Silent Lies - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

My body, to no surprise, is in agony as I'm trying to fill my bags quickly before dad gets home. It's just past the time when school ends-I didn't go thanks to Adrian calling for me and then dad not even bothering to check to see if I'm gone-I've been trying to pack these bags since eleven this morning.
Adrian nor Divine were able to skip school, Adrian's mom saying he's missed too much this year now and Mrs. Abara just never allows Divine to skip much unless she knows she's really sick. So, Adrian's plan of picking me up right after dad left for work fell through.
Divine was asking to just tell her mom and she would be able to stay home, but I didn't want that happening just yet. Though now I wish I would've just said yes to Divine telling her mom as there's a very high chance dad will be home from work at any second. I was just too scared of what Mrs. Abara would do, but now I'm not.
I hear the front door open and I freeze, until I hear Adrian. "Liv, it's me." I had told him to just walk in. I can't get myself to call out to him to say I'm upstairs so I just wait as I hear his footsteps up the stairs and then see relief washing over his features once he sees me in my room.
Immediately, he's dropping himself to the ground next to me and helping me pack up the little bit of stuff I have. Since I've been trying to pack since eleven you'd think I'd be done with how little stuff I have but my body hasn't been cooperating.
"Divine's in the car, I told her to stay there in case of anything happening with your... your dad. I took Ashton and Danny home already too," he rambles on, helping me just shove my few clothes into a backpack. "H-How're you feeling?"
I just shrug, zipping the bag and thankfully now everything is packed. My few books are packed, my little bit of toiletries, anything I've had over the years, my clothes, everything is packed up into five backpacks. My whole life...
I struggle to stand, thanking Adrian as he helps me, keeping his arm around my waist to steady me. He tries to stop me from carrying any bags but when he sees I won't let him carry them all, he gives me the lightest one, helping me pull the straps over my shoulders. I just sigh and let him when he refuses to give me any more bags.
The front door opens then slams and I freeze, Adrian looking towards me. My entire body tenses as Adrian's jaw clenches.
Of fucking course. Just my fucking luck.
"Come on, it'll be okay. If he tries anything, I'll be here to deal with it." He grabs my hand, walking slowly with me as my body starts trembling once again not only in pain, but fear.
I eventually just get myself to run despite the pain, hoping we make it to the front door before dad can stop us.
I should've known I don't have that kind of luck, though.
"First off, who the hell is this?" The dude you see me with most of the time then start calling me a whore over, dumbass. "And where the hell do you think that you're going?"
"Away from you, asshole." I pull at Adrian's hand, just wanting to walk away and never come back to this, not wanting Adrian to see how he really is and see my life.
"I've got a whore for a daughter," dad just laughs and Adrian's jaw clenches. "Buddy, don't get your hopes up on her, she'll be with a new dude next week."
"A whore? Seriously? You know what-"
"And you're a waste of space for a father," I croak out, cutting Adrian off, surprising all of us, using dad's words from the other night on him.
My voice is so raspy and I'm surprised I even managed to form the words after not speaking for years. I just needed to say something, I'm not even sure that sentence made sense, but I said it.
Oh god, I just talked.
What the fuck.
I ignore Adrian's look that's mixed with so many emotions I can't even tell, just tugging on his hand to get us out of here.
"If you're leaving now, don't ever come back. Don't ever come crying to me when you need somewhere to stay or-"
"I certainly don't plan on it, d-don't worry," I manage to say more words, cutting him off, my voice cracking as I do so.
I rush out the door, holding onto Adrian's hand for dear life as we run to the car, Divine leaning against the passenger door looking more relieved than ever when she sees us.
"Oh thank god!" She wraps her arms around me as Adrian opens the back door, putting all my bags in. "I-I didn't know whether to go in or not to." I shake my head, trying to say it was okay, suddenly unable to form more words. "Let's go."
I sit in the back with Divine, laying my head on her shoulder as we drive to her house. Adrian looks back at me so many times, and I'm sure it's because of the fact that I actually spoke-and to my dad.
