"Good morning, Krystal," said Tabitha with a large smile as I walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Tabitha," I replied, returning the smile.
"Breakfast will be ready shortly so why don't you sit down and get comfortable; I hope you like pancakes and bacon!"
I nodded. "I don't know a single person who doesn't like that breakfast combo."
She chuckled softly and returned to the oven while I sat down at the table. She seemed to be in a much better mood than she had sounded last night; her and Viktor most likely patched things up. I pulled out my phone and began playing one of my games when I heard another girl's voice. Looking up I saw a beautiful girl my age with bright pink hair and hazel colored eyes.
She looked at me and smiled. "You must be Krystal! We didn't get a chance to meet last night with all the excitement going on! I'm Naomi and I really hope we can be friends; it gets super lonely being the only girl aside from Mom."
I smiled back at her. "I think we could be great friends, Naomi. Thanks a lot for letting me use your things last night, I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it! Hey, when we go shopping later I could help you pick out some super cute outfits if you want."
"That would be perfect! You and I seem to like the same style."
Tabitha smiled over at us. "I had a feeling you two were going to get along. I only wish you could stay here longer, Krystal."
"Wait!" yelled Naomi. "You mean she's leaving already? She just got here, Mom!"
"Your father thinks it would be better for her to go with Ashton up to the house in Bar Harbor for a while until things with her mother and that man cool off."
Naomi smirked. "Ashton huh? Well I guess we all know what that means!"
"What do you know this time, Naomi?" asked Ashton as he walked into the room.
Her smirk went from playful to devilish. "I hear you're going with Krystal to Bar Harbor, Ash."
He shrugged. "Yeah for her own protection and to get away from Veronica. What's it to you anyway?"
"Are you sure it isn't because you have a little crush on her, Ash?"
Ashton stopped in front of the fridge, turning to her with a burning look in his eyes.
"Don't you think it's a little early for you to start this, Nay?"
"You know I hate when you call me by that stupid name!"
Tabitha walked over with a plate of food. "Both of you calm down and eat some breakfast. Ashton, where's your brother? Please don't tell me he left already."
Ashton nodded. "He took of pretty early this time; said he was gonna go hang out with Rodney for the day."
"I wish he would make some new friends; Rodney is a no good little punk who's gonna get him in serious trouble one day."
Everyone talked and joked around as we ate the pancakes, the morning off to a good start for the first time in a long time. Ashton was telling everyone about his latest movie project for school when we heard Viktor clear his throat.
"Tabitha, I believe you and Krystal are supposed to be out right now," he said coldly. "Ashton, go and get ready we have a long trip ahead of us."
Tabitha's smile fell and a small scowl replaced it. "Nonsense, dearest, the children need to eat before doing anything or else they'll get sick and Ashton needs to take his medicine"
Viktor scoffed before turning on his heel and walking out of the room once again. The air around us was suddenly heavy and no one said a word; the smiles all gone and replaced with frowns. Tabitha sighed and looked over at Ashton who turned his gaze to something on the floor. It was painfully obvious that the family in front of me was far from happy and that whatever fight occurred last night was now being carried over into today... I wanted to say something to lighten the mood, to try and make them smile again, but anything that could be said was stuck in a lump deep inside the pit of my stomach bubbling around waiting to come out. Naomi looked up from her plate with apparent sadness all over her face and tears welling up in her eyes.
"I think I'll go up to my room today," she said, hardly even whispering. "I'm sorry I won't be coming with you today, Krystal."
I shook my head and put a hand over hers. "Don't be sorry, Naomi, you do what you need to do. I'm sure there will be other days to do something and get to know each other."
She gave a weak smile before standing up and walking out of the room. Ashton finally looked over at Tabitha and sighed.
"Don't make me go with him, Mom," he pleaded. "I don't think it's a good idea for any of us if I go."
Tabitha sunk into her seat. "Ashton, please be reasonable. I know things are tense right now but you can't just tell your father you've decided not to go; besides, Collin will be going with you so it's not like you'll have to deal with him much."
I saw that he wanted to argue with her more, beg her if he had to, about not going. Tabitha's face showed a deep regret about making him go, but it seemed like they both knew that one way or another this was the way things were going to be. Ashton would be going with Viktor whether he wanted to or not. Once again, Viktor walked into the room, his head held high with a long black jacket on and two large suitcases in his hands.
"It's time to go, Ashton," he stated; the tone of his voice sounding more like a warning than anything else.
