Page 31 of Cuts Like an Angel: Part 2

Chapter Sixteen

Confusion and shock held Rosie immobile just behind William. Maria … Maria was … his mother?

Her mind raced with bits of information she’d been given. By Josh, by William. Josh had said his mother was …gone. Not dead!

“She’s not dead?”

“Dead!” the woman growled, her breaths becoming harsher as she stared at them like a half-starved vulture, head protruding from a long, bowed neck. “Is that what you told her?” she seethed, showing crooked, greyed teeth. “Is that what you told her you lying little bastard? You dare kill your own mother while I’m still alive? Is that why you dumped me in the fucking home with that queer? You dumped me there to die? Liar! You said you were planning to get me out of there. You lied,” she shrieked, gripping the covers with skinny fingers. “Did you lie about what a good son you are, too? Did you tell your little whore, did you tell her how you abandoned me?” The words crackled like shattering glass as rage shook her body.

“I didn’t,” William suddenly said. Rosie looked at him, shocked to see that her words had burrowed inside him and held him tight. “I never planned for this.”

“You little liar!” she shrieked.

William turned to Rosie, torment and guilt on his face. “I never planned on this, I swear.” He put a hand to his brow, clenching his eyes. “I… I don’t know what to say, Rosie,” he whispered. “She’s right, I abandoned her.”

Rosie wrapped her arms around him. “Stop that. Don’t listen to her, she’s not well, William.”

“I’m the sick one Rosie,” he gasped at her ear while the woman screamed insults at her and William. “I was hoping…” his voice went tight and his body shook “… that she’d die.”

The woman was laughing now. A loud, hysterical cackle. “Look at you,” she finally managed. “The same, useless little fucker that ruined my life. You were always in the way, messing with my work. You’re the reason I’m here, the reason I’m broken, you did this! You hurt me!” she wailed. “You hurt your own mother. Why did you hurt me, William? Why do you hate me so much?”

He shook his head, holding onto Rosie. “Because I’m a monster,” he hissed before wrenching away from Rosie and hurrying out the door.

Rosie turned to go after him. “Stop right there, you little bitch,” the woman growled, no longer crying. Rosie slowly turned and faced her. The greyed teeth were all there, smiling at her beneath nearly invisible, thin lips. Her grey hair streaked with fake blonde, stuck out around her sunken face. “You leave my son alone, you hear me? He’s mine. He gave up his life for me just like I gave mine up for that ungrateful little shit. You’ve been fucking him, haven’t you?” she muttered, demonic smirk on her face.

“I love William,” she finally got out. “I can … help.”

“We don’t want your help!” she roared, her face black with fury. “We have each other. I can take care of that little bastard just fine.” She slowly smiled. “Has he shown you around the house?” She lowered back onto the bed, holding her with a terrifying angled stare. “Did he tell you what we did there? Together?”

Her giggle began low in her chest as Rosie recalled that time Josh told a story to her sister. The scary made up one. About the things done in the house. Her breath left her in a gasp. Dear God. Had… some of that been true? “What did you do to him?” she whispered, unable to help it.

The woman’s laughter shot out and went on and on as Rosie’s legs took her closer to her bed until she was only a few feet from it.

“What did you do to him?”

Cold eyes stabbed into her as the evil laughing slowly died down. Rosie found herself suddenly locked in the woman’s evil glare, her thin lips halfway over her greyed teeth so that she appeared like a hungry monster. “I did everything with him,” she muttered, her words rattling with the phlegm in her chest. “We did everything together.” She giggled again as Rosie’s stomach twisted with sickness. “My boyfriends all loved us. We made the perfect team.” She suddenly leaned forward and Rosie stepped back with a gasp. “William is mine. You can fuck him all you want but … you can never have him.” She poked a bobbing finger at her chest. “Cause he’s mine, all mine. Even if I die, he’s mine,” she said, her brows rising in sick joy before narrowing into a snarl. “He used to make love to me you know,” she whispered with happy glee. “I was his first,” she whispered. “You will never compare!”

The sudden blasted words forced Rosie a step back. Then another. And another. This was Maria. This was William’s mother. Josh had said he’d had a good mother. Josh … William’s desperate attempt to live and be normal. Because of this. Because of her.

Images of a little William, scared and crying while they hurt him turned her stomach until there was so much acid, it burned and stole her breath. William being sexually abused by this … person and … her boyfriends? William on the bridge, William only knowing how to die. William starving for real love. For hope.

William stuck. Alone.

With this ... monster. For hismother.

Pain clenched so hard in her chest that she choked on a sob to breathe. “You,” she barely managed, shaking as her feet went the wrong way, took Rosie closer to the thing in the bed.

“Me,” the woman laughed, nodding happily.

“You can’t … have him,” Rosie finally said, shaking her head, close enough for the woman to reach her if she wanted to. Maybe she was hoping she would try. “William is mine,” Rosie whispered to her, holding her gaze as her body shook with her labored breaths. She brought her finger up to the woman and pointed at her. “You will never,” she seethed with her growing rage, “have him ever again.” She ended that promise on a hissed whisper. “I can promise you that!”

Rosie jumped back when she lunged for her with roars and claws.

“What’s happening?” a nurse hurried in, giving Rosie an accusing stare as she went to the vile woman.

“She hurt me. She hurt me!” the lying thing said in broken wails.

“You need to leave,” the nurse ordered over her shoulder.

Rosie didn’t need to be told twice. But she’d meant every word she’d said. That woman’s days were over with William. And numbered with her.

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