stay. Of course, I couldn’t, so I went out and bought her a phone. It’s just one of those crappy prepaid, and all I could afford for her to have was a text package, but at least she has a phone now. It cost me nearly every penny I had saved since taking Amelia’s job at the bakery, but it was worth it to give her a way to stay in touch with me.
She pulls out of my arms and stands up. “I know, but it won’t be the same.”
With that, she stomps to the other side of the room and starts straightening her already made bed. “You’ll be halfway across the country. You’ll forget about me when you have your real sister back. You won’t ever think about me again, never mind bother coming back here.”
I’m about to tell her that’s not true, but stop when I notice Mr. Adams standing in the hallway. His eyes are locked on me, and a slimy smile is on his face. Just looking at him sends a chill through my body. His attempts to get me into bed amped up after Amelia left, but I avoided being alone with him. Luckily, he hasn’t attempted more than a brush of my boob. Still, that is too much for me.
I glare at him, but he doesn’t notice because his attention is now on Natalie. Seeing him look at her causes bile to rise up in my throat. Jumping up, I rush across the room and slam the door. Going straight to Nat, I grab her arms and force her to look at me. “I want you to stay away from Mr. Adams.”
“What are you talking about?” Natalie asks, her body going solid.
I try to think of a way to say this without making her scared, but I know that isn’t possible. "Mr. Adams isn’t a nice man.”
“Is he like my dad?” she asks, her voice filled with fear.
I close my eyes, trying to hide my pain. “No, he’s different but just as bad.”
Natalie came here after her dad burned her with a cigarette. He’d been beating on her for years, and her mother did nothing to stop him. Most of her bruises were hidden by clothes, but he got sloppy when he burnt her, leaving the evidence on her cheek. When she went to school, her teacher reported it and she was taken out of the home the next day. Her good for nothing parents didn’t care that she was being taken away, and they still haven’t even come to visit her.
“He could hurt you in a different way, so I want you to stay away from him,” I explain, trying to keep my voice calm. “Some men, women too, like to hurt kids in another way.”
It kills me to talk to her about this, but I don’t have a choice. She’ll be here on her own, and she needs to know to protect herself. “He may try to touch you, or try to get you to go into his and Mrs. Adams’s bedroom.”
Her pupils dilate to twice the size as she whispers, “Okay.”
“If he tries anything, you call the police then text me right away,” I say, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I’ll be here as soon as I can.”
A part of me wants to turn Mr. Adams in, but that could make things even worse on Natalie. Amelia and I were lucky, being placed here early on. Some of the other girls had it much tougher. The stories they told about their other foster homes were enough to give me nightmares. As much as Mr. Adams freaks me out, I know it could be a hell of a lot worse.
Nat grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I won’t be alone with him.”
“And you’ll call the police if he does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable?” Looking down at her, I try to be as stern as possible.
“Yeah,” she says, giving my hand another squeeze.
“Promise?” I ask, hoping she understands how important this is.
She nods, pulling me in for another hug. “I promise.”
Chapter Five
July 19th, 2015
Eli
ETHAN STOPS the truck in front of a dilapidated white house. The place looks like it should have been bulldozed years ago. Instead, it’s standing there waiting for the next good wind to blow it down. I can’t believe anyone would live in such a shitty place, but the
She pulls out of my arms and stands up. “I know, but it won’t be the same.”
With that, she stomps to the other side of the room and starts straightening her already made bed. “You’ll be halfway across the country. You’ll forget about me when you have your real sister back. You won’t ever think about me again, never mind bother coming back here.”
I’m about to tell her that’s not true, but stop when I notice Mr. Adams standing in the hallway. His eyes are locked on me, and a slimy smile is on his face. Just looking at him sends a chill through my body. His attempts to get me into bed amped up after Amelia left, but I avoided being alone with him. Luckily, he hasn’t attempted more than a brush of my boob. Still, that is too much for me.
I glare at him, but he doesn’t notice because his attention is now on Natalie. Seeing him look at her causes bile to rise up in my throat. Jumping up, I rush across the room and slam the door. Going straight to Nat, I grab her arms and force her to look at me. “I want you to stay away from Mr. Adams.”
“What are you talking about?” Natalie asks, her body going solid.
I try to think of a way to say this without making her scared, but I know that isn’t possible. "Mr. Adams isn’t a nice man.”
“Is he like my dad?” she asks, her voice filled with fear.
I close my eyes, trying to hide my pain. “No, he’s different but just as bad.”
Natalie came here after her dad burned her with a cigarette. He’d been beating on her for years, and her mother did nothing to stop him. Most of her bruises were hidden by clothes, but he got sloppy when he burnt her, leaving the evidence on her cheek. When she went to school, her teacher reported it and she was taken out of the home the next day. Her good for nothing parents didn’t care that she was being taken away, and they still haven’t even come to visit her.
“He could hurt you in a different way, so I want you to stay away from him,” I explain, trying to keep my voice calm. “Some men, women too, like to hurt kids in another way.”
It kills me to talk to her about this, but I don’t have a choice. She’ll be here on her own, and she needs to know to protect herself. “He may try to touch you, or try to get you to go into his and Mrs. Adams’s bedroom.”
Her pupils dilate to twice the size as she whispers, “Okay.”
“If he tries anything, you call the police then text me right away,” I say, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “I’ll be here as soon as I can.”
A part of me wants to turn Mr. Adams in, but that could make things even worse on Natalie. Amelia and I were lucky, being placed here early on. Some of the other girls had it much tougher. The stories they told about their other foster homes were enough to give me nightmares. As much as Mr. Adams freaks me out, I know it could be a hell of a lot worse.
Nat grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I won’t be alone with him.”
“And you’ll call the police if he does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable?” Looking down at her, I try to be as stern as possible.
“Yeah,” she says, giving my hand another squeeze.
“Promise?” I ask, hoping she understands how important this is.
She nods, pulling me in for another hug. “I promise.”
Chapter Five
July 19th, 2015
Eli
ETHAN STOPS the truck in front of a dilapidated white house. The place looks like it should have been bulldozed years ago. Instead, it’s standing there waiting for the next good wind to blow it down. I can’t believe anyone would live in such a shitty place, but the
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