Justin's P.O.V
I heard a faint voice calling my name and a weak force shaking my shoulder, but my eyes refused to open and sleepstill over powered me.
Again, several seconds later, my name was being called and I was shaken a little harder. What the?
I fluttered my eyes open, but struggled to not let them close again. I went to stretch my body, hoping it would wake me up, but a weight was holding me in place. I looked down to my left and saw Selena sleeping on me, her head resting on my chest. My arms were wrapped securely around her small frame, holding her to me. I felt my cheeks burn and a small smile form on my face.
"J-Justy?" A small voice came from my right. I looked and saw the outline of a tiny figure, standing by the bed.
I reached over to the bedside table and turned on the lamp, earning a groan from Selena. Again, I looked to my right and saw Gracie, sobbing and playing with the hem of her pajama top.
"E-Gracie, what's wrong?" I whispered, making her look up.
"I-I had a bad dr-dream and now I can't sleep" She sniffled.
I know what it's like to have such bad dreams that you just can't close your eyes again, in fear of that dream coming true and hurting you while you sleep.
"Justy, can I g-go sleepies wiv you? Pwease?" She looked at me with big watery eyes. Who am I to turn this innocent little girl away when she needs comfort?
I nodded and moved over as much as I could. Selena mumbled a quiet 'no' and settled back down again. Gracie climbed onto the bed and cuddled into my side. What am I, a human pillow?
"W-what did you dream about?" I asked softly.
"Y-you and Sel got eated by a big dinosaur and th-then he ran after me, but I hided in a bush. B-but then the lady dinosaur founded me and t-took me to the man dinosaur a-and he eated me too!" She burst out into more tears and cried into my shirt.
I rubbed her back soothingly and rocked her gently, trying to stop her from crying.
"P-please don't let th-them get me, Justy?" She pleaded, sniffling again.
I nodded, stroking her hair. "I won't"
"Justy?"
I looked down at her. "Y-yeah?"
"Why are you here? Don't you want to go sleepies in your bed?" She bit her lip, like she had said something bad.
"I-I'm safe here. My dad isn't kind t-to me and he doesn't want me"
She nodded and rested her head back down on my shoulder. "My daddy doesn't want me either. One day he went out and he never came home, I cried lots and lots. I don't know what I did wrong, but mummy says it's not my fault"
"How old were you?" I asked, just above a whisper.
She stuck out three fingers and held them out in front of her. "This many"
"Y-you were three?"
She nodded and sighed. "Daddy never said he loved me, even when I said it to him"
"My dad doesn't love me either" I said, thinking about that day he told me.
Flashback
"Happy birthday, daddy!" I yelled, jumping up and down on the spot.
"What?" He spat. "It's not my birthday"
"But daddy, I made you a birthday present!" I held out his present from behind my back.
He snatched it from me and looked blankly at it. "What is this shit?"
I giggled at his silliness. "It's a drawing of a rainbow, so everytime you look at it, you'll be happy"
He raised an eyebrow. "And why will I be happy?"
"Because rainbows make everyone happy!" I yelled, grinning at him.
He scoffed and threw the drawing on the floor. "Well not me. I don't want it!"
He stood up from the couch and dropped a brown glass bottle next to the drawing. I ran up to him and hugged his leg, stopping him from leaving the room.
"Happy birthday, daddy. I love you!" I beamed up at him, hoping it would make him smile.
He shook his leg, trying to get me off. "For the last time, it's not my God damn birthday! And I don't love you! I never have and I never will!"
He kicked me off him, making me fall to the floor and hit my head. I sat back up and muttered a quiet 'ouch' to myself, rubbing where I had hit.
"Now go to your room, I don't want to see your face!" He yelled, making me flinch.
I scrambled to my feet and ran out of the room. I bolt up the stairs and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I slid down the wooden door and brought my knees up to my chest, sobbing into them.
"He doesn't love me" I mumbled and started to full on cry.
-
"So that's why Sel doesn't like pineapples" Gracie voice brought me back to the present.
"Hey Justy?"
I looked at her and watched as she played with her hair. "Um yeah?"
"Does your mummy love you?" She blinked slowly.
I nodded. "She did"
"Doesn't she anymore? Like your daddy?"
I shook my head. "N-no, she's not alive an-anymore"
"Oh.." She frowned. "How did she not be alive anymore?"
Flashback
"Justin!" My mum squealed the minute she saw me and ran up to me, picking me up and hugging me tight. "My baby boy, I missed you!"
She had been away because of work for a week. I missed her so much! I missed her cuddles like this one.
"I missed you too, mummy!" I grinned, happy that I was back in her arms.
"I love you so much, Justin. Never forget that, okay?" She squeezed my small body tight, making it hard to breath.
I nodded and smiled. "I won't. I love you too!"
Someone cleared their throat from behind us. Mummy put me down and turned around to face my dad, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And where have you been?" He growled, stepping forward.
"I told you, I went away for work" She replied calmly.
How could she be so calm right now? I'm scared! Daddy scares me when he's like this.
"That's a load of bullshit. I know you've been out with other men!" He snapped, clenching his fists.
"Justin, baby, go play in your room, okay? Mummy needs to talk to daddy alone" She asked me sweetly, running her hand through my hair.
I nodded and walked up the stairs as quickly as my little legs would take me. I went into my room, but left my door open so I could hear what they were saying.
"You're crazy if you think I'm cheating on you, Christian! I go out to work, so we have enough money to keep our house, pay our bills, buy food and support Justin! All you ever do it sit on that couch all day, while I work my ass off!"
"Don't talk to me like that, you little bitch! You should be thanking me that I didn't leave your sorry ass when you had that kid. He's nothing but a little brat that gets in the way all the time!" He yelled.
Okay, that hurt. Alot actually.
My mum gasped. "How could you say that about your own son?! You heartless ma-"
Everything went slient. I creeped out of my room and crawled across the hallway floor, trying to be as slient as possible. Screaming started coming from the kitchen, followed by my dad's shouting.
I quickly stood up and ran down the stairs, worry filling me up. I opened the kitchen door and saw my dad standing over my mum. He looked at me and narrowed his eyes, walking towards me.
"D-daddy, what happened?" I asked shyly.
"Shut up" He snapped and pushed past me, walking out the kitchen.
I ran over to my mum and sat down next to her. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving.
"Mummy, stop sleeping! You're bleeding, you need a clean it!" I cried, watching blood pour out of her chest, where the big knife was sticking out.
I shook her and called her name over and over, praying she'd wake up. She laid limp on the kitchen floor, with a pool of blood surrounding her.
"I love you mummy, please wake up?" Tears poured down my face as I cried over her sleeping body.
-
"Justy, why are you crying?" Again, Gracie pulled me out of my daze.
"W-what? I uh- um... I'm just tired. L-let's go to sleep, okay?" I wiped my face, getting rid of the tears that had fallen from the memory of my mum's death.
She nodded and closed her eyes, cuddling into my side again. I closed my eyes too and sucked in a long breath, releasing it slowly.
"Goodnight, Justy" Gracie whispered.
"Night, Gracie"