My secret lives

Chapter 18

After a few more minutes I make it inside of the house where the rest of my brothers stand, waiting.

The second I walk inside, Valerio screams "what the hell happened to you" while pointing to my face.

I flinch back a little, not expecting him to do that when I haven't even gotten a proper look around the place.

"I got into a fight before I got here" I tell him.

While Valerio screams "what!?" In disbelief and anger, Valentino asks me if I won.

"Of course I did" I say so confidently that I almost start to belief the lie myself.

I almost forget what really happened, I almost forgot how John slapped me across the face because I didn't get him his food on time. I almost forget John repeatedly smashing my head against the wall because I was a minute too late with his dinner. I almost forget John rapping me that evening as a punishment for me which granted him pleasure.

I look down at the floor and I swallow back the tears.  

"Get cleaned up for dinner" Vincenzo demands before walking off.

Everyone leaves, leaving me standing there- alone.

I like to be alone, it's peaceful and no one can hurt you then.

I slowly make my way upstairs as moments from two days ago keep flashing in my mind.

How I begged him to stop, how I begged him for mercy.

I know it doesn't work- the begging, but I can't help but do it. Just that little hope that one day he might would realize what he was doing and stop will always be with me.

It was the only thing in harsh times that I could hold on to.

If only they'd realize it- they'd stop.

When I make it to the room I'm currently staying in, I walk to the bathroom.

I limp to the skin before opening the faucet.

The water immediately harshly pours out and I cup my hands in a small bowl underneath it.

A small pool forms in my hands which I then splash on my face.

The cold water makes my pores clamp shut from the shock that makes my skin freeze.

I do it once more before I turn the faucet off.

I dry my face with the towel from before which is dry by now.

I take out my phone and see that it's almost time for dinner so I quickly push it back in my pocket before I make my way downstairs.

The crutches slow me down too much for my liking and I can already tell I won't use them daily because of it.

When I finally arrive, I sit down in the seat I've been using for a couple of days now and I place the crutches underneath it.

Vincenzo walks in the room too as the last one and the second he sits down, maids come inside with plates of food in their hands.