Recap:
Much to Dr. Howard's dismay, it is decided that Mark is to stay home with me. I continue to wonder why there's so much hatred between the two of them.
Needless to say, I don't have to wonder for long.
Skye's POV:
I'm reading and hungry when Mark gets home from work. He walks in the door around nine, even though Laurie had said he'd be home for dinner. I can smell the booze on him from yards away. Feeling confident, I confront him.
"Where were you?" I ask.
"Out with friends." He chuckles.
I frown. Being forgotten is something that I can't get used to, no matter how often it happens to me.
"Oh."
"Why the long face, sweetie?" He slurs.
"Nothing." I quickly retreat to my room on an empty stomach. It's not worth the risk.
~~
Mark wakes me up at ten the next morning. He apologizes for forgetting about me last night and says he's taking me to a fancy brunch downtown today. I can tell he must have a killer hangover by the way he squints and speaks quietly. Nevertheless, I smile. He apologized.
After brunch we play soccer in the park. It turns out he used to play in the same league as Mr. Tomlinson. I wonder if they know each other. It's doubtful because of the age gap, but still.
We get home around three in the afternoon and Mark decides to go to the store to get things for dinner. He comes home with ingredients for a pizza and two six packs of beer. He opens one up immediately and drinks it surprisingly fast.
"I thought Laurie said you don't drink?" I ask.
"What does she know?" He responds, sending chills down my spine. His tone is frightening and ambiguous, leaving me feeling unsettled and nervous.
I stay in my room until it's time to make dinner. We make the pizza together, laughing and joking like usual. If it weren't for his breath, I would have no idea that he'd had anything to drink. I scold myself for overreacting. Mark isn't an angry drunk like the men in my family. It's fine.
We end up burning the pizza because we're too encompassed in a game of Gin Rummy to pay attention to the time. We munch on stale cereal and watch the second half of The Godfather, which is playing on TV. Mark opens the second six pack as the credits roll in.
I can tell he's getting drunk again so I try to head up to bed, but Mark stops me. He tells me that he doesn't want to be alone and bursts into tears. My breathing quickens. He's reminding me of my uncle.
"M-mark... I n-need to tell you something" I start. I plan on telling him how scared I get around drunk people but he cuts me off.
"Honey, it's okay. No need to be scared. Everything's going to be fine." He whispers, pulling me down onto his lap and hugging me to his chest.
Immediately I go into fight or flight mode, screaming and fighting against him. He quickly covers my mouth and tells me to calm down or I'll make him do something he'll regret. When he sees that I won't cooperate, he lets me go.
"Fine! Be a little bitch, then!" He yells as I sprint up the stairs.
I immediately call Dr. Howard and tell him what just happened. He informs me that Mark is a recovering alcoholic and he gets aggressive when he's drunk. Laurie denies the aggression, though. He tells me that Laurie and him will catch the next flight home, but I don't think I can wait that long. I need to get away from Mark. Who knows what he'll do?
Out of pure desperation, I call Mr. Tomlinson and explain the situation. He asks for my address and promises to be there in ten minutes.
When he arrives, I manage to sneak out the back door with my bag of belongings. I'd left a note for Dr. Howard and Laurie, explaining why I couldn't stay. The decision was hard; Laurie and Dr. Howard were incredible, but I couldn't risk it with Mark.
Mr. Tomlinson was dressed in nice clothes and he'd applied extra cologne. He looked kind of weary but happy to see me.
"Are you alright?" Is the first thing he asks.
"Yeah, Mark didn't do anything. I just needed to get out of there." I said.
"I'm glad you called."
"Yeah."
The ride was silent until we reached his flat. We were greeted by Harry upon entering.
"How was your date?" Harry asks. "I see you brought a girl home!"
"The date was awful. She would've been cuter if her IQ was as large as her breasts." He responds.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know I was interrupting your date." I said. I felt genuinely terrible for being a bother.
"No worries at all. In fact, I was looking for a way to get away from her." He smiles down at me.
"SKYE!" Harry exclaims. He must not have recognized me before. He runs at me to hug me but I quickly stepped away. He looked upset, so I quickly asked to use the restroom and scurried off before they could tell me I didn't have to ask.
Louis' POV:
"What's wrong?" Harry asks me, looking over towards where Skye just escaped to.
"I think something happened with one of her newer guardians. She told me he didn't do anything, but by the way she's acting, it seems like he did." I responded. Harry nodded.
"I'm sure her avoiding your hug wasn't personal, she's just overwhelmed probably."
Harry nodded again.
When Skye emerged she looked a bit calmer. Harry asked if she wanted to play video games and she hesitated before nodding. I smiled at her and she just looked at me blankly.
"Why don't you set up the game and I talk to Skye for a couple of minutes." I said, ushering her into the kitchen away from Harry.
