Take My Broken Soul

CH 4- Secrets and Lies

Adelaine POV-

*Arriving at school, that day*

"Hey" I look up to see Nathan jogging over to where my siblings and I are walking. 

"Umm. Hi Nathan, what are you doing here so early? I thought football players wake up late and barely make it to school on time. Well, at least that's the case with this numskull here." I reply. I can see him looking all of us over intensely. 

Oh please don't let him notice that anything is wrong! 

He replies with some weird comment about not sleeping and then goes on to ask what I was hoping he hadn't noticed. I was about to speak up and just play it dumb, but I didn't beat Wyatt to the punch. 

"Her car broke down this morning. We didn't have time to get it fixed before school, so we had to walk. Lainey, why don't you tell him why you are in pain." He replies. 

I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!!! What the hell does he think he is doing, we can not let on that anything happened. I think back to this morning and all that happened.

_______________________

*This morning, after work*

I had just gotten off work a bit early because Hal accidentally double booked another server and me, so I figured I would make the kids a breakfast treat this morning. 

Damion, my uncle, is usually non-existent in the mornings which is very helpful. Normally, he comes home drunk the night before (that's when he dishes out the worst of his abuse) and by mornings he is passed so far out, nothing could wake him. But apparently, this morning was not like that. 

As I pull up on my driveway, I see Damion's car is parked haphazardly on the lawn. 

Figures, he was probably too drunk to properly drive again. 

Judging by his parking, I walk in assuming he is passed out drunk in his room. That's why, when I walk through the door, I am not expecting to take a direct hit on my knee. 

"You Bitch! Where were you!" He snarls in my face. Pain is shooting up my leg and I can barely stay standing, but I know if I fall, he will have much better access and I can't let that happen. 

"SLUT! You were probably out getting pregnant huh? Not that anyone would actually look at you. You fat, ugly, whore." He follows his words with a hit to my ribs. I can see he is carrying a wooden baseball bat, thank goodness he is close to passing out, otherwise his hits would be a lot stronger. 

*Hmphhh*

I make a small grunt after feeling the impact. I want to scream and cry because the pain is starting to make me see stars, but I know if I do, Wyatt will come down and end up getting hurt. 

Even though Dorian is usually past out in the mornings, I still created a system for the kids. When the abuse first started, I put the three kids in the same room, with a lock on their door, and myself in the guest room. This way, if Dorian was feeling extra mad, he could get to me easily and hopefully leave the other three alone. 

In the morning, the kids know to wait in their room, with the door locked, until I come and get them. I'm the only one who has a key to their room, so Dorian can never get in but I don't have to knock for them to let me in. It's for days like this that I do that. 

If they were to come down right now, Wyatt would most likely get in the middle of it and get hurt, and Katie and Dylan might get caught in the crosshairs too. I would rather bleed out by this monster than watch any of them get hurt, when I could've protected them. So here I am, on the ground groaning in pain, trying not to scream because I need the kids to stay upstairs.