Family Comes First

Chapter 40: Tormented by Tommy

 I wanted to get back to my room as quickly as possible. I had to be careful to make it look like I was not trying to run away from Tommy. If Tommy was going to think that I was on his side, I was going to have to play the part.

"Julie," Tommy said as I put my hand on the doorknob in the bedroom.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Jimmy is gone and you are going to waste our time together?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just really tired. I was going to take a nap."

"I don't care. Come over here."

He cocked his head to motion down toward his bedroom. Tommy was disgusting, and I had no idea what he would do to me if we were alone in his room. Nausea hit me when I thought of the possibilities.

"Jules." He must have seen the hesitation on my face. "Jimmy is never going to know. No one is going to tell him."

"He wants me to stay in bed though," I said.

"You will be," he said. "You'll just be in mine instead."

My stomach twisted itself into a tight knot. My throat started to contract and I was afraid that I would not be able to speak without crying.

"What if they come home and we don't hear them?" I said. "We'd be caught."

"They won't be home for hours," Tommy said.

"What if they come home early?"

"Juliet." The venom had returned to his voice. I bit down on my bottom lip. "Jimmy has obviously not taught you anything. Stop asking me questions. You're not allowed to do that."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I just don't want to be caught by your Dad and get in trouble."

Tommy laughed. I crossed my arms, and I pulled at the sleeves of the hoodie Jimmy had given me to sleep in.

"You're such a good girl," he said. "You're a lot better than those bitches we drag into this house."

I let my jaw drop when I heard Tommy say that word. Jimmy had told me many times that swearing was not allowed in the house. It was the last thing I expected to hear Tommy say.

"Calm down," he said. "It's just a word."

"I thought there was no swearing," I said.

Tommy laughed even harder and ran his fingers through his short hair. He shook his head and ran his hand down to the stubble that has been lining his jaw for the past few weeks.

"No swearing?" he said wryly. He walked toward me at a slow pace. I dropped my gaze so that I was looking down at the floor. "Dad says there's not swearing in this house, but that rule only seems to apply to this family. Do you know what everyone says when they're pleading for their life? It's all the words we aren't supposed to say."

Tommy was right in front of me. My gaze was still low, so all I could see was his bare feet sticking out from his faded flannel pajama bottoms. He grabbed the bottom of my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes.

"You would like it," he said.

I shook my head. He kept a tight hold on my chin.

"Oh, yeah, you would," he said. "You've done it before. Too bad he was unconscious when they had you slit his throat. It's best when they're awake and know what is going on. You know why?"

I knew he did not expect me to answer the question, but I still shook my head.

"A person's true self comes out in the last few moments of their life," he said. "Especially if someone they love is there with them too. You can see who is a spineless coward, which is most of them, and who has the balls to deal with their fate.