January 7 2014

Glancing at the numbers on the bedside table clock I sigh before pulling myself from my seat at the end of bed. Sliding from the room I find my way back to the kitchen ignoring the throbbing along my leg and ribs. Leaning against the breakfast bar along the center of the kitchen as I try to catch my breath I take in the mess that is the kitchen. "Men." Moving slowly I begin the task of cleaning up the kitchen as my mind drifts back over the life I have left behind.

"Get up," Ty growls.

"I don't feel like it," I mumble wrapping myself tighter in the blankets ignoring the pain the movement causes. The pain of losing my child cancelling out the physical pain I'm feeling.

"Did I ask how you're feeling," he growls yanking me from the bed.

I gasp as pain shoots through my entire body, glaring up at the man.

"What are you going to do," he sneers. "Hit me? We both know that won't work. You gonna run home to Mommy and Daddy? They hate you remember? They don't ever want to see your whore face ever again. You're a disappointment to them."

"Matt," I moan.

"You think baby brother is going to sweep in and save you," he snares yanking me up by the hair. "He hates you the most. You should have been there last time I saw him. You think what I did to you was bad, your brother would have killed you on the spot. You ruined your perfect little family and now you've done it again. You lost our child," he sneers pressing me into the wall.

"You threw me down the stairs," I pant around the pain.

"Because you don't know when to keep your damn mouth shut."

"Ty," I pant.

"Shut up."

"Ty, please," I beg.

"What did I just say to you?"

I press my lips together and try to breathe shallowly through my nose to minimize the pain.

"Now get your ass downstairs and clean that nasty ass kitchen."

"I hurt too much," I whimper.

A punch connecting with my ribs causing me to double over.

"I don't care how you're feeling. I don't care how hurt you are. You have five minutes to get your ass downstairs and get to work or you will wish for what happened last night.

I force myself to breathe normally and pull myself upright. "One day, I might grow a fucking backbone against you little man."

Pulling myself from my memories I smile slightly. "That day finally came. I grew my backbone."

XXX

"Morning Gorgeous," a male voice rumbles in my ear. A tattooed arm wraps around me from behind as I stand at the stove preparing breakfast. "That smells good."

I try to breathe past the terror filling me.

"What's wrong?"

I jerk as he tries to spin me sending pain shooting across my ribs. "Fuck," I breathe as I lose my balance landing hard on my ass, the skillet following me down to spill hot eggs across my hand. I bite back a whimper as I curl in on myself.

"Fuck," he growls above me.

"I'm sorry," I state instinctually. "I'll clean it up. I promise."

"What are you sorry about?"

I glance up to find dark eyes studying me. "Dark eyes. Not his cold blue ones," my mind rationalizes against the fear. "It's not him. Look again. You're safe with Matt. This must be his roommate." I swallow hard before wetting my lips, my eyes staying on the floor in front of me as I straighten my shirt to cover the edges of the dark bruises along my sides. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

"Funny. I was just going to say the same thing. So random stranger, how exactly did you end up in my kitchen? Are you like the breakfast fairy?"

"I brought her home," Matt's voice answers for me.

"I wasn't aware you had a guest last night."

"It's not like that. She's my sister. Cami?"

"I'm fine."

"Where is your crutch," he asks kneeling beside me his hands going to the brace around my knee.

"The bedroom," I grumble. "I don't need it."

"If you didn't need it, the doc wouldn't have given you one."

"Not my first rodeo little brother," I mutter, cleaning the food off the floor around me.

"Stop it," he grumbles taking my hands in his. "You're a guest here. Stop cleaning."

"But you're a slob."

I hear the roommate chuckle above me. "She does have a point there."

"Come on," he sighs tugging on my arms.

"I know you're just trying to help me, Matt, but this is going to hurt regardless so just let me do it myself."

"Okay."

Taking as deep a breath as my ribs will allow I mentally prepare for the pain coming and facing the two men in the room. Pulling my good leg underneath me I reach up to grasp the counter as I press myself upwards.

"You good?"

I nod banding an arm across my ribs, eyes downcast.

"You look a little banged up, Gorgeous," the roommate comments.

"Really? Hitting on my sister?"

"From what I can see she's gorgeous and I haven't been introduced yet. What do you want me to call her? Hey you?"

"Camille," I answer.

"Tom," a hand comes into my eye line. I gently place my free hand in his. "Pleasure to meet you. So car accident?"

"What?"

"Your brother took off like a bat out of hell last night. You're here beat up. I assumed there was an accident."

"You could say that."

"Momma?"

I feel the two men in the room turn their attention towards my daughter. I drop my arm from my ribs trying to wipe any trace of discomfort from myself for my daughter.

"Hey Mattie. You're up early," I hear Matt smile.

"I gotta eat something before school," she answers wrapping her arms around her uncle's leg.

"I was going to talk to your mom about maybe letting me give you a skip day today."

"Skip day?"

"Stay home from school when you aren't sick," I explain.

"Are we going home?"

"No," I state. "We're never going back home. I'm sorry, Baby. If it's okay with Mr. Tom here," I wave and I watch her turn to the other man, eyes wide. "Uncle Matt said we can stay here for a little while."

