Inevitable (27 page)

“
I love you,” I said and then kissed her forehead.

“
I love you too.”

I was in my
car and speeding off within seconds. The bastard said he’d make
sure I came home. And he did.

Trudy came
bounding out of the house as my car screeched to a halt as if she’d
been waiting for me. I cut the engine and jumped out without
bothering to lock it.

“
Where is she?” I demanded. “I swear if he’s laid one fucking
finger on her…”

“
She’s fine, Blaine. She’s in her room. He wouldn’t hurt her
– he’s just trying to get to you.”

“
Well it’s working,” I deadpanned. “Did he do that?” I asked,
pointing towards the marbled bruise on her jaw.

“
It was an accident,” she shrugged.

“
An accident? What you just
fell
onto his fist? This is bullshit, Trudy! We can’t
go on like this. We need to start putting Kara first.”

“
He’d never touch her, Blaine.”

“
So you keep saying. So explain to me why she called me not an
hour since scared out of her fucking mind?”

“
Like I said he was just trying to get to you. He’s never lost
it with Kara before, and he won’t need to again if…” she trailed
off.

“
If what, Trudy? If I come back home and let him take it all
out on me instead? Is that all I am to you… a diversion? Someone to
keep the sick bastard off your daughter?”

“
She’s my daughter, Blaine. I’d do anything to protect her.” I
almost choked on a burst of sarcastic laughter. “This has nothing
to do with Maddie,” she snapped.

“
So why don’t we just leave? Move out… report him? Why do any
of us have to suffer?”

“
And be left with nothing? I signed a pre-nup, Blaine, how can
I bring Kara up with-” Fuming to the point I could hear steam
whistling in my ears I held my hand up, cutting her off.

“
This is about money!” I yelled. I felt winded… broken. I
didn’t know how long she’d known about my dad physically hurting
me, and I wasn’t even sure she knew just how bad, how
twisted
it was… but to know
the only reason she didn’t put a stop to it was because of money… I
felt sick. “Once a whore always a whore, huh?”

It
happened so fast I didn’t have time to see the flattened, manicured
hand coming towards me. She slapped me hard across the face. It
stung like a bitch but I shrugged it off. It wouldn’t hurt half as
much as what I had coming to me.

“
Blaine, I’m-”

“
Don’t bother, Trudy,” I interrupted her, batting away her
hand that was reaching out to me apologetically.
“Don’t fucking
bother.”

I stormed into
the house, slamming the door behind me in Trudy’s face. Granted she
could just open it again but it made me feel better for a
nanosecond.

“
Kara?” I called up the stairs. In that moment she appeared at
the top of the stairs with my dad’s arm wrapped around
her.

“
I’m sorry, Blaine, I shouldn’t have called you. I
overreacted,” she said, shrugging. I couldn’t ascertain if she was
lying - if she was covering for him, or felt intimidated, or if she
was just being a typical fucking teenager.

“
Are you okay?” I asked carefully, trying to give her a
meaningful look that said ‘you can trust me’.

“
I’m fine. Sorry for bothering you,” she assured, smiling at me
– there was no trace of fear or panic in her eyes. She turned to
our dad. “Sorry to you too, Daddy. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.
I just really wanted to go to Sienna’s party.”

Suddenly I
felt faint. I’d risked coming back here, made myself wide open to
receive god knows how many strikes and all over some dumbass
fucking party? My breathing accelerated and I couldn’t help
thinking ‘oh, Kara, what the fuck have you done?’ when I looked at
her. It wasn’t her fault of course. She didn’t know what was
waiting for me.

“
That’s quite alright, sweetheart. Now get yourself off to bed
and I’ll see you in the morning,” my dad said to Kara before
kissing her forehead. She smiled warmly, maybe even gratefully at
him. The whole scene made my stomach churn.

