Group Therapy

69 - Booze And Heroin.

"You are broken on the floor and you're crying, crying. He has done this all before but you're lying, lying to yourself, that he'll find help, that he will change to someone else."

Broken - Isak Danielson.

° ° ° °

I decided against going shopping with alex and his dad, instead l decided I've had enough of eli's silence and that it was time to go see what was going on.

Hannah and l learned to keep things between us at a young age as a result of our parents always finding away to pin it on each other so she was fine babysitting hunter until l came back.

I park my rusty old car in eli's drive way and hop out, making sure to keep the keys between my fingers after locking it. I know too much about abusive fathers and according to past experiences I'm nearly 100% sure l won't be able to take on eli's shithead father even if l tried.

Knowing better than to knock on the front door l make my way to the back, eli has a one storey house so l begin to peak around to try and locate his bedroom.

Putting my hands up to the cold glass in attempt to help me see inside l take a look, just an empty kitchen.

I carefully move to the next window and do the same, only this window has it's blinds half closed.

Through the half-closed venetian blinds l can still make out a figure standing inside, too skinny to be eli's father l recognize him as eli, wearing really heavy clothes.

I mean it is very cold but shouldn't he have the heaters on considering he's inside his own house?

I inspect the room for his dad and upon not finding anyone else, l knock on the window, with my keys still in hand.

I hear faint shuffling coming from the inside before eli rolls up the blinds.

A look of panic flashes over his face upon seeing me as l motion for him to open up.

He takes a look back at his closed door before opening the window, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

I was a little taken back by his strong choice of words, eli rarely ever swears when it's serious.

"What did you exp-" l stop when l notice the bruises on his face. "What the hell happened!?"

"Listen, you can't be here. He could wake up any minute. You have to go." he whispers in a panic.

"No eli I'm not going anywhere! Not until you explain everything." l already know what's going but god do l hope I'm wrong.

He takes another quick look back before stepping away from the window and motioning for me to come in.

With a little extra effort l manage to climb inside and I'm surprised when the warmth l was expecting never comes.

"It's freezing in here, why don't you have your heaters on?" l ask, dusting off my clothes.

"I would love to but if you didn't already notice, the power's out. Dad hasn't paid the electricity bill in two months now." he offers me a seat on his bed next to him and my attention is brought back to his bruises now.

"Again, how the hell did this happen?" l instinctively brush my thumb over the bruise and pull away immediately when he flinches. "Sorry, force of habit."

"Yeah, it's fine. Not really a big deal, just another fight." he mutters, keeping his eyes focused on the ground.

I've been in his situation before and l was always afraid of telling people because they would always overreact, l don't want to do that to eli.