Miss Pen

Chapter Eleven

A mix between a gasp and choke came from the back of my throat. How do you respond when someone throws something so heavy on to you?

You don't. That's how.

My hand that wasn't held behind my back, flew to my mouth to stop me from making any more uncontrollable noises. I saw Rhode in a new light; one that was dimly lit. It wasn't strong and glowing like how he was when we first met, and I decided to make it my job to see him like that again - even if he was a pain in my ass. He didn't deserve to go through that, and neither did anyone else.

"Aubrey, what's wrong?" Rhode gently played with the ends of my hair, looking at me curiously. "You look like you're going to pass out. Talk to me."

What was wrong is that he had a screwed up childhood and I just couldn't mind my own damned business.

"I'm so sorry for prying. I didn't know that you went through so much and I feel horrible for making you relive those memories."

While I was close to shedding tears, Rhode was close to laughter.

"That's all in the past. I'm a big boy now." Rosy lips curved over his teeth. Yes, yes you are. "Have all the things from back then, affected how I am today? Yes, they have, but I'm not going to let you feel like it's your fault. I've already told you that I trust you, now I want you to trust me when I tell you that it's all over and done with. Understood?"

"Okay," I nodded faintly. "I understand."

"Good." I was leaned on the side to rest on his broad shoulder. "Now, if you don't mind, I still have a story to get through."

"Well, get on with it then."

"Ah, there it is." Rhode let out a deep, velvety laugh. "Here I was, thinking that you might actually have a heart."

I knew it was a joke, but it still hurt to hear someone say that. Letting it slide without any sort of retaliation, I kept quiet - besides a small laugh - so Rhode could continue.

Rhode claimed that his childhood was something that shouldn't be worried over, yet whenever he talked about it, he'd take deep breaths like he was preparing for a battle.

"I loved Janine when my dad first started seeing her. Since Adrian was in high school and had other things to worry about, he couldn't care less. When I'd go to the park with her and my dad, she'd always run around and play with me while my dad watched from a bench somewhere. We were never with her without my father around, so when Adrian and I came home one day to find all of her things moved in to the house, it was a shock. My dad hadn't known her long, maybe three months, before she weaseled her way in."

"I'm guessing this is where everything went wrong?"

"You could say that." He chuckled. "For the first month, everything was fine. While my dad went to work, Janine would stay home to clean and cook dinner. She didn't like that Adrian was a teenager who spent too much time in the house, so she convinced my dad to make him try out for different sports teams at his school. Surprisingly, he made the basketball team, which meant that he had a lot of practices and games after school. My dad used to work late at his job, so it would just be me and Janine at home."

"It wasn't your dad who abused you. It was her, wasn't it?" I asked, in a daze. My head was spinning with thoughts of what would possess such a vile creature to put their hands on an innocent child.

Everything was coming together. That witch played the perfect girlfriend who loved her boyfriend's kids, using that as a way to trick him. She knew one kid would be old enough to see through her bullshit, so she got him out of the house, leaving the defenseless one stuck with her.