Page 3 of Like An Animal
“Move,” I warn, narrowing my eyes at him. “I’m not speaking to you. You’ve pissed me off enough to last a lifetime.”
A subtle smirk rises across his lips, accenting the bruise on his cheek, courtesy of Tiernan McGowen and his right hook.At least he got one good punch in before Finn and Eoghan separated the two heathens.
I can see his thoughts written on his face.
I thought you weren’t speaking to me.
Smart ass.
Maybe he doesn’t talk much because everyone can read every thought on his face. He’s expressive as fuck.
“Fuck. You.” I roll my eyes at him before pushing his arm out of my way.
I make my way to my room, close the door, grab some clean clothes, and head for the shower. I can’t wait for this day to be over, but the bad thing about it being over is that means nighttime has begun. Nighttime is ten times worse than the day and it has nothing to do with my brother.
***
I like to pretend I’m a ghost, like I’m not really here and everything that happens is happening to someone else. It’s still horrifying and disgusting, but not nearly as bad. I adopted this tactic after the first five times my father came to my bed. At first, I tried to justify it. Maybe he was drunk and thought I was my mother, but then my mother died and I couldn’t use that excuse anymore.
He knows better.
Heknewbetter.
Doing what he does is wrong. It makes me want to throw up and rip off layers upon layers of my flesh until nothing he has touched remains. Then, I wouldn’t be tainted the way I am.
I’m dirty.
Disgusting.
Diseased.
Tears flow down my face as he throws on his clothes and leaves the room, but the door doesn’t close all the way. I sit up as I hear voices.
“What the fuck were you doing in there?”Jeremy.
The color drains further from my face until I must look like I’m painted in grayscale. I grab my robe from the floor and slip it on as I tiptoe to the door, sneaking a look through the crack. Jeremy is shirtless with rage rippling throughout his entire body.
“I was visiting with my daughter. What’s the problem, son?”
If that’s what he calls visiting, I’d hate to see what he qualifies as fucking. I wouldn’t know what that is like though. I’ve never consented to sex with anyone and gone through with it. Every time I have, Jeremy has intervened. Maybe I’d feel like I have some control over my life if I had.
Having sex wouldn’t fix my problems, but it would help adjust my psyche.
With zero warning, Jeremy grabs my father by his shirt and slams his back into the wall so hard I jump back, but I can still see the rage painting his features.
He looks ready to kill.
“You listen to me, you piece of flaming human garbage.” He growls in his face. “If you ever go into her room or so much as look at her funny again, I will kill you and bury you in the back fucking yard. The things I will do to you before I put you out of your goddamn misery will make even the devil weep. Do you understand me?”
A tear trails down my cheek as I realize that Jeremy knows exactly what he did to me and has been doing for years and like any other time a man has tried to touch me, he’s doing whatever he can to protect me.
Oh, Jer.
“You’re crazy!” my father gasps.
Then, Jeremy flashes a psychotic grin. “Yeah, I’m crazy and you don’t want to see exactly how much more intense that will be if you hurt her again. Are you going to be a good little bitch anddo as you're told or do I need to make Kathy a widow? Just so you know, I’m hoping you choose the latter. I’m only giving you an option because you’re the only blood relative she has left and I’d hate to be the reason she becomes an orphan. Choosenow.”
I hear my father gagging and it’s then I realize Jeremy is choking him, but I don’t step out to stop him. Why would I? If I had the nerve, I’d kill him, too.
