Chapter Four

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the front door creaked open. I had been dreading this for the last hour, since I woke up. I'd been holding Kayla on my lap and comforting her the whole time. She needed it. Deserved it. Deserved somebody other than the monster that caused her the pain that caused her to need comforting in the first place. But I was the only one.

My mom was the first one to see us, walking to the dining room to put her stuff on the table; her purse, keys, and a folded up menu from the Olive Pit. So that was where they had gone? They wouldn't tell us.

She saw us, out nakedness, and just stood there, staring. She didn't move.  She looked like she couldn't have if she wanted to.

"Mom, I can ex-"

"MATT! Can you come in here please?" I knew the desperate tone of her voice would make him come  running. Kayla stiffened. She knew what was coming, just like I did. I just knew it wouldn't happen to her. I wouldn't let him touch her. Never. I had hurt her enough- she didn't need him to punish her for something she wasn't at fault for too.

I heard Matt coming up the stairs, passing through the doorway into the dining room. He looked, for once, happy. At peace. I had no doubts they had an awesome night- which was rare for them. He looked at mom, asking her what was wrong, but didn't notice us. Yet. She didn't look away from us, and he eventually caught her drift, glancing our way, his gaze darting from her to us, her to us, for the first second or two. As if he didn't understand what was so wrong about the children cuddling. But then he noticed we were naked.

He stormed up to us, his face turning red. He was already taking off his belt as he dropped whatever was in his hands on the table. He was staring at me in particular, his gaze never leaving mine. When he finally had his belt off of his waist, his pants sagged. It ruined the whole fancy look he had attained.

His mouth opened, as to say something, but then he closed it. He stood in front of me, Kayla still curled against my bare chest, her face hidden in my shoulder, her scarred back totally open for him to see. She was shaking, trying to hold back her sobs of fear. I hugged her tighter, trying to tell her without words that I wouldn't let him hurt her.

My mom's hesitant voice floated to us from the kitchen. "M-Matt? Come here, please? I have to tell you something... That'll explain this. It isn't what you think. Please. Don't hurt them. It's not their fault." She fingered her pearl necklace nervously. I stared at her, incredulous. She hadn't told him?! They had been married for a whole year, and she hadn't told him that I had this f****n' condition?

He stayed silent for what seemed like a whole hour. When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse, strangled. "Tell me right here. If it's about them, they already know, right?" When she didn't speak right away, he turned his head towards her. "D****t, Janet, tell me. You've kept this secret for this long, and I'm seriously considering walking straight out that damned door if you don't open your lipsticked mouth Right. Now."

"V-Varen, he has a m-medical condition, Matt. Neither of th-them wanted to do this. He ra-" She choked. She couldn't say it.

"I have a medical condition," I looked at him. She sent me a grateful glance and looked at the floor. "I have a disease. When I get sexually excited, I-" I was the one that choked on my words this time. I cleared my throat and started again. "I run on my mating instinct. We were hanging out, and... It's not her fault. It's mine."

His eyes flashed. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He glared at my mother. "I'll deal with you and your secretive mouth later. Go to the store. Buy some bandages. This kid is going to need them." He flicked his eyes towards me to show I was who he was talking about.

"Matt, honey, please don't do this, it wasn't his fault!" Her voice seeped panic. "He blacks out, Matt, he can't help it!"

He retrieved his belt off of the table. "Go, Janet. Now."

She sent me a look that screamed I'm so sorry but I ignored it. Why couldn't she help us? I glared at her.

It hit me that if I didn't get Kayla out of here she was going to get hurt. I could just feel it. I leaned my head down and put my mouth close to her ear. "You need to get out of here. Get dressed, leave the house. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Get out of here. Call me tomorrow. Not until then." I loosened my hold on her and watched as she stood, on shaky legs, and walked away, down the stairs, to her room. I kept a close eye on Matt the whole way, making sure that if he made a move I would be the first to pounce. On him.

As soon as Kayla had ran downstairs, Matt turned toward me, malice in his eyes. A wave of fear suddenly shot through me as he roughly grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I knew what was going to happen next- he was going to kick me in the back and knock me down, then whip the hell out of me with his belt, then beat the s**t out of me. Then, if he still wasn't satisfied, he would go after Kayla. I hoped like hell she knew about the back door that I used to sneak out. I hoped like hell that, when I wouldn't be able to get up, she would be gone.

Just as I expected, he lifted a booted foot and planted it on my spine. I fell forward, landing with a thump on the floor. I heard something crack as I landed on my shoulder, but didn't feel any pain. Adrenaline was coursing through me, lighting up my bloodstream with warmth and erasing all pain. I stood up, unlike I usually do, and swung at his face. He caught my wrist and twisted it around my back until it hurt. I felt the pain, but it didn't affect me because of the adrenaline. I launched myself out of his grasp and landed a knee into his crotch. He doubled down and I bolted down the stairs to my room. I locked the door and grabbed my duffel bag, hidden under my bed, already packed, for cases like this. I heard his footsteps pounding down the stairs and he rammed into my door, nearly knocking it off its hinges.

"OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW, YOU RAPIST!" He screamed. I never would dream of it. He banged against the door a few more times and released a resigned sigh.

"You'll have to come out sometime. When you do...!" He left the threat open. I heard him sit down and lean his back against my door.

he was right. I did have to come out sometime. Just not anytime soon- I had food, water, and everything I needed in my room. I kept a food stash and a pack of water bottles on my dresser so it would be easier to pack my bag for after-school sports I played.

I figured that now was a better time than ever to sit down and figure out what the hell to do. I sat on the edge of my waterbed, putting my head in my hands and just waiting for an idea to come to me. I had a while- a week. But then I had to worry about Kayla.

Ah, hell. I thought. I'm fucked.