Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 150968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
That day, he hissed in our faces, practically spitting in fury as he told us to stay quiet, to not say anything to the cops or we would end up just like our mother.
So a terrified eight-year-old Cole and Colton obeyed.
Many times I’ve wanted to tell the truth. I remember the kind eyes of the officer as he asked me questions, and I wanted to tell him. The words were right on my lips…but I just couldn’t.
I kept my mouth shut and allowed my father to get away with his lies.
And in doing so, Cole and I became his unwilling victims.
He is a heartless bastard, just like our mother called him.
But she paid the ultimate price and left us behind. In the lair of the devil. For him to use as his pawns. We were an outlet for his hatred and frustration.
Cole and I are simply puppets to our father.
“You remember what he did to Mom,” I remind my brother. “We know what he’s capable of.”
Cole runs his fingers through his shaggy hair. “Sometimes I wonder if it’d be better off if we were dead. If we had died along with Mom. Maybe death would have been a better ending for us.”
I snap up and clasp my brother by his shoulders, shaking him. “Don’t you ever dare say that again!” I say, choking on my words. “I need you alive, Cole. We survive, that’s what we do.”
“But I can’t watch you take a beating for me. I won’t. I can’t.”
“You’ve done it for me before. Many times.” I try to smile, in a way that will calm my brother. But I can’t even fake it for him. My smile shakes and he sees it. “When I was sneaking out and you’d take the fall for me. You’ve always protected me from our father’s wrath because you knew he’d go easier on you than me.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s not the same. He wasn’t this cruel before.”
“Cole,” I say, my hand still on his shoulder. He lifts his eyes to mine, and it’s like I’m staring into the mirror. He’s a reflection of myself. “You’ve always played the role of the good brother. But don’t forget, I’m older than you by four minutes. Let me do the protecting this time. Let me be the older brother you need. I got this and I got you.”
Cole is quiet for a long minute, before he reluctantly nods. He chews on his lip, and then gestures to my bruised, welted back. “Does it hurt?”
“No.”
He laughs quietly. “Liar.”
I smile, before admitting the truth. “It hurts like hell.”
But we survive — because that’s what we do.
We will always survive.
I can still hear Cole and Josie’s cries echoing in my ears. Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever forget those horrified and haunted screams as the car drove into us. Or maybe we drove into the other car.
I blink, forcing myself to breathe. My lungs contract with such a force that I’m afraid they will fold in on themselves and my vision blurs.
I wish I could pretend everything is just a bad nightmare, but the pain in the back of my skull cruelly reminds me that it is real. My head feels like it is on the brink of exploding, the pain insistent and fierce. But I know it’s nothing compared to what Cole’s going through.
I heard the doctors talking.
Badly broken arm, three fractured ribs and a possible fractured skull.
My only consolation is that he’s passed out, so maybe he’s not in pain right now.
As for me, somehow, I’m okay.
Physically, I guess.
I don’t think anything is broken; except, my fucking head hurts like hell. But I’m the only one who walked away fine from the accident.
Josie…
I lick my lips and swallow down the acidic bile before I gag on it. Shit, I’m going to be sick. Why wasn’t she wearing a seat belt? Fuck.
I close my eyes, but there’s no escaping the bloody images of her. Her mangled body and swollen, disfigured face. The force of the impact had sent her flying through the windshield. I heard her petrified screams, and then complete silence.
Josie’s dead.
We killed her.
I don’t know, I can’t remember everything clearly. It all happened so fast. But I know one thing for sure, we shouldn’t have let Josie drive.
“I’m not drunk,” she argues. “I only had like two drinks. Maybe just a little tipsy.”
Cole shakes his head, reaching for the steering wheel. “Just stop the car, Josie. Let me drive.”
“You don’t even have a license.” She laughs, but there’s something off about it. Shit, Cole is right. But neither of us have our license yet. Cole would say this is the advantage of having an older girlfriend. Josie is sixteen; she just got her driver’s permit. But she definitely shouldn’t be driving right now.
“Stop. The. Car.”