The room looks exactly the same as it did when I left it last. We don’t share rooms here so this room is mine alone. But it still impresses me that no one goes snooping around some times. Thankfully, I get to sleep in peace when I come here.
Chapter 7
Blake
“Oh great. She’ll be just as stupid as you are.” Craig says, noticing our messy faces and clothes.
I quickly cover Charlie’s ears and hold her to my chest. “Don’t say stuff like that in front of our daughter.”
He scoffs. “Why does it matter? It’s not like she doesn’t hear us when we argue any other time.”
Craig walks past us and grabs a beer from the fridge. I glance at the clock. It’s only 10 a.m., and he is already drinking. “What has you in such a foul mood?”
“I saw your car this morning.”
I lean down and kiss Charlie’s head. “Go clean up, my love.”
Once she is out of the kitchen, I turn toward Craig. “Okay. How bad is it?” I know it is pretty bad, but I haven’t actually looked at the damage in the daylight.
He scowls at me. “I’m going to have to bring it to a body shop. Which is going to cost me an arm and a leg. You should have thought about that before you fucking hit someone.”
I am taken aback. “It’s not like I did it on purpose, baby. He came out of nowhere.”
“He?”
“Yes. It was a guy on a motorcycle. You know this. I already told you last night.”
“You didn’t tell me shit. You were too caught in your head about me not caring enough.”
I shake my head. “I did tell you, though.” Panic rises as he takes a step closer to me until he presses my back against the fridge.
He wraps his hand around my throat and adds pressure. “I’m in no fucking mood for your attitude today, Blake. You didn’t fucking tell me about it, and now I’m pissed. Either accept it or get out of my face.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but rage is all I begin to feel. How fucking dare he. I collect saliva in my mouth and then spit it on his face. He is so shocked that he stumbles backward, and when he realizes what I’ve just done, he glares at me. “You bitch!” He backhands me hard across the face, and I hit the floor.
Just under the table, I see Charlie’s little feet running in the opposite direction. She just watched her father hit me. She witnessed something I never wanted her to see. But he doesn’t stop at the slap. He kneels down and grabs me by the hair. “I will make you pay for that.”
“Please stop, Daddy.” Charlie’s tiny voice comes from somewhere behind him. My heart seizes in my chest.No, no, no—don’t let her see this.
I expect him to stop.He has to stop.The thought of his own daughter watching him beat me should be enough to make him let go.It has to be.
But instead, his face goes blank, like all the light in him has been snuffed out. A shiver of pure terror runs through me. I know this look.This is when he’s the most dangerous.
Then, before I can react, he shoves off me and turns toward her.
Charlie screams. A sound so raw, so full of fear, it shatters something inside me.
Pain radiates from my body as I push through it, scrambling to my feet. I can feel the bruises forming. The ache of my ribs. None of it matters anymore.
All that matters is stopping him.
“Bring your ass back here!” Craig screams as he starts pounding up the stairs.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” I yell from the kitchen. Terror and adrenaline mix in my veins as I chase after them. I see his footturning the corner at the top of the stairs. A fraction of a second later, I throw myself forward, reaching for him, my fingers barely grazing his heel.
Too late.
He’s too fast. Too strong. Too angry.
