"Oscars the father," I mumble as I shuffle back to the lodging house. I don't know what else I expected to be honest. Who else would it be. "This can't be happening. This can't be real." Tears start to roll down my cheeks. "What am I suppose to do?"
When I get to the front of the lodging house, I don't go in. I stand out front staring. How am I suppose to explain where I've been. I can't tell them the truth, that's for sure. "Here we go," I sigh, before opening the door.
Not even a second later, I hear a familiar voice. "Liv!" Suddenly, Jack wraps his arms around me, crying into my shoulder. "I was so worried! I-I thought you were dead!" He grabs my face in both of his hands, looking me in the eyes. "Where on Earth have you been?"
"It doesn't matter, Jack."
"It does matter Liv! Where have you been?!"
I gulp. "Our old house."
Jack's face softens a bit. "What?"
"Our old house. I've been in the room we used to share for the past three weeks."
Jack's eyes trail down to the bruises on my neck. I see his eyes get narrow, full of anger. "I'm going to kill that man."
"Jack-"
"What did he do to you? Why are there bruises on your neck?"
"He just made me do things around the house. The laundry and stuff like that."
"That doesn't answer my other question Liv." His breathing is weird and forced. "Why are there bruises on your neck?"
I look down, away from my brothers gaze. "He got a bit...violent at times."
At first, Jack doesn't move. He doesn't say anything. The only noise is that of the creaking wood floors. I look back up at my brother. His eyes are cold. "Jack....are you ok?"
"How dare he put a hand on you...how dare he call himself our father!" Jack breaks away from me and looks towards the door. "I'm going to get him. He'll be lucky if he ever sees the light of day again
"Wait Jack!" I yell, grabbing his arm. "Please...I was never suppose to tell you he took me. I don't know what he'll do if he finds out I did and I don't want to. Please, promise me you won't go after him."
Jack sighs. "He said not to tell anyone?"
"Yes. Please just...forget it happened...I don't want you to get hurt."
"Fine," Jack says turning to face me. "I won't go. But it's not for him. It's for your safety."
I smile and wrap Jack in a hug. "I missed you."
"I missed you to," he says hugging me back. "I won't let him hurt you. Never again."
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Jack, can I go for a walk?" I ask. We've been sitting in the lodging house for about and hour and, considering I just spent the last three weeks locked in a room, I am itching to get outside.
"Um...let me think," Jack replies from the bed next to me. "No."
"Give me one good reason why not."
"I can give you three. One, you just got back. Two, last time you went out alone you got kidnapped by our father. Three, because I'm your older brother and I said so."
"You're only older by one year," I mumble.
"Doesn't matter," Jack says, sitting up on the bed. "I said no."
"Don't you think the boys are worried about me?"
"I know they are. Race has been broken up ever since you first went missing. Why?"
"Well...I might as well tell them I'm ok."
"Oh gosh, Liv," Jack says rubbing his neck. "You're playing the guilt card."
"Is it working?"
"I hate to say it...but kind of. All I can think about is the look on the boys face's when I told them you were gone."
"Does that mean I can go?"
Jack looks at me for a second before sighing. "Fine. At least I'll know where you are if you go missing again."
No worry there. I don't think my dads going to be wanting me back anytime soon. I jump up and hug Jack. "Thank you!" And with that, I run out the door. "I'll be back by sundown!"
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Ok, I'll be honest, telling the boys I am safe is the last thing on my mind. I had to talk to someone else first. I walk to the distribution center, my heart pending in my chest. "You can do this," I mumble. "You can do this."
I walk up to the door that leads to the back room and just stare at it. "Me and Oscar had our first date inside those doors."
"Liv?"
A voice pulls me out of my thought as I turn around. "Um...hi Oscar."
"W-what are you doing here? You've been missing for weeks. I heard the boys saying you were-"
"We need to talk."