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Tears gather in my eyes as I hesitate.

“Please, I’ll fix it.”

A muscle in his jaw ticks as he clenches his teeth. He shakes his head as if he’s disgusted with the sight of me.

“Now, Zaiya.”

I obey, pressing my face to the pillow, bracing myself for the blow I’m sure will be worse than last time.

But when it comes, it’s not me who takes it.

Asher steps between us, catching it instead. The belt strikes against his arm, and he wrenches it away.

Our father looks at him, surprise breaking through as Asher’s presence registers.

“Are you fucking insane?” Asher yells.

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“It does now.” He throws the belt on the floor. “What the fuck are you thinking?”

My father’s expression barely changes. “She needed to be corrected.”

Asher stares back at him. “Corrected?”

His attention shifts to me, still curled against the bed, then back to our father.

“How many times have you done this?”

My stomach clenches. “Asher—”

“How many times?”

Mother comes running the second she hears Asher in trouble, dashing right over to him.

“Asher, honey, what’s wrong?” she asks, pushing his dark hair back from a face that looks enough like mine to make us unmistakably related. “I didn’t know you were home.”

He jerks away from her.

“Dad just tried to beat Zaiya with a fucking belt.”

Mother glances at me. “Your father lost his temper. Everyone is upset.”

“Lost his temper?” Asher looks between them. “She knew to turn over.”

The room goes silent. My face burns.

He looks at me again, horror settling deeper into his expression.

“How did she know to do that?”

“That’s enough,” my father warns.

Asher exhales and comes closer to me, his familiar blue eyes searching my face. “Are you okay, Zaiya?”

I don’t remember the last time anyone asked me that. I nod, holding in the tears.

My father’s rage simmers. “You ungrateful…” He swallows hard. “After everything we’ve done for you.”