The Weaker Sex (Unedited)

Chapter 9

My mom closed the door timidly asking my dad why he was here. He ignored her question, looking down at my stomach.

"Looks like you have." He said.

"I'm not pregnant, I just eat a lot." It wasn't the best defense, but it was certainly the truth, not that he'd even know what that sounded like.

"I can't believe you let her go away so far, Kimberly... and you say you're a good mother."

My anger suddenly ignited in my veins. How dare he ever question whether she was a good mother or not? "Why are you here?" I demanded, trying to make my voice as cutting as possible.

"To see my darling daughter. How was your first semester?"

"Leave right now."

"So rude in front of your guests, who's this?"

Jean-Louise politely extended her hand to shake his. "Jean-Louise Wells." She said, glancing at me. I still refused to look at her in fear that I would spill out my entire family history right there and now.

"Eric Marbury, pleasure to see Madi is making better friends."

"Leave now." I reiterated with gritted teeth.

I could hear every single horrible sound of his fists colliding with my mother's face. How she would plead for him to stop, how he would practically bark his venom at her, at Mallory, and at me.

"You just got home, I'm not leaving."

I grabbed Jean-Louise by the hand and hauled her behind me.

"Fine, I'll leave."

He called out to me in a harsh tone that sent a chill crawling down my back. It almost nailed my feet to the floor. My thighs even twitched with the urge to stop, but no, he didn't have control over me anymore. I shook it off, ducking into the side of the house.

I'd stupidly left all the car keys in the house so the only other choice was the roof. When I'd grown strong enough to climb, I would escape up here so I didn't have to hear the sounds that would haunt me forever. Jean-Louise huffed out trying to keep up with me.

"This doesn't seem safe." She whined.

"Believe me, it's safer here than it is in there." I assured.

"Maybe we shouldn't have left them in there with him if it isn't safe."

What could I do? I'd promised Mrs. Wells I'd take care of her daughter and while I could never protect them, I was going to protect her.

We finally reached the flat part of the roof and sat down. Darkness had set it in, in the sky and everyone on the block had turned on their Christmas lights. I stared out at them wishing I was back in Virginia. Jean-Louise brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on the top of them. I knew she wanted to ask what all that was about, but she was being too polite to form the proper sentence. My breath clouded up in white puffs in front of me.

"Can I ask?"

I shrugged.

"Should I?"

I shook my head.

"Well, you know I'm going to any way."

I nodded.

"What was that back there?"

A heavy sigh passed through my lips, but that wasn't enough to express the weight of terror and anxiety he had bestowed upon me just by walking through that door.