06

I didn’t realize I was crying till I felt the wetness of my tears trailing down my cheeks. He started banging his fist hard on his head, he was a sobbing mess. I grabbed his arm and forced him to look at me.

« Your brother made you, you didn’t have a choice. » I said.

« That doesn’t mean shit, I still fucking did it. She’s dead because of me, it’s all my fault. » Donovan screams.

He leaned his head against my chest, I grabbed onto his shoulders trying to give him some type of comfort. I traced soft circles on his back as he cried softly into my arm. He smelt like pure alcohol and cigarettes. We sat there for a couple more minutes till I manage to get him up, he placed his arm across my neck so he could balance on me.

We walked up the stairs, I pulled him into my room and dropped him on my bed. I made sure to cover him with my blanket and remove his shoes.

Did Nathaniel not know that his brother was using drugs or does he just not care ?

I turned on the light in the kitchen before I filled a cup up with water and grabbed a trash bag just in case he throws up. As I was walking back to my room I felt someone grasp my wrist, I turned around to see Jennifer rubbing her sleepy eyes.

« Where is he ? » She asks.

« In my room sleeping. » I said.

« Is he high ? »

I didn’t want to tell her exactly, I’ve never dealt with drugs, my family has never dealt with drugs either. She seemed pretty casual about it, does he do this that often.

« I saw needle marks on the back of his arm. » My voice was low.

She pulled her hand back to her side, she shut her eyes for a couple seconds before reopening them. Her eyes were watery and her mouth was quivering just a little.

« I’m sorry. » I mumbled.

Jennifer laughs dryly.

« No you’re not, they kidnapped you. You probably want them both dead. » Her eyes focused on the hallway behind me where my door to my room was at.

« You can sleep in my room, I’ll take your room. » Jennifer whispers.

Before she could continue to walk away I stopped her. « You must really love him. » I said.

« He’s the closest thing I have to a brother. »

I handed her the trash bag and cup that I was bringing for Donovan.

« He loves you a lot too, I could tell how much you mean to him and I am sorry. »

She nods her head before walking away, I watched her enter my room. I turned back around to walk to her room when I got there I immediately noticed the picture frames she had. It wasn’t any of my business but I wanted to look at them.

I found a picture of a man and her, she was way younger in the picture and they were hugging by the beach. That must be her dad, they looked kinda similar, I stared at his green eyes which were a lot like mine. He looked so familiar like I’ve seen him before.

Then I found a picture of a little boy, he looked just like Jennifer. Was this her kid ?

After a few seconds looking at the picture I finally laid in bed, I pulled the warm sheets over my body.

He haunts me in my dreams, in my nightmares. Even the memories come back, the one of him slapping me so hard that I pass out, the memory of him choking me so badly I couldn’t speak for days, the memory of me running in the rain trying to get away from him and his rage.

Ezekiel Vaughn my high school sweetheart who would mentally and physically abuse me. My parents didn’t know, I hid my relationship from them, I hid my bruises with makeup so they wouldn’t notice. My whole body was covered in bruises and red spots. Last night I had a nightmare, it was a memory that was made into a nightmare.

We were behind the school and he just had seen me talking to a good guy friend of mine. He acted like he wasn’t mad but he disguised his emotions well, he made sure no one was there with us. He beat me so bad that I couldn’t even lift a single finger up, I told my parents I stayed at a friends house but I was really laying behind a dumpster.

I wiped the tears that sneaked past me, I glanced up at the clock. It was already six in the morning, I’ve been staring at the white wall ever since I woke up at four o’clock this morning.

The door opens, Jennifer walks in dressed in workout clothes. I crawled out of bed with messy bed hair and baggy eyes, I looked a mess compared to her.

« It’s six in the morning. » I yawned.

« No shit sherlock. » Jennifer says while looking through her closet. « Nathaniel wants you to train which means you need to be up by six. »

« Train ? Train for what ? »

« Self defense, killing, running. » Jennifer said so casually, she pulls out a pair of workout shorts and a sports bra.

« What no, there’s no way in hell I’ll kill someone. »

Jennifer hands me the clothes. « I could hear you cry from the room across the hallway, you have demons that you need help slaying and combat will help with that. »

I thought about what she said, demons as in my nightmares. Only if she knew they weren’t demons but one man, maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

I just grabbed the clothes and went inside the bathroom, I started changing into them. The shorts were super short, I felt kinda uncomfortable but I’ve gotten use to uncomfortable when I started stripping. I walked back out, Jennifer was looking at her pictures but she realized I was out so she put them all inside her drawer.

« Donovan would train you but he had a meeting. » She says.

« I’m shocked he could even move after last night. » I mumbled.

« That’s really none of your business and if you tell Nathan, I will kill you with my bare hands. » Jennifer grits her teeth together.

« His secret is safe with me but I am curious, when he dies from an overdose then what are you going to tell Nathaniel ? »