Unravel Me | Arrow [ COMPLETED ]

chapter eighteen

"Tired of empty conversation

'Cause no one hears me anymore"

DEMI LOVATO - 'Anyone'

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See it went something like this:

Months and months after Cali buried the only thing she had of her son's - the numerous scans that had once proved his existence - Michael lost his temper. It wasn't a rare occurrence, which was why Cali wasn't already reaching for the phone to call Tommy, but it was the first time Michael hit her without the intention of apologising. His anger was a frightful thing when unleashed, and it hadn't been until then that Cali had been exposed to it so completely.

His grip was bruising in her hair, her forearms battered and discoloured as she tried to shield her face from his blows. He was never usually so violent with her, was never usually one for straight out physical violence. He hit her where it could be seen, without any care of what would happen afterwards. What the effects would be.

He hit her and he pulled her hair and he spat such horrible things. Terrible things, about Gabriel, about her brother, about herself and the things she did wrong.

Cali wrenched her arm away once the blood began to trail from her forehead to her chin, stifling her instinctual gasp as her right arm jarred. "Stop," she pleaded, voice a ruined mess.

Michael stepped back, chest heaving. "You don't tell anyone about this," he said lowly. "You keep your damn mouth shut."

Cali hugged her right arm to her chest protectively, scrambling to her feet. "I'm leaving," she said, trying to sound brave and failing miserably, but she didn't back down. Not this time. She was supposed to be worth more than this.

Michael's teeth gleamed - for a moment, Cali was worried he was going to pounce again. But no, he backed down. His anger was too uncontrolled right now. "You tell nobody," he repeated viciously, but slumped down on the couch. "Come back tomorrow."

"What do you want me to say to Thea?"

"You're going to see that junkie?"

"Michael!" Cali snapped. He could beat her as much as he wanted. He could rip chunks of her hair out, he could cut her off from her family, he could love her until he didn't anymore, but he couldn't talk about Thea. Not about Thea's drug problems. "Her brother is dead. Don't do that to her."

Don't ruin the one good thing Cali had left in her life. God knew she had nobody else left. If Michael took this away from her, took Thea away from her like he'd taken Tommy away, Cali would wither up and die.

Oliver would've stopped this before it even began.

Oliver was fucking dead.

Michael shook his head. "You're so damn sensitive, Lissy." His eyes flicked down to where Jasper was cowering by Cali's leg, tail puffed up threateningly, ears flat to his head. "Take your mangy rat with you. I don't want to see it's ugly mug in my house again."

Cali wanted to tell him that it was their house, that she'd paid more money than he had. But fear stayed her tongue. She didn't think she could endure another bout of his rage. Not when she didn't know why he was so angry with her in the first place.

She crouched down and scooped Jasper into her arms, then turned on her heel and hobbled out the front door.

All in all, she wasn't hurt too bad. There would be many, many bruises, but Michael hadn't broken any bones. Her wrist was the only major injury, and even then it was barely sprained. Everything was superficial, surface level and nothing more. It could be worse. It could always be worse.