Eye of the Storm -SAFE HOUSE BOOK 2-

9

 He didn't feel like writing too much that morning, so he got out the little bit that was on his mind before closing the notebook and sipping his coffee. Footsteps were approaching him, and he looked up to see Devon walk in, immediately reaching for the waffles and jelly. Tossing it in the microwave, his foster brother looked around. "Coffee," he asked, getting a mug out, along with a different flavor of cream. Austin nodded, pointing towards the pot as he sipped from his own mug.

His foster brother poured his own cup, taking gentle sips as he headed to the front lawn, grabbing the paper, and putting the few bills that had been paid into the mailbox. His brow was furrowed as he walked, and he kept biting his lip. Austin gripped the arm of his seat, a bit put off by this. What was on his mind? Was his mood Austin's fault, whatever it was? No... they barely spoke. It couldn't be anything like that. They didn't know each other well enough to get under each other's skin.

"Austin, can I ask you a question? Please, don't be mad, I just want to get to know you. I've been wondering about this," Devon brought up, taking a step back. His voice was low, hesitant. Austin had been addressed that way before, in another life. What was going to happen? The teen gripped the arms of his chair, ready to make a break for it, counting down the seconds until Devon might snap.

His fist came down before Austin had time to process it. Mitchell's eyes were on fire as the blows came, one after the other. He screamed out for no one, for his mother, for anyone. It was no use. He knew that nobody was coming. Nobody knew, and the ones that did couldn't help him. "You killed my wife, you son of a bitch! I'm never going to let you live that down," the man said, looking so much like a stranger as he stared down at him with empty eyes and fists of steel.

"No, I swear I didn't kill Mama. Daddy, please, I tried to save her," the young child begged, hugged his knees to his chest as he cowered back on the floor. What was the point? He had already tried to explain the situation. He wouldn't listen. Maybe his father would never listen to anything he told him again, but only time would tell.

The hammer came down again, making him scream as each fist barreled into him harder than the rain hitting their windowpanes. He needed to find Briana, to just make it to the light switch to tell her he needed to get out.

Clearing his throat, Austin nodded, shaking the memory away. That life was over... so why did his past continue to haunt him? Why did Mitchell's ghost creep around every corner, even though Austin knew he was locked away? He was safe. Briana was safe. Everything was going to be okay. They were going to figure things out, and they were going to find a new home. "Why do you act like you're Briana's dad," his foster brother wondered, "You always stand in front of her when you two are scared and hold her hand. Why do you do it?"

He had seen them that night- he must have. Austin swallowed hard, taking a few gulps of his coffee as he thought of a good answer. Which answer would Devon approve of? No! He didn't need to walk on eggshells now, not in this house. Laura and Jamie assured him that he was safe here, so why was it so difficult to come to terms with that? Would the ghost of Mitchell never let him go? The drink burned his throat, and his pushed back several curses with a quick wince. He wasn't looking to get into any trouble, so the truth would have to be his answer this time around. "Well, I guess it's just a force of habit. Her biological parents never cared about her. Whenever her mom hit her, her dad would just tell her she deserved it. He never did anything to help... he just let it happen," Austin explained, unable to look his foster brother in his eyes as he did. Tears were pricking in his eyes as his past played before them. He forced them back, clearing his throat.

Devon was taken aback, as Austin had expected he would be. He didn't have to deal with the foster system like his siblings. He had two loving parents, which was all any of them really wanted. Laura and Jamie rarely told him no, and certainly never treated him with the disrespect Austin had always received and expected from his biological father. Devon was one of the lucky ones. "I didn't know," he admitted, turning his gaze to his foster brother's, "I'm sorry." Austin shrugged. How would he have known? Briana wasn't going to tell him, and Austin wasn't sure how long they would be here. What was the point in telling his life story to someone he might only be with for a few months?