"Well, well, well--what do we have here?" Earl asked suspiciously.
"What are you talking about?" Ethan asked calmly.
He gestured to Ethan's arm still around my shoulder, Ethan quickly removed it. My skin tingled wonderfully where his arm was, but I shook it of.
"That's better." Earl smirked weirdly. "Hmm, I think we have a pair of lovebirds!"
"Um no, we don't. Ethan is just being nice, something you seem to be incabable of." I hissed. How dare Earl ask some stupid question like that! But when I said Ethan and I weren't lovebirds, I could of sworn I saw his eyes flicker to mine and his shoulders slump a little bit--but it was probably just my imagination..
Earl glared at me. "You better watch your mouth Ms."
I glared back. "No."
Earl took a step towards me. "You are testing my patience, it won't last very long if you keep that smart-a$$ attitude."
"Oh wait, you were being patient before?" I asked to annoy him even farther.
He took more steps till he was right in front of me. "Shut-up Ms."
Why did he keep calling me Ms.? "Make me." I hissed sofly.
Earl's eyes flashed with anger. "As you wish Ms."
Right before he was about to slap me Ethan yelled worriedly, "No, Earl, she didn't mean it!"
But Earl didn't respond, and neither did I--because Earl slapped hard across the mouth, and then pushed me down. His breath was coming out in fast, shallow huffs and I heard leather being run through belt loops. Oh no, Earl was going to beat me--but I would not show him any sign of pain.
"Earl, don't! Please!" I heard Ethan yell frantically
.
I felt sharp, agonizing pain across my legs, and I let out a scream against my will. I mean, how could I not? I was being beaten with a belt! Earl just took my scream as encouragement, because he hit me with that gawd forsacken belt a numerous amount of times. And when I tried to crawl away he grabbed me by the arms and flipped me over once more and continued to beat me till I was limp. Even Ethan tried to take the belt away from him and Earl just shoved him away! When I thought I could take it no more, Earl stopped--thank gawd.
"Maybe now you will think the next time you try to mouth off to me." Earl said menacingly, and walked out of the barren room. I then let my held back tears stream down my face and I hid my face in the ground.
Ethan then came over to me from where Earl had shoved him to the ground, he did it so hard Ethan had blacked out. Ethan picked me up bridal-style and walked over to the corner of the room and quietly laid me down on the ground. He knelt beside me and checked my legs, there were red puffy criss-crossed marks from where the belt met with my skin and he said softly, "I'm so sorry." and he actually sounded like he meant it.
I then whispered shakily (i was still crying), "I- I know." And with that he scooped me up into his arms and buried my face into his chest while I stained his shirt with my salty tears.
After a while he laid me against the wall and whispered, "I'll be right back."
A few minutes later he came back with what looked like a first-aid kit. Ethan opend it out and took out Hydrogen Peroxide to disinfect my cuts. He said, "This might sting." And then poured it over my cuts, he was right. I bit my lip trying not to cry again and watched the white bubbles fizz while they disinfected my cuts.
He then took out some gauze and tape and covered my beating marks with them. When he was all done I let out a breath which I realized I'd been holding in, but surprisingly my cuts felt better.
I looked up at Ethan and half-smiled. "Thanks." I said softly.
He half-smiled back. "No prob." He then scooped me up into his lap again and we stayed like that for a while more. But then my stomache growled and I realized I hadn't eaten in over 24 hours!
Ethan heard it and asked smirking, "Hungry?"
I nodded with a lopsided smile on my face. He winked at me and walked out of the room again, he returned with a ham and cheese sandwhich, water bottle, and an apple.
"Sorry it's all we have." he apologized.
I stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thankyou, I don't know what I would do without you here." and I meant it, he was my saviour.
Ethan grinnned. "It's my pleasure."
I smiled and sat down and gobbled down all the food. When I was finished Ethan sat by me and said something that nearly made me choke on my food with surprise. "Raegan, Earl has hurt you to much this time, I don't think I can take it anymore. We need to come up with a plan to escape."
