𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

~FORTY-FOUR~

The differences that separate human beings are nothing compared to the similarities that bond us together.

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau

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This chapter is dedicated to my baby,  Liyah! iamthat_girl_💞💞💞💞💞💞💞 And Nana AddictiveRose she's a badass writer!!! Haew God!😭😭😭😭 If you haven't, goan read her book IN 365 DAYS!

WARNING ⚠️🚨 This chapter has sensitive and triggering content! Read at your own risk.

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NINA.

Walking up the stairs in the apartment complex, I winced as a sharp pain knifed the walls of my stomach. I held the railings for support until I got to the front of our apartment. And as usual, I prepared myself for the worst. The call I’d received earlier, the trembling voice of my aunt behind the speaker, still resonated in my ears. My stomach rumbled, but it was not as loud as the increasing pace of my heartbeat. So, once again, I forgot that I was actually hungry.

I looked around, left and right to see if any of our neighbours were nearby. When I didn’t see anyone, I exhaled deeply and turned the door knob. With calculated steps, a racing heart and sweaty palms, I walked into the house. Closed the door behind me. As quietly as I could. But no matter how quiet I tried to sound, he would still hear. And honestly, I didn’t know what I was being quiet for.

I mean, he’d found us, after all. Since the time I first received my Aunt Nora’s frantic call in Ashley’s party. That night when my ringtone disrupted me and Ayo’s first kiss. The night I got home to see, for the very first time, my aunt beaten up to a pulp. That was when I knew: he had found us— finally. After how much we had tried to run. After how we had tried to hide. He’d still found us.

So, since that night, my aunt calling or sending me a text to come home each time he was around, became a norm. Suffice it to say that I haven’t been fine since that day. But my friends did not need to know that. No one did. It would only put everyone in danger. I’d rather not be fine than have the people I love get dragged into what they didn’t know.

“Welcome, darling,” his deep, raspy voice said to me as I turned away from the door. He was seated in his usual spot— the big, maroon wooden chair that looked like a mini throne; one I remember my dad used to sit in when he was still with us. Back when I was three, when we still had a complete family. Back when everything was all right.

He was seated in my dad’s chair, big, buff and full of sinister pride. His full grown beards covering his would-be-handsome-if-he-wasn’t-so-evil face. Honestly, how my mom crossed paths with this man and married him, I would never understand. Because how had she not seen he was a monster?!

Anyway, I knew I said I prepared myself for the worst, but in actual fact, I was not prepared for what I saw. I gasped and cupped my hands over my mouth. With tears freely spilling from my eyes, I let out a muffled scream, “Let Jeffery go! He’s got nothing to do with this! He is only a little boy!”

Next to my aunt who looked even more horrified than the last time he was here — with a swollen face and busted lower lip — my little bro, Jeff, was bound to a chair, black ropes tightened around his body; from his shoulders down to his legs. He was asleep now, but I’m sure it’s because he was tired out from crying. His head was tilted to one side, his chest, heaved and his breaths came out in hiccups. Jeff was only seven—he wasn’t meant to experience things like this. And besides, he was not meant to be a part of this. It was supposed to be just me and my aunt. That was the deal. But humans being humans and him being him, he broke the deal. But at least, I couldn’t see any marks of beating on his body.