"I know you said nothing happened, but I have a feeling something did." I started. She looked on the verge of tears.
"I—he... i-it..." She sputtered. I could tell she was very anxious.
"M-mr. Tomlinson, I-I... can't... I can't..." She was starting to gasp for breath.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'm sorry, let me make you some tea. Take some deep breaths for me, okay?" I said. She nodded.
"The game's ready when you are, Skye!" Harry called.
Skye's POV:
I walked into the living room, heart still pounding from my conversation with Mr. Tomlinson.
"Is it okay if I just watch you?" I asked. My hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"Of course."
I watched him play Super Mario 64 and focused on my breathing. By the time I was calmed down it was nearly midnight. I was worn out from the near anxiety attack. My eyelids were drooping.
Louis' POV:
I looked over at Skye, who had been staring blankly at the TV screen for the past few hours. It was concerning.
"You tired, Skye?"
She nodded.
"I'm pretty beat too." Harry chimed in, standing up and turning off the console.
I grabbed some blankets from the closet.
"Why don't you sleep in my bed, Skye? You look like you could use a good rest. I'll sleep on the couch." I offered.
She shook her head and lay down on the couch, adjusting the pillows before closing her eyes and mumbling goodnight. I carefully placed a blanket over her, making her flinch at first before relaxing. Then I retreated to my room for a much-needed rest.
Skye's POV:
After about two hours of sleep I awake abruptly from a nightmare. It involved Mark. I cried. Every single family. Every damn one. It always happens. There's something wrong with me. There has to be. I'm the common denominator.
I hear a door open and I try to silence my sobs.
"Skye?" I hear Mr. Tomlinson's voice.
I try to remain silent but my breathing is hard to control.
Mr. Tomlinson turns on a lamp and takes me in.
"Skye." He comes over to me and kneels down next to me. I bury my face into the pillow.
"Please. Talk to me." He says softly.
"It's me. It's me. It has to be me." I sob.
"What?"
"The reason this keeps happening. It's my fault. It happens every time. It has to be my fault." I continue to cry.
"Hey, no, no, no. Don't think like that. Of course it isn't you."
I sit up and wrap the blanket around myself. He sits next to me, pulling me into him.
"You've just been dealt some rotten cards, alright?"
I refuse to believe him and shake my head. "It's me." I croak.
He holds me for a while until I stop sobbing. There's a period of silence before he finally speaks again.
"Skylynn, I don't want you going back there."
"I don't know which is worse." I respond.
"What do you mean?"
"The orphanage sucks too." I say.
"It'll only be temporary, okay? We'll find a way to get you into good hands."
At that I begin to cry again. He holds me until I fall asleep.
~~
I awake to a knock at the door. Mr. Tomlinson is no longer holding me. I feel cold.
Mr. Tomlinson goes to answer the door. I am slightly surprised to see Dr. Howard and Laurie standing there.
"Ah, you must be Skye's guardians. Please come in." Mr. Tomlinson says, leading them inside.
"Oh Skye." Laurie says, hugging me as I sit up on the couch. "I'm so sorry he scared you, it won't happen again." She promises.
I'm sick of hearing that phrase. It won't happen again. It will. I know it will.
"Thank you so much for watching her. Okay, Skylynn, let's go home." Laurie says.
"Actually... I..." I start.
"We discussed things, and we believe it is in her best interest that she return to the orphanage." Mr. Tomlinson finishes for me. I am grateful.
"What? But... are you sure?" She asks apprehensively. I nod.
"I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I really think that I should go back to the orphanage. That's why I left that note." I say.
Laurie and Dr. Howard look heartbroken.
"Skylynn, don't be ridiculous. We can make sure nothing like that ever happens again, you'll be safe with us. We promise." Dr. Howard says.
"It's just..." I quickly try to think of an excuse other than that I don't trust them. "I miss my friends at the orphanage. They need me back to help."
"You ungrateful little..."
"Laurie!" Dr. Howard interrupted her.
She stormed out of the door and he followed her, giving me a sad look on the way out.
Louis' POV:
I looked at Skylynn as they slammed the door. She flinched slightly.
"Skylynn, you did the right thing." I told her. She nodded.
"I guess we should go, then." She says.
Skye's POV:
I stand by the door, waiting for Mr. Tomlinson. I felt kind of betrayed when he suggested I go back to the orphanage, but after all, he doesn't know what happened to me there. And he promised to get me out, even though I know not to trust a promise.
He'd wanted me to stay here for a few days but I'd said no. Why postpone the inevitable? He didn't want me, right?
Author's Note: Hey... sorry it has been an eternity since I last updated (senior year really isn't all that it is cracked up to be), but I'm finally on spring break so I have some time. All I have to do is finish this book and then I already have a good amount of content for the sequel already written so I can publish a lot of that. Bear with me :)