Forbidden Love: My Daddy's Best Friend

Running

My body hurts too much, I watch them move away from me and I quickly move into the corner and cradle myself, listening to Joel telling them that’s enough for tonight. I refuse to cry, throughout it all I refuse to cry or beg them to stop because I know it gives Jake and Oliver too much pleasure. They are sick and twisted, so even if them touching me breaks me I won’t let them see it. I stay quiet, knowing the rules, I don’t move or talk after, and I wait for Joel to tell me what to do.

I listen to their conversation, Jake and Oliver have a sick look of accomplishment on their faces, tonight was partly my fault. I should have been smarter, I should have realised Joel was waiting after how I acted last night. I fought Joel for the key to escape and lost, then this morning at work, I snuck out the back door without Oliver seeing me. I thought I had escaped, but as soon as I rounded that corner Joel was waiting and grabbed me. Tonight is Joel’s way of reminding me how bad things can be if I don’t follow his rules. I just wanted to get away from them.

This is all over my stupid actions when I met him. I thought it didn’t matter, I came into it blind and ignored the warnings. Now he thinks he owns me and is entitled to use me in any way he wishes. He can, because he knows my weakness and I can’t let others get hurt trying to rescue me from my foolish mistakes.

“So, tomorrow night?” Jake looks at Joel, he winks at me and I try to show it has no effect but it does. I know this has set my escape back years, I have only had freedom the last few months to work with Oliver, and before that, I was locked in here.

“Maybe, it depends if she remembers how to behave.” Joel looks at me and I nod, agreeing that I do know how to and I will. Maybe if I behave it won’t be over a year before he lets me leave again.

“Shame, I could really have more fun with her.” Oliver laughs and I bite my tongue, fighting not to swear at him.

“Get dressed little mouse.” Joel looks at me and I move getting dressed. I want a shower, but I won’t speak until they are gone. There's a chance if I speak he will tell them to continue so I won’t, not yet. “I will let you two know tomorrow, so don’t make plans as there's a chance you will be back here.” He’s wrong, I won’t argue or fight not if he’s bringing these two back into it.

I watch as Joel walks to the door, unlocking it Oliver and Jake walk out.

“I’m taking out the rubbish. Stay there.” I watch him walk out and hear the door locking. I won’t move, it’s pointless anyway, sitting I wait and ten minutes later he walks back in and locks the door.

“Can I get a shower?” I stand and look at him, turning he stares at me shocked.

“Already?” He shouts and I stay stood.

“I’m not starting, I just want a shower!”

“No! You will stay like that as a reminder.” His words a vicious, but I can’t accept no as an answer.

“I’m getting a shower! You can’t stop me!” I move to walk to the bathroom and hear him moving, before I can even get out of the room his hands have gripped me. I fight against him as he calls me ungrateful and hits me.

I thought now they were gone I was safe, but for some reason, Joel is just as angry now as he was earlier. I cover my face as he keeps hitting me, and I scream, trying to escape him. The word sorry screamed from my lips as the pain from before seems to melt into agony.

He drags me up by the hair, his face in mine as he speaks. “You seem to have forgotten you’re mine! I make the choices, and you do as I f*****g say! I guess Jake and Oliver come back tomorrow night.” He throws me to the floor and storms into the bedroom slamming the door. I stop crying and cradle myself, my eyes scanning the apartment and stopping at the door.

He forgot the key! I peer through my fingers wondering if it’s a trap. Staggering to my feet I grab the car keys from the side and creep to the door. My hand slowly turns the key and I watch the bedroom door, waiting for him to come back out. He never leaves the key in, part of me really thinks he was so mad I asked for a shower that he forgot, and another part is scared as hell this is a set-up.

I feel panic surging through me as it unlocks and I expect him to come out but he doesn’t. Opening the door, I sneak out and run through the hall of the apartment, I don’t consider what I am doing, if I do I will go back. Getting outside I run to the car, watching behind me but he isn’t following. Slipping into the car I start the engine and speed off, not caring if I get speeding tickets, they are worth it for my freedom. I wipe my eyes trying to calm myself down. I’m out, and new panic sets in as I realise I have nothing, no money, nothing.

I’m safe though, I keep telling myself to remember I am safe. A few hours later I stop, parking the car hidden away just to be safe. I begin searching the car and my body hurts as I move but I have no time to worry about lasting physical damage. I pull out everything, and cash falls out from the middle of the maps.

Well, that’s one benefit to him using my car. I don’t need luxury right now, so the money is enough to get me set up. Using the phone I search for places to stay, looking at places I know he won’t consider. I stop at an ad.

Run down, issues every other day. Planned to be demolished within two years. Week-by-week rent could possibly be forced closed due to safety hazards at any moment. Hitting the number I message to see if there's an apartment available. I don’t care how bad it is, it’s cheap enough and it’s that run down that Joel will never think I would stay there.

An hour later I get confirmation it is mine if I’m willing to pay £40 today. I agree and begin driving there. I stop the car a short distance away from the apartments. Looking down at myself I groan. I have no shoes. I step out of the car and stop realising I do. Rushing to the boot I open it, and there it is. A bag of my old clothes and things that Joel had forgotten to throw.

Taking out my kick-ass biker boots I slip them on and already feel amazing. I grab the bag before locking the car and walking to the apartments. Ten minutes later I arrive, I parked away so there is less chance he knows where I am.

Walking in, I look around and laugh, the ad wasn’t lying, there is buckets everywhere catching leaks. Holes in the walls, everything. I find 102 on the second floor, a man leans against the door, his head raising as I walk towards him.

“Harley?” His eyes widen when I get closer and he sees me, but he doesn’t ask anything. “As I said, it’s run down, old, furniture is crap, buy new if you want, £40 a week.” He holds out keys, his eyes once again taking me in, I can see the worry on his face.

He clearly has questions but doesn’t ask, this building shows he ignores everything, there could be a murderer hiding here and he wouldn’t care.

“When do I need to pay the next week's rent?”

He stands looking at me and sighs. “Get settled and a job, I have this week's money so how about I give you four weeks, in four weeks you pay for those four weeks and the next week?” He is only been nice because I look like I’m fleeing a domestic abusive relationship, which in a way I am but it was far worse than that.

I agree and thank him, he gives a quick comment about which apartment is his if I need help with anything before walking off. I watch him disappear before stepping into the apartment and locking it. Panic builds as I consider if it’s a set-up, but how can it be? Joel can’t know I’m here.