Isla

Chapter 2

Isla woke up with a pounding headache, listening to her mother scream at her father about who knows what.

She had been thinking a lot about what Sierra had offered, and she was seriously considering it.

She could negotiate some sort of rent, but ultimately, it would save her money. Plus, it eased some of the fear she felt about leaving her home.

Sierra made her comfortable. She treated her kindly, and Isla knew that moving with her would be less lonely. She didn't know Caleb that well. He had come into the office once or twice, and he was polite.

Jane's footsteps grew closer, and Isla tensed as they approached her door.

The door got thrown open so violently that it made a scary cracking sound as it hit her wall.

"Isla," she screeched.

Isla sat up, squinting at her alarm clock, to find it barely after midnight.

"Mother," she murmured. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," she sneered. "It seems I have an ungrateful daughter on my hands."

Isla stood up shakily, confused by this anger that was somehow her fault.

"I get home from a long day at work, only to find a voicemail from your job. It was the doctor confirming he got your two weeks notice. Do you want to explain to me what the hell that is all about?"

The dread was immediate. It made her knees weaken unsteadily. She never had any intention of telling her parents she was leaving.

She struggled to come up with some sort of lie. "The bus route...it hardly lined up with my shifts," she offered.

She should have seen the strike coming, but she didn't, as her mother hit her face with a closed fist, barely missing her right eye.

She struck a second time with her open palm. Her rings cut into her skin. Isla gave a soft cry, reaching up to protect the area from another blow from her hand.

"You're a liar," she spit. "Wait until your father hears about this."

Jane disappeared, and Isla took her sleeve to dry some of the blood she could feel running along her face, or maybe it was tears.

As soon as the door was closed, Isla pulled a bag from her closet, stuffing it with everything she deemed worth saving. She could live in her car for all she cared, but she had a sinking feeling that this was not the worst of it.

She tucked her phone in her pocket, placing the bag on her shoulder. She was hoping her parents had gone to bed, but her father was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where the hell do you think you're going this late?" he asked. He coughed dryly, dropping his cigarette butt into a bowl on the entry table. It made her cringe, all the times he used to burn her with them as she walked by. He would laugh at her pain, like it was amusing.

"I'm going out," Isla mustered with all of the courage she had, which wasn't much.

Hank gave a scoff of a laugh. "Only whores go out this late. What's in the bag?"

He reached for it, and she took a staggering step back.

That angered him. She could see it, the way his face darkened.

He shoved her hard. She landed harshly on her side against the wooden steps. She could feel her wrist crack as it took the brunt of her body weight. She sobbed, unable to make any other noise of pain as she could barely move from the compromised position.

Her dad's large boot came forward, finding her side. Each kick was matched with some harsh, graphic language that became a haze.

"If you think life is better out there, then leave, Isla. I do not care if I ever see you again."

His words hurt, but he left her alone after what seemed like a lifetime. He disappeared into the living room, and she struggled to sit up. Her arm felt like dead weight, spreading a fire of pain all the way up to her shoulder.

Her salty tears burned her swollen face, and her ribs protested all movement.

She saw stars as she sat up. She hung her head, allowing herself a moment to close her eyes, willing the pain to go away. When the ringing in her head faded, she used her good arm to grip the railing, hoisting herself up.

The sudden jostle nearly made her crumple back down, but she braced herself against the wall. She just had to get out of there.

The cool air was refreshing on her heated skin. Every step felt like a mile, and Isla decided she couldn't go past her front porch.

The light in her parents' room went out, and she knew they both were turning in for the night. She dropped onto a stair harshly, cradling her wrist to her chest. She needed help.

She pulled out her phone slowly, finding Sierra's number.

Sierra answered on the third ring.

"Isla?" she asked, sounding like she had been woken up. Isla felt guilty for bothering her. "Is everything okay?"

The tears fell faster, and she couldn't muffle her sob.

"I'm hurt," she said. She sucked in a labored breath. "I think I need to go to the hospital."

"Okay," Sierra said, shuffling around. "Tell me where you are. I'll come get you."

It felt like forever for Sierra's car to pull up on the curb. It seemed like she hardly got it in park before she jumped out, racing over.

"Oh, Isla," she whispered, lifting her head gently to inspect her injuries. She gasped when she took notice of her discolored, swollen wrist. Isla continued to cry, dropping her head onto Sierra who rubbed her back.

"Can you stand?"

Isla nodded, and with Sierra's help, she was able to stagger to her feet. Sierra picked up her bag, and helped her into her car, before speeding off.

Isla cried the whole way, for both the physical and emotional pain, and the relief that it was all finally over.

---

"Thanks for staying with me," Isla told Sierra as they waited for the x-ray to come back. She was getting drowsy from the pain medication.

"It's no problem. Why don't you come back home with me? There's not another bedroom in our apartment, but you can crash on the couch."

"Sierra-"

"I'm serious," she said. "And I know what you are going to say. Caleb was the one who brought it up, actually. I know you don't want our pity, but we want to help you. Please let us."

"I was going to say that I think I want to move with you, if the offer is still open," Isla said.

Sierra smiled, a bright one that lit all of her features.

"Absolutely. This is a new beginning, for all of us."