Tethered By Lust

Apology Not Accepted

Cordelia

7 years ago

I woke up slowly adjusting to my hangover.

I soon realised I wasn't in Noel's room, and everything came back like a tsunami I couldn't slow down or stop.

I propped myself up on the bed and looked down to the still half-made side of the bed beside me - not slept in and Marcus wasn't there. He must've slept elsewhere.

"Morning." His deep voice hit me from across the room, and I suddenly noticed him sitting in a chair slouched with his eyes on full alert. How long has he been sitting there? Did he sit there all night?

"Morning." My voice was still half asleep and exhausted from yesterday. Even though I knocked out last night and slept like a baby I still feel fucking dead.

"I left you a glass of water and a paracetamol on the side table."

"Thanks." I took a long gulp with the paracetamol that will do no good but anyways cheers to medicine.

Fuck. I could handle 'the chat' that I felt encroaching, but I needed him to listen and do exactly as I say.

I felt stronger today but maybe it was just the alcohol and molly still lingering in my system. Oh well, fuck it I still felt good.

I needed Marcus to understand no one could ever find out about my stepdad.

"Del I want you to know you can stay here in one of the spare rooms for as long as you need." His voice was gentle and soft.

"It's fine but thanks for the offer." I answered.

"What do you mean it's fine where are you going to stay then?" His tone got short and agitated.

There was no chance of my sore head going away now.

I moved up the bed and looked over at him. "Marcus, I appreciate you and Noel looking out for me but never repeat of it again. Do you understand? It didn't happen. Forget it."

He stood up and made his way over to the bed. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He threw back.

"Cordelia. He has abused you for three fucking years and you expect me to just fucking forget about it and act as though everything is fine when this is going on right under my nose. Fuck no. No fucking way. I will never let him place another hand on you. Do you understand?" His thumb brushed my cheek, but I pulled away.

"If anyone finds out about this I will never be allowed to stay with my alcoholic mother and my father who doesn't want me. I'm a minor so I would be sent away and placed with a stable family if I'm lucky or in the care of someone worse than I am in now."

"I will figure it out but you're not going back!" He shot back.

"You do not get to make that decision. Just because everything is handed to you on a silver platter does not mean you have the right to dictate my future. You can't cause if I'm separated which will happen, I won't see Noel. I won't have anyone else you can't do this, please..... Please please Marcus don't I just can't." Sobs exploded over the rims of my eyes and clouded any sane thought I ever had.

He stayed firm and didn't break his composure. "I just can't sit back and watch you get abused like a sitting duck when I could be fucking helping you. No, I'm not even considering this. He isn't going to hurt you. You're safe now."

"You think this makes me safe. It makes me vulnerable. It makes me weak. It means my mum won't have custody over me and It will break me even more. It will destroy me. And you have no fucking idea when I'm safe and when I'm not so please for fuck sake don't act like a knight in shining armor coming to save the day because I stopped believing in that bullshit before I left the womb. Fuck you!" I kicked the sheets over me put my hands in front of me and pushed him out the way storming out the house.