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“Lily!”
I step back and release the button as I stare at the box as if he’s right there in front of me.
“Lilypad?” I jump in the air, my hand flying to my chest as I whip around to face Evan. He frowns at me and moves forward. “You okay?”
“I…” I point to the box as Evan moves closer and clicks the button.
“Hello?”
“Lily!” My brother shouts again. “I want to see Lily. Let me in!”
Evan tilts his head to face me, his brow raised in question.
“It’s my brother.”
He nods, his eyes flashing. “She’s not here.”
“Bullshit!” he spits. “I want to see my little sister, and if you don’t let me in I’ll call the police.”
Evan chuckles. “You do that, see how far you get.”
I can’t stop looking at the box, afraid he’ll come through it any second. Why is he here? Did my dad send him? Luke said he knows where I am, but would he really be this brazen?
Hands grip my shoulders and pull me toward the sofa before I hear Evan shout, “Guys! Come here!” I can’t do anything but stare, images of my childhood flashing through my mind. The happy times with my mom and brother; the day we found my mom not breathing; the day Aiden left; the first time my dad hurt me.
I feel every whip of his cane on my back and legs, feel every fist he threw at me, every bruise, every drop of blood floating over my skin.
It’s all too much. Too much for me to do anything with. I’m in overload and I know I’m going to break any second.
My vision blurs as I pull away from the hands that reach for me. And before I know what I’m doing, I’m running out of the warehouse and into the open compound. It’s a mistake. One I shouldn’t have made, because as soon as they can see me darting toward the back of the compound, his voice grates through me.
“Liliana.”
No. Please, God, no.
I twirl around, my chest feeling like it’s caving in as I look at the gate, my dad standing next to Aiden, his evil eyes zoning in on me.
“Come here, now.”
My body sways, my head light before my feet take me backward; away from the danger.
“Lily?” Aiden shouts, his head whipping from me to my dad, understanding flashing across his face. “What did you do to her?” he screams, so loud I have to cover my ears.
I can’t do this. I can’t stand here with only a gate separating me from my dad. I have to move. Move, dammit!
Gravel crunches closer to me but I step back, my gaze not leaving my dad’s as Aiden screams and shouts at him, but I can’t hear any of it, all I see is his eyes as he pinned me down and took all my choices away, the look in them as he hurt me, the pleasure he took in it.
I won’t let him do it again. I’ll take myself out of the equation before he causes any more heartbreak.
It occurs to me that this is how my mom must have felt that day, like she had no choice but to remove herself from the pain. And I get it more than I ever did right now. She only had one way to escape him.
Spinning around, I ignore all the shouts as I run to Luke’s house and slam the door behind me. I shoot up the stairs and into the bathroom before locking the door and darting toward the tub.
I climb inside and bring my knees to my chest, trying to breathe.
Just breathe.
That’s all I need to do, in and out.
