Unmasked

Chapter 33

Hold on tight, this is going to be a bUmPy ride

It has been three days since mom died, three days to plan a funeral, with limited money. The boys have chipped in too, but I feel bad. I don't want them to see me as a charity case. The police are running a DNA test to see who my dad is, so that means I won't be staying here any longer anyway. (Unless of course they find out my dad is dead too.) Which I'm not too sure I could handle. I've seen too much death recently.

Today is October 31st, Halloween. This isn't how I was really imagining I'd spend today, I wanted to go trick or treating with the boys since I hadn't done it in years. Maybe play some pranks on kids, but instead I'm stuck wearing all black clothes and going to my moms funeral.

"Happy birthday to me." I muttered quietly.

"Hey. . ." A voice greeted from the door, I turned around from the mirror I was facing in the bathroom, covering up the permanent scars on my face. I laid the beauty blender down, only half of my face covered with makeup.

Brandon looked at my face sorrowfully, frowning at the sight of it. "Does it hurt?" He asked tentatively, holding onto the door tightly. "Not really," I told him truthfully, "Only when you put pressure on it."

He nodded his head and walked over to me, picking up the beauty blender and examining it. "You don't have to hide what he did to you anymore, we can go to court and get him arrested." He told me, squishing the beauty blender.

My stomach dropped as I placed down my mascara, feeling sick just at the thought of having to go to court. Zach was still out there, he could still hurt me. Still kill me.

"No," I stated boldly, looking him in the eyes through the mirror. "You don't know him like I do, you don't know what he would do if I brought him to court." I told him darkly, a scowl on my face.

He bit the inside of his mouth, unsure of how to reply. "If it's about being scared of seeing him — you don't have to be. We're all going to be there with you, he can't hurt you."

I gulped nervously, of course I was scared to see him. I had barely escaped his grasp the first time, who knows what he would do if he caught me again. Just thinking about him made me sick, I could now feel him touching me. . . I could suddenly pin point all of my bruises and felt uncomfortable in my skin, it felt like he was cutting and punching me again.

"Wow — Quinn, are you okay? Listen to me, listen to my voice and focus on it. Your right here, in your room. I'm standing beside you, not Zach. It's me, it's Brandon, it's your brother." He grabbed ahold of my shoulders softly, bringing my face into his chest to listen to his heartbeat. I took quick breaths, grabbing ahold of my black dress tightly instead of damaging my scarred hands. I listened to his heart beat closely, trying to slow down my quick breathing and to focus on his.

I stood there for a couple minutes, holding onto him tightly, too scared to let go. "What did you say?" I asked weakly, looking up at him with tears in my eyes. The corner of his lip turned into a small smile, "I said that I was your brother," he patted my head.

"You mean that?" I asked, a small smile forming on my face, my heart swelling with gratitude. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." He smiled again, pulling me into a side hug as we walked down the stairs together once I finished my makeup.

• • •

The reality of where I actually was right now only truly hit me when I stepped inside the church. My hands became clammy as I walked towards the front, and sat down in the first aisle. The casket stood only a couple feet in front of me, and Finn could just lean over and touch it if he wanted.