Lovers End

She snuck into her house, carefully closing the door behind her, avoiding the creaky floor boards. She warily climbed the stairs, keeping to the left side and skipping the first one. She new it didn't make a difference, but it was habit.

She walked slowly past her parents' room, pressing an ear to the door, only to be met with silence. She frowned and listened harder.

Still nothing. She shook her head and proceeded to her room, slowly turning the handle and entering, not quite prepared for what she would see...

Her father was sitting on her bed, staring at her. Fear filled her body, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello, Esmee. Just where did you go off to last night?" he said, his eyes a cold blue.

"I-"

"We had some unfinished buisness."

"No..." He laughed and stood up, walking menacingly towards her.

"Yes." She shook her head and backed up against the door.

"No, no, no..."

"Where did you go?" he yelled as he took the last few steps. She could practically feel the hate radiating from his body.

"Nowhere, I-" He slapped her, and she gasped. She hadn't expected that. Sure, he'd hit her before, but somehow it surprised her every time.

"Where the FUCK did you go?" he yelled at her. Tears poured down her cheeks.

"I didn't go anywhere-" she sobbed, and he punched her, knocking her to the ground.

"Lying bitch."

"No!" she screamed, and he kicked her forcefully in the stomach.

"Shut up." Esmee shook her head, curling into a ball on the floor as he proceded to kick her.

"You fucking bitch."

"MOM!" Esmee screamed, and her father laughed.

"She can't hear you."

Her eyes widened.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Dan laughed, his voice echoing through her room.

"Don't worry, she's still alive. Just unconscious. She wouldn't shut up, either." He kicked Esmee in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her, and she gasped for air.

"I hate you," She cried, her voice barely over a whisper.

"You know what? I hate you too, you little shit. You're worthless, just like your mother." He then continued to beat her, kicking and punching, whatever he could think of, and she continued to scream, until she was too weak, and she eventually lost consciousness...

***

She woke up on her floor, lying in a small pool of her own blood. She groaned and sat up, every inch of her bruised. Her entire body ached...

She got up slowly and made her way to her bathroom, inspecting the damage. Lots of bruises...Jesus, she looked like one huge bruise...

Dried blood flaked out of one of her nostrils, and she could taste it in her mouth, where her lip was split. She was covered in cuts, including one large one on her back, twisting from her left shoulderblade across to her navel.

She shook her head and grabbed a towel, the blood on her hands staining it red. She threw it over the now dry pool on her floor as she checked the clock in her room.

One PM. She'd been unconscious for about three hours. She sighed and grabbed some tylenol, dry-swallowing three pills.

She heard a car leave the driveway, and she looked out the window to find that her father had left for work. Fucking bastard.

Her mother burst in her room, looking about as beat up as Esmee was.

"Esmee! Are you okay, honey?" She said, running to her daughter and embracing her.

"I'll be fine... Are you?" Josephine sighed.

"I don't know... I'm so sorry, baby..." Her faint Danish accent comforted Esmee, almost like a lullaby. Josephine held her daughter at arm's length and sighed.

"Is there somewhere you can stay?" Josephine asked. Esmee frowned.

"What do you mean?" Her mother paused.

"I can't have you live like this. It will only get worse. Don't you see that? You must leave... tonight." Esmee nodded, and Josephine wiped the dry blood off her daughter's lip.

"Gather some clothes. Here, I'll help you." She pulled a backpack from under Esmee's bed, and the two of them filled it with clothing.

"You can come back for the rest later." Josephine's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, darling."

"I love you too, Mom."

"Don't come back for me. I will find you when the time is right..." Mother and daughter sighed, and fell into one last embrace.

"Now go. I will find you. I love you." Esmee nodded and made for the door, stepping in her own blood and leaving a trail to the front door. She ran to the only place she could think of...

Billie's house.

She knocked on the door, and a tear fell from her eye. She quickly brushed it off as Ollie answered. Her eyes widened as she looked at Esmee's bruised and bleeding body.

"Esmee? What happened?" Ollie asked, her green eyes filling with concern.

"Is...Is Billie home?" Esmee asked quietly. Ollie nodded.

"Yeah... Come in, he'll be right up." She ushered Esmee to the lounge and gently pushed her into a chair.

"Now you sit right here, and let's get you cleaned up... Billie, Esmee's here!" Ollie said, making her way into the kitchen.

Soon Billie bounded in the room, but stopped when he saw her.

"Esmee? What happened?" He walked over to her and gently held her face in his hands.

"Can I crash at your place? Just until I find a place to stay, I swear." Billie smiled faintly.

"You can stay here as long as you need."

"Thanks..." She looked at the floor as Ollie came bustling back in, carrying a first-aid kit and some wet washcloths.

"Now move, Billie Joe, let me get her cleaned up." Billie obeyed, and Ollie proceded to clean the dried blood off her face.

"Now what happened, honey?" Ollie asked, gently mopping her face with a wet cloth.

"Nothing... It was nothing."

"Bullshit..." Billie said, and Ollie glared at him.

"Language, Billie Joe... Esmee, it's okay if you don't want to tell us. We just want to help you." She gave Esmee a comforting smile.

"Mom, I told Esmee she could stay with us..." Billie said.

"Of course you can! You can have Michelle's old room-"

"Mom..."

"Oh... Yes, that's the storage room... Um..."

"You can sleep in my room, I'll take the couch."

"No, that's okay, I can sleep on the couch-" Esmee started, only to be interrupted by Ollie.

"Don't be silly, dear. You can sleep in Billie's room." She smiled faintly.

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how much you helped me." Ollie and Billie smiled back at her.

"Anytime, dear."