More - A.M.

Chapter Twenty

I woke up in pain. The events of last night flooded my memory and a feeling of sadness washed over me. I still couldn't believe it was all real. It felt like a dream, but I knew it wasn't because I had the bruises to prove it.

As I look over my bruises I feel Austin shift from beneath me. I lay still, hoping not to wake him, but his eyes open and focus on my own.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," I whisper.

"It's fine," he says, brushing a piece of hair that was covering my face away. "How're you feeling?"

"Not good. I'm hurting."

"Let me get you some pain medicine," He starts to get up but I pull him back down.

"No don't. Just lay with me for a little bit." He gives me a confused look and I continue talking. "I don't want to move, I just wanna stay right here a little longer."

"Okay," he agrees, laying back down. "You nervous about going home or something?"

"Yeah. I'm expecting the worst," I say. A few seconds pass before I speak again. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course, yeah," he agrees.

"I thought Chris would've told her when he got home, but he said she wasn't there when he got back, and he's been in his room ever since. We were texting in the middle of the night when you were asleep."

"So she still doesn't know?" He asks.

"No," I confirm.

"We should probably go soon. This isn't something you can brush off, Ella, she needs to know."

"I know," I say quietly, "but Austin I'm about to send my own father to jail.  Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"No," he says truthfully, " I don't. I know this must be hard, but it has to be done."

"Let's just go and get it over with. I want this to be done."

He gets up from the bed and helps me up. The pain in my side and hip made it hard to walk, but Austin helps me get down the stairs and into his car. He starts driving back to my house, and I take a series of deep breaths trying to prepare myself for telling my mom everything that happened. Eventually I gave up, knowing that nothing I did could calm me, let alone prepare me.

"You can do this. I'm here," he gives my hand a light squeeze as we stand on the front porch of my house. I take one last deep breath and then head inside. Before I even look for my mother I go straight for my brother's room.

"Wait here, I need to talk to my brother first," I say, leaving Austin behind.

"I'll be here," I hear him call after me. I get to my brother's room and knock, but I get no response. I knock again, and this time I hear his voice tell me to come in.

"Hey," I say.

He's laying in the middle of his bed looking up at the ceiling. "Hey," he says without looking at me.

"We need to tell Mom."

"She'll call the cops."

"I know," I sigh. "How are you feeling today?" I change the subject.

"My face is throbbing, so not so good," he mutters.

"Mine too," I whisper. That draws his attention to me. I watch him as he examines my bruised cheek from afar. Eventually he stands up and walks over to me, looking at it more closely.

"Looks bad," he comments.

"There's more along my arm and my side." I push the sleeve of my hoodie up and show him.