"Two beautiful girls living with me? How can I say no to that?"

"Then it's settled," Matt states. "Why don't you run and brush your teeth and get dressed? I went back to your house and grabbed some stuff for you and your mom. It's in the bag by the front door. Just straight out that door there."

"Okay, not trying to get into anyone's business but what the hell is going on here," Tom whispers fiercely once Mattie is out of the room.

"Cami," Matt asks.

I finally raise my head letting my hair fall back from my face. The man standing across from my brother is tall, around the same height as Ty maybe even taller. His dark hair hangs down to his shoulders in tangles from sleep. His bare chest and one arm is decorated with tattoos.

"Fuck," Tom sighs his eyes sliding across my face.

"It's probably as bad as it looks and no it wasn't a car accident."

"I see," his mouth settling into a hard line.

"I don't want to bring any drama to your home," I start forcing my eyes to stay up. "If you want me gone, I will leave."

"Camille, where would you even go? You can't…" Matt starts.

"No, I can't and won't go back. I meant it when I told Mattie that we can never go back to that house. He will kill me. I finally went to the police and exposed him. But I'm not going to bring him down on someone who doesn't want or need his bullshit. You're willing to do that, fine. You're my brother. I'm a stranger to him and this is his house too. If he doesn't want me here, I know my way to the door."

"And go where? You said yourself you have no money, no car, and no one else to go to."

"I will find somewhere to go if need be," I turn back to the other man. "It's your call."

"How long?"

"I don't know how long we'll be here."

"No. How long have you been taking abuse?"

"Almost fourteen years," I answer softly.

"That's a long time to be fighting," he states just as softly. "You look tired. Maybe you should try to get some sleep."

"For how long?"

"As long as you need Gorgeous."

"Camille," I remind him.

"I know," he smiles.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"Someone has to clean up after us slobs," he winks moving from the room.

"Did you really go back to the house last night," I ask turning to my brother.

"Yeah. I ask one of the officers if it would be okay, they said they would send someone to accompany me in so there wouldn't any trouble. I grabbed a couple outfits for the both of you and the toothbrush out of Mattie's bathroom but I didn't know which one was yours. I stopped and bought you a new one."

"Thank you," I sigh limping forward.

"Don't mention it," he murmurs against the top of my head as I lean against his shoulder.

"Is it really over Matt," I sniff. "Are we really safe?"

"I don't know about over. You still have to face him in court. But I can guarantee you're safe now. He's not ever going to hurt you again. I promise."

I feel the dam holding back my emotions break. Wrapping my arms around his ribs I ignore the pull on my own as I sob against his shoulder.

"Shhhhh," Matt whispers above me. "It's okay now. It's okay. Did you get any sleep last night?"

I shake my head.

"Go lay down. I'll take care of Mattie for you while you get some rest."

"I can't lay down."

"Cami…"

"I tried that after my first trip down the stairs. I couldn't breathe and my ribs killed me until I gave up even trying three days later. I finally started sleeping in Ty's recliner after that."

"I'll move one of our extra recliners into your room until you're healed up," he states disentangling himself from me. "Thank you for cleaning the kitchen for us."

XXX

I flinch away from the hand brushing across my forearm.

"Sorry," a deep voice sighs as a weight settles over my ribs causing my eyes to fly open. I jerk away from the body hovering over me causing my ribs to remind me of the damage I endured the night before.

"Whoa. I didn't mean to scare you," they state moving back and Tom comes into focus. "The ice bags that Matt made up for you were starting to leak."

Glancing down I find dark wet circles on either side of me. "Fuck." Jumping up from the chair my knee buckles. "I'm sorry," I whimper from the floor, eyes downcast.

"Camille. Camille…"

"I'll make sure everything is dried and cleaned…"

"Camille."

"Don't…"

He slowly lowers himself so he can look into my eyes and I scramble backwards until my shoulders hit the edge of the mattress. "Cam," he states reaching for me before stopping himself backing up to settling in front of the dresser. "Can I call you Cam?"

I nod slowly ducking my head lower.

"Cam, you are safe here. No one in this house is going to hurt you especially over a little water on a piece of furniture. Your brother is not going to allow that to happen so please don't hurt yourself over it. So are you just going to sit in the floor all day," he asks after a few minutes of silence.

I shake my head.

"Would you like some help?"

"I think I can manage on my own."

"If you don't mind, I would like to stay here in case you need help."

"You don't have to help me."

"I want to," he states.

"Why?"

"Matt's a good guy," he shrugs. "He took me under his wing, helped me navigate the whole wrestling world and all that. He always blamed his sister for his soft heart."

"Blame me huh," I chuckle.

"Plus if I get on your good side I figure you might share some embarrassing stories I can use against him."

"Those I have," I groan as I pull myself up onto the bed. "You're going to have to wait for them though."

"Deal."

"Thank you. For letting Mattie and me stay. I promise to do whatever I can so you won't regret allowing this."

"I will never regret allowing shelter to someone who has been through as much hell as you have."

"I'll try to make our impact on your life as minimum as possible."

"Don't worry about it," he smirks.