I tried desperately to slow my breathing as my dad made his
way down the stairs towards me. I
would not
be afraid of him. Or at least, I wouldn’t
let him know how afraid I was. When he reached me he placed a frim
hand on my shoulder. My chest rose and fell so hard it was almost
painful. He leaned in slightly to whisper in my ear – his sickening
stale-whiskey infused breath crawling over my skin.

“
Gym. Five minutes.”

When he walked
away I squeezed my eyes closed to stop tears escaping as a violent
sob wracked through my body.

Somebody help
me.

Maddie

PLEASE call
me. I need to no ur ok xxx

I hit send for the fourth time this morning. Blaine didn’t
call like he promised he would last night and I’d been trying him
all morning only to be greeted by his voicemail. Something was
wrong - it had to be. He was hurt - I knew he was. I tried to
convince myself there would be a simple explanation – like maybe
his dad confiscated his phone
again. But then he knew how worried I would be.
He’d have found a way to contact me. The house phone, getting a
message to Jason or Lori, sneaking out, getting his new BFF Treacle
to call…

Lori’s horn sounded outside as I was tipping my untouched
bowl of cereal
down the sink. I couldn’t eat. My stomach was too
constricted by the giant knot forming inside it. I should have been
so excited today – my mum was coming home. Yet at the minute that
felt like an issue I didn’t have the energy to deal with just now
and I knew damn well what a selfish bitch that made me.

“
Have you heard from Blaine?” I asked desperately as I slid
into the passenger seat of Lori’s blue Mini.

“
Um, no… should I have?” I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.
“Has something happened with you guys?” I opened my mouth to reply
when Lori through a dramatic set of hands in the air. “Oh my god,
if he’s dipping his wick in some other slut’s candle I’ll cut his
balls off with a rusty razor!”

I giggled
half-heartedly.

“
It’s nothing like that. He’s just… having a few problems at
home. I was just a little worried when I couldn’t get hold of him,
that’s all.” I wished I could tell Lori everything. The knowledge
of what was happening to Blaine was destroying me – eating me
alive. But it wasn’t my secret to tell.

Secrets.
They’re torture. They’d controlled my whole life. They brought
nothing but pain and burden. I’d had enough.

“
Blaine’s dad cuts him,” I blurted out before I had chance to
change my mind. I exhaled a sigh of relief. It felt wonderful –
like it was the first breath I’d taken in hours. We were just
pulling up in the school car park at this point and after cutting
the engine Lori shifted in her seat to face me.

“
What?
” she asked, confused.

“
He cuts him. Like
literally
slices into his back. He’s got rows and rows of
red and white scars. It’s been going on for years.”

“
Holy shit, you’re serious aren’t you?” I nodded solemnly at
her. “Sick fuck! Why the hell hasn’t Blaine gone to the
police?”

“
I don’t know. Fear? Trying to protect his sister?
Shame…?
” Tears stung the back of my eyes and I rubbed at them even
though they hadn’t fallen yet.

“
You know, I’ve heard girls talk about him being the only
one on the football team who doesn’t take his shirt off after the
game… I thought maybe he was just…
private
or something.” I sighed, crestfallen.
“Jesus, Maddie I don’t know what to say,” Lori said, pushing out a
breath that seemed to go on forever.

“
There’s nothing you
can
say. You can’t tell anyone though. Blaine would never
forgive-”

“
Of course I won’t,” she interjected. “What do you take me for?
You can tell me anything, girl, you know that.”

“
I know, “ I admitted, smiling gratefully at her. “Thank you,
Lori.”

“
So… you think Blaine’s hurt? That’s why he’s not picking
up?”

I shrugged. My
heart struggled to beat.

“
Blaine!” I exclaimed when I spotted him loitering outside
the art block. “I have to go,” I called back to Lori even though I
was already half way across the car park. “Blaine,” I exhaled,
breathless from my sprint. Instinctively I opened my arms to wrap
myself around him. He pushed me away.

“
Don’t, Maddie,” he said forlornly. I immediately dropped my
hands, afraid I’d somehow hurt him.

