The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 50

(A/N This is probably my favorite sad chapter. Not gonna lie.) 

Yes. I'll admit it. I forced him to go on the slide with me as well as the swings and then a little hike down the nearby path. We yelled to Dominic and asked if he wanted to join but he dismissed us with a wave of his hand. By the time we got back, I was dead tired. The lightweight shirt I had worn wasn't sticking to my back, but I was sure the loose strands from my ponytail were plastered to my forehead.

I sat on the opposite side of the table and dropped my head down on my arms. I looked up to see Damon sit across from his brother and pull out his book.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked as I gulped in as much air as I could. The sun beat down on my face and I considered moving over to the shade but didn't feel up to it.

"Not really," Damon said. "I work out a lot."

Dominic rolled his eyes and teased his brother, but I barely noticed. I saw a red minivan pull up and a mom and a dad get out of the car simultaneously. The dad walked around to the trunk and popped it open, pulling out lawn chairs and a backpack that was presumably filled with toys or snacks. I saw the side pocket jammed with a thick bottle of water and a granola bar.

I turned to see the mom at the side door of the car, leaning in and speaking to whoever was inside very softly. She suddenly picked something up and spun around in our direction. I saw the soft tangled blonde hair of a little girl who appeared to be taking a nap in her car seat before she was rudely awakened. She didn't seem cranky though; merely confused as her parents walked her out and set up their stuff.

"What're you looking at?" Dominic asked me curiously.

"Just some people." I said softly, like my voice would shatter the perfect day they all seemed to be sharing together.

"Well don't keep staring, you creep." He said jokingly, nudging my knee with his. I looked down at the table.

"She can people watch if she wants to, Dom." Damon said, eyes on the page as if he was talking to the characters in his book. I nearly turned to him with an open jaw. Damon, defending me?

"I guess so." Dom said with a chuckle, looking back down at his phone.

I turned back to the family curiously, but more subtly this time. I dropped my head down once more and peeked through my brown hair. The wind shuffled it, sometimes blocking my view, but mostly providing the perfect curtain through which to watch.

The little girl was awake now, and excited as a kid could be. Her white-blonde hair fell in long curly wisps against her large cheeks, and her blue eyes shone even from here. She smiled almost effortlessly as her dad picked her up and placed her on his shoulders.

He ran over to the playset and set her on the top level, before pretending to be a monster and chasing her around the area for a while. He pretended to climb up the slides and rock wall and then finally took the stairs two at a time and caught her at the top. He swept her up into his arms and tickled her mercilessly before bringing her down to the picnic blanket that her mom had set up nearby. She was lost in a fit of giggles as she was placed on her mother's lap. They started eating lunch, so I turned to watch the long grass roll in emerald waves with the breeze that was beginning to pick up. The sun tickled my skin and Damon made a small pleased sound at something happening in his book, I guess.

I woke up to Dominic shaking my shoulder gently.

"What?" I asked him, confused. I didn't remember falling asleep, but I wasn't fully awake I suppose. The sun told me it hadn't been long. Where was the family though? Was the girl okay?

"Time to go, sweetheart." Dominic said in a low voice to me. I spun to the picnic blanket that I had been watching earlier and a wave of relief spilled over me. The girl was okay. She, too, had fallen asleep. But instead of leaning on a picnic table, her head rested on her mother's knee and her feet curled beneath her body like a bird's wing. Her mom ran her fingers through her daughter's hair slowly, almost in time with the breeze.

"Dude. We're leaving!" Dominic said again. He and Damon had walked halfway to the car before they noticed I wasn't following them.

"Sorry." I mumbled, running to catch up.

"Something wrong?" Damon asked me as we got into the car.

I shook my head, but tears were threatening to spill over. I pressed my fingertips to the cold window as we pulled out of the park and headed home.

"You took a little nap there, huh baby?" Damon asked me.

My heart tightened and hardened, and I felt the pain inside me like I had never felt it before. It felt like a poison coming from inside of me, that was seeping out in every direction.

I knew what Charlotte would want me to do: put a name to the feeling. All I could really describe it as was bad.

"I guess." I replied blandly. I wished I could make my voice happier but I didn't want to lie and my throat felt thick with something.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded, unable to say yes or no.

When we got to the house, I hopped out of the car before anyone else and ran inside. I made it to my room and slammed the door shut violently. I dove into the bed and curled into a ball.

Why was I in so much pain? Was it Damon and his fake niceness? Was it the fact that I was forced to spend time with them today? Anger overtook me as I thought about Charlotte forcing us to be nice to one another. They weren't my brothers and I wouldn't be here forever.

The anger built up as I took more and more shallow breaths and clutched my pillow closely. Tears finally fell as I took advantage of the free time I would have before I was forced to see the Anders again.

Why was I crying? Nothing was wrong with today!

And then I pictured the little blonde girl and the way she laughed with her father and rested beside her mother and the tears began to pour. Why wasn't she worried? What made her so innocent and gentle and free?

Why didn't I get to do that?

I want to be free, too. Why her and not me?