Ashton sighed and stood up, walked over to the sink and grabbed a glass of water before putting two small pills in his mouth. Once the water was gone, he silently walked over to Viktor and followed him outside. When we heard the car fade into the distance, Tabitha relaxed a little and looked over at me with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry that things are tense right now, dearest," she said calmly. "I hope my husband hasn't upset you too much this morning."
I shook my head. "I've seen worse things with my mom and Axel. Is Ashton going to be okay?"
"He'll be alright as long as Viktor doesn't push him too hard. You don't need to worry yourself over any of this, dear, everything will be alright."
The way she said it reminded me of how many times I said the same thing knowing things wouldn't be alright. Telling myself that maybe today would be better than the day before when I knew for a fact it wouldn't be and there would be a new mark, a new scar, and a new memory that would haunt me for the rest of my life. It made me wonder who she was trying so hard to convince; herself or her children?
"Could I ask you something, Tabitha?" I asked quietly.
She nodded. "Of course, dearest."
"Would it be alright if I saw my brother or at least tell him what's going on? I miss him alot and I know he's probably worried sick right now."
She sat and thought for a moment before answering. "I don't think that's such a good idea right now, Krystal. If that man were to hear about where you were we would all be in danger. Once we get you up to Bar Harbor we can talk about getting you set up with a phone that won't display your number when you call someone. I'm sorry, sweetheart."
I shook my head, knowing she was right. "Don't be sorry, Tabitha, you're right. It would be a bad idea for me to try and call anyone."
"Why don't you go and get dressed? I'll go and talk to Naomi and see if I can't convince her to come along with us like we planned; maybe we can still make this a good day!"
"Alright, I'll meet you down here when I'm dressed."
"No rush, dearest, we have all day to go shopping and have a good day. Again, I do apologize for the way my husband has been acting lately; he's usually not this bad."
Without another word she walked out of the room and up the stairs. I followed not long after, taking my time to look at the paintings on the walls and how each one was painted with such careful brush strokes the the grass and waves almost looked like they were actually moving the way they would in real life.
"Having a good time so far," asked Drew as he walked over to me.
I shrugged. "I guess it's not too bad here but..."
"Don't get too comfortable here, Krystal. This isn't some kind of vacation or a getaway; and don't get too comfortable around Ashton either."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Shaking his head he hurried past me and down the stairs.
"Drew!" I called after him. "Can you for once give me a straight answer? I think you owe me that much after everything that's been going on."
He turned so quickly I almost bumped into him. "Don't even start, Krystal. I brought you someplace safe so you wouldn't get killed so as far as I'm concerned I don't owe you a damn thing so get the fuck out of my face and leave me alone."
"You told me you changed. You lied to me again!"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. The only thing you need to worry about is getting out of here so I'll have one less headache to deal with."
"You want me gone so badly? Fine, you'll get your wish; no problem."
There's a lot that can be said about Drew, but the fact he's malicious and sly is just the tip of the iceberg. Then there's the fact he's also self-indulgent, cruel and greedy, but fortunately they're mixed with behaviors of being captivating as well. But even the best intentions have been soured because of this and his thoughtlessness. Fair is fair though, Drew does have some brighter sides within the darkness; unfortunately his obnoxious nature is always there to ruin everything again. As I walked away to my room I instantly regretted ever trusting him knowing what he was like.
My head instantly clouded up again with thoughts of happier times when Drew was a friend and not an enemy. I wondered what made him like this and if things could ever be the same; but I knew already nothing could ever be the way it was. He had already proven to me that I made a mistake trusting him again after everything he had put us through. As much as I hated to say it, even Nikki wouldn't have stooped this low; she'll always be honest about how she feels about someone no matter how hurtful it can be. That realization alone was enough to make my stomach turn even more.
The door to my room squeaked as I opened it, the morning sunlight showing me for the first time just how beautiful it really was. Since Tabitha was probably almost ready to go, I decided to admire the room later so I didn't keep her waiting. Opening the closet I saw that it had already been stocked with some of the clothes I had seen in Naomi's room last night; she must have tossed some of her clothes in here when she came upstairs. Doing a quick once-over of all the clothes, I pulled out a pair of jeans and ripped up black sweater, tossing a grey tank-top under it so nothing showed. I had seen that Naomi had also put in a few pairs of shoes that ranged from sneakers all the way to platforms; she definitely had an amazing sense of style. I grabbed a pair of black sneakers, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and quickly did my makeup before walking out of the room.
