Page 127 of All In Good Time

“Freak.”

“Pussy.”

“Fool.”

“Worthless.”

“Disgusting.”

He yelled it all. Every single word his father had ever said to him throughout his entire life.

He screamed like he’d never screamed before. He cried like he’d never had the chance to.

He wanted out of this prison he’d been held in for years.

Ages passed before anything came between them. A blur of fists and cut knuckles on bloody noses pulled to a stop by hands on his shoulders, which lifted him off of his father with ease.

He resisted, at first, but then his eyes caught sight of the people around them in that hallway.

Becca stared at him, her wide eyes silver with tears. He realized the hands holding him had faces and were speaking to him. Familiar, and wearing uniforms.

“Relax, kid.” Sheriff Wade shook him a little and brought him back to the ground. “You’ve done all you need.”

On the ground, Mark didn’t move at all.

Derek exhaled as the words put a stop to his resistance, and his body slumped against the two officers holding him back. He leaned his head back and sighed up into the air.

He went light.

All the fear, and worry, and shame were gone. They evaporated around him as he smiled, eyes closed.

He was free.

47

December 1985

She’d answered the same questions three times already.

The first time for the receptionist, the second time for an Deputy Brigby, and lastly for Winston.

It was easiest to tell Winston, because he already knew part of the story, but it still hurt to say it all.

What happened?they asked.I got a call from Mal, she said. She’d driven to Derek’s house, and by the time she got there Derek was badly beaten.

Did Derek do this?they asked.No, he was protecting himself, she said.Mark did this. Mark always did this.

She learned some things from Winston, as well. Apparently, Mal ran after being hit in the face, similar to how Becca was, but Derek stopped it before it got worse for her. It wasn’t the first time she’d been hurt by Mark just this week—a fact that rattled Becca more than she could say. Neither she nor Derek had noticed.

Derek was being held in custody, because when police arrived, he was the one on top and had hit Mark so hard it knocked him out and landed him in the hospital.

Jennifer was keeping quiet—she hadn’t uttered a single word since being taken in. Her denial to take either side defaulted her to Mark’s. For her negligence of the kids, custody was revoked from both of them.

Both Mal and Derek were okay. Bruised, cut, but okay.

Becca dropped her head and looked at her hands. There was blood on her. She wasn’t sure if it was Derek’s or Mark’s or hers, but it was there. Heavy tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, and she exhaled, relieved.

He was okay. Thank god, he was okay.

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