by Jenika Snow
“Where is Mona?” Her father’s slurred words came through her door and Mona’s heart sped up. It wasn’t that her dad was abusive, but when he was as drunk as he sounded, any little thing set him off.
Her door flung open and her dad stepped through. “Go get your mom and I some booze.”
She didn’t want to start a fight, but she was sick of living this way. “I don’t want to.”
Her father’s face became a bright shade of red. “What do you mean you don’t want to?” He took another step in her room.
“I don’t think you need any more to drink.” It was clear that was the wrong thing to say. He barreled the rest of the way into her room and gripped her upper arm. Her dad was a big man and his hand wrapped fully around her upper arm with bruising strength.
“Go out there and get us the fucking liquor. You don’t do shit around here anyway.”
She pulled her arm back but it was no use. His grip was too strong. “Let go. You’re hurting me.” He laughed and the stench of whiskey filtered around her. “Let go.” She tried to pull her arm back again but it only made him more upset. Before she could anticipate his move, the back of his hand slammed into the side of her face. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she knew her lip was split. She stared at him with what she knew were wide eyes. He blinked several times and then let go of her arm before stumbling back.
“Look what you made me do.” He had pushed her around on more than one occasion, not that she had ever told anyone that, but never had he hit her. Anger built inside of her stronger and stronger with each passing moment.
“Get out!” she screamed at him as she felt tears fall down her cheeks. The side of her face pounded with pain.
“Girl, you would do best to keep your tone down.” The look of almost guilt was washed away as anger started to replace it. Her mother had yet to come in and see what the problem was, most likely already passed out on the couch.
“Get out of my room, you drunk.” She cried hysterical, not from sadness, but from anger and finality. She was sick of this life. She was sick of having to pretend she didn’t live like this. Sure, people knew how her family was, but her parents held down jobs and were fantastic actors.
Her father came after her again, his arms outstretched and rage burning behind his glossy expression. His movements were clumsy and she easily moved out of the way, but just when she thought she had escaped him, he gripped a chunk of her hair and pulled her back. Mona cried out in pain and clawed at the hand that held her hair.
“I think you need some good old fashioned discipline. You need beat until you show your parents some respect.”
Oh hell no. She threw herself back at him and when his grip loosened she flung herself forward. She heard his big body fall to the ground but didn’t turn around to verify. Mona ran as fast as she could, passed her unconscious mother on the couch, and ran out the front door and toward the only place she had ever felt safe.
Chapter Six
Out of breath and with tears making her vision blurry, Mona leaned against the door she had just knocked on. It took a moment, but finally it opened. She was so tired that she could hardly hold her head up as she looked into Isaac’s shocked face. That was the last thing she remembered before she passed out.
“Mona. Mona, honey, wake up.”
She could hear his voice, and although it seemed distant and muffled, she felt herself being pulled back from the darkness that surrounded her.
“Come on, honey. Wake up.”
Mona opened her eyes and blinked several times. The left side of her face was so sore that the simple movement of blinking made her head pound and her vision blur. It took her a moment to get her bearings and realize where she was. Isaac hovered over her, his face a mask of worry as he stared down at her. He held a washcloth and brought it to her lip. When the material touched her sensitive flesh she winced and turned away.
She started to sit up, but even that small movement made her head spin and nausea slam into her. Just as soon as she wondered what was going on, the night’s happenings washed through her. Her heart pounded something fierce and sweat coated her brow.
“Shhh. You’re safe, honey. Just tell me what happened.” Isaac moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
It felt good to be close to him, to feel cherished and protected after a lifetime of emptiness. How could she ever go back home? How could she ever face her father again? She should have known things would escalate, but who would have ever imagined a father would strike his child with so much force it not only hurt them physically but scarred them emotionally as well?
Mona couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. She was embarrassed to have Isaac see her this way, to see the dysfunctional aspect of her life. She felt like trash, like a burden in everyone’s life.
“Mona, please don’t cry.” He turned her around and wrapped both his arms around her shoulders. She cried harder. “Tell me who hurt you and I promise I’ll make them pay.” He murmured the words against her hair, but they didn’t comfort her.
She didn’t want anyone getting hurt, least of all her father. He may be a drunken bastard, but he was still her dad. She did know she couldn’t go back there, though.
“Tell me, Mona.” He leaned back and looked down at her. She stared into the deep green depths of his eyes. Oh how she wanted to have him hold her again, to wash away the pain that had been slowly building inside of her until she thought she would suffocate.
As she stared into his eyes she told him the whole thing. He already knew about the alcoholism in her family, but she had kept a lot of the verbal and mental abuse to herself. He didn’t say anything, just let her tell every sordid detail until she couldn’t tell any more and her tears had dried up. As the last word fell from her lips she could see an unexplained emotion cross his features. Anger, sadness, pity? All of those were possible, but the fact he might feel pity for her situation hit her the hardest.
He cupped the side of her uninjured face. “I promise he will never hurt you again.”
