Page 21 of Insatiable

He snatches my jaw again, angles my head right back, and before I can yell at him to fuck off, or even take a breath, he pries my lips apart and pours the wine into my mouth.

“Stepsister. So I can do whatever the fuck I want to you. You’re mine, remember? Now, since you like to drink so much, fucking drink.”

I choke, slapping at his chest, face and arms, but he doesn’t budge as the alcohol glugs down my throat. I cough as it flows into my eyes, up my nose, down my top and soaks my clothes, and I try to close my mouth, to clench my teeth or cough the liquid away, so I can fill my lungs with air, but his hold on me only tightens. Pain erupts all over my face from his grip, and tears mix with the red wine on my cheeks.

My chest is burning, sick rising up my throat with the wine he’s drowning me with.

The tears falling down his cheeks make him look like he’s hurting, but he’s the one abusing me. He always cries.

He stops and steps back, wiping his face with his sleeve. I drag in breaths and try to blink away the burning in my eyes, nearly vomiting my dinner back up as I drop to my knees and gag.

“Are you going to answer me now?”

Barely able to fill my lungs with air, it takes me a full minute to make sure I don’t pass out. The room is blurry and spinning, and so much pressure is building behind my eyes and my head.

“Fucking answer me!”

When I ignore him again, his foot drops down on the back of my head, my mouth colliding with the ground, and I instantly regret coming home.

6

STACEY

“Right, I have a proposition for you,” Lu says excitedly.

I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror, wiping away the condensation from my shower. There are black circles beneath my eyes, probably from my lack of sleep over the last few days. I have a gash on my cheek from where my face smacked into the floor, and I’m certain my pinkie is broken from Chris stomping on it.

This needs to stop.

I just have no idea how to end it. Even if Nora or Kyle would believe me when I told them, I don’t think they’d be able to stop Chris from burying me in the garden. I even contemplated telling Kade a few years ago, because I knew he’d do something about it. But every time he asked me where I got my bruises, I’d lie and say they were from dancing.

I always lie. And I hate it.

“What’s the proposition? And no, I’m not taking your classes when you get back from America. I’m far too busy.”

“You did before!” she exclaims, and I can tell she’s probably throwing her arm around and pacing her bedroom. “Please. I really can’t be bothered teaching a bunch of kids.”

“No.”

She sighs. “Fine. But wait, you said whenyouget back, not we. Are you not coming?”

“I am. I’m just tired is all. Who’s going again?” I ask, rubbing my towel into my hair to dry it a little then putting her on loudspeaker to brush my teeth.

“Just us I think. Mum and Ewan are there already obviously, and Jason didn’t get time off work. My grandmother is apparently meeting us at the hotel near my dad’s institution, but we’ll see. She never shows up.”

I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I get why Kade isn’t going.

“Your dad’s mum?”

Lu huffs. “Unfortunately. I can’t stand her, and I’m certain my mum wants to punch her in the face every time she talks.”

Her phone beeps, and she’s silent for a beat.

“Oh shit, yeah, my brother just reminded me that him and Dez are fixing the ceiling at the studio tonight. Aren’t you taking the dance class?”

Oh fuck off.

“Awesome.” I sigh. “Yeah, I am. I’m taking over for Tylar’s classes until she gets back from Rome. It’s the advanced class.”

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