“
What is it? What did I do?” I bent my head in an effort to
meet his eyes which were staring at the ground.

“
I have to go. I’ll be late for class.” Straightaway he
started walking away from me. I grabbed his arm, pulling him
back.

“
Blaine what’s wrong? You’re scaring me. Are you…
hurt?
” I whispered the last word, looking around us to make sure
no one could hear. He shrugged his arm out of my grasp.

“
Please, Maddie, let me go. Just… let me go.” His voice held
such desperation, such heartbreak. His expression was pained, his
eyes burning red. I wanted to believe his words meant ‘let him go’
in the physical sense but the pain casting a dark shadow over his
beautiful blue eyes told me he meant something entirely different.
Something that was about to destroy me.

“
Blaine?
” I whimpered, swallowing back a sob.

“
I’m sorry
. I can’t do this anymore. I… I have to go.”

“
Do what anymore? Blaine what are you talking about?” He was
already walking away from me. “Blaine!”

My eyes burnt
as the first tears broke free – tears that felt like they were made
of acid. People slowed around me, stopping to gape at the spectacle
I was making of myself as I stood sobbing into my hands. What had I
done wrong?

Seconds later
I felt arms wrap around me from behind. Not the arms I wanted
though. They were small, dainty. The hands that met around my
middle had flawlessly manicured fingernails.

“
What happened?” Lori asked tenderly. I spun around to face
her.

“
I… I think Blaine just broke up with me.” My voice cracked
as I struggled to speak past the tears clogging my throat. I
expected some drama in response – a gasp, some hands flying
perhaps. Instead Lori pulled my head into her shoulder and smoothed
my hair.

“
It’s okay
. It’ll all be okay.”

When my tears
eventually ran dry and I pulled away from Lori I saw Sky walk past
with her entourage of clones. She threw me a death glare but didn’t
actually say anything. It was only then I realised Lori had made no
effort to hide her friendship with me in recent weeks and yet,
quite uncharacteristically, Sky hadn’t shot her mouth off once.

“
What’s the deal with Sky? You barely talk to her anymore,” I
noted. Had Lori finally decided to call her bluff? Or maybe she’d
realised the people who mattered wouldn’t give a crap about her
sexuality.

“
Let’s just say Sky’s been put in her place. She won’t dare say
anything to anyone, therefore I have no obligation to put up with
her bullcrap anymore.”

I raised an astonished eyebrow. Who had put Sky in her
place? I was almost sure it wasn’t Lori. She was too…
innocent.
Plus I was pretty
sure she’d have been so proud of herself that she’d have told me
immediately. I didn’t have the energy to dig for information just
now so I let it go.

“
I’m gonna head home,” I told Lori. “Get the house ready for my
mum. Will you cover for me?”

“
Sure I will. Will you be okay?” she asked, her voice dripping
with concern.

“
I have no idea,” I replied honestly.

“
I’ll call you at lunch?” she said it like a question. I nodded
and attempted to smile. I don’t think it quite reached my face
however.

After a quick
hug I took off towards the main road. I walked over to the
supermarket a few streets away and called a taxi to pick me up from
there. When I got home I took myself to bed, wrapped myself up in
my old-lady floral quilt, and cried until it felt like my eyes were
bleeding.

“
Shit!” I blasted when I woke up and saw the time. I didn’t
remember falling asleep. It was four-thirty. I had half an hour to
get to the hospital to pick my mum up.

I rushed
straight to the bathroom and splashed my face with ice-cold water.
It didn’t revive me like I’d hoped. I still felt like shit. After
dabbing some concealer around my eyes in the hope my mum wouldn’t
be able to see I’d been crying I threw on my work uniform, even
though I hadn’t decided if I was actually going yet. I wasn’t
comfortable leaving my mum alone so soon after her discharge. This
time yesterday I thought Blaine would stay home with her while I
worked.

Now
though…