I could faintly hear Drew's voice coming from downstairs, what sounded like a very heated argument going on. As I got closer I saw that he was on his phone. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I picked up the pace and hurried into the kitchen where Tabitha and Naomi were waiting; and just like I said before, Naomi has an amazing sense of style. Her dress covers her shoulders only barely with two spaghetti straps and flows down into a stylish court neckline. It's a loose fit which covers up her breasts, but does so without making it look awkward or messy. Her arms have been left uncovered; which not only helps accentuate her gorgeous skin, it also keeps the focus on other parts of the dress. The dress' waist is broad, but it's a comfortable fit. It's not decorated with anything in order to create a graceful, flowing look. Below the waist the dress widens and has an asymmetric draped style. The dress reaches to just below her knees and is the same length all around. She's wearing platforms, which adds simplicity and elegance; and to top it all off she's wearing a subtle necklace and an opulent bracelet. She looked beautiful.
She smiled at me. "It's good to see you like the clothes I put in the closet! I hope the shoes fit you. I didn't know what size you were so I just gave you one of everything in case some things fit better than others."
I nodded. "Your style is one to be appreciated, Naomi. Not many people I know have such a spot on sense of fashion."
She beamed. "Well I'm hoping to be a fashion designer one day so it's only natural that I keep my own closest up to date with everything."
Tabitha smiled and shook her head. "Are you girls ready to go? We have a lot of shopping to do and it's already almost noon."
I nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be!"
As we were about to walk out of the house, Naomi walked over to my side and linked her arm with mine; a large smile on both our faces. Even though I always thought of Amanda as my best friend, it felt like I had known Naomi forever. We already seemed to get along perfectly and had things in common; but I wasn't about to say that I knew for a fact that we would be best friends. Once we stepped outside the fresh air instantly filled my nose; the scent of roses and freshly cut grass filled the air. It was a warm day that almost felt like it could almost be considered summer or even early fall. We didn't usually have good weather like this, but when we did it was amazing and people took full advantage of it.
"Krystal," said Tabitha as she began to drive down the road. "I know this might be a silly question, but, how are you feeling today?"
"Honestly," I said with a small smile. "I actually feel good today. I mean, yeah, things aren't exactly going good right now but I'm finally out of that house and alive; so I guess that means it's a good day."
"I'm glad to hear you're doing better. Did you sleep well last night?"
"I think last night was the first time in years that I actually slept through the night without having to worry about anything bad happening."
She smiled softly but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned on the radio, the ride silent except for the music the rest of the time and a silence that for once wasn't filled with tension; today actually felt like it was going to be a good day.
†
If there was one thing I hated most, it was long distance trips with Dad and Collin. Mom had it in her head that I only hated them because I was being dramatic; but she didn't know the half of it. We were flying first class to the closest airport to Bar Harbor, where Dad had someone waiting to drive us the rest of the way, and the isles were already covered in empty alcohol bottles and a little bit of blood from a fight earlier. Collin was a lightweight when it came to drinking and he decided he wanted to 'mess around' with me while Dad was passed out on the floor. This wasn't the first time he had done this and what made it worse was that Dad already knew what had happened before, he probably even knew what happened today. The blood came from me making the mistake to fight back, forgetting that Collin always carried a small pocket knife with him.
The two of them were stretched out on some of the seats snoring loudly and hold a bottle in each hand. There's so much that can be said about my father, but the fact he's obsessive and brutal is just the start; there's also the fact he's just plain careless, extreme and irritable, and sadly there's nothing good I could ever say about him. Plenty of relationships came to a halt because of this and his abuse; even Naomi's mother fell victim to his cruelty once. Sadly, Naomi doesn't even know that my mother isn't her real mom and I doubt she ever will; probably for the best if I'm being honest here.
I wish I could say that the things that happened with Collin were new and had only just started happening, but it's been going on since I was a kid and always when he was sober and Dad was around. The things that I've been made to do and see are burned into my mind and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to forget or push the memories out of my head. The scars that cover most of my body are a testament of everything I've dealt with my whole life. From things that happened with Collin to the death of my brother, everything can be seen on my body; each scar telling its own story. Some deeper than others. Two of the deepest ones happened almost at the same point in time; my brother's death and Veronica's betrayal.
