Mute || ✔️

Chapter 9- Tara

Chapter 9- Tara

“I don’t even know why you’re here.” Aunt Ruby said with a sneer to her lips. The look on her face was making the wrinkles in her face sag even more. Whenever she gave me this speech, (As this certain speech happened a lot) I always found myself trying to block out her words by counting those wrinkles. During these ‘talks,’ as Aunt Ruby liked to call them, she would always find some way to tell me why I wasn’t wanted, how she and the rest of my mother’s side of the family was stuck with me, why I was such a disgrace for being a mute or even why I wasn’t even supposed to be born. Yes, these talks hurt, practically when she spoke about me not being born. But over the years, I could tune her out. I did tune her out.

But then that fateful day happened. She gripped my arm, her perfectly manicured nails digging into my skin. I cried out. Just a small whimper leaving my mouth, nothing else.  I looked up at her. Her beady little eyes were looking in a way that made it seemed like she got a thrill out of causing me pain.

“You don’t want to listen to me, girl?” She asked. I knew better than to respond, “I’ll make sure you’ll listen to me then!”

Those were her words before the palm of a hand came in contact with my cheek. That was the day I started to break mentally and not just with my lack of talking. That was the day I started to believe I was worthless.

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            I gasped as my eyes opened. Christian had already moved us to the floor from the night before. We were laid on top of a spread out sheet, a blanket on top of our bodies while our pillows from our beds lay behind our heads. Molly had gone to see her family without us. That was almost three weeks ago. These dreams-the dreams that I had blocked out of my subconscious started the night, after she left. Christian found me thrashing in my bed, one night after coming back from the bathroom. From then on he made us a pallet on the floor (because he was afraid I’d move around so much, I’d roll off the bed) and had started to sleep beside me with his arms around my body. Unlike Ritchie’s hold, that was always heavy because of his bulky arms, Christian’s felt light and never made me feel uncomfortable either. The dreams were still there, but weren’t as bad when he was around.

            I moved carefully out of Christian’s gasp, before I stood up. Yawning, I rubbed my eyes and walked out into the living room. The house in comparison to Uncle Neil and Aunt Hannah’s farm was small, but that was okay. I was used to it. Besides, small always felt cozy to me. That’s why when I was shipped to Uncle Neil’s, I asked for the smallest room they had.

            Walking into the kitchen, I pulled my hair back. With Molly being gone and it being my fault, I decided to make breakfast. Even Aunt Ruby could agree cooking was something I could do well. As I was getting out everything I would need to make bacon, eggs, and pancakes, I heard footsteps. Then Christian’s voice floated through the kitchen. “What are you doing Training Bra?”

I turned and gestured to the pots and pans I had laid out with a hopeful smile on my lips.

“You’re making breakfast?” He guessed with an amused smile. I nodded excitedly, before going back to chop up some onion. He chuckled as he came to stand beside me, from where I stood at the counter.

“Any bad dreams last night?” He asked softly. I shrugged, but I couldn’t stop my hands from speeding up my chopping or the fact that every chop became increasingly sharper.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked again. Christian always asked this ever since the dreams started, but I always shook my head at his offer. This time was no different. I shook my head and out of the corner of my eye, I saw his jaw clench in anger. I knew it always made it angry when I declined his offer to talk about my dreams, because he thought I was bottling everything up. But I didn’t want to let Christian into the horrors that were my memories. Because if he found out about my past, he’d look at me differently... No, if, and, or buts about it. But it wouldn’t be just him. It’d be other people to, because he was after all human too. Despite the fact that he was slowly resembling something of a superhero to me.

An hour or two later, Drew emerged from his room. The bags that he had under his eyes looked worse. My hand tightened on the spatula I was using to flip pancakes. The words this is all your fault were ringing in my ears. If I had agreed to go with Molly to see her family, none of this would’ve ever happened. They wouldn’t have fought over me and Molly would be here instead of in Texas with her family.

“Hey guys,” Drew spoke as he mused Christian’s hair, “Well I was planning to spend the day together and go out for breakfast, but it seems you guys have already beaten me to it…”

I paled. I had been trying to do something nice for Christian and Drew, not put a hole in Drew’s plans.

“That’s okay though. We’ll have breakfast here and go out after. This food is probably better than the place I had in mind anyway. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“What are we doing exactly Drew?” Christian asked from where he had taken my place flipping pancakes so I could check on the bacon.

“Shopping-thank you.” Drew answered with a slight smile as I set a cup of coffee in front of him. “I figured we could go by that skate shop you like so much and get a new set of wheels for your board. Then take Tara shopping and get some new clothes than just what’s in her two small suitcases.”

I paled. I didn’t want them spending any money on me. It was enough that they were already allowing me to live with them.

“She does need a new winter jacket.” Christian agreed. I know I’m defeated after that. They’re going to waste their money and time on me weather I like it or not…

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Hi guys! Hope you're having a good valentines day! If you're not, I hope this brightens your day! Next chapter you get to see a protective Christian. :P Follow me on twitter and instagram for updates on all things Mute and my other fanfictions!