He emerges shirtless, belly straining over the waistband of his sweatpants, his head swaddled in gauze. A crimson bloom stains the bandage just above his left eyebrow, and the edges of the tape are already peeling. His eyes are alert, hard green, and they find me instantly, locking on like crosshairs.
“You shouldn’t be up yet, Dade,” she reaches for his arm. The softness of her tone is so foreign to the ire she held for him last night. She steers him toward the table, and I catch the way her fingers flutter over his bandage.
Dade grunts, shrugs her off, and drops into the chair opposite mine with a heavy, theatrical sigh. He doesn’t take his eyes off me.
“So the little bitch is back,” he says, voice low and full of venom.
Ma hovers behind him, one palm resting on his meaty shoulder.
“Don’t start,” she pleads, glancing nervously between us. “Let’s just talk like adults.”
He laughs, cold and sharp. “Adults? You hear that, Sarah? Gonna use your college smarts on me now?”
“Don’t,” I say. “Just…don’t.”
He leans back, stretching his arms wide, showing off the network of tattoos along his forearms.
“You know,” he says, picking at the edge of his bandage, “I could have you arrested. You busted my skull open. That’s aggravated assault.”
“You had me pinned to the wall,” I shoot back.
Dade snorts. “I figured you liked it rough just like she does.”
He winks at Ma, who flushes and looks down.
I can’t believe this is happening. “You’re disgusting.”
He shrugs. “Better than being a liar. Tell me, how did you cook this little escape plan up?”
I turn away from him. “I just want Ma safe.”
Ma steps in, her voice tight.
“Sarah, stop. This isn’t helping.” She squeezes Dade’s shoulder. “She doesn’t mean it, baby. She just gets scared.”
His lip curls. “Yeah, well, maybe she should be scared.”
“I’m only here for my things,” I say, barely managing to keep my voice steady. “Then I’m gone.”
Dade drums his fingers on the table, the rhythm slow and deliberate. “Ten minutes. That’s how long you got. After that, I call the sheriff and tell him you assaulted me while I was sleeping.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
He shrugs again. “World’s full of batshit crazy bullshit. That’s what makes it spin, sweetheart.”
Ma turns to me, her eyes wide and shiny. “Please, Sarah, just do what he says. It’ll be easier for everyone.”
As I leave the kitchen, Dade says, “Don’t forget your birth control. I’m not raising any bastard grandkids under my roof.”
Ma’s voice trails after me. “She’s not seeing anybody, Dade. You know that.”
His reply is a grunted, “She’s always been a little slut. Got it from you.”
I grab the few belongings I think I need. No time to cherish my childhood possessions. Glance around at some of my keepsakes, but just want to purge the memories like ripping off a plaster. Right now are just surplus to my grown-up world. I rush for the door.
The last thing I hear before my bedroom door closes behind me is Ma’s soft voice, pleading, “Don’t talk about her like that. She’s still my daughter.”
The door is barely thick enough to muffle their conversation, let alone keep out the cold. I don't hesitate to throw a bag of my own together and push on through the front door, letting it slam with a high-pitched thwack behind me, and dash away from the house.
