I’m still recovering from the last beating they gave me. It felt like the safest thing to do was to avoid them as much as I could. I made sure Mason was safe, bringing him to the diner every night after school. They didn’t care as long as we were out of their hair.
When I got in from work last night, they had already left for a weekend away. I have no idea where they went, they didn’t tell me, and I know better than to ask. There was just a note left on the fridge saying they would be back Sunday, followed by a list of jobs I had to do.
I’m just happy I get two whole days without them, and the best part, I’ve managed to hide enough cash, with the help of Riley, so Mason and I can do something fun this weekend.
I can hear Mason shuffling about downstairs. I know I can leave him on his own down there for a little while, but I’d rather not, so I climb out of bed and quickly hop in the shower.
I cringe as I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror after my shower. There’s bruising all the way down the left-hand side of my body. I angle myself so I can take a look at my back. There is a mixture of long thin bruises and curved almost half-moon shaped from the golf club he chose to use after I came home late from work one night and woke them both up.
That night was the first time in years that I cried out from the pain. Making a sound only makes the beatings worse, so I’ve trained myself to stay as quiet as I can. That night, I couldn’t stop myself, and the more I cried out the harder they hit. I’m just relieved that Mason slept through when it happened.
I shake away the memories, not wanting to relive that night again. I quickly dry myself off and head down to see what Mason is up to.
“So, what do you want to do today, buddy? Anything you want,” I ask Mason as he sits eating his Cheerios. He gives me a small smile. "Could we just go to the park or maybe go see Riley?" he asks before putting another spoonful of cereal in his mouth.
"Yeah, if that’s what you want you do,” I tell him. "Or we could go to the arcade or maybe bowling, or how about some mini golf?"
He stops eating, giving me a confused look. "But those things are expensive, Nova, we don't have money."
I give him a wink as I grab a glass and fill it with cold water from the tap. "I have a little money, enough for one game of bowling or a round of mini golf."
I watch him as he places his spoon back into his half empty bowl, and I can see his mind ticking over with who knows what kind of thoughts.
I wash the dishes I’d left from last night as I wait for him to decide. I’m stunned when he steps up beside me, placing a hand on my arm. "Do you have enough money for us to leave here forever?" he asks hopefully.
My heart shatters at his question. I don't have enough money to leave, I don't even have enough money to pay for a cheap hotel for one night. My eyes sting with the threat of impending tears. Giving my head a small shake, I drop to my knees in front of him. "I'm so sorry, buddy, I don't, not yet, not even close. I'm really trying, I promise. But it's going to be a while before we have enough money to leave."
"Couldn’t we just hide at Riley’s? She would let us stay there. Wouldn't she?" he quietly asks.
I shake my head. "That would be the first place everyone would look for us. If we run, we would have to run far away. Far enough away that they would never think to look for us there."
I pull him into me, wrapping my arms around him. "One day, Mason, I promise I'll get us out of here. And until then, I will do whatever I need to, to keep you safe."
"But who's going to keep you safe?" he asks sombrely.
Not really sure how to respond to his question, I choose to ignore it. "Hey, go get ready and then we can head to the cafe to see Riley. She's working today, but she'd love to see us," I say, letting him go and gently pushing him toward the door.
He stares at me for way too long before placing a gentle kiss on my cheek and heading up to his room.
The moment I hear him on the stairs, I fall back against the cupboard doors and let the tears fall. I can’t believe my little brother is worried about who is going to protect me. I hate that those are the thoughts that are going through his mind.
Forty minutes later and we're walking through the front door of the café. "Riley," Mason yells as he races toward her. She holds up her finger to him, letting him know one minute. She places the jug of hot coffee on the counter and then spreads her arms out for him. He doesn't skip a beat, racing toward her and jumping into her arms. I love that he has a bond with her, and that he trusts her. It's good to know that if anything should ever happen to me, that she has his back.
She smiles and nods her head in the direction of one of the spare booths in her section. I make my way over to it, sliding in and dropping mine and Mason’s bags on the table. A few seconds later, Mason slides into the booth opposite me, while Riley places a glass of soda in front of him and a glass of water in front of me.
"You want a coffee or a tea too?" she asks me.
I shake my head. "No, thanks, I'm good with water for now. Mase?" I grab his attention, halting him in his search of his bag. "You want a cake or anything?" I ask him.
"No thank you. Did you bring my pencils?" he asks me as he pulls his notebook out of his bag, turning to the last picture he was drawing.
Riley slides in next to me, as I pass the pencils across the table to him. "So, I was thinking maybe you guys could stay at mine tonight. My folks would love to see you guys. And I would like some quality Nova time," Riley says.
I half laugh at her. "You get quality Nova time almost every day when we're working."
"Nope." She shakes her head at me. “Work is not quality time. We need time out of here without our wonderful customers demanding something every two minutes." Just as she finishes her sentence, the door chimes with new customers. We both turn and watch as men from the local MC enter the café and head to the booth next to where we are sat.
"Wolf," Mason yells, jumping out of the booth and running over to the six-foot-something giant.