She believed him with everything inside of her. “He’s my father. Don’t hurt him.”
He dropped his hand from her and turned to the side. Although his face was partially obscured, she could see how clenched his jaw was and feel the clear anger that resonated from him.
There was a long stretch of silence before he finally spoke again. “He hurt you, Mona. I can’t let that go.”
She was touched by his caring determination to set things right. Her entire life had been one of disappoint, embarrassment, and a loveless family. Here she sat, beside her best friend’s father, feeling a kind of love she had never felt before. It wasn’t one a daughter felt for her father, and it wasn’t the kind of love she felt for Kara. This love, which had started off so slow and childlike, grew swiftly and without thought. Maybe it was just the fact that he seemed to be the only person, aside from Kara, that loved her, that acted like he actually cared about what happened to her.
When she didn’t respond he turned to look at her. She could see how his gaze kept going toward the side of her face that pounded in pain. Did she look like a monster? If it looked as bad as it felt she probably looked horrible. On instinct, she lifted her hand and touched her cheek. It was sore.
Isaac moved toward her again and placed his hand on hers. “Look at me.”
When she did her heart stopped. He was inches away, so close that the cologne he wore seeped into her body and warmed her. She shouldn’t feel aroused at a time like this, but her emotions were running rampant and she couldn’t help herself. Without thinking, she moved in those last few inches until her lips pressed against his. For several long seconds neither of them moved. Their lips stayed connected and she could tell his breathing had increased, but he didn’t deepen the kiss as she would have liked.
She let her arousal and emotions lead her and pressed her lips more firmly against his. She then ran her tongue along his bottom lip. The soft groan that came from him gave her
the confidence she needed. She opened her mouth and he followed suit. Their tongues touched and her pussy moistened instantly. She was wet, so incredibly wet that her panties stuck to her lips. She wanted his hands on her, pressing her jeans against her sensitive cunt, bringing her arousal even higher.
Mona placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed her chest against his. Her breasts rubbed seductively against the hard muscle of his pecs. They tilted their heads at the same time and deepened the kiss. Tongues slipping together erotically, Mona couldn’t help the small mewling sounds that came from her. As if the noises she made snapped him out of the sexual haze they were in, Isaac pulled away. His breathing was erratic and his lips were red from their kiss. They stared at each other for several long moments. What would he do? What would he say? He still appeared to want her if the way he kept glancing at her lips was anything to go by.
Mona wanted more than another kiss. She wanted his naked body pressed against hers. She wanted to feel him thrusting his cock into her hard and fierce. Her clit tingled and her pussy pulsed. She reached for him again but he shook his head and moved away. Hurt and embarrassment slammed into her. She felt her face become red as she stared at him.
“I can’t, Mona. It isn’t right.”
“It feels right.” Had she said that out loud? Obviously by the look of sympathy he now displayed toward her.
“After what just happened to you and the fact I have known you since you were a little girl, this whole situation is wrong on so many levels.” He ran his hand over his jaw. “I’m taking advantage of you.”
Taking advantage of me? She was the one that had initiated everything. She was the one that had been pining over him since she could remember. “I want this, Isaac. I have wanted this for a very long time.” He turned to look at her then. They were still so close, but she was afraid to touch him, to emphasize her point.
He looked as if he would kiss her again but then he shook his head and stood. She watched as he paced the living room. She was so embarrassed. How could she face him after this? Despite her humiliation she still couldn’t stop staring at him. He wore a pair of dark loose fitting sweats and a white tee. The material was formed against the wide expanse of his chest, showing the muscular definition and doing nothing to lower her arousal. He disappeared into the kitchen, but before she could get up he was back with a drink and a plate full of food for her. He set them down on the coffee table and sat beside her on the couch.
He kept his head down for a moment and then shifted to look at her. “It isn’t that I…” He ran his hand over his jaw again before continuing. “It isn’t that I don’t want this.” Their eyes met. “I want you, Mona, and that scares the shit out of me. I know I shouldn’t and I know it’s wrong, but I can’t stop the way I feel.”
Elation filled her at his admission. He wanted her?
“I may not be able to stop the way I feel, but I can stop my actions.” At that her elation deflated like a popped balloon.
Before she could respond the sound of the front door opening and closing drew her attention.
“I’m home.” Kara’s singsong voice filtered into the living room. When she entered the living room and saw her father and then got a look at Mona, that happiness she had just had vanished. “Oh my God, what happened?” Kara rushed to her side, her gaze roaming all over her face. Tears started to well in Kara’s eyes.
Mona explained the situation and watched as Kara’s eyes widened with each passing word. When she was finished Kara stood and a look of anger covered her face.
“You are not going back there.” When no one said anything Kara turned to look at her father. “Tell her she isn’t going back there, dad. Tell her she is staying here with us, where she is safe.” Kara was crying now, her tears big and sincere and causing Mona to start to cry as well.
