Warning: There is an abuse scene first. Just want to make you all aware. It's nothing too bad. If you don't want to read it, skip down to the next horizon line and just know that Erin went home, found her dad drunk and still drinking, he got mad she was late and beat her up.

I shook my head to stop the memories, not wanting to remember what happened next. But as much as you want something not to happen, sometimes it does, and the memories came flooding back, chocking me with their emotions.

I carefully parked my car in the garage where my brother's car used to be. I walk to the front door and quietly open the door hoping my dad might not be home yet or asleep. But no such luck. He was sitting in the dark corner in his chair. The only light was the faint glow from a lamp on the side table, where a bottle of alcohol sat half full. Another bottle was already standing next to it, empty. I could smell the alcohol in the air and feel the waves of anger coming off of him.

"Where were you?" He growls, his voice is rough and filled with barely contained rage.

"I was at a friends house. I didn't realize how late it was. I'm sorry." I said looking down at the ground.

"Where is your good for nothing brother?"

"He isn't good for nothing, he knows how to do a lot of things; you just don't see it." I said, and then shrunk back, realizing I just crossed the line and may have made this 10 times worse. He gets up and walks over to me and gets into my face, his almost black eyes staring furiously into mine. I hate how he makes me feel so weak and powerless. How he can reduce me to nothing. He has the ability to make me feel inferior to him. The fact that I let him makes me angry with myself and angry with him for making me feel this way.

"What the hell did you say to me?" He said in a clipped voice.

"I said that he knows how to do lots of things and that you just don't see it." I say again, my anger getting the best of me. I stare defiantly into his eyes.

"Really and where is this brother of yours?" He asks. I know that he is even madder than I expected. Usually he would have yelled earlier when I said what I said and would have sent me to my room.

"He left because he couldn't take your crap anymore. He left and it's all your fault!" I shout at him. I wasn't prepared for what he did next and I never would have expected him to do what he did. He slapped me. Next, he punched me in the face with so much force that I ended up crashing to the floor, face first. I hit my nose hard enough that it started to bleed. He never had hit Kyle or me before, yeah, maybe a wall or two but never one of us.

"I'm the reason he left? More like you! Look at you! It's your fault! You probably made him go away! Don't you dare put the blame on me when you know it's your fault!" He gave me a kick in the stomach and I felt my ribs bend with the blow. My left eye was already starting to swell and my lip was split. I had managed not to cry yet because I didn't want him to know he had hurt me. I managed to kick at his knee. He yelped in pain and fell to the floor banging his head on the coffee table. As soon as I saw him hit the table my first instinct was to make sure he was okay but I didn't. I slowly stood up and walked over to him. I studied him for a minute and saw the rise and fall of his chest so I knew he was still breathing. I glared at him and felt nothing but hatred. I took one last glance around and then ran out to my car and drove back to Jay's house.

I hid my car around the corner and made my way to his house. I didn't want to face his parents because I knew they would ask questions so I crept quietly to his window, the grass hardly making a noise beneath my shoes. I tapped on the window a few times. I heard some rustling and then the curtain were pulled back. Jay took one look at my face and immediately opened the window and helped me through which proved to be very difficult with my ribs hurting so much. Once inside I collapsed on the floor, leaning against the wall and he crouched next to me, taking in my bruises and cuts.

"What happened?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"My dad, that's what happened." I said tears falling slowly down my face, my words coming out a little slurred from my split lip.

"He hit you?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I got home, found him drinking, as usual. He asked where I was and then where Kyle was. Called him good for nothing. I got mad and said something to him. He got even more mad and then hit me and told me it was my fault that Kyle left." I said the last words so quiet that I didn't know if Jay heard me. I looked into his eyes silently asking him if I was really to blame.

"Oh, Erin. It wasn't your fault and you know it. Kyle left because of your dad. It had nothing to do with you. You know he would have taken you if he could." Jay pulled me into a hug. I just leaned into him, not having the energy to do much else. "How did you get away?"

"I managed to kick him in the knee and he fell down. He hit his head on the coffee table. He was still breathing when I left but I didn't touch him." Jay pulled back and looked at me.

"We definitely need to clean you up. Come on, we have a first aid kit in the bathroom."

"No. I can't go out there, your parents will see me."

"No they won't. They aren't even here; they went on a trip. Now come on." He grabbed my hand and together we walked down the hall to the bathroom. He opened the door and turned on the lights. The bathroom was an ocean blue color. There were lights that had seashell covering, and the shower curtain was an ocean print with fish swimming on it. Jay brought me further into the bathroom, lifted me up, and sat me on the counter next to the sink. He reached into a cabinet next to the mirror, pulled out a first aid kit, and sat it next to me. My nose and lip had already stopped bleeding and my eye and lip were swollen. Jay said he would be right back and he disappeared out the door. A few moments later he reappeared with an ice pack to put on my eye, some medicine and a glass of water. I took the medicine first and then took the ice pack. I held it to my eye while he wiped the blood off my face. I winced when he cleaned my lip.

