Over The Edge
Summary: Warren was never pushed. Kirsty struggles through choices, trying to save everyone around her when she is the one who needs saving. Adam&Kirsty
Chapter 1
Warren's face was pressed up against hers, his breath hot on her face.
"Do it." This time it was just a whisper, so quite there was a chance he wouldn't here it, close as he was. Still, Kirsty stared up at him, willing herself to stay strong. She could see the hesitance in his face, the battle for control inside him.
His fingers dug into her shoulders, his grip so strong that she could feel the bruises forming- bruises on bruises. A growl escaped his lips, raw and unrestrained. Kirsty winced. In her head she was picturing Nita, alone in her room, and wondering how much of their conversation she could here.
The break of eye contact was enough for him.
A hand released her shoulder, but the relief was short-lived as it drove deeply into her side. The pain shot through her and she bent double- away from the stairs, not toward. Warren dropped her other shoulder and stepped back, a look of menace on his face.
"Bitch." The word was spat at her, full of venom. Kirsty tried to find the energy to stand, to fight against him. She clutched desperately at the wall, trying to make eye-contact with him. For a half-second he looked at her and she felt like it could've been the same look he gave her twenty years ago... Then he left the room, taking long, powerful strides, interrupted only by his pronounced limp.
As soon as he was gone the energy left her. She exhaled in one long breath, beyond tired. Her hand released the wall of its own accord and she slid slowly down it. The world span. Warren's footsteps echoed above her as he headed toward their bedroom.
Just a second she told herself just close your eyes for a second. She blinked once, slowly. Then again. Everything seemed to be fading. Somewhere in the background she could hear a pounding on the door and a voice- someone calling her name. It sounded far away, but familiar.
"Adam?" His name left her as a whisper, an unintentional confession.
In the hall, Nita was standing only a few feet from the door. If she answered the door then her mum might be angry, but she didn't think that Adam would leave. She reached out for the handle, then pulled back. What if he wanted to come inside? Or talk to her directly? Her hand hovered delicately in the same place, hesitant and trembling. In one swift motion she pulled the door open, only a crack, and stuck her head in the gap.
"Nita?" Adam looked frantic, closer to the door than you would expect for someone paying a quick visit. "Nita, where's Kirsty? Where's your mum? Is Warren there? Are you okay?" His words were hurried, his questions seemingly endless, and Nita felt as if there was too much pressure on her. She tried to shut the door again, to pretend that he wasn't there and she had never opened it in the first place. His questions reminded her that Warren was there, that he was angry- there was no way he would want Adam in here, not after what he was shouting earlier. Adam's foot shot out, keeping the gap just big enough for his face to appear, pleading.
"C'mon Nita? Let me in." For a second Nita would've opened the door, would've told him everything, would've just hugged him and cried, but a floorboard creaking upstairs reminded her that it wasn't that simple.
"Mum's gone shopping. Sorry." Her reply was curt and impolite, but it had the effect needed and Adam's foot removed itself from the door frame. Nita swiftly pulled it closed. Her hand remained on the handle and she rested her forehead on the door, willing herself to move into the other room. On the other side, Adam knotted his hands behind his head and took a few steps back, eyebrows raised. He ran a hand over his face and turned, slowly, toward his car. The steps he took back to it were slow and weary and once inside he simply sat, unsure of himself or what to do.
Nita made her way into the kitchen, looking for her mum. She wanted to call out to her, but her dad was so unpredictable she didn't know if it would anger him. Two steps into the room she spotted her mum collapsed against the wall.
"Mum!" her cry was subdued, but still panicked. "Mum? Can you hear me?" Nita crouched next to Kirsty and lightly slapped her face, hoping for some kind of reaction.
Kirsty forced her eyes open, fighting the drowsiness and the pain that doing so entailed. Everything was a blur around her, but she could hear a voice, someone talking to her.
"Adam?" She had been sure he was there before she fell into the blackness. Kirsty blinked once, twice, trying to get a focus on what was in front of her. Everything started to clear and she could see Nita sat on her heels, a confused look on her face.
"Mum? Are you okay?" Kirsty groaned and raised one arm to her face. She could feel a bruise starting to form and her lip was split. A headache pounded through her skull.
"Fine, Nita, I'm fine. Just give me a minute." Kirsty pulled herself up into a more normal looking sitting position, still dependent on the wall for support. Nita made to help her, but she raised a hand to stop her. She could do this.
"If you say so mum..." Nita walked out of the room and straight out of the house, unwilling to stay there when her mother didn't want to speak to her and her father was aggressive and unpredictable.
Kirsty managed, with huge effort, to stand and stumble to the bottom of the stairs. She hesitated there, still afraid of what Warren might do and cautious of the pain climbing the stairs might cause her.
Warren's snores echoed down the hall. The sound brought Kirsty to awareness. There was no way she could simply lie next to him and pretend that nothing had happened. She was so tired though. Kirsty turned away from the stairs, instead heading for the living room. Surely one night on the sofa couldn't hurt?
As Kirsty lay on the sofa, she fought to keep her thoughts from wondering if she should try again, should leave Warren. The idea scared her, but maybe with Adam there it was doable... But if he were to try and help he would be put in the path of Warren's wrath... Her thoughts whirled as she fell into a fitful sleep.
Adam collapsed, exhausted onto his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about Kirsty. She hadn't been answering his calls or texts, and Nita had looked so worried when she said she was at the shops. What if Warren had done something? What if he'd left Kirsty in even more danger? He ran his hands subconsciously over his face, trying to erase the worries of the day. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.
At 1.49am, Nita Clements stumbled through the park, trying to find her way home. None of her friends had been available and it was now too late and too cold for her to go anywhere else. She pulled her coat tighter. Maybe she should rest for a while, after all she had been walking for over an hour. Nita sat down heavily on a bench, less than a mile away from her house. Maybe she should lie down- surely that would replenish her energy faster? She wished she had some food or a blanket. As she lay there, the bench began to seem more comfortable. A quick nap couldn't hurt. Nita slowly closed her eyes, falling deeply asleep, the sounds of the quiet park much more comforting than the normal screams that accompanied her sleep.
Please Review I love them! Tell me if you think my portrayal of the characters was at all off :)