Don't Blink | ✓

029

Walking through the house the second time was less awe inspiring and kind of boring to Justin at this point. It was all a facade and despite the millions of dollars her parents seemed to have, Blink somehow rode the fine line between poor and dirt poor.

There was still a missing link of the puzzle that Justin had yet to figure out— he was sure of it. Although as he held a secure hand to the small of Blink's back and quickly ushered her through the house, he was also sure that he couldn't handle anymore surprises.

So far they'd avoided Blink's mother and as they stepped through the cracked door of Althea's pink room, Blink rubbed lazily at the puffy bags under her tired eyes. Nearly an hour ago, while the two teens showered at Rey's, Justin suggested using his phone to call Blink's mother. That way Blink could convince her mother into letting her come to the house later, so she could go back to the van and catch up on sleep.

Blink only shot down the idea, preferring not to speak to her mom unless she absolutely had to. We have a deal and I'm not going to be the one to break it... Blink had muttered in reply.

When Althea spotted the two at the door, she was on her small feet in seconds and flying across the room to attach to Blink's legs. "I missed you," she whispered against her sister's pant leg.

"I saw you a couple days ago" Blink chuckled, stroking her sister's chestnut colored hair.

"It feels longer than that" she sighed. "I wish you would just stay here with me. You could sleep in my bed with me and we could play the piano all the time. We could ask Mommy—"

Blink's interruption didn't seem to phase Althea. To Justin it seemed as if she had asked Blink the same question multiple times and knew she would never hear the answer she truly desired. "Don't be silly, Althea. Get out of your pjs and then we'll start"

Pouting, Althea nodded slowly, her eyes flicking up to Justin before her eyes went wide and her small hands flew up to cover her mouth. Motioning him down to her level with her hand, she quickly laid a soft hand to his cheek, her nimble thumb stroking the bruise there. "Justin... what happened?" She looked over to Blink in horror.

"Am I that ugly?" Justin suddenly broke out into a smile, the healing split of his lip catching the little girl's attention.

Using her pointer finger to touch the bluish-purple bruise around his eye socket, she searched his golden eyes carefully. Leaning in she whispered lightly, "Was it the men in the suits?"

Watching as Blink paid little attention to their confrontation, her main focus on rubbing out the frown lines from her face, he shook his head at the little girl's inquisitiveness. "I haven't got to meet them yet. But I promise when I do, I won't let them hurt Blink"

Smiling, she turned then, moving across the room and through another door to a connected closet. Justin watched as she searched through the dozens of small clothes that hung up neatly in their respective place.