I haven't spoken for years, but he's the first person who gets my words? I just couldn't hold back any longer, needing to tell him part of how I felt before I left. If he manages to get me back, even when he told me to never come back, I'm not sure I'll be able to say anything more. Or maybe I will. I'm so confused with this shit.
"Are you going to tell mom?" Divine asks me as we turn onto her street. I try to say yes, but I can't get the words to leave my mouth now so I just nod. She'll know something has happened whether I tell her or not, with my bruised face and broken hand. And she deserves an explanation at least. I now feel so shitty, just walking into her house and not even having anything to give. "Don't overthink it," Divine pulls me back to reality. "You know mom loves you. She's not going to care at all, especially if you're going to tell her. You tell her and she'll force you to stay no matter what tell it feel."
I worry my lip, seeing Mrs. Abara's car in the driveway as Adrian parks on the street. Divine opens the door as Adrian does too, both of them getting out of the car. Divine helps me, holding my hand as we walk to the front door and opens it, Adrian following behind as we leave my bags in the car for now.
"Divine, love, is that you?" I hear Mrs. Abara's voice call out, Divine helping me towards the kitchen as she calls out also to let her know it is her.
Their house hasn't changed much since I was last here, years ago. As smaller of a one story with plenty of room for Divine and her mom, even when Mr. Abara was here, there was still enough room for just the three of them. More than enough.
"Mom..." Divine says, waiting for Mrs. Abara to turn around from her spot at the kitchen island where she's chopping up vegetables.
"What is it, love?" She turns around and the smile on her face immediately falls, me being why probably.
"Olivia is going to stay with us." I look up at Divine, narrowing my eyes as she just told her, not even asking for me. "I-If that's okay."
"Of course that's okay." She walks towards me, pushing my hair behind my ears, careful of my bruised face. "What the hell happened? You tell me who did this to you and they'll regret it."
"Mom," Divine's voice shakes as she pulls me closer to her, me looking back at Adrian who's standing awkwardly but still gives me an assuring smile.
"What happened?" Mrs. Abara looks between me and Divine, not even caring about the boy I'm sure she's yet to meet before now.
"Do you want me to tell her?" Divine asks me once more and I nod. "Mom, can we go to the living room?"
She nods as we all walk back into the living, Mrs. Abara now caring about Adrian. "Hold on, who's this?"
"That's Adrian, mom, Ashton's friend." She knows about Ashton?
"That boy you like?" Me and Adrian grin together knowingly, even if now's not the time seemingly.
"Mom!" Divine covers her face, just sitting down and changing the subject completely-not even denying it. "Can we get back to the point here?"
"Nice to meet you, Adrian," she says and Adrian goes to say it back I'm sure, but she gets to talking first. "Now, what's happening?"
"Olivia's dad... he uh." Divine looks at me, struggling to just say it.
"He's the one who's done this to her?" When I nod for Divine, I can just see her heart break more than it already had, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh god."
"Did you bring anything, Olivia? Clothes and all? If not we can go to the store after dinner and grab you some stuff." Mrs. Abara asks, clearing the silence we fell into after Divine told her everything. I nod, saying I did bring some stuff. "Oh, good."
"I'll go grab your things." I nod, signing thank you at Adrian. Divine follows Adrian to help, leaving me and Mrs. Abara.
"Sweetheart..." Mrs. Abara sits next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and I lean into her. "I am so sorry, and I know that doesn't do much but I really am. Gosh, all these years I've been so curious about what's happened." She knows everything, about mom leaving then Hadley committing, obviously me not talking too. "Do you... do you wanna go to the police? We can go do that right now, get him in trouble. Don't even worry about foster care or anything, I'll adopt you. We can get this sorted out over the next week or so." As much as being adopted by Mrs. Abara, being completely safe and unable to be ripped away from her legally, would be amazing, I shake my head.
Talking to the police, or writing or whatever, is too much to even think about doing right now. And I still worry about them not believing me, even though I'm covered in bruises and have a broken hand. Dad would come up with some amazing and convincing story, make it seem like I've made everything up, with my luck. I'll just stick with staying here for now, not wanting to take any risks.
