Panicking, I yanked away from him with such force that I ended up on the floor with a hard thump. I continued to back up as far as I could until I found myself on the other side of the room, my back against my bathroom door.
“Mom, please get him out of here,” I begged her from the floor. Her eyes flickered between me and Karl before settling on me, venom in her gaze. I have no clue why I thought for even a second she would take my side in this. The slap across my face firmly cemented the fact that, in her eyes, this was my fault.
“You little whore,” she hisses at me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling me up until I was at eye level with her. “You disgusting worthless piece of shit. Are you jealous of me? Is that why you’re seducing my boyfriend?”
Slap
My head twists to the side from the impact, and I catch a glimpse of Karl smirking from his spot on my bed. He now knows he can do whatever he wants and it’ll be my fault. The thought terrifies me.
Slap
“Hand over your phone Savannah. I don’t want to see you or hear a peep coming from this room until I figure out what to do with you.
As soon as they leave, locking me in, I hurry to barricade the door with whatever furniture I’m strong enough to move. I know it won’t keep him out for long, but I’ll at least know if he tries to get in.
I spent the rest of the night rotating between throwing up until my stomach was empty and scrubbing myself raw in the shower, desperate to feel clean. I grabbed some pillows and crawled into the back of my closet when the sun started appearing.
I would never be able to sleep in that bed ever again.
I was stuck in my room for over a week without anyone checking in on me. If I hadn’t had my en suite bathroom for water, I probably would have died of dehydration. I doubt I would have died from starvation at that time, but it was nice having the snacks I always hoarded for movie nights or late-night gaming sessions.
On the eighth day, my mom finally spoke to me from the other side of the door, only to tell me to pack my things because she was sending me to live with her sister. I would have asked her why she wasn’t the one leaving, but that would have led to a fight I would end up losing.
On day nine, I was taken from my room and driven to the airport. I wasn’t even given a minute to say goodbye to my dad, who was in the small garden cottage at the back of the house, attached to machines keeping him alive. Mommy dearest didn’t want him in the main house, so she left him there with a couple of nurses on rotation to care for him.
Doctors have explained that the chances of him ever waking up were next to nothing, but I wasn’t ready to give up on him yet. Threatening to have him taken off life support was also my mom’s method of blackmailing me into keeping my mouth shut about Karl. I knew a court would never allow her to make that decision, even as myguardian, but that wouldn’t stop her from just doing it. She had easy access to him, and she was spiteful enough to switch off the machines and worry about the consequences later. I just couldn’t risk it.
“It’s just eleven more months, Savannah,” Mom said, tilting the rearview mirror so she could apply a new coat of lipstick. “When you turn eighteen you can do whatever you want to. Just stay the fuck away from me, and Karl and your dad will be just fine and keep enjoying his little nap.” She starts chuckling at her joke, and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut and the tears locked away. “Tell anyone about how you tried to seduce poor Karl and the deal is off. Do not test me.”
I give her a crisp nod and exit her car, going around to the back where Karl is waiting with my suitcase.
“I am very disappointed we didn’t get to spend more time together, Savvy,” he glances at me, his gaze dropping to my chest. “Maybe I can convince your mom to let you come visit for Christmas. Won’t that be fun?”
I grab my suitcase and turn to head into the terminal but not before he grabs a handful of my ass. “Just a little something to remember me by.” He whispers in my ear, and I shudder. He is so disgusting. I beeline for the sliding doors without looking back once. Hopefully, things will be better in North Carolina.
Spoiler, it wasn’t.
My phone pings with a message, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Greg: Stop staring at the fucking sunset and do your job.
Great, the creep is using the security cameras to spy onme.
Savvy: On my way!
I pocket my phone and head back inside, busying myself with getting everything ready for the evening rush.
The place starts filling up quickly, and it comes as no surprise that we’re understaffed. There is a line of people waiting at the entrance, and the hostess is nowhere to be found. I walk over to the bar to ask Todd if he has seen her, and he rolls his eyes toward Greg’s office. “She snuck in there about ten minutes ago.”
I hissed out a breath, knowing exactly what that meant.“Thanks, Todd.”
“Do you have time to get them seated? I would, but it's only me and Jason behind the bar.”
I wave him off and head toward the entrance. I can’t really say no anyway; any extra work that needs to be done is my responsibility. Greg made that very clear. All my tables had just placed their food orders, so I had a few minutes before I needed to check on them again.
I check reservations and show people to their tables, promising that their waiter will be with them shortly. I rush back outside. “Sorry for the wait-” My eyes connect with Oliver’s green ones, and I lose all train of thought, simply watching the color drain from his face when he realizes it’s me.
We stare at each other for what feels like hours until a voice next to him pulls my focus away.
