Page 42 of Two/Face

“What if we never find out why he was murdered?” I feel my voice break at the question that’s been weighing me down.

“We will, Summer. I promise you we will.” Bhodi leans closer and speaks gently before pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

He pulls the duvet over me; I wrap my arms around his strong body as my head lays on his chest. I feel my eyes become heavy, Bhodi’s fingertips gently grazing up and down my hip. I feel safe for the first time in days as sleep slowly takes over.

Chapter Twenty

Bhodi?

When the bloodcurdling screams penetrate my ears, I begin to fight. The desperate plea I make with my body to wake up before the bitter memories flood my mind. Willing my mind to pull myself from this hell, I feel my hands begin to twitch, pleading with the paralysis to fuck off just one more time.

As though I’m being pulled from water, I finally feel myself gain control over my body. Jerking forward, my eyes fall onto the unfamiliar space as I push the sheets away from my waist, managing to get to my shaky legs before a voice pulls me back.

“Bhodi?” The soft voice pulls me back to reality immediately.

Snapping my eyes towards the bedroom doorway, Summer stands holding a glass of water, her hand trembling slightly as I blink. Taking a cautious step towards me, she places the drink onto the side. As she nears, the thundering in my chest slowly begins to subside. When her arms snake around my waist, she pulls me close. I feel her trepidation as her body shakes, but the tighter her embrace, the harder it is to allow the memories back in.

Wrapping my arms around her body, I inhale her sweet scent. After a moment, she pulls away, her caring eyes meeting mine as she swallows hard. Lacing her fingers around mine, she guides me back to bed. The adrenaline begins to wear off, as soon as my back connects with the mattress.

Summer lays her head on the pillow beside mine, and I stare at the ceiling. Taking a deep breath, I reach out and pull her body close to mine. When her head rests on my chest, I feel her nails slowly draw circles across my torso, instantly noticing how she keeps away from the small scars I know she spotted earlier.

She’s never asked about my scars, likely because the first time I caught her staring, I snapped at her, something I instantly regretted. It’s not her fault. I’ve learned to forget about them over time. Feeling a knot form in my throat, I count to ten, allowing my mind to process the words before I say them out loud.

From the moment I laid eyes on Summer, from the photo in her dad’s office. I’ve been unable to fight the pull I have towards her. A bright warmth surrounds her and allows me to feel complete.

“The scar on my face happened when I was eleven.” I feel her body freeze, and her eyelashes flutter a couple of times across my chest.

I know my words have woken her up instantly, but I’ve opened that door now. I can’t just shove it closed and hope it’ll go away.

“My mom was a drug addict, heroin mainly.” I take another deep breath before continuing. “Her boyfriend Sam, was originally her dealer before he came in and took over our place.”

As her head lifts off my chest, Summer looks at me. The night fell hours ago as little light fills the room, but I can see her sad eyes looking right into mine. I feel her hand clutch onto my torso a little tighter as she nods her head for me to carry on.

“They fought a lot. I used to avoid being at home as much as I could. I’d go to the library, walk the streets, and even go to church if it meant I’d be away from the toxic fights.”

Reaching for my hand, she entwines her fingers with mine as the pad of her thumb gently caresses my palm. The small gesture offers me some calm while I pull the terrible memory into the forefront of my mind.

I hate appearing vulnerable, but I need to tell Summer. Maybe if I do, it’ll offer me some redemption for the things I have done, and the dark cloud that permanently hangs over me may begin to fade.

“I came home late one night, and mom was furious that I had been out.” I begin, allowing the words to fall from my mouth. “She didn’t seem to care that I would leave the house to get away from her. For some reason, she turned to Sam, her boyfriend, and began berating him and blaming him for my behavior. They were both so high at the time, it turned into a shoving match. When Sam pushed my mom down hard to the ground, I got in his face and pushed him away. He staggered back and hit the wall. He just saw red. His temper was horrific anyway, but this time, he grabbed a heavy glass ashtray and swung it at me. It shattered.”

Swallowing the thick knot in my throat, I feel my hand clutching onto Summers tighter as I allow the horrific memory to be told.

“I fell to the ground hard. I could feel the blood pouring down my face. I tried to touch my face, but all I could feel was the tough shards of glass stuck in my skin. Mom was screaming, and Sam ran out. All I can remember is the thudding of the footsteps as they both ran from the house. My mom was shouting and screaming bloody murder.”

“What happened to you?” Summer asks softly, but I shrug.

“I managed to get up. Luckily, the neighbors came out when they heard mom and found me standing in the doorway. Luckily Mrs Wayne's husband was a former medic, and he managed to patch me up.”

“Didn’t they call the police?”

I shake my head no in response, quickly catching a tear before it falls past my cheek and wiping it away.

“No, this wasn’t uncommon. If it wasn’t me getting hurt, it was mom. Sam used violence to get what he wanted or to prove his point.”

Summer swallows hard, slowly nodding her head. Her body moves closer to mine, so close I can feel her peaceful warmth on my skin. Pulling herself up from the bed, she holds me close. Gently stroking the back of my neck whilst the weight is slowly lifted from me.

Cupping my cheek, pulling my focus to her beautiful face, I see the tears welling in her eyes. Leaning into her warm embrace, she gently presses her lips to mine.

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