Elemental Fear (32 page)

****

Over two hours later, a lot of tears, and excruciating embarrassment, my mum knew the entire sordid details of my relationship with Elliott and how he had enforced fear in me of him. I had even told her about my time with Dominic in Paris.

“Eve?” Dominic’s concerned voice said quietly from the doorway.

I lifted my head to look at the beautiful man holding two cups of tea. My eyes stung and ached with the volume of tears, they had dried but I felt drained from the emotion of the day.

“You asked for a cuppa
,” he said holding up the mugs “took a while to brew.” He smiled at us. I wiped at my face sitting up properly.

“I’m going to go talk to your
dad.” mum said quietly. She leaned over and kissed the side of my head. I nodded but I couldn’t speak in fear of begging her not to say anything.

She stood up and walked around the sofa, as she got the doorway Dominic stepped to the side, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek “Thank you, you always were a good lad
.” She patted his shoulder and walked out of the lounge looking years older than when I walked in.

Dominic walked over to me and placed the mugs on the coffee table then sat beside me. “You
okay?” He asked putting his hand on my knee, I smiled because it was as if now we had declared our feelings, he couldn’t handle not touching me.

“Yeah, she doesn’t hate me
.” I said quietly.

“I’m proud of you, it was hard to hear never mind say but you did it” I sucked in a breath

“you heard?”

“Yeah, I said I wouldn’t leave you, so I stood outside the door in case you needed me
.”

“Oh God
.” I cried and covered my face with my hands.

“Babe, I’m still here, I still love you. Doesn’t matter what you tell me. I'm like a bad penny; I will
keep coming back to you.”

I lifted my head and looked at him, he mouthed I love you.  I smiled “I love you too
.” I said aloud. I let out a shaky breath “mum doesn’t hate me.”

“Of course she doesn’t
.” He replied incredulously.

“To you it seems easy to believe; to me...it’s going to take time to believe the good again.” I let out a loud sigh.

*****

I nuzzled my nose into the soft fabric I inhaled the clean fresh scent I adored, I smiled when I realised the solid body under me wasn’t a dream he was very solid, warm and even more real. I snuggled into him and felt rather than heard his low chuckle.

“Babe you can’t get much closer without us removing clothing.” He whispered, his nose pressing into my hair.

I giggled and squeezed him. My arms were banded around his waist, my leg thrown over his legs; basically I was acting like a human blanket. I lifted my sleepy face to look at him and smiled.

He looked down at me with his shining cerulean eyes and once again my heart melted.

“You’re so beautiful when you first wake up. I can’t wait for that to be a permanent sight for me
to wake up to every morning. Have I told you I love you?” He asked kissing the tip of my nose.

I nodded “once or twice I think...you making up for lost time?” I grinned.

He nodded “I can’t say it enough to my gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, sexy Evelyn Beaumont.” He kissed my lips this time. When he pulled back his light blue eyes had darkened to a beautiful royal blue. “I could do that all day, just sit and kiss you.”

“Me too
.” I nestled against his broad chest, listening to the strong steady beat of his heart. “Where are mum and dad?” I asked trepidation hit me over the answer. mum had accepted me after my confession but would dad or would he feel cheated at taking on such a disgraced step- daughter. I hated that term, I never felt the odd one out where dad was concerned in his eyes I was his daughter, but what would happen now after mum told him how disgusting I am.

My body ached from falling asleep in such an awkward position, but also from the emotional draining of the day. My face felt puffy and swollen, my throat felt scratchy. The click of the lounge door sent my nerves on edge again as someone entered the room. I lifted my head slowly and peered over Dominic’s shoulder.
mum stood in the doorway smiling at us, dad stood behind her staring at me. His face devoid of emotion, no smile, no frown – nothing. I swallowed and pulled completely away from Dominic. His hand slid from holding me close, down my back, his hand remained a steadying force at my back.

I turned away from my parents and faced forwards, knotting my fingers in my lap.

mum entered the room and sat in the chair she first occupied when I came in this afternoon that alone felt a lifetime ago.

I felt rather than saw
dad walk into the room around the back of the sofa and hover near the end of the sofa at the other side of me.

Dominic’s hand flexed at my back and from my peripheral vision I could see him staring hard at
dad. I finally turned to look up at the man who had given me the best childhood anyone could wish for. His eyes were rimmed red and he looked exhausted.

He took a tentative step forward and lowered himself slowly to the cushion beside me, but he squashed himself so far to the end I turned to stare at the coffee table, tears filled my eyes again and a lump formed in my throat. He couldn’t stand to be near the dirty whore. I clenched my jaw so tight it ached.

“I’m sorry” rasped a deep voice from the side of me.

I frowned and turned to see
dad twisting his hands in his lap.

“What?” I asked quietly. I wiped at the tear that betrayed me and fell down my cheek. “I said..
.” He cleared his throat “I’m sorry.” He wouldn’t look at me.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve let you down...I’m your dad, it’s my job to protect my kids. You’re my baby-girl and I...” He paused and cleared his throat again. He turned his face away from us all.

I reached out and touched his hand but when I made contact he flinched so I immediately pulled back.

“I’m sorry I let you down...I understand how disgusting I am –“

“What
?” He spun around so fast it was my turn to flinch and pull back. I bumped into Dominic’s leg and his arm wrapped around my waist.

Dad noted my reaction and his face crumpled. “Baby-girl I’m sor...oh bugger it come here
.” He opened his arms for me, and I practically threw myself at him. His arms wrapped around me in a bone crushing hug, I heard mum sniffling and Dominic shifted on the sofa. I buried my head into the warm comfort of my dad’s woolly jumper.