I had imagined everything with her from our wedding day to the family that we could have had together. Every fantasy you could ever have about someone I had about only her. We had been together for years, obviously having our problems now and again, but it was almost like we were made for each other. She knew all of my secrets, my dreams, and who I wanted to be one day. I had made the mistake of trusting her with every fiber of my being and it ended up being my downfall the day I found that she had been sleeping with my brother for almost a year. That last fight still fresh in my mind as if it had only happened yesterday and her last remark was that I could never be man enough to please her the way Tristan could.
That was the day I died completely and the day after my brother's murder.
Dad groaned and rolled onto the floor with a loud thud, never once waking up or even noticing the sudden fall. I shook my head and put my headphones on, Evanescence blasting into my ears taking me into my own world; one where for once I could be happy with someone who loved me as much as I loved them.
†
The shopping trip had gone on longer than we had planned, but it seemed to be just the thing we all needed to take our minds off of everything that had been happening. Tabitha had even bought herself a bunch of new clothes, shoes, and makeup from a few places we had gone to. We had just gotten some food and were about to sit when an all too familiar voice called out my name. Turning around I saw the one and only Nikki Sutton with Drew once again by her side.
"What a surprise seeing you here," she snarled as she got in my face. "You know something, Krystal? The fact that you just up and left only proves my point that you're just a weak little brat."
Ignoring her, I looked over at Drew. "Is this really happening right now, Drew? You're really going back to being her plaything? I thought you meant what you said!"
Tabitha put her hand on my shoulder. "Come one, Krystal, you don't need any of this right now. As for you, Drew, you can forget coming back to my home anytime soon after what you've done. I hope it was worth it."
Nikki flipped her hair over her shoulder, a smirk on her face. "You're really having someone else fight your battles, Krystal? That's pretty bad even for you."
"Why can't you just leave me alone, Nikki?" I asked. "What did I ever do to make you hate me so much anyway?"
She scowled, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't need a reason to not like you. You just think that you're something special that no one will ever understand but you're nothing; and if I'm being completely honest with you, why would anyone want to understand you? You walk around with your head on the ground like some lost puppy waiting for someone to come save them."
Naomi wasted no time in getting into her face and shoving her back.. "How about you get out of here and leave my friend alone before I take my heel and shove it so far up you'll have to go to the E.R! No one likes a spoiled brat ruining their fun time so why don't you just get out of here while you can."
"Who the heck do you think you are anyway?!"
"The name's Naomi Hawthorne and you're seriously messing with the wrong person right now."
Nikki's face suddenly went from angry to horrified. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were a Hawthorne. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here, don't you? Why don't we all hang out?!"
Naomi chuckled. "I knew it. You're just a gold digging little brat. There's no way I'd ever hang out with someone like you after what you just did to my friend."
Not bothering to hear what she said, the three of us began to walk to the entrance of the mall, food in hand to eat in the car.
"Who was that girl?" asked Naomi once we were outside.
I sighed. "Nikki Sutton; she's the girl who pretty much rules the school and sleeps with every guy she can. Drew just happens to be her latest victim."
Tabitha shook her head. "That boy is going to get himself into trouble one day if he continues spending time with people like her. How long has he been seeing that girl, Krystal?"
I shook my head. "Before all this he told me he was done with her because he loved me. I don't know how long they've been together but at this point I really don't care anymore."
Tabitha opened her mouth as if to say something but quickly closed it again, walking ahead of us to the car. It was now almost completely dark, the moon shining bright with black clouds rolling to cover it up until it left no trace that it had been there a moment before. Naomi didn't say a word on our way back to the house, instead she put her headphones on and listened to whatever was on her phone while Tabitha drove in silence. Looking out the window I wondered what Jack was doing and if Mom or Axel had tried to talk to him since I left with the hopes that he knew where I was.
I wanted to look over more of the papers that I had found in the safe but had decided to wait until I was out of here and in Bar Harbor so I could look at them without anyone seeing them. It still seemed strange that Axel had kept the one I wanted at the top of the pile, almost as if he knew I'd be looking in there. Whoever was sending Axel those emails must not have cared much about getting caught if someone checked their computer. It was things like this that made me fear Axel; he was as uncaring as whoever the sender of those messages and as unpredictable as a hurricane. My thoughts stopped almost instantly when we pulled up to the house and a black car was sitting in front of the house.
Tabitha shook her head. "Naomi, darling, it seems we have company tonight."
Naomi's head shot up. "Who's here this late?"
