*Eli's pov*

Adam handed me a towel to put on my lip that had started bleeding again. "So how did this happen?" Adam asked softly, resting his hand on my shoulder. We were sitting on the dark leather couch in the Torres' living room.

"I went down stairs, me and my Dad started arguing, he grabbed my head and threw my face into the edge of our kitchen counter, then he ran to his car and left." I said all in one breath. The thought of what had happened made me shiver. Apparently Adam could tell because he scooter closer to me and rubbed my arm.

"Eli that's horrible." He said, concern clouding his eye. "You need to tell somebody."

Tell somebody? That was funny enough to make me laugh, but I didn't. "I already did tell someone, you and Clare. And besides I'd consider this a win on my part." I said with a half sincere smile.

Adam's expression went from confusion to shock and then back to confusion. "Win? How is this a win? You have a busted up lip! And I want to look at it."

"I have all my teeth still don't I?" I moved the towel from my mouth so Adam could look at it.

I spent a good few minutes lost in thought while Adam poked at my bloody swollen lip. How had my life come to this? It had all been perfect for so long and now it was back to the way it started. I guess history really does repeat itself. I winced as Adam did something to the cut. I watched as Adam reached for the towel, gently wiping the blood that had begun to drip down my chin. Adam. He must be so annoyed with me, I wish I hadn't called him, it wasn't his job to take care of me. But I hadn't known what else to do. I didn't want to put this burden on Clare. Oh god Clare. She must be so worried. First she was worrying about her parents, and now me too?

"Dude." Adam said waving his hand in front of me. "Dude your phones ringing."

I snapped out of it. I didn't realize I was spacing out. I had a problem with that. But he was right, my phone was ringing. I listened to my familiar ringtone as I scrambled through my jacket pocket trying to find it. I was in such a hurry to answer it that I didn't bother to look at the caller ID informing me it was my mom.

"Hello?" I asked relieved I got to it on time.

"Eli where in the world are you?" My mom asked, her voice laced with irritation. Even over the phone I could tell when I was in for it. She looked for reasons to get mad at me.

"Chill mom. I'm just at Adam's" I tried to be as reassuring as possible. I didn't think it worked.

"Elijah you need to tell us when you're leaving the house. Your dad came upstairs to check on you two and you were gone."

Did she really think he would even think about checking on me? She was with him for 16 years and still didn't know the most basic things about him.

"Sorry I didn't even think to tell him." That wasn't a complete lie. I didn't think to tell him. Mostly because he had just finished beating the shit out of me. "So I think I'll just stay at Adam's tonight if that's-" She cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"No you will not. We're having a family night." A family night? She was insane.

After a few minutes of arguing back and forth, I finally agreed. I wasn't usually one to give in, but when she threatened to not let me see Clare I decided I wouldn't risk it.

I walked in my front door as silent as possible. I didn't want to make a scene out of my appearance. I walked by the kitchen door way and casually glanced in, not expecting to see anything. Instead of a empty spotless kitchen, I saw my mother sitting on the kitchen counter. My Dad had his arms around her waist and they were kissing more passionately then I had seen them do in my entire life. I had the urge to yell at them but I decided it'd be better to pretend I hadn't seen anything.

"I'm home." I called as I continued to walk by the kitchen and into the living room.

I sat down on the old ripped up couch in the middle of the living room. This was the one room in our entire house that wasn't filled with expensive furniture that we couldn't afford. Even my room was decent, the reason she neglected this room would always be a mystery for me.

Picking up the remote I hit the power button and searched through channel listings trying to find something on that wasn't too unbearable. Unfortunately all I could find was News and over rated reality shows. Finally I settled on some gossip show on MTV.

"Eli what happened to your face?" My Dad asked from behind me, making me jump. I had been so caught up in whether or not Miley Cyrus got a nose job that I didn't hear him enter the room.

"Oh god Eli what happened?" My mom asked from behind him. "Don't tell me you got in another fight" she pleaded.

"No I umm…" I stumbled for words. I hadn't had time to think of an excuse, and my Dad's mock surprise threw me off guard. "Me and Adam were just uhh…rough housing and we uhh…got carried away." I really hoped that was believable.

"I guess your Father is going to have to teach you how to throw a punch." She said as she spun around and exited the room.

"Can you go now?" I asked eagerly, not wanting to be near him.

"Now why would I want to do that?" He asked, remaining behind me. I stared straight at the TV hoping he would get tired and leave.

Suddenly he grabbed a fistful of my dark hair and yanked my head backwards as he put is free arm around my throat, cutting off my oxygen. I struggled to pull on his arm as I gasped for breath but it was no use.

Leaning down he whispered in my ear "That's not the way you talk to me."

He released his grip and walked towards the door way. "I'm not going anywhere Eli." He said smiling as he left the room. Leaving me on the couch trying to regain my breath.

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror studying the red mark left on my neck from the day before. I didn't want to go to school like this. I didn't care what anyone else though of the condition I was in, but I didn't want to worry Adam and Clare. I still didn't think there was anything to worry about but I knew they were going to think differently. They didn't understand that this was just part of my life.

I sighed as I thought about the day to come.

A/n: Sorry it took so long to update but schools started again and I just don't have the time. I'll try to update more regularly though = )