Four: get out
Temperance
So warm and comfy.
I snuggle deeper into the sheets. And that's when I realize it. I'm not in my room.
I immediately sit up, scanning the room I am in. I am sitting up in an unfamiliar room, on a king-size bed.
Alec sits at the end of the bed that's presumably his, looking at his phone. I checked myself. I am wearing an oversized black t-shirt and shorts. I'm not in the clothes I wore when I got to school. Meaning... Alec saw everything on my body. I immediately freak out. Alec looks at me, watching my facial expressions.
He forms a weak smile on his face. "Hey." His voice is soft.
"Hey," I answer, trying to stay calm, but my heart is beating a million miles an hour.
He moves closer to me and gets under the covers with me, like a weirdo, and sits beside me. I inch back from the stranger that has kidnapped me.
"I put my number in your phone. In case you need help." He informs me. I nod, staying silent, not knowing what to say.
"I didn't dress you." He answers my unspoken question, his eyes glued to the wall in front of us. Even though he didn't dress me, I don't feel the well-earned relief. I know someone saw all of my wounds.
"My maid told me what she found on you." He tried not to look at me. My heart skips beats rapidly, my hands shook as my stomach did cartwheels. I begin hyperventilating in panic.
Alec quickly turns towards me and cups my face. "Temperance, I'm right here. Calm down." He gazes into my eyes.
I don't know what to say. I have no words.
There is nothing to say.
"What time is it?" I ask, trying to change the subject, but my hands continue to shake.
He looks down at his phone and replies, "5:09,".
No no no no.I get out from under the sheets and crawl to the end of the bed, hopping off.
"You have been here for two days. Knocked out. I've been sleeping in a guest bedroom."
"Close your eyes." I pick up my clothes, holding them out in front of me, scanning them.
I glance at him and his eyes were shut. I take off the clothes he gave me, and I put on my original ones. My dad is going to fucking kill me. Literally.
"Thank you for all the help, Alec. I have to go home now." I march out of the room at my fastest pace. I know he is behind me.
"Who hurt you?" He questions. I don’t stop at that.
"I fell down the stairs. Nothing too serious." I lie like I have to every person in my life. But I don’t like that I lied to him.
He's done so much for me. But I know I have to. I quickly make eye contact with three guys that go to my school. My eyes widen before leaving that room. I spot the main door.
I rush out of his front door and run down the driveway.
This time I barely make it inside, and he is already kicking me.
There is a man on the other side of the room watching us with a malevolent smirk. My body freezes upon realizing why he was there.
"Now, let me ask you again." My father growls after an immeasurable amount of beating the shit out of me. "Where were you?"
“Nicole's. I... stayed for a f-few days to h...h... help her with a b-break up.." Seems like my lies are getting better.
No matter what I say, my father won't care. He won't believe me whatever it may be.
After another hard kick to the face, he turns around and leaves me sprawled out on the ground. Blood gushes out of my nose and oozes down my lips. I stand up, not wiping the blood off. I face the man to whom my father sold my body.
"No," I tell him bluntly. I can't handle it anymore. I just can't.
I hear a knock at my door. I look at the pervert across the room and turn towards the door. I open it, revealing a familiar face.
"Hey girl, I came over to surprise you!" To my horror, Nicole stands in front of me.
Holy fucking shit. This is BAD.
"Temp, what happened to you?!" She reaches her fingers out towards me to touch my face, but I lurch back, avoiding her kind touch.
I look behind me at the man. He watches, continuing to smirk. "Please, you have to leave," I begged her, not knowing what else to do. I have to get her out of here.
"No, I'm coming in to help you. You are obviously hurt." She pushes her way inside. I quickly turn around to see the man standing up.
She looks at him and smiles, "Hi, I'm Nicole. You are?"
"Nicole, please get out!" I yell. She glares at me, her eyebrows knitting together.
My father steps out of his room and eyes me as I frantically try to get Nicole out.
I know he will hurt her if I don't get her out right this second. He doesn't care about anything or anyone anymore.
“GET OUT, NICOLE!" I scream at her, running to the other side of the room where my father's prized collectible items are.
To stop the two men from hurting my best friend, I know what I have to do.
I run my arm along with the table, holding the glass items, making them all fall to the ground and shatter. Nicole takes that as the last straw and runs out of the house.
Now all the attention is on me, which is exactly where it should be. My father stalks toward me, taking off his belt. I can see the fury in his eyes. I close my eyes, squeezing them tight.
He hits me with his belt making giant painful welts on my skin. He grabs my arm as I sob. He drags me up the stairs and stops at the top of them turning around to look at me.
"Next time, don't fuck with me, you pathetic piece of trash.”
With that, he pushes me. I tumble down the stairs—my body hitting the hard boards.
The ribs prick my chest and it stings as I try to breathe.
I lay at the bottom of the staircase with no courage to move.
"Now it's my turn."
I looked at the man with a disgusting smile and choked out in despair. "No, please no."
I reach for a big glass shard and wrap my fingers around it. They cut my skin and blood gushes out from them. I point it at him, blood running down my fragile arm.
"What are you gonna do with that little girl?" He asks with a vicious smirk. I sit up, ignoring all of the aching pain. "I'll stab you." I threaten. Would I really? And get caught for murder?
"No, you won't." He grabs my ankle and slides me towards him. "Let me go!" I yell, kicking at him.
I aim for his groin and kick as hard as I can. He bends down, holding himself mumbling something inaudible.
I quickly take my chance, kicking him in the face. Hard.
I won't be a toy.
I scramble to my feet and sprint upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me.
Nicole is going to be a pain in my ass tomorrow.
I sigh and look at my arm. There are whelps all over my body. It hurts like hell.
I look at my window. I need to get out of here. I got on my bed and unlocked the window, carefully pulling it up. I stare at the ground below. It would be a long drop. I reach under my pillow for my phone and look through my contacts.
Bingo. I found Alec's number.
"UNLOCK THIS FUCKING DOOR!" My dad beats on my door.
Pick up Alec, pick up!
“Hello?" I hear his voice pick up.
"Alec, it's Temperance. I need your help!" I weep, knowing that he probably won't get here in time.
"Where are you? What's going on?" He asks. I hear shuffling in the background. I glance back at my door. Father continues to pound on it harshly.
"You won't make it here in time." I limp to my door and place my back against it, afraid he would somehow break the lock.
"Tell me where you are," Alec's voice is stern.
"154 Bullivard." Then the line goes dead.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I scream.
There's an abuser at my door trying to break it down, and there's a rapist at the bottom of the steps where I left him after kicking him. Holy shit, I'm screwed.
It feels like I've been here for twenty minutes before I receive a text from Alec saying he is here. I leap to the window and look out, hanging my body halfway out.
"Flower!" He yells the annoying nickname at me. The strong wind blows my hair in my face and ruffles my shirt.
"I can't get down, Alec," I yell back. A tear falls down my face as I got lost in my brunette waves. He scans the area for a minute before walking closer.
"Jump." He suggests. He extends his arms out for me.
I shake my head no. I would definitely splat on the ground. In that same second, my dad finally busts the door open.
No.
I watch as he comes toward me. In a moment of pure adrenaline, I throw my body out of the window as he attempts to grab my leg.
I fall. Falling and waiting for someone I barely know to catch me. I can imagine my body splattering on the ground below me, a stain to be here forever.