myself, I’m
still way to empathetic for my own good. I can’t just stand here and let this
woman cry herself to sleep on the kitchen floor, no matter how vile she might
find me. I take a tentative step forward, seeking to comfort Nancy.
“Get back,”
Trace warns, his eyes fixed on our foster mother’s flushed face.
I ignore him and
inch closer as Nancy’s wails echo around the tiled kitchen.
“Just let me...”
I mutter, kneeling beside the trembling woman on the floor. Ever so slowly, I
reach out to her, my fingers shaking with sympathetic despair. My fingertips
brush a stray lock of hair away from her ruined face as I force a smile onto my
lips. “It’s OK, Nancy,” I say softly, “We’re here for you. We’re—”
My condolences
are cut short as Nancy’s fist collides with my jaw. I topple over backwards,
bright spots of light erupting in my field of vision. My head hits the linoleum
hard, and I feel Nancy scramble on top of me. Her claw-like fingers dig into
the skin of my shoulders as she wrenches me up from the floor an inch and slams
me back down. The corners of the world are starting to grow fuzzy, and I can
see is my foster mother’s furious face. The pure, unadulterated hatred boiling
in her eyes hurts far more than any physical blow ever could.
“You dirty
little slut!” she screams, her spittle raining down on my face.
“I’m not...” I
whisper, my head spinning.
The plain white
ceiling fills my world as Nancy’s body is wrenched away from mine. I draw in
deep breaths, trying to keep myself from bawling. My eyes dart to the side, and
I see that Garrick and Trace have captured Nancy between them. They’re trying
like hell to restrain her without resorting to more violence, but I can
practically see the temptation tugging at Trace.
“How dare you?”
Trace shouts in Nancy’s face, “I’d expect that kind of thing from Paul, but
you? I knew you were a lousy drunk, but I never knew you were so fucking cold.”
“It’s their
fault!” Nancy screams, casting venomous glares at Conway and I, “They’ve got
him all bewitched or something. Running around here in their slutty fucking
clothes, acting like the whores they are.”
“That’s not
true,” Conway says, helping me to sitting, “We’re just trying to mind our own
business, OK? For Christ’s sake, you’ve known me since I was—”
“Shut the hell
up!” Nancy moans, “I don’t believe a word out of that painted little mouth of
yours. You’re trying to drive me fucking crazy, turning my husband into an
animal...”
“Oh please,”
Conway shoots back, “He’s been a pig since I’ve known him.”
“Watch your
mouth,” Paul says from across the room. I look up at my foster father, who’s
been silent this whole time. My heart sinks a foot as I see the wicked grin
plastered on his face. Is he actually enjoying this?
“I just call
them like I see them,” Conway says, brushing my hair out of my face.
“If I let you
go,” Trace says to Nancy, “Are you going to behave yourself?”
The woman stares
up into Trace’s gorgeous green eyes, takes a deep breath, and spits in his
face. A wave of nausea strikes me as her vile saliva splashes wetly against
Trace’s skin. His body freezes with barely restrained rage, and for a moment
I’m worried that he might finally strike her. But instead, he wipes the spit
away and stoops down so that his eyes are level with hers.
“If you ever
hurt Nadia again, or Conway,” he says slowly, “I’m not going to hold myself
back. I will come at you hard and fast, and I won’t be gentle about it.”
“You’re
bluffing,” Nancy says.
“You want to test
me?” Trace asks.
“Why don’t you
get a hold of yourself, bitch?” Paul says from his corner, “You look like a
mess, all hot and bothered. God knows you’ve never been beautiful, but this is
a new low in the looks department.”
“You son of a
bitch,” Nancy moans, “You’ve destroyed my life, you know that?
still way to empathetic for my own good. I can’t just stand here and let this
woman cry herself to sleep on the kitchen floor, no matter how vile she might
find me. I take a tentative step forward, seeking to comfort Nancy.
“Get back,”
Trace warns, his eyes fixed on our foster mother’s flushed face.
I ignore him and
inch closer as Nancy’s wails echo around the tiled kitchen.
“Just let me...”
I mutter, kneeling beside the trembling woman on the floor. Ever so slowly, I
reach out to her, my fingers shaking with sympathetic despair. My fingertips
brush a stray lock of hair away from her ruined face as I force a smile onto my
lips. “It’s OK, Nancy,” I say softly, “We’re here for you. We’re—”
My condolences
are cut short as Nancy’s fist collides with my jaw. I topple over backwards,
bright spots of light erupting in my field of vision. My head hits the linoleum
hard, and I feel Nancy scramble on top of me. Her claw-like fingers dig into
the skin of my shoulders as she wrenches me up from the floor an inch and slams
me back down. The corners of the world are starting to grow fuzzy, and I can
see is my foster mother’s furious face. The pure, unadulterated hatred boiling
in her eyes hurts far more than any physical blow ever could.
“You dirty
little slut!” she screams, her spittle raining down on my face.
“I’m not...” I
whisper, my head spinning.
The plain white
ceiling fills my world as Nancy’s body is wrenched away from mine. I draw in
deep breaths, trying to keep myself from bawling. My eyes dart to the side, and
I see that Garrick and Trace have captured Nancy between them. They’re trying
like hell to restrain her without resorting to more violence, but I can
practically see the temptation tugging at Trace.
“How dare you?”
Trace shouts in Nancy’s face, “I’d expect that kind of thing from Paul, but
you? I knew you were a lousy drunk, but I never knew you were so fucking cold.”
“It’s their
fault!” Nancy screams, casting venomous glares at Conway and I, “They’ve got
him all bewitched or something. Running around here in their slutty fucking
clothes, acting like the whores they are.”
“That’s not
true,” Conway says, helping me to sitting, “We’re just trying to mind our own
business, OK? For Christ’s sake, you’ve known me since I was—”
“Shut the hell
up!” Nancy moans, “I don’t believe a word out of that painted little mouth of
yours. You’re trying to drive me fucking crazy, turning my husband into an
animal...”
“Oh please,”
Conway shoots back, “He’s been a pig since I’ve known him.”
“Watch your
mouth,” Paul says from across the room. I look up at my foster father, who’s
been silent this whole time. My heart sinks a foot as I see the wicked grin
plastered on his face. Is he actually enjoying this?
“I just call
them like I see them,” Conway says, brushing my hair out of my face.
“If I let you
go,” Trace says to Nancy, “Are you going to behave yourself?”
The woman stares
up into Trace’s gorgeous green eyes, takes a deep breath, and spits in his
face. A wave of nausea strikes me as her vile saliva splashes wetly against
Trace’s skin. His body freezes with barely restrained rage, and for a moment
I’m worried that he might finally strike her. But instead, he wipes the spit
away and stoops down so that his eyes are level with hers.
“If you ever
hurt Nadia again, or Conway,” he says slowly, “I’m not going to hold myself
back. I will come at you hard and fast, and I won’t be gentle about it.”
“You’re
bluffing,” Nancy says.
“You want to test
me?” Trace asks.
“Why don’t you
get a hold of yourself, bitch?” Paul says from his corner, “You look like a
mess, all hot and bothered. God knows you’ve never been beautiful, but this is
a new low in the looks department.”
“You son of a
bitch,” Nancy moans, “You’ve destroyed my life, you know that?
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