She stared him dead in the eyes. She allowed the tears to fall, no longer caring if they made her look weak. “Never speak about Viv like that ever again.”
Derek yanked her arm, pulling her closer to his noxious stench. “Why do you protect her? She doesn’t deserve it.”
“Let go of me, you asshole!”
Derek released her arm, but before she could jump for the door, theback of his hand smacked the side of her face. Her body slammed against the bed. Her hand shot to her cheek stained in tears and blood.
His eyes bore into the cut dug into her cheekbone by his class ring. “Amaris—”
She raised her hand, choking on the tears she couldn’t stop from falling.
“It was an accident. You know I would never do anything to hurt you.”
A knock filled the house, and Amaris’s phone chirped in her pocket—Viv.
Derek’s eyes were once again filled with menacing anger as another chirp rang through the deathly quiet room. “Who’s that?”
Amaris jumped from the bed, but he beat her to the door. He shut it behind him. Her fingers curled around the knob, but it wouldn’t turn.
“This is for your own good, Amaris.”
She shoved her hip against it, but it wouldn’t budge.How did he lock me in?Her breaths grew erratic as she slid down the door.
“Where is she?” came Viv’s muffled voice.
“She’s not leaving,” Derek sneered at her.
“Mar?” Viv shouted.
Amaris wanted to scream for her, but her lips were sealed, frozen shut.
“She isn’t going with you, and she’s never going to see you again. You’re a piece of trailer trash that belongs with your mother behind bars.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Viv shouted back at him.
Amaris’s chest heaved with every agonizing breath.
“Get off my property.” His voice was lethal.
Get out of here, Viv,Amaris pleaded.Don’t push him.
“Not until I talk to Mar,” Viv snapped back at him. “Where is she?”
“This doesn’t concern you,” he said before slamming the door.
His bounding footsteps woke Amaris from her stupor. She lunged for the window and slid it open. Her leg slipped over the sill as the doorknob turned. She jumped the rest of the way and sprinted toward the edge of the yard. Her name was only a distant echo as she hopped the back fence and didn’t look back.
Amaris ran the trail, wiping raindrops from her face. Everything and nothing at all raced through her mind, but one word came into focus.
Safety. A safe spot to hide. The one place she kept hidden, to herself. The one place she’d never shared with Derek.
She sprinted past the drooping dandelions, and she swore the trees bowed in remorse. Her feet carried her to the willow, but she stopped and assessed her hand against the trail lights. Blood leaked around the shards of glass.
What have I done?She clenched her teeth between her knuckles and fished out a large piece. A cry leaked through her gritted teeth. A twig snapped behind her. She choked back her sobs and turned to face the protective covering of the canopy.
Without another thought, she jumped, grabbing the branch with both hands. She bit her tongue to suppress her muffled scream, the coppery taste of blood spilling between her teeth. She swung her legs and swallowed her cries with a mouthful of the fabric of her shirt.
Her foot slipped on the wet bark, her heart skipping a beat. She reached for the nearest branch, latching on with her fingers like talons. A thud sounded below. Her phone illuminated as she watched it slip into the mud. Her chest heaved with the short release of adrenaline. Tears spilled as she climbed the last branch and nestled into her safe spot, hugging her legs to her chest.