"Okay, you don't have to do that." I know she wants me to do that though, but I can't. Not yet, at least. "You're safe now. You, love, you can stay here for as long as you want. You'll be okay." I smile up at her, then wince with the pain. She leans down, pressing her lips to my forehead. "How's Chinese takeout sound for dinner? I'll make tonight's original dinner tomorrow instead."
When Adrian and Divine come back in with my bags, I try to help but no one lets me. Mrs. Abara tells them to take them to the empty bedroom down the hall. Adrian's phone dings then, him immediately reading the text.
"Adrian, do you wanna stay for dinner? You're more than welcome to," Mrs. Abara asks, walking over to grab her phone, ready to order.
"Oh, I'd love to, Mrs. Abara but-" She cuts him off right away.
"I don't do that Mrs stuff, call me Admira." Well... no more calling her Mrs. Abara then.
"Oh, okay. Admira, I'd love to but my mom wants me home for dinner, she just got back in town." He smiles, seeming happy about it, a full blown dimple smile.
His dimples are so cute.
Shut up.
"Oh okay, love. You go on, enjoy your time with her." Admira gives him a hug, shocking him as me and Divine laugh quietly, my chest burning while doing so.
"Bye Adrian," Divine says as he seems to hesitate at the door, me immediately getting up and walking over to him.
I follow him outside, the breeze hitting me right away making me shiver. We stand at his car and he smiles down at me, pushing my hair away.
"I'm proud of you, Liv." He sees my confusion, explaining then. "Y-You... you talked. You said those things to your dad. I'm not in your position at all, but I know that must've been hard." I smile, just assuring him it was fine. In the moment, I hadn't even realized I was talking. "How're you feeling?"
I just shrug. Ever since talking to Admira it feels like a million pounds of weight has just been lifted off of me. I feel better mentally, a lot. Physically though, it'll take awhile before I'm fine then.
"I'm sorry about your dad." I shake my head before we can get into that conversation. He goes to say more but his phone dings. "Mom really wants me home." He chuckles and I just smile, surprising him when I wrap my arms around him.
God I love his hugs, I think as he wraps his own arms back around me. We stay like this for awhile until I finally pull away, looking up into his perfect brown eyes. He leans down and kisses my cheek, wary of all the bruises covering my face-I flush bright pink, I'm sure.
"I've gotta go before she comes and finds me herself." I laugh, not really ready for him to go yet. "You should skip school again, rest up. You need it." He carefully brushes his thumb under my black eyes. "I'll come over tomorrow, if that's okay with Mrs-Admira." I nod, hoping she is okay with that because for all these unknown reasons, I know I'll miss him.
What is happening to me.
All night I toss and turn, not able to get myself to sleep. I tap my phone, seeing it's nearly 4am and I sigh. So tired yet I can't sleep, that rarely happens.
It's because I'm scared.
I'm scared dad will be here, ready to get me back then probably kill me. With dad being my legal guardian and all, all he's gotta do is call the cops, report me a run away then get me back, making up a story. Or, if he knows I'm with Admira, he'll call the cops on her.
Oh god.
I can't be the reason she gets in trouble. I wouldn't put it past him to do all that.
I was always scared at the house, but this is worse.
What if I run into him at the store or some place? What if he tries to pick me up at school? What if he just finds me? What if...
"Olivia?" I'm snapped away from my fears when Divine says my name, sitting up from her spot on the other side of the bed, crawling up towards me.
All of my stuff is in the spare bedroom Admira gave me, but I was too scared to sleep alone already-I, of course, didn't tell them that, though.
"What's wrong? You've been moving around so much all night," she asks, laying beside me. I just shrug, wanting to talk and admit everything about me being scared but unable to get the words out. "It's gonna be okay. Everything will be okay. You're safe now, okay?"
I smile, thankful for her. I move onto my side, moving to lay my head on her chest as her arms wrap around me. We used to sleep like this all the time at the sleepovers we'd have every weekend when we were little.
Thankfully, I'm able to finally fall asleep, listening to her heartbeat while it calms me.