"It appears the Sawyers have decided to pay us another visit. Krystal, dear, should anything unpleasant be said don't worry. The Sawyers are...an interesting family to say the least and have been known to stop by every now and then. We usually just let them stay for tea and make small talk but they have been known to lose their temper; well, mostly Veronica."
I nodded, stepping out of the car and following Tabitha and Naomi into the house where a well dressed man and woman were standing there waiting with a girl about nineteen next to them.
The woman smiled as she walked over to Tabitha. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming home, darling! You know, it's rude to keep your guests waiting."
Tabitha forced a smile. "I would have come home sooner had I known you were coming, Blair. Why don't we talk about what brings you all here over a hot cup of tea and some hot chocolate? Come, sit in the living room and make yourselves comfortable while I get everything ready. Krystal, why don't you come help me with the hot chocolate."
Blair shook her head. "Nonsense, Tabby, she can come sit with us! You can't possibly expect me to not be curious about this new face! I'm Naomi here could help you in the kitchen."
The man beside her shook his head and stepped forward. "Blair, we've no time for tea; we need to talk business, Tabitha and we need to talk now. Let's all go sit down and talk before it gets late. Veronica, I expect you to be on your best behaviour."
The raven haired girl smiled wickedly at me. "I will, Daddy, don't worry."
Tabitha sighed and led us all into the living room, the three of them sitting across from us with stern expressions on their face.
Blair was the first to speak. "We would like to rearrange Veronica and Ashton's engagement, Tabitha. I understand that this may come as an inconvenience to you and while I'm not sure where Viktor is presently, I feel as though he would agree with me."
"You expect me to hand my son over to you after what your daughter did to him? Blair, you can't possibly be serious right now! He was beside himself when he found out what she was doing to him; there's no way I'm agreeing to this."
The man beside Blair sighed. "Tabitha, I realize this is a very unusual request but you must consider the outcome this marriage will have. Our families will become united as well as become the most powerful."
"I'm afraid I'll have to stand by what I've already said, Marcus. I'll also have you know that Ashton isn't even here to put in his opinion; although I'm sure he would refuse as well. I think it's best that you find a new husband for your daughter and leave my sons alone."
Blair scowled. "We wouldn't even dream of having Veronica marry Tristan if he were the last man standing. A boy like that is nothing but trouble and my little girl doesn't need that sort of drama."
"May I remind you that Tristan is my son and I will not have you insult him while in my home.
Veronica smiled again. "Mrs. Hawthorne, I know what I did was completely unforgivable but you have to understand that I've changed; Ash and I could have that perfect life you've always wanted for him!"
"Veronica," said Tabitha sharply. "I don't care if you have the blessings of God on your side; you will never marry my son and you will never hurt him again. Now, I think it's about time you all took your leave."
"Just a moment," snapped Marcus. "I know why you don't want Veronica to marry Ashton; you've already given his hand to this little harlot!"
Veronica's smile quickly vanished and was replaced with a look that would put even the bravest of men in a corner. She stood quickly and was in front of me before I could blink.
"Who do you think you are taking him away from me?" she growled as she yanked me from the chair.
I shook my head. "You have the wrong idea! I hardly even know Ashton; we honestly just met!"
"Liar! You're trying to take what's mine and I won't let that happen. I don't know who the hell you are or what your goal is, but Ashton will be mine and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."
"Veronica!" yelled Tabitha as she pulled her off me. "Krystal is just a child and has no part in any of this business whether you want to believe it or not! You have no right to lay a hand on her or claim my son as your husband. I suggest you and your parents leave at once before I call the police and tell them what you did to my guest."
Veronica stormed off, turning her head to look at me. "You'll pay for this, Krystal."
Marcus and Blair watched in silence with us as Veronica stormed outside, slamming the door behind her.
"Tabby," said Blair quickly. "I had no idea she was going to react this way, you have to believe that."
Tabitha held her hand up. "I don't need to believe a thing from you, Blair. From the moment this engagement even happened you allowed your daughter to become what she is by letting her even believe Ashton belonged to her. Her reaction tonight was as unsurprising as you even being here to talk about this mess."
Marcus sighed and handed her a small card. "Should you change your mind about this whole affair, please give me a call and we can make arrangements. As for you, Krystal, I suggest you stay out of things that don't involve you; there could be grave consequences if you don't."
As they walked out of the room, a chill went down my spine all the way down to my toes. I had always hated being threatened by someone but for some reason this guy just gave me the full on creeps when he said that; his tone so calm it was scary. I looked over to ask Tabitha what had just happened, but she was already making her way up the stairs with Naomi following close behind her.
