Page 8 of Accidental Irish Daddy

“Scarlet whore,” he mutters as I clean. “Teach you to talk back to me…”

I need to get out of here. This is no life for me or Bridget.

The stairs are still sticky, but they’re finally clean.

I rush upstairs to mine and Bridget’s bedroom and knock on the door.

“Hey, Gidget,” I say through the door. “It’s me. Let me in.”

The door clicks unlocked, and Bridget’s face appears as she cracks the door open. Seeing it’s me, she lets me in.

I walk in, and she closes and locks the door behind her.

“I see Liam’s back on his bullshit,” I say, smiling at her as I get my clothes from the drawer.

She laughs a little, but it’s a hollow sound. There’s nothing funny about this situation.

“It’s my fault,” she mumbles. “He started drinking around noon. I should have just stayed out of his way.”

I sit down on my bed, looking over at her.

She’s too young to have to be dealing with this. Just eight. Still in strawberry blonde pigtails, a smattering of freckles across her nose.

She walks over and sits down next to me, putting her head on my shoulder.

“Do you have to work tonight?”

I nod. “But it’s only for a couple of hours, then I’ll be home. I’ll bring dinner and everything.”

She smiles, uttering a soft, “Yay.”

“So…how bad was he really? Did he hit you?”

She shakes her head. “Just yelling this time. Sounded like he tossed one of his beers at me, though. I don’t know. I was already up the stairs.”

I rub her head gently. “As much money as he spends on alcohol, you’d think he’d learn not to throw his bottles at us. He’ll probably pass out very soon and then you’re good for the night.”

She sighs, then coughs a little.

I look down at her. “How are you feeling? You breathing okay?”

She nods. “You said to use the inhaler once instead of twice a day and that’s what I’ve been doing.”

I hate telling her to do that.

She needs to take her meds as directed but…but they last longer this way. So long as she’s not running around too much, she’ll be okay.

Hopefully.

“I’ll see if I can get Dr. Mills to prescribe a ninety-day supply next time.” I kiss the top of her head and stand up. “I have to get going.”

I put my clothes and shoes in my bag, and she watches me silently. I hate leaving her in this house with that maniac…but staying home means no money at all now that Uncle Liam got me sacked from the hospital.

I was doing so well, too. Nursing assistant. It wasn’t going to be long before I had enough to go back to nursing, and once I got a job as a nurse, I could move out of this dump…

Guess I’m just going to have to find another way.

***

---