roaming around my head for months now. Plans have formed and pieced together in my head, but I haven't had the courage to bring it up. "If we run away, he can't hurt you anymore. We could start over. You're almost eighteen, so he can't legally keep you here for long. When enough time has passed, we can come back, but he won't be able to control you anymore."

"Where would we even go?" he asks softly. His tone gives me hope that maybe he'll consider it if I can convince him.

"We could live with my dad for a while."

Chace scowls. "The criminal?"

I wince. He's right. My dad would probably give us up for the right dollar amount. "There's Aunt Karol," I mention our mom's sister. She's always been kind and loving to us. She's even joked about adopting us if she ever decides to have kids. "We could tell her what's been happening. Maybe she'll keep us for a while. She might even tell Mom and convince her to leave him."

"Maybe," he mumbles. His hands tighten around the wheel and he takes in a deep breath. "I don't know."

"You know what he's going to do when we get home. You know-"

"Yes. I know. I just don't know if we can trust anyone but ourselves at this point."

"We can trust Aunt Karol."

"Maybe we can just show up and ask to borrow money. Say it's an emergency or something." He shoves his hand through his hair, staining it with specs of blood.

"Our parents are rich..."

"Fuck," he grumbles. "We'll figure something out. For now, we hide out there and think of a plan."

"Okay." I smile and rest back in my seat. In a year, I'll be old enough to get a job, so I can start making my own money. Chace can work too, and we can build towards getting our own place and starting our own lives. Lives away from Chandler and every asshole who's bullied me at school. I'll be free to be myself with my brother.

Mom will be devastated. She's been oblivious to the abuse for years. Chandler makes sure he has an excuse for every cut and bruise that has ever touched Chace's skin. Fights. Chace got into another fight. That's always his excuse. The harsh punishments are just preparing him for the ruthless business world.

Chandler has never laid a hand on me. I'm not his son. I wouldn't lie to Mom about it either. She'd be the first to know and then she'd leave him. Chandler is too smart for that. He punishes his son for both of us. If Mom ever did try to leave him because of it, it wouldn't protect Chace, it'd just put him in more danger. Then Chandler wouldn't need to make excuses. He'd just continue to abuse his son.