AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bucking wildly beneath him, I tried to throw him off me, but I knew in my heart that I never could.
Dizziness began to engulf me then, joining the burning in my lungs, as my muscles spasmed erratically.
I was losing consciousness, I realized, and then, all of a sudden, the pain just dwindled away.
The pressure in my eyes and the fire in my throat evaporated.
Just let go,a voice in my head urged,it’ll all be over if you just let go.
I let my fists fall to my sides and did just that.
* * *
“Joe?”
When I came to, a little while later, it was to the sight of my sister’s face, as she lifted and pulled at my eyelids.
“It’s me, Shan!”
Another finger in the eye.
“Can you hear me?”
Feeling like I was about to hack up a lung, I grabbed at my throat, as I coughed and spluttered violently.
Drawing air into my lungs, I quickly dragged myself into a sitting position, and leaned against the fridge for support.
“Oh, thank god!” Kneeling beside me, Shannon leaned in with a tea-towel and pressed it to the piece of skin above my left eye. “Are you okay?”
Still coughing and spluttering, I held up a hand to ward her off, while I focused on dragging air into my lungs. “Where…is…”
“He’s gone to bed,” she whispered, shuffling closer so that her small knees were pressed to my thigh. “I’m so sorry.”
“No…your…fault.”
“Oh, god, Joe.” Sniffling, she leaned forward and wrapped her small arms around my neck. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry he did this to you again.”
I didn’t return her hug.
Couldn’t if I wanted to.
Worn to the bone, and breathing ragged, I took my time catching my breath before I asked, “Where’s Mam?”
Shannon looked down at the floor.
“Shan?”
“Upstairs,” she squeezed out, pulling at a thread on the side of my pants. “She had to coax him off you.”
With sex.
Yeah, I needed to get out of here.
I couldn’t be in this house tonight.
If I had to endure the sound of him grunting and groaning from behind a closed bedroom door, I was going to crack.
“Joe, don’t go,” Shannon begged, hurrying after me, when I climbed to my feet and staggered to the front door. “Please don’t go anywhere.”
