The Girl With The Tattoo

52. leaving home

Lexi

As I walk into my house, I feel empty. During the entire walk home, I couldn't stop thinking about what I said to Sophie and how I might've ruined our relationship. Because the truth is that I lied to her. I told her that I cheated on her which certainly isn't true!

I would never do anything like that to her! I mean, I know that I got carried away with Isabella but I just wasn't thinking. Jesus, the whole day I haven't been thinking straight!

I don't bother to take my shoes off this time. And before I can even walk a few steps down the hall, I feel a presence behind me.

I just know that it's him.

"Alexa..." I hear my dad's voice "I think we need to talk."

"We really don't." I reply, talking quietly.

"No, I think we do!"

I feel him getting closer to me and he begins to lecture me on my behaviour today "I got a call from your teacher about an hour ago... He told me what happened. He told me what you did to that poor girl! What was going through your head?!"

I lower my head in shame.

"Answer me!" He screams, causing my body to jolt.

"I don't know."

"You don't know what?!" He asks me

"I- I don't know!"

"Look at me when I speak to you!" He demands, anger in his voice.

"You got yourself suspended?" He asks me, talking about how Mr Adams has decided to take away my place.

I shake my head "It wasn't my fault! She came at me and I had to protect myself. I didn't think that he would kick me out because of that!"

"Yeah, you didn't think!" He shouts "That's the problem, you didn't think!"

I lift my head and I notice just how close he is to me. He looks at me with disgust and I feel my heart beginning to beat faster as I become scared.

"And look at your face! You look like a fucking mess!" He talks about the bruises that have been left "No girl should be walking around like that!"

He laughs "Fuck, you look just like your mother! You make me feel sick!"

And before I try to apologise to him, he gets even closer to me. He pushes me up against the wall behind and I feel like I'm suffocating. He then moves his head towards my neck and I realise that he's smelling me. And I get goosebumps as I stand in shock.

He sniffs my scent "I can still smell sex on you. I can smell every one of those filthy girls that you let into your pants..."

"What?" I ask him, in utter shock at the fact that he knows that I'm a lesbian.

"You can't hide anything from me. I knew that you were a fag just like your brother..."

He continues "I was already ashamed of you and now that you've gotten yourself removed from dance, I couldn't be more embarrassed of you! I don't even want to call you my daughter!"

"Dad, I'm sorry!" I try to apologise to him yet he doesn't want to hear it.

"You let all those girls touch you, put their fingers inside of you, and then you hide away in here like you're some innocent little girl." He then moves closer towards me, whispering in my ear "Not anymore..."

"W- what? What are you talking about?" I ask him.

I then feel my body being lifted up, his hands grabbing my waist and nails digging into my back. He pulls me over his shoulder and I feel a rush of panic instantly wash over me. I feel his power over me and it makes me think of my brother Carl and what my dad used to do to him.

I immediately begin to fight back. I kick my legs, trying to break free.

"Let me go!" I scream at him "Fucking let me go!"

Instead, he doesn't "Don't make this harder for yourself!"

"No! Let me go!"

I've never fought so hard before. I use all of my power to try to break free from his hold on me. But he begins to take me down the hallway towards his bedroom and it gives me even more motivation to get away from this situation.

I kick harder, now digging my own nails into his skin "Fuck you!"

And because it's not working, I decide to dig my teeth into his neck, biting him. I taste blood immediately as my teeth sink into his skin. And somehow, it makes me feel powerful.

Instantly, I feel myself hitting the floor as he finally lets go of me.

"What the fuck?!" He shouts, holding onto the part of his neck that I'd bitten "You fucking bitch, that hurt!"

"You f- fucking bitch!" He mutters to himself "You'll pay for this!"

"You'll get what's coming to you! Just watch!"

I watch as he walks away from me. I feel relieved as I realise that he's done with me. The thing is that he hates when someone gives him a hard time. He hates when he doesn't have the power and he knows that I wouldn't let him do anything to me. I'm stronger than Carl was.

But as I rush towards my room, I realise that I need to leave.

So I grab as many things as I can, throwing them into my backpack. I take my clothes, my phone, my charger and any spare food that I have lying around. I don't even think twice about this because I know that I'll just become one of his victims.

So I shove everything in there, not giving him time to return to me.

And I quickly pick up my phone, dialling Troy's number. Unfortunately, it immediately goes straight to voicemail.

"Troy, you gotta help me! I'm leaving and I need you to help me get some things together. I don't have a place to stay so I was thinking of coming to your place for a few nights whilst I get some things together. Okay, as soon as you get this, call me back. Please don't ignore this, T! Remember, you fucking owe me one!"

After I finish sending him that message, I place my phone into the pocket of my hoodie. I then slip on one of my jackets so that I can keep myself warm. Lastly, I grab the $20.50 that I have saved under my mattress.

I take one last look at my room, realising that I might never see it again. I don't mind though as it has so many bad memories attached to it. So then I walk right out of the front door, not bothering to look back.

I don't know where I'm going but I know that I can't live here anymore. I'm never coming back.

And as I'm standing in my front yard, I hear his voice from inside "Lexi, where the hell are you?!"

And again, I hear "Lexi! Don't you dare hide from me! Where are you?!"

I immediately begin to run as the front door opens and I see him step outside.

"Lexi!" He screams at me "Get back here right now!"

"Lexi!"

"I'll fucking kill you!" He shouts "I'll fucking kill you when I get my hands on you!"

But instead of giving him a chance to take me back into that house, I decide to run as fast as I can. I don't look back, not daring to check whether he's trying to catch up with me. I just keep running and running, my heart pounding against my chest.

And after a while, I take a look behind me and I realise that I'm alone. I breathe a sigh of relief as I realise that I'm free.