SOLACE

thirty-two

Henry only finished the sketch today since it started to get late and I had to be home early. He returned me home before dinner and I would love to stay the night if only I could.

"I'll see you on Monday," He says before giving me a lingering kiss.

"Yes, just let me know if you need help with the painting," I reminded him.

"Okay, I will. No worries," He replied.

I hop off the car and waved him goodbye before he drove off our house. I was practically skipping on my way to our front door with a smile on my lips.

As I closed the door behind me, I was immediately greeted with a hard slap on my cheek that echoed throughout the whole house. I held my cheek as it stings in pain, almost like she burned my skin then I look at the angry eyes of my mother.

"Who is that man?" She berated. Her voice was loud it could be heard from a mile away.

I couldn't respond as the tears rolled off my eyes and my lips quivering as I tried to keep myself silent.

"He's a friend," I replied weakly.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Adeline. Don't take me as a fool. Who taught you to be a slut at such a young age? I thought you were better than your brother!" She chided.

She gets ahold of my neck as she presses me to the door behind me. I instantly gasped for air as I hear the loud footsteps coming from the stairs.

"Don't you fucking lay a hand on her again!" Kai shouts from behind as she pushes Mom away from me. He stands over my body as I slumped down and coughed, stabilizing my breath.

"You don't intervene here, Kaiden. You're just useless like your father. Nobody needs you," Mom scolded to Kai.

I held on my neck as I cried loudly. My eyes widened as I started breathing heavily. I started digging my nails on my thighs, just something to grip on as I try to inhale air.

"Go pack your things, Adeline," He says as he turned his head to me.

But, I couldn't move. All I could do is cry as I feel the pain on my cheek and neck.

"What do you think you're doing?" She shouted as she pounded her fists to Kai's chest.

"We're fucking leaving here. You can have this whole house to yourself," He answers.

"Adeline, get your-" He looks at me again and pauses when he saw my state.

"You can't leave, I'm still your mother! You'll need me," She scoffed.

"Since when did you become a mother to us?" Kai snapped before picking me up and carrying me outside.

Mom pulls Kai's shirt to stop him but he pushed him off, which caused her to stumble down the floor as he carried me towards his motorcycle.

"Can you hold on to me?" He asks while he puts the helmet on my head and wiping the tears off my face. I replied with a nod as I continued to sob.

Before Mom could even come near us, Kai drives out of our house as fast as he could. I gripped on to his shirt as I leaned my head on his back with my eyes shut.

I didn't know where he was going but I just let him drive away. As long as it's far from her.

"I told you we should've left sooner," He mutters as he removes his helmet and we stop in an apartment building.

"I know. I'm sorry," I said faintly. I looked around the place we stopped and it was a familiar neighborhood.

The apartment building was near our school, just a few blocks away and far enough from our house.

"Why are we here?" I asked as I anxiously rotate the ring on my finger.

"This is where we're going to live now," He replies as he walks towards the entrance.

I was dumbfounded with his reply. I didn't know he had his own place already?

He enters a passcode on the door and it opens as a middle-aged lady greeted us.

"Hey, Kai. It's good to see you here again. Is this your sister?" She asks giddily. Kai gives him a polite smile before responding.

"Yes, it's Adeline," He introduces me. I gave her a friendly nod as I smile at her.

Seems like Kai has been staying here already before.

"Nice to finally meet you. Have a nice day ahead, you two!" She says before she disappears to the other hall.

"Is this where you stayed when we left Mom?" I asked slowly when we went inside the elevator and him pressing the ninth floor.

"Yes," He replies as he waits for the elevator doors to open. I still had a lot of questions in my mind but I didn't want to annoy him.

I waited until we reached the apartment and he fishes the keys in his pocket and as I opened it, my lips parted in awe.

"Oh my god, this is like-" I gushed as I looked around the whole place.

"What you've wanted?" He cuts me off. I look at him with wide eyes with a huge grin on my lips as I gave him a hug.

I obviously have ranted and blabbered a lot around him and I didn't know he actually listened to any of those and that's why I'm surprised when I see that he had an apartment that I've been telling him about a lot.

It wasn't really furnished yet, It had two bedrooms a wide area for a living room but all I really wanted was a nice kitchen and a small balcony at least. I opened the doors to the balcony and welcomed the warm air that came in as it blew the curtains behind me.

The balcony already had two chairs placed outside and a small table with a plant placed on the side that looked like it was just starting to grow.

"This is really yours?" I asked him still with a smile plastered on my face. I could see that he was hiding the amused smile on his lips.

"No, it's ours now," He answers as he crosses his arms to his chest and leans on the wall.

"And we don't have to go back home again?" My lips quivered as I finished my question. I instantly wiped the tears that came out because I was just happy.

We finally have our freedom. We are now away from our mother. She can never hurt us again. Please, don't wake me up if I'm dreaming. I hope this wasn't too good to be true. This was all I ever wanted and now we really have it?

"Never again but you're still stuck with me," He jokes as the side of his lips rose.