a/n: Warnings: profanity, abuse, angst
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"Fucking Devore and his subordinates!"
I nearly dropped the wooden spoon I was using to stir the soup into the pot. Dad was home. And, he didn't sound happy.
"How idiotic could they be to get lost before the drop-off?"
He hated anything heated up in the microwave, so I always had to use the stove. I always timed his arrival within five minutes. Sometimes having dinner ready was enough. But, from the sound of his ranting, I mentally prepared for the worst.
The meal I'd had at the Kenari household was far better than the canned soup I had been heating up. As I set the bowl down in front of him at his favorite spot, I knew that I shouldn't have wasted my time. The expression on the elder Takiwa's face was a mixture of belligerence and defiance.
He shoved the bowl of soup right off the edge of the table. I moved to immediately clean up the mess, using old towels to absorb as much as possible. When I was on my knees wiping the floor clean with soap and a damp rag, he grabbed my arm tighter than a child clinging to their favorite toy. He then forcefully tugged my head back by my hair. My eyes watered up in pain, but I didn't let out a sound. I had learned long ago that it would only make things worse.
"Edlene Gustav's son," he drawled, yanking my head back even further. I couldn't help the whimper that fell from my lips at the pain of such an angle. He only mentioned my mother's name when something about me reminded him of her. "What have you been doing all afternoon?"
My stomach trembled in fear. Did he know about Leo and my visit to the Kenari household? Had he seen me with him?
"Go to the store and buy me something better than goddamn soup," my father hissed as he slammed a twenty-dollar bill on the table. "I've had a shit day and soup," he added as he gave me a sharp kick on the side before I could block it. "Isn't going to cut it!"
I curled in on myself in pain, trembling with the effort to not yelp. He tutted as he glanced down at me and walked out of the kitchen. "Fucking useless brat…."
My own ragged breaths were loud in my ears, but I could still hear his heavy steps receding towards his room. I didn't dare try to move until I heard the sound of the springs of his mattress adjusting to his weight. Slow movements, I reminded myself. The side of my torso throbbed and began to burn as I rolled onto my knees to stand back up.
The crumbled bill on the table was folded up and slipped into my pants pocket. A big part of me was relieved that my father didn't have any idea where I had genuinely been after school. I limped over to the nearest mart. The woman at the rotisserie counter didn't hesitate to toss some fried chicken pieces and french fries into a container for me. The pity and indecisiveness in her eyes was a familiar sight as I took hold of the container with the arm of my uninjured side.
When I got back home, I set the food on the table. He'd surely wake up around 9pm to eat half of it cold. I took a careful shower and changed into my favorite pajamas. They had a few unmended holes and several other holes where I had done my best to patch up amateurishly with a needle and thread. I didn't shed a tear the entire time.
However, as I combed my clean, damp hair back, I recalled the gentle touch of Ms. Kenari's fingers along my scalp. Tears began to well in my eyes. My physical pain was just sharp enough to distract from the woozy side-effects of the separation situation. But, it did nothing for the emotional void of a mother's tenderness or the deep-seated confusion of whether I truly wanted someone like Leo in my life.
His amber eyes seemed to look right through me.
I didn't like how flippant he seemed about exposing private things about me, even if it was to my best friend, a person I'd have told eventually.
And yet, he had a pleasant voice that gave me goosebumps. His touch was not only a panacea to our symptoms, but it was also enjoyable. Leo's lovely voice could crack. He was a teenager that felt fear, just like I did. I liked knowing that he wasn't as collected as he appeared to be.
Did that make me a bad person?
The last thing my mind summoned up as I drifted to sleep was the sound of Leo's singing voice.
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Brighter than the leaves from an olive branch; sharper than the blade held within my hand…
Though the melody was unfamiliar, the voice was not. The sadness that tinged it drew me towards the sound. Did he think no one was around?
How is it that no one else understands...what it means to be damned with a single glance?
As I approached, the slide of my sandals startled him. He turned towards me, his amber eyes darting about as if to ensure that no one else had heard him. Then, he genuflected before me.
"My intention was not to disturb your sleep, my prince."
"No need to be so nervous, Nevis," I gently scolded. "I consider it a privilege to hear your singing."
The taller man had been assigned to a position that was a fusion of bodyguard and tutor. Essentially, he was mine. He provided me with the services I needed. If I wanted to, I could cast him out of the palace…
...but, for some reason, I only wanted to draw him closer to me.
"Nevis…" I called out softly.
"NEVIS!"
The scenery changed to a violent one. Men fighting. The sound of steel shrieking against steel.
A blood-stained dagger…
Pained amber eyes…
Empty darkness...
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