Monster in My Bed

Chapter Thirty-Five | Manipulative Prick

I think I'm getting used to riding around in cars, or maybe the medication is just really doing its job. Either way, I only throw up every twenty minutes now instead of five. I would say I'm certainly improving in some way.

"Can we stop the car for a second?" I asked, feeling the bile begin to build up in my chest. With a sigh, Matteo pulled the car off to the side of the road. I leaned forward and drew in deep breaths to try to make the sick feeling go away. His hand rubbed my back soothingly as I rocked back and forth. The hair on my arms stood up as electricity danced across my skin from such a simple gesture. The things this man did to me.

"Ew," my dad gagged from the back seat. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Matteo sharply turned around to give my father a warning glare.

This is how most of our ride has gone. We drive a little, I feel nauseous, we stop, Matteo tries to make me feel better, my dad gags from the back seat, Matteo snaps at him, and then repeat.

We stay like this for a couple minutes with me hunched over my knees while Matteo's palm dances over my back. We'd come to realize that aside from the medicine, this also does quite the trick. Matteo isn't the biggest fan of me sucking down two pills every time I feel my stomach start to churn which I'm assuming is because of his mother, so we've agreed to turn to an alternative method instead. I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy this method a lot more.

"I think I'm okay," I sighed as I pick up my head. I catch my reflection in the rearview which causes me to grimace internally. My cheeks were flushed, and my hair was sticking to the sides of my face from the never-ending cold sweats.

"Are you sure?" Matteo asked softly, his dark eyes peering intensely into mine. I know he doesn't like seeing me like this. Especially when he knows a large part of it is induced by what is to come. The thought of what we were on our way to do made my stomach do a flip, but I ignored it.

"Yeah, lets just go. We're almost there, right?" I asked, hope lacing it's way into my tone. Matteo gave me a weak smile as he brought my cold hand up to his lips.

"Yeah, twenty minutes, but I can make it ten." I smiled as he placed a soft kiss to the back of my hand.

"Then, let's f—king go," my dad snapped from the back. I rolled my eyes at how eager he was to reach our destination. He had no idea of what was to come. Again, Matteo's eyes snapped back to my father. They hesitated for a moment before coming back to me. Before I had time to say anything, Matteo placed a soft kiss to my lips which instantly made any nauseous feeling in my stomach subside. Well, I guess I'll have to remember that for next time.

A low growl sounded from behind us making me wince. My dad was tolerating Matteo. After speaking to him in the cellar about my mom, I think something in his demented brain may have clicked. Just one thing, though. He's still pretty messed up, but at least he isn't being as awful.

Now, I'm just the awful one—giving up my father to save myself.

I pulled away from Matteo and gave him a knowing look. I knew he only did it to irritate my dad. Matteo wasn't one for affection, especially with other people around.

Despite my look, his face remained totally neutral and void of emotion. I rolled my eyes as he put the car back in drive and sped to our destination.

True to his word, we made it there in ten minutes. I only know this because I made sure to watch the clock on his dash and count down as the minutes went by. I swear, every time the number got smaller, the car sped up about ten miles. It was stupid moments like these that I think I was going to miss the most if all of this ends up falling in Vindicta's favor.