“Eve, I’m not disgusted with you. I'm ashamed...but it’s shame on my shoulders for not seeing it, for not knowing he was...he...my girls should never live in fear of anyone. Let alone a little bastard like Ell...him.” Dad looked over my shoulder to Dominic “The bloody police better find the little prick before I do because I will
bury him in the woods out back.” Dad’s tone sent chills down my spine.

“I have a shovel in the shed
.” Dominic replied.

“We can’t...he can’t know you know...he...we can’t tell anyone else, especially the police, what about Louise and Ellie?” I pulled away from
dad and sat between the two men demanding the right to protect me. I looked frantically from each person wanting some ounce of recognition I was right.

“Eve –“ Dad started.

“Evelyn –“mum called sitting forward on the edge of her seat.

Dominic held his hand up to quiet them. He sat forward and slid his arms around me pulling me to his chest “I know you’re scared, and I know you have convinced yourself no one will believe you, but baby we all believe you. Johan believes you...the police will believe you. I know you’re trying to protect your sisters, but you don’t have to take that burden anymore. He needs locking away. He needs help to sort out what is so monumentally fucked up inside his head. Once he is in police custody you will be free. He won’t be able to hurt Lou or Ellie and especially you.” Dominic lifted his hand and stroked a soothing hypnotic trail down my cheek. “I love you too much to let him get away with how he’s hurt you
.” He whispered.

I nodded “I understand, it’s just...I’m terrified of having to keep reliving every detail, every scar every...” I trailed off not wanting to voice the word swirling around in my head. “I don’t know if I can talk to strangers about what he did
.”

“They have special officers trained for...they know how to deal with women in these
circumstances.” Dominic added nervously.

mum
cleared her throat “we are all here sweetheart to help you through it. But Dominic is right his brother needs help.” She paused when Dominic turned to fix her with such a disgusted glare. “Bollocks to him needing help, I pay my taxes and I resent that my hard earned cash is going

towards a cushy bloody life for him. Little bastards who beat and...do that to my daughter do not
deserve bloody help.” Dad snapped.

“Alan will you curb the foul language
.” She nodded towards me giving him the ‘not in front of the kids’ look and it made me smile.

“Sorry
.” He grumbled and Dominic sniggered.

We sat quietly for a while before
dad broke the silence and I knew that it was something that had been rolling around in his mind because it burst into the silence like a popped balloon.

“How did you hide it
?” He took a deep breath as mum gasped and glared at him shaking her head. “I mean...we never saw you with a black eye or bust lips or...or...I mean yeah you weren’t as outgoing and stopped going to parties. And you had that whole moody teenager thing but I just assumed...when did he do it? Were we home? When did he get chance I just don’t understand...” He paused when I closed my eyes knowing he would hate the answers I gave. “Did he do it when we were home?”

I shook my head.

“When? And why did you have...you’re mum said he beat you...how did you not have bruises?”

“Are you accusing her of lying Al
an? Because I’m telling you to shut the fuck up if you are.”

Dominic growled sitting forward in his seat. I put my hand on his knee to silently beg him to stay
seated.

“What? No!” Dad looked shocked by Dominic’s outburst. “I meant how did we miss it?”

“Sounds to me like you –“ Dominic growled.

“Don’t argue she doesn’t need –“
mum ordered. But it was too late.

My heart started pounding; my vision blurred so I tightly closed my eyes and listened to the thump, thump, thump as the blood throbbed in my ears. I knew all three of them were arguing and talking over themselves but I couldn’t focus. My body shook, my chest hurt with the force of my pulse vibrating through me. I gasped for breath, choking myself trying to get more air into my lungs. I lifted my hand to my neck pulling at my too tight neckline. I opened my watery eyes and looked around the room; I shook my head to clear my blurry vision as
mum dissolved into a smudged canvas of the room. I threw my head forward and closed my eyes and my hands gripped at my knees, praying I wouldn’t have a heart attack. I sucked in whatever air I could get, nothing helped the tightening in my chest.

“What’s wrong?”
mum shrieked. I saw her blurry figure dash to me landing before me on her knees. I felt her small hands rub at my cheeks but her hands felt suffocating. The sofa beside me shifted and the next thing I knew I was airborne. Strong arms banded around my back and tucked securely under my knees. The smell of the Cool Ocean and fresh linen hit my senses and I nuzzled into the scent, my breathing calmed slightly and I gripped tighter at the comfort. I felt the rumble of his chest as he spoke to my parents. The buzzing in my ears dissipated as my focus returned.

“It’s a panic attack; she’s had them a few times at work. I’m going to take her to her room, she needs quiet and time to come round.” Dominic said as he held me in his arms.

“You are not taking her to her bedroom, that isn’t happening anymore –“

“Try and stop me” Dominic answered.

“Alan...” mum’s panicked voice interrupted what I assume was dad ‘stopping’ Dominic. “Think about it...without him I doubt we would have ever known. He loves her, and you know he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

“I thought that about...his brother
,” dad returned I could hear the anger in his voice. I snuggled further into Dominic’s arms.

“Fine
.” Dominic snapped “Have it your own way dickhead.”

“Dominic
.” gasped mum.

“Carry on lad
.” Dad snapped taunting Dominic and I hated I had reduced these two men to this when they were so close.

Dominic moved us through the house quickly. I heard a door open I had yet to open my eyes and lift my head. My heart was still beating erratically, my head pounded with an oncoming headache but I
kept my eyes tightly closed. I felt cold air hit me as we left the house.

“Eve, do you mind if I take you to my flat? I just think you need some quiet time to let the past
few days settle. And your dad needs to calm down before I lay him out” my head rocked as his chest inflated on a deep breath. “I know we should go see Louise and explain but...I just think you need time baby. We can call the police from there too.” He kissed the top of my head and stoked his cheek over the top of my head.