The Price to Pay

Chapter Eleven

"Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves and immortality."

- Emily Dickinson

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Adeline

"Isabella." I shook her softly, trying to wake her but not hurt her, I'm sure she had bruises everywhere.

"Addie." She unsteadily lifted herself up. "What did you do?" She cried, I didn't know what I might look to her, if there was blood or just the guilt shown through.

"Nothing. He won't bother you anymore, lets just go inside."

"Addie, did you...oh my god you didn't." Her hands clasped over her mouth, muffling her cries.

"Shh just come inside I'll explain everything and so will you." I took a hold of her arm lifting her from the bench.

I helped her walk into my room, she wanted to sleep in bed with me, not wanting to be alone. I felt the same way.

Helping her take off her clothes, I watched as she winced in pain. Handing her a shirt, she dressed then she covered herself with the blankets.

Going to the bathroom I took a washcloth putting warm water on it, taking the empty glass from the counter, I filled it with water. Also retrieving aspirin for the pain.

"Here take these," she took them downing the water. "Stay still okay Izzy, I'm going to wash the blood on your face." She nodded her head.

As carefully as I could I slowly wiped the blood from her nose and the cuts on her face. She whimpered when I pressed too hard on the purple bruise forming around her eye.

"Sorry." I whispered.

Finishing I lay next to her, "How long has this been going on?"I needed to know for my sake, that I killed him for reasons that would justify what I'd done.

"A year or so now." Her voice sounded so hollow, not like my sister at all, I knew her to be strong and independent.

"Was he the one who hurt you when you said you fell an broke your arm and when you got that concussion." I listed off the injuries she's had in the last year.

"Yes. Can we not talk about him, please." Her voice was broken, the memories painful.

"What do we tell dad Izzy."

"Tomorrow we will talk. Let's go to bed okay, I'm really tired." She turned to me, grasping my hand like a scared child.

"Okay."  

"I love you sis."

"Love you too Izzy."

✴

"Okay so how are we explaining this to dad?"

Izzy was up, just finishing a shower, she looked even worse as I stared at her swollen, discolored face and the finger like bruises that covered her body.

"I fell." She stated.

I didn't want to raise my voice but was she seriously insane, "No I say we tell the truth."

"We can't." She started to become nervous, fidgeting, like Tony was going to jump out from behind a wall.

"He's not coming back Iz, relax."

"You never explained that Adeline, what did you do?"

"A little threatening that's all, he won't be back I promise." He will never come back, his lifeless body flashed in my mind, I shoved in back, burying it deep.