Isaac looked at Mona and then back at Kara. After what Isaac had just told her when they were alone, Mona didn’t expect him to say what he did.
“There is no way she is going back there. Don’t worry.” He stared right at Mona. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you again.” At that he turned to leave.
Kara rushed back over to Mona again and wrapped her arms around her. “I hope you kicked that drunken bastard’s ass.” Mona couldn’t help but laugh.
“He looks worse than I do.” Mona was trying to make light of the situation, but as Kara stared at her face and started crying harder, Mona knew it probably wasn’t the best time for comedy.
They talked for hours, and Mona was finding it easier and easier to tell Kara how bad her life at home truly was. The hours passed by so quickly that Mona found herself dozing off as the two of them steered their conversation toward more pleasant topics. Although Mona had told Kara bits and pieces about her alcoholic family before tonight, she had always been afraid for her best friend to see the real side of her family. She couldn’t count the number of times Kara had wanted to come to her house, but every time Mona had successfully persuaded her into not coming over. There was just no way she could have her best friend see the disgusting drunken lives of her mother and father.
She wanted to ask Kara about her date, but the sound of her best friend’s even and slow breathing confirmed that she was fast asleep. Mona stared at the ceiling and contemplated what she should do next. She couldn’t stay with Kara and Isaac, especially not after what had almost transpired in the living room. She could never look at him the same way again. He had already divulged his feelings to her. Well, somewhat.
She didn’t want to burden them after everything they had done for her, but what was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? She had no money, no car, no family she could go stay with. School didn’t start until the fall, and even that didn’t guarantee her a place to stay given the fact it was a community college and they didn’t provide student housing. Mona was screwed. Tomorrow she would need to go get her things while her parents were at work. She contemplated talking to her mother, but she was just as bad with the verbal abuse as her father was. Besides, she always took his side no matter what the situation. It was as if Mona didn’t have a voice in her own home. Frankly, she was scared to death of what lay ahead of her.
Chapter Seven
The early morning sun was what finally woke Mona. She blinked several times until her vision cleared. The spot beside her was empty, and when she ran her hand across the sheets they were cold. It was early, but Kara had always been the early riser between the two of them.
Mona pushed herself up in bed and groaned as her head spun. She instinctively clutched the side of her face and winced as pain shot through her skull. She needed a shower, but she was afraid to see what she looked like in the bathroom mirror. Clothes weren’t an issue since she kept several sets at Kara’s. This was like her second home after all. She eyed the bedroom door, knowing she would have to face her reflection sometime.
She grabbed a set of her clothes and cracked the door open. The hallway was empty, which meant she was in the clear. It wasn’t that she was purposely trying to avoid anyone, but she didn’t want to see the sympathy on their faces. The sound of plates clanking and hushed voices flowed up from downstairs. It was the middle of the week and late enough in the morning that she knew Isaac wouldn’t be home. The question was, who was Kara talking to?
Mona slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She turned and finally looked at herself in the mirror. The person that looked back at her seemed like a stranger. Her normally dark, curly hair was flat and lifeless, and her skin was as pale as a corpse’s. The side of her face that throbbed in pain was covered in an angry blue and purple bruise, and right below her eye was some swelling. She had honestly thought it would have been worse than it was. It sure felt a lot of worse.
When she couldn’t look at herself any longer, she turned the shower on and adjusted the temperature until it was as hot as she could stand. When she stepped into the spray she closed her eyes and imagined everything washing away. All the bad and negative asp
ects of her life just vanished. The water felt good on her body, but it didn’t do a damn thing to get rid of the shitty predicament she was in.
She stayed under the spray of water until it turned cold and goose bumps popped out along her flesh. She wanted to cry, but a small voice inside of her told her to shut the fuck up, be thankful she had what she had, and learn to live with what she got.
She wrapped a towel around herself and ran her hand across the fogged over mirror. She stared at herself for several seconds and then breathed out. “Things could be much worse. You could have no one like Kara and Isaac in your life. Be thankful someone gives a shit about you.” So much for a pep talk. It was true, though. She would go get her stuff and find a job. She was going to make something out of her life. She was going to use this as an example of how things could be better.
When she was dressed and somewhat presentable, she headed downstairs. She didn’t wear makeup, but she tried to cover up the nasty bruise with some of Kara’s foundation. It hadn’t helped much, but it was better than nothing. When she stepped off the landing the hushed voices stopped. Mona rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. Kara sat at the table and Isaac sat across from her. They both looked over at her. She could see how their gazes kept going to her mangled face, and it took every ounce of willpower not to turn away. She was ashamed, but she held her ground and showed the little strength she still had.
“Come and get something to eat.” Kara pulled out the seat next to her. Mona had a feeling there was something more going on than just getting something to eat.
When she was seated, Isaac set a plate of food in front of her. The smell of pancakes, eggs and bacon wafted up to her, and despite the fact she wasn’t hungry, she knew she had to eat something. She could feel their gazes on her.