Chapter 7 - Derik’s POV
“You’re late.”
“Hello to you too. Yeah, I’m late.”
“Are you sassing me?” He says it in such a harsh tone that I almost flinch. I know I should flinch, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“Yes, I am. Is there a problem.” There’s now a crowd around us. My dad can’t show weakness towards his son. There’s already talk of favoritism.
If only they knew what goes on behind those tightly shut, locked, and probably soundproofed doors. They’d never say that bullshit again.
“Hell yeah there’s a problem! Sadie Heathrow still isn’t dead!”
“So?”
“So you were supposed to kill her!” He explodes. The crowd backs up a step, all in one fluid motion. Even though I’m surrounded by people, it feels like I am alone with my dad. And I don’t like being alone with my dad. I can’t help it. I shudder. This causes me to get embarrassed, and I look down.
The crowd disperses, and I really am alone with my dad now. His stone glare could freeze Hell.
“Derik, I swear to God-”
“No. You don’t swear to God anymore. You’ve signed your fucking life over to the devil.”
“I’m righteous,” he hisses.
“Righteous my ass.”
“Don’t talk that way to me.” He gets out of the chair.
“I’m amazed your legs are holding up, Grandpa.”
“SHUT UP!” He slaps my face with the force of a tractor. He slaps me so hard that my usually superior balance fails me and I fall over. Now I’ll have a bruise on my ass as well as my face. I close my eyes and brace myself for another hit, maybe to the face again.
But instead I get kicked in the balls by a five hundred pound man.
Let me tell you, that does not feel good. But I learned crying never helps, I learned that when my stepmom arrived.
Okay, so my dad was a wreck after my mom died. Sure, he forced her to do all kinds of stuff, like have me at age sixteen, but that’s what love is, right?
My stepmom was his recovery. He found her behind a dumpster at a bar, crying about her husband cheating on her.
Yep, it was love at first sight. It makes it even better that she’s a bitch who hates my guts.
“Hello, Derik.” Her cool voice rings evenly in my ears. I touch my forehead and my fingers come away red. This is not going to end well. Either I’ll pass out and be beaten to death, or I’ll manage to stay conscious long enough to be beaten to death. I’m not sure which is worse. Her voice makes me flinch every time I hear it, but not this time. This time I blink the red haze off my eyes and stare into her coal black eyes.
“You’re a bitch, you know that, Raina?” She twists my wrist and I try to ignore the sound of cracking. My bones aren’t broken yet, she’s just stretching me out.
“What did you say?” she asks, to which the right answer is “Nothing.” And to which my answer is
“You’re a bitch.” I say it because I know she won’t break my hand. Only my pinky. My pinky is crooked because of all the times she’s broken it before.
“My name isn’t Raina, you ungrateful bastard. I’m your mom now.” Don’t remind me, I want to say, but the pain in my finger is beginning to bother me.
Snap.