"Now I know I look like crap." I said remembering my words from that morning. It seemed so far away now.

"No you look fine."

"Yeah if your idea of fine is bruised and swollen." I said started to laugh and stopped instantly as I felt pain ripe across my side. I wince and held my side, willing the pain to go away.

"Lift up your shirt." Jay said looking at my side.

"No. It's nothing." I said, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Lift up your shirt." Jay said and I could tell by his tone that he wasn't going to give up until I did as he said.

"Fine." I said with a sigh, which made another stab of pain in my side. I reluctantly lifted up my shirt to reveal my stomach. The right side was already a dark blue and purple.

"Oh Erin. Like this is nothing." He sighed and looked through the kit for something to wrap around me. He carefully wrapped me up and then closed the first aid kit.

"Now it doesn't hurt so much to breath."

"Well I did the best I know how. I'm not a doctor."

"Thank you. I don't think I could have made it by myself." I leaned forward and gave him a hug. His arms came cautiously around me so as not to disturb my side. I let go after a bit and leaned back against the wall.

"We need to get you into some clean clothes." He said looking at the blood spots on my shirt and pants. "I'll be back." Jay disappeared through the door again and came back with a shirt and some shorts. I got down off the counter and took the clothes from him.

"Thanks." I said looking at the clothes.

"Your welcome." Jay put away the first aid kit and grabbed the ice pack and glass. "I'm going to go put these away and give you a couple minutes to get dressed. I'll wait for you in my room." I nodded and he left closing the door quietly behind him. I turned towards the mirror and finally looked at myself in it. I was a mess. My left eye was shining blue and purple, but was only half way swollen shut. The ice pack had helped a lot. My lip was puffy and purple. The cut was kind of deep. It might leave a scar. I carefully pulled off my shirt, not moving too much to make my side hurt more than need. I pulled the white shirt on, kicked off my shoes, and unbuttoned my jeans. I stepped out of them and got the pair of black shorts on, which was a little awkward but I managed to get them on. I grabbed my bloody clothes and shoes. I opened the bathroom door and shuffled my way down to Jay's room. I found Jay sitting on his bed lost in thought.

"Hey." I said dropping my shoes near the door. Jay looked up at me and I could tell he had been thinking about what had happened to me.

"Hey. Feeling better?" He asked standing up.

"Yeah, thanks to you. What do you want me to do with my clothes?" I asked.

"Oh I'm just set them on the table there, we'll wash them in the morning." He said pointing to a little table next to a pile of laundry. I walked over to him and grabbed his shirt.

"I got blood on you." I said as I saw the little bit of blood my nose and lip had left on him.

"Oh, I didn't even notice." He stood up and took off his shirt to revel a very muscular chest and arms. I've always had a slight crush on Jay. I mean, what wasn't there to like. He was a couple inches taller than me, around five' ten''. All tan, muscular body, blue eyes, blonde hair that was always falling into his eyes, it kind of gave him that mysterious vibe. I felt that flutter in my stomach when he looked up at me and smiled. I scolded myself for feeling like that. Jay probably looks at me like his best friend's annoying little sister I told myself. He tossed his shirt over to where my clothes were on the table. I stood there not really knowing what to do. I was really tired and yawned.

"You should get some rest. You could stay in the guest room." Jay said starting towards the door. I grabbed his arm as he walked by.

"Jay," I said in a frightening voice, "I don't want to be by myself, do you think I could sleep in here with you?" I asked looking down at the floor. I think Jay understood that I was still scared.

"Yeah. Come on." He walked over to the side of his unmade queen sized bed and got in. I went to the other side and gently got in. The bed was soft and the sheets were cool and smooth against my skin. Jay was laying on his side watching me get in, making sure I was ok. I gave him a smile to tell him I was ok. He turned around and turned off the lamp. The only light in the room was the moonlight from the window that fell across the bed.

"Jay?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you hold me till I fall asleep?" I asked in a small voice. I remembered all the times Kyle would hold me until I would fall asleep when I had a nightmare or dad got into one of his fits and I couldn't sleep.

"Yeah." Jay said after a moment. I turned towards him so I was sleeping on my good side. Jay was lying on his back and I moved forward so I could lay my head on his chest, my hand falling on his stomach. I could feel the hard muscle underneath it. It was odd how comfortable it was. I felt his arm come around me and he started rubbing my back. His other hand brought up the blankets around us. I eventually fell asleep with the steady rise and fall of his chest. It would be the first of the many times to come that I would run to Jay's house.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!