Chapter 2

 

I had tried to leave once before. But Don had found me. Weeks of planning and he had found me before I even left the state. He had nearly killed me that night. After that, I never tried again.

I threw my worn copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone down on top of my clothes and zipped my backpack shut. It was one of the last things my father had given me. And one day I'd give it to my baby.

This time there was no planning. I just had to get as far away from Don as possible. For once in my life, I needed to be strong. The next bus was leaving in 20 minutes. Then I'd be free.

We'd be free. "We're going to be okay," I whispered and placed my hand on my stomach. "Everything's going to be okay." Suddenly, he didn't feel like a monster anymore. He. Was it a little boy? Maybe he'd have my dad's smile. Maybe he'd have my nose that I got from my mother. He was going to be good. He was going to be so good. I'd make sure of it. But first I had to save him from this life.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "I'm sorry that I doubted you." I wasn't sure how it happened, but this baby had suddenly gone from one of the worst things in my life to one of the best. He was a blessing in disguise. And I'd never let anything happen to him.

David. Thinking of my father's name gave me a sense of peace. If it was a boy, I'd name him David. And if it was a girl, I'd name her Jennifer after my mom. This baby was a piece of me, but it would be also be a piece of them. I'd have a family again. Maybe I'd feel whole again too.

I ran down the stairs two at a time. Don would be home any minute. It was now or never. For the first time in years, I had hope. That's what this baby was. Hope. This baby was exactly what I needed. I suddenly had a purpose again. I opened up the back door and froze.

Don was standing there with a cigarette in his hand. His breath puffed out in a cloud in front of his face. He smiled. "Where do you think you're going?" He took another long draw from his cigarette. I could barely see his face with all the smoke. He put the cigarette out against the railing and flicked it at me.

The act made me flinch. I had felt the butt of his cigarette being put out on my skin before. Everything he did terrified me.

My reaction made his smile grow. "I'll ask again, doll. Where do you think you're going?"

"The library. I have a test tomorrow and I need to study." The snow had started to pick up, and all I could hear was silence. There were no cars going by or dogs barking. It was like a quiet blanket had settled around us. There was nothing scarier than silence. It meant no one was around to hear my screams.

"Get back inside." He put his hand on my forearm.

I cringed under his touch. His skin always felt like fire. Everything about him burned with flames, threatening to end my life at any moment. He was unpredictable. Deadly. Uncontrollable. And I could see it in his eyes tonight. The flames were dancing everywhere.

"I..."

"Now. Don't make me ask again."

"I have to study. I'll be back in a few hours."

He smiled again. "Why? So you can get a scholarship and leave? It's not happening, Summer. We've already talked about this. You're staying right here. Who else will protect you, anyway, huh? I'm all you have. Now get inside." His voice had dropped an octave. Threatening. Demanding. Terrifying.

Protect me? I needed protection because of him. God, I hated him. I hated everything about him. I could go to whatever damn college I pleased. I'd save enough money and provide a good life for my baby. And I'd never see his smug face again. His flames were catching on to me. It was like I had no control over it. But I had never been good at playing with fire.

 The snowy night was completely silent as we both stared at each other. His eyes wandered over my body, stopping on my stomach. I swallowed hard. It only took me a moment to figure out that he knew. How the fuck does he know?

I tried to step around him but he put his hand on the center of my chest, pushing my back against the brick wall of the house. "You think I wouldn't find out? You know better than that, doll."

I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I wasn't sure there was anything he liked doing more than hurting me. But when he was drunk, he seemed to lose all control. He was worse than any villain I had read about. A hundred times worse. He wasn't even human when he drank. And I could see it in his eyes tonight. The devil himself was staring back at me. He wanted me dead.

"Please, Don." My voice sounded pathetic. I was pleading with someone who could never hear me.

"Please what?"

"Don't hurt me." Don't hurt us.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you got rid of my baby."

What? "I didn't."

He smiled. "There's no point in lying. You know better. That'll just make this worse for you." He put his hand on the side of my face.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed into the silence. Fire. I knew better than to let his flames catch on to me. I shouldn't have said anything at all.

He put his hand over my mouth. He looked surprised by my words, but it just added to the force of his hand. "Or what? You'll fight back?" The smile had returned to his face. "You know that I love when you fight back."

Everything about him was twisted.

"You're staying here. And if you don't want my kids, fine. Let's just make it easier on you, shall we?" He pulled a knife out of his pocket.

Get off of me!

Pure evil. There were no other words to describe the look on his face.

"I would never want someone like you to bear my children anyway."

I clawed at the hand over my mouth.

"You're worthless."

He slid his hand up higher, blocking the air from entering my nose too.

 "You're weak."

I couldn't breathe. I kicked his shin, but it just made him press his body more firmly against me. He was hard. He got off on hurting me. I was suffocating. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tried to kick the back of his knees.

He smiled, not moving an inch. "You're pathetic."

I reached my hand out and tried to grab his throat. But I was worthless. I was weak. I was pathetic. He didn't even flinch at my touch.

"You're just lucky that you're attractive, because it's the only thing you've got going, doll."

I felt the knife slice into my stomach. The pain was blinding. My hope. My purpose. I could feel the life slipping out of me. I was suffocating. But I wasn't worried about myself. He was killing my baby. I couldn't breathe. The pain in my lungs was worse than the pain in my stomach. I tried to scream, but the sounds were muffled.

"Now we don't have to worry about any more accidents."

I bit down on his hand with the remaining strength I had. And I tasted blood. I smelled blood. I just didn't know if it was his or mine.

"Fucking bitch!" He shoved me off the wall.

I caught the railing as I took a huge gulp of air. I had to get away from him. This was my only chance. I started to run down the stairs, but his hands gripped my hair, pulling my face back until my eyes met his. The flames in his eyes burned even brighter.

"I'll give you a five second head start." He shoved me hard down the stairs.

"Help me!" I screamed into the silent night as I fell to my knees, my hands landing in the snow. "Someone help me!" I cried. The fog from my breath curled up in front of me. No one was coming to my rescue. No one could hear my screams. Get up. My body wouldn't listen to me. I moved my right hand to touch my stomach. I felt the warmth of blood. I felt the life seeping out of me. Get up! I placed my hand back on the ground.

"It's okay," I whispered into the still night. "I'll take care of you. I'll always take care of you."

My legs shook as I got back to my feet. I placed my hand back on my stomach. The front of my jacket was completely soaked in blood. We're okay. But I felt dizzy. I tried to run, but instead I stumbled forward.

"Five," Don said somewhere behind me.

"Stay away from me," I choked. I was so dizzy.

"Or what?" He grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.

My hand slid back to my bloody stomach. I could barely keep my eyes open. Every ounce of life had been drained out of me. We're not okay. I couldn't protect you. I knew the baby was gone, just like I knew it had been there in the first place. I could feel it. No. That was the problem. I couldn't feel it anymore.

"Or what?!" Don spat.

I saw my bloody handprint in the freshly fallen snow as Don shoved me back to the ground. I was everything he had said. Worthless. Weak. Pathetic. I watched the snow slowly fall on top of my bloody handprint. All I could hear in the silent night was the sound of his zipper. My familiar sob as he grabbed my hips. And his grunting.

Or what? My tears seemed to freeze on my cheeks. I'm going to fucking kill you. I'm going to take everything from you, just like you did to me. And then I'm going to end your life.

I watched the snow fall until my bloody handprint was no longer visible. I thought I'd feel cold in the snow. But all I could feel were the flames swallowing me whole before everything turned black.