Sighing, he plays with his earlobe.
“She was hoping my dad would get her a scholarship. I told her I’d ask him if she helped me with… my needs,” he shrugs like he hasn’t been blackmailing her for sexual favors.
His needs? The little cunt.
“What’s your name?”
“Reese,” he frowns.
“Watch your step, Reese,” I warn, giving him a little shoulder shove.
His eyes expand in shock as his feet tread backwards, and meet empty space where the steps drop down to meet the cellar floor.
His arm flay stretching out for help, I step back out of reach as he disappears with a succession of thuds.
He lands with a grunt.
A painful cry rings out, and he calls out. “Officer, call an ambulance. I broke my leg.”
“I didn’t say I was an officer,” I grin down at him.
Once I get home, I ignore the messages Maggie keeps leaving on my phones and boot up the computer, opening a new email account just for Alice.
I hit the compose button to start a fresh email.
Dear Alice.
My name is Ebony. I’m replying to your email to Anonymous to follow up. I’m your support provider and ready to listen if you ever need to unburden your soul.
I hit send then strip off to shower.
After I’ve showered, eaten and taken a power nap with still no reply, I feel irate.
Grabbing my car keys I go to her.
Ten
Chapter
ALICE
Fred is arguing with someone on the phone when I get home from doing a pharmacy run for my mom’s prescriptions.
He eyeballs me and tells whoever it is on the other end to fuck off.
Opening the fridge, I roll my eyes to find it barren.
“I need beer, I’ll be back in an hour,” Fred grunts.
“Who was on the phone?” I ask innocently.
“Fucking insurance. They’re not going to cover anymore medicine, we’re going to have to mortgage the house.”
Wait, what!?
“That’s not your choice, this house was bought by my father.”
Grinding his teeth, Fred narrows his eyes on me.
He was good-looking once, like Asher but with a few defined wrinkles.
Now he’s grey all over and has more lines on his forehead than a road map.
“The house belongs to your mother, and she needs the money.”
“Why don’t you just put her out of her damn misery, Fred? She’s a vegetable in there, and her rotten body is eating every penny we have,” I snap.
The whooshing of his hand alerts me to the smack as his palm hits me across the cheek.
I fall, colliding with the breakfast table which breaks my fall.
Fire explodes like a fever over the skin of my cheek, and tears well and burst from my eyes.
I rear up, my mouth agape and eyes deadly, pinned on his.
“You bastard,” I rage.
He doesn’t say anything, just turns on his heel and leaves.
Racing up the stairs, I run to the bathroom, flicking on the light and going to the mirror.
A perfect handprint is tattooed in red over the flesh.
My eyes are full with tears, and a tremble rocks my lips.
He’s never raised a hand to me before.
He ignores my existence most of the time, and now I want to smother both him and my mother.
A creak sounds from behind me, and I turn abruptly when I see a shadow pass the doorway behind me in the mirror.
Didn’t Fred leave?
“Ash? Fred?” I call out, my hands shaking.
Taking a timid step into the hallway, my heart begins to pound wildly in my chest.
Creeping towards my bedroom, I pop my head through the door, but it’s empty.
Am I seeing things?
The adrenaline pumping through my veins begins to ease and the anger returns.
Waltzing over to my dresser, I grab some face balm and lather my skin with it.
If my eye turns black, I’m going to empty his beer and fill them all with piss.
A shiver races over me, causing pimples to raise on my flesh.
The hairs on the back of my neck lift, and my heart reaffirms its steady thumping when I sense someone in the room with me.
Da dum…da dum…da dum…
Reaching for my deodorant can, I turn and spray.
“Argh urg, what the fuck?” Asher chokes, flailing his limbs in the air.
“Fuck, Asher,” I bark, chucking the bottle down and slapping at him.
“Why are you hitting me?” he screeches, and it makes us both grin and then laugh.
When we catch our equilibrium he frowns at me, his eyes zoning in on my cheek that’s still stinging.
“What the fuck happened?”
In dramatic fashion, I throw myself on the bed and kick off my boots.
“Your father didn’t like me suggesting we put mother out of her misery.”
Crossing his arms, he narrows his green orbs on me.
“He fucking hit you? No way.”
Getting up onto my elbow, I shake my head in disbelief.
“You’re looking at the handprint on my cheek, Asher. What’s not to believe?”
His fists clench and jaw ticks, the muscles in his neck making the vein there pop out.