What if I’m nothing but a living reminder of everything he wants to forget?
“This is all your fault.”
No.
“He’s lying in a pool of his blood because of you—because you insist on being a weak little girl.” Her hand yanks my hair, and I taste blood. “Always crying for Daddy. He’s not coming. No one is coming, and it’s all your fault.”
Please stop.
“D-don’t listen to him, Monkey. None… none of this is your fault.”
Harvey is in so much pain. They hurt his back because he shared his food with me. Again. This is all my fault.
It was always my fault. Always.
“I’m sorry, Harvey. I’m so s-sorry,” I sob into her hold, but she won’t let me go to him.
“Close your eyes, Monkey,” Harvey gasps right before the evil witch lashes his back again.
“Don’t you dare look away, little girl, or I’ll do worse to you. You don’t want me to call Micah, do you?”
I shiver at the sound of his name. I don’t want him to come.
I can’t breathe.
“It’s all right. We are all right.” Harvey gasps, then slowly falls asleep. They always wait for him to fall asleep before punishing me.
Please wake up, Harvey.
“Now you’re all alone, little girl. It’s Micah’s shift today, and he is furious.”
Not him. Please, not him. plea—
“Nevaeh!” I jolt upright, flinching violently and hitting something hard beside me.
Angel quickly rolls down all the windows and steers the car to the side of the road. He turns to face me fully, trying to talk me down, and starts taking slow, steady breaths that I try to mimic through the haze of my panic.
Anxo.Angel.
You’re not there, Nevaeh. Youcan’tbe there if Angel is with you.
“What happened, baby?” Angel lifts his hands cautiously, and that’s when I realize I had hithimin my panic.
“Fuck. I’m so sorry… I don’t know—”
“It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me. Look.” He shows me his arms, and I breathe out in relief when I don’t see any bruises. But it doesn’t help much. I hate that I could’ve hurt my mate because I’m too fucked up in the head.
“Nevaeh? Breathe sweetheart. Tell me what’s bothering you.” Angel waits for me to make the first move. When I finally take his hand, he threads his fingers into my hair and presses our foreheads together, grounding me once again.
“I saw it again. Harvey… what—what if he hates me? What if he wants nothing to do with me? He went through so much because of me… he… he t-took so many beatings for m-me and what I-if…”
Angel cuts off my spiraling mess with a soft kiss. His lips gently caress mine, calming the storm inside me one kiss at a time.
“Nothing like that will happen, baby. If anything, Harvey will be relieved to see you out of that place.”
“Really? You think so?”
I hate how weak I sound. I don’t want Visha to win. I’mnotweak.
