AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I stormed out of the room, leaving my uncle behind to contemplate the seriousness of my words.
He shouldn’t have to think about it long. I’ve never been one not to make good on my promises.
Six
Katie
I woke up sometime later in a completely different room; Jackson was sleeping in a recliner next to me. I gazed at him, wondering how I’d gotten so lucky.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and someone burst into the room loudly. Jackson came awake instantly. He jumped to his feet, placing himself between me and the intruder.
“Katie!”
I scurried away, whimpering, “No.”
Dr. Cole stormed in after her. “I apologize, guys. She slipped past us all while I explained that people needed to wait to visit.”
I finally registered the voice of the intruder. I sighed, closed my eyes, and replied softly, “It’s okay, Dr. Cole.”
I turned back to the woman in front of Jackson. I could see from the look on her face that she was hurt, but there was nothing Icould do about it. Jackson held her at arm’s length. “It’s okay, Jackson.”
I sighed heavily, tears burning as Jackson slid onto the bed beside me. “Hi, Mom.”
That was all I was able to get out as the room filled. Miles, Marion, Lillian, Walker, Ava, Anthony, Evan, Olivia, and Elizabeth filed into the room. Conrad and Liam were the only ones missing in action. I figured Liam was speaking with our doctor, curious about our conditions, and I knew the police wanted to talk to Conrad.
Around us, the room buzzed with conversations and questions, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. When Conrad entered the room, Roxy immediately flew into him, and I realized something. This was my childhood. I don’t know if I’d bottled it up or downplayed it until I believed the watered-down version, but either way, this was what they did. What they always had done.
Second verse; same as the first.
They dissolved into a back-biting bickering bitch fest. They’d poke, prod, and nitpick at one another until Roxy cried, and Conrad was ready to throw things. Sometimes, when Roxy started crying, they’d chill. But mostly, it ended with Conrad balling his fists and storming off.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized just how much I’d repressed the unsavory aspects of my childhood. I couldn’t fathom why, but it was all rushing back. The trauma of the past rushed to meet the trauma of the present, colliding into one giant mess, and I was right there in the splash zone.
Memories barreled through my mind until everything else around me slowed to a crawl. Fights, tears, broken dishes, slammed doors, squalling tires. These were the sounds that ping-ponged through my mind and overwhelmed me to the point that I had to refocus on something else because otherwise, I would lose the quickly slipping grip on my emotions.
Miles, Marion, Elizabeth, and Ava tried to settle them down. They were wasting their time. Whenever Conrad and Roxy reached this point, there was nothing to be done but wait it out. Sometimes that was just a few minutes, and sometimes it was days. Either way, it was best to ignore them or remove yourself from the situation.
The only ones who weren’t saying anything were Jackson, Olivia, Evan, Walker, Lillian, and I. Olivia and Evan walked up to the bedside. They sat together in a chair on Jackson’s side of the bed, with Walker and Lillian standing beside me.
Olivia took Jackson’s hand, and tears fell as she looked at her brother and me. Never in my life had I thought I would see her cry. She was the toughest person I had ever met. I had to turn away from her because I couldn’t handle anyone else’s emotions. Not if I wanted to keep mine in check.
Moments passed. The cacophony of noise continued. I didn’t think anyone noticed Jackson and I weren’t engaging with them. It was like we weren’t even here or more like they were actors on the stage, and we were the audience they ignored during the performance.
Do they even give a crap about us? Or are they just here out of obligation?
I knew Roxy was self-absorbed and clueless on the regular, but Conrad typically wasn’t. He wasn’t Dad of the Year, but he was attentive when I was hurt or needed him. Words from the basement floated back to me. Words that reminded me my father wasn’t all I knew and thought him to be.
“Screw that! That little bitch in there has everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything we didn’t have but deserved. She is going to pay since I cannot make our father pay for deserting us. She got two loving parents, and we got zilch. An addict for a mother who killed herself, a father who didn’t want us, and so many foster homes I don’t remember them all. Perfect little Katie got love and safety, and we got physically and sexually assaulted. Regularly.”
Jackson got up and slid into bed beside me before pulling me into his arms. He tucked me in next to him. I sighed.
Anxiety pulsed through me. I closed my eyes and tried to quell the jittery over-caffeinated feeling. I never wanted to think about that time we’d been held captive. I didn’t want to see their faces or hear their voices. I never wanted to smell must or mold again.
One of those shots, like the one Dr. Cole gave me earlier, would be nice right about now.
The door opened, startling me. I shrunk into Jackson, wedging myself behind him and his shoulder. Liam walked in. He gave Jackson a look as he sat back on the window ledge and crossed his arms over his chest.
I looked at Jackson. He stared at Liam. Their gazes locked together, both of them as stubborn as the other.