"I think you should get some rest, Krystal," she said quietly. "We are going to get your things ready tomorrow and activate your phone in the morning. I do hope you sleep well, dearest, and I'm deeply sorry for what you just saw."
Deciding to just keep quiet, I made my way up the stairs to my room, more questions than before now entering my mind. Maybe Marcus was right; I shouldn't get involved with their business if it doesn't involve me. Pulling back the covers, I settled into bed and closed my eyes waiting for sleep to finally take over. After what seemed like forever, my eyes finally felt heavy and the darkness I longed for finally came over me.
†
For the most part, everything as far as decorating and painting were going according to plan and actually almost done. The only issue was the mess that Dad and Collin had made in the master bedroom over the past few days. Bottles were all across the floor and the room smelled like cheap alcohol with a faint metallic smell from a little bit of blood from when Collin slammed my face into the wall; luckily the paint color I was using covered to stains perfectly. Mom had called a few hours ago telling me that Krystal's things were packed and her flight would be coming at noon tomorrow; giving Dad and Collin enough time to get on their flights tonight so I could re-clean the master bedroom for the seventh time. She had also told me that Veronica and her parents had stopped by a few nights ago to try and get our engagement back where it was.
I knew Blair well enough to know that that argument was one I'm glad to have missed given the fact that the wedding would have been more for her than Veronica just because she would have planned everything from the colors to what foods would be there and to who would be sitting with who at the dinner. Veronica on the other hand could have cared less about the wedding since she was mostly just in for it for the extra money; not that she needed any more money than she had now. Thankfully Mom actually valued my opinion on it and made sure to defend me when Blair kept pushing it. Normally I would have been all for the idea of getting married to someone, if it was out of love, but Dad and Marcus had arranged the engagement as a sort of business deal to join our families and money so they both had a stronger hold on things.
I loved Veronica, but even I knew that she was never going to feel the same way for me like I did with her; she proved that once she slept with my brother. Luckily she doesn't have any siblings because Dad would be planning Naomi's engagement as soon as mine ended just to keep the deal on track. I wasn't sure what hurt more; the fact that my engagement was just a business deal or that my opinion never even mattered to him in the first place. Letting out a frustrated breath, I set my paint brush down and walked to the kitchen to make something to eat. We didn't have much food since I would be going shopping with Krystal once she got here so I settled for some instant noodles and a grilled cheese sandwich. The grilled cheese only took a few minutes to make so I began to eat that while the noodles cooked. As I was eating, Dad and Collin walked into the room.
Collin smiled over at me. "Weren't you gonna make us something to eat, Ash?"
I sighed. "You guys were sleeping and you told me before not to wake you up so I made myself something."
SMACK!
Dad stood over me with a deep scowl on his face. "Don't disrespect our guest, Ashton. You should have made something regardless of if we were sleeping or not."
I wiped my mouth, blood covering my hand, and stood up before swinging my arm and connecting my fist with his jaw watching as blood dripped from his mouth. Tristan was the favorite and never once felt Dad's punch; I both hated and envied him at the same time for that. For years I was the one who he always came to with his anger, never once hesitating about hitting his own son and covering it up in front of his wife with a smile; but I guess he didn't care much about her anyway if he went off with a different girl at least a few times a week.
He looked up at me, eyes dark and a smile that made my skin crawl. "You're going to pay for that, boy!"
He walked closer to me and grabbed my arms, slamming my face into the wall. I fought back, trying my hardest to get out of his grip, but soon Collin was right behind him helping him hold me against the wall. Dad let out a scoff and before I knew it, I was slammed face down onto the floor, my nose and mouth bleeding more all over the floor. Dad held my arms down with one hand and with the other held my head to the floor.
He then looked up at Collin. "I think he needs to be taught a lesson, Collin, wouldn't you agree?"
Collin chuckled, the sound of his belt clicking undone. "He sure does; he's been a bad little boy."
I squirmed again, trying harder to get loose. "Dad! Please don't do this! Please, I'm sorry!"
He chuckled. "If you aren't sorry now, boy, you're going to be."
I could feel Collin against me, when he had pulled my jeans down I didn't know, but I knew what was going to happen and the fact that my own father was helping him made it worse. My eyes widened as I felt the pain rush through my body, Dad and Collin both laughing.
"Stop! Please, Dad!" I screamed again and again; neither of them even noticing.
*Picture on top is the Hawthorne Family*