Nick raised an eyebrow when I descended the steps close to seven in the morning, showered and dressed, with a sketchpad in hand.
“Hey. Up so early? How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
What else could I have said? Nick and Mel were worried sick, and it was physically and mentally draining. And I was exhausted, anyway, having slept about five hours total in the last four days. I would have come downstairs earlier, but I spent forty minutes in front of a mirror, covering the bruises. Two layers of concealer and foundation worked well, but the bruises were still visible, although not as obvious.
“You don’t have to pretend for my sake. Do you want to talk about it? I’ll listen, sis. I want to help.”
I reached to take his hand. “As bad as it sounds, I’m okay with what Adrian did. I had more time to get used to it than you.”
He cringed. “You shouldn’t treat it as something normal. It isn’t.”
“No, it isn’t, but I could either let it define me, destroy me or strengthen me. It destroyed me at first; I almost let it define me; but Thomas helped me understand that I’m not a victim. I’m a survivor.”
He considered my words. Silence rang in my ears, but it looked like I hit the right chord. I kissed his forehead and put the kettle on, taking a cup out of the cupboard.
“It’ll take time before I stop being afraid, but the fact that you know is a big step for me.”
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I won’t let him near you.”
Nick still didn’t understand. It wasn’t his fault, though. My mind was like an onion—formed out of many layers of difficult situations, actions and reactions. I started to peel those layers, opened my eyes, blinked the blur away, and searched the maze of lies for the truth lurking in the deepest recesses of my mind.
“I’m not afraid that Adrian will come back to hurt me, Nick. I’m afraid I’lllethim. But that’s something I need to work past on my own, hence why I’m seeing James at nine.”
He nodded, straightening his back. “I can take you. We could grab lunch later. We should also get you checked out by a doctor.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be gone most of the day. I want to see Dad later, and I don’t need a doctor.”
He winced. There was no denying the disappointment on his handsome face.
“There is something you could help me with, though.” I poured hot water over two spoons of coffee. “I want to buy a car.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He cheered up. “What time do you think you’ll be back? I should drop by the office today, but I can dump the work on Thomas whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m not sure, two o’clock, maybe? How about I’ll stop by your office when I’m done, and we’ll go from there?”
The sound of someone grabbing the door handle in the hallway reached our ears. It was five past seven in the morning, but his arrival didn’t surprise me. A knock followed, when the door didn’t give way.
“I wonder who this might be,” Nick smirked, raising to his feet to get the door. “You thought we don’t lock ourselves in at night?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Thomas said. “Is she up?”
His voice silenced my screaming mind.
“Yeah, I don’t think she slept.”
“I think she can hear you,” I muttered, taking a seat.
They entered the room, Nick leading the way. My first reaction, or rather my body’s first reaction to Thomas was relief, but it morphed to worry when I noticed his bruised knuckles. He too looked as if he hadn’t slept much last night.
“What have you done?” I asked, pointing to his hands.
Silence was his answer. He took his long, black coat off and hung it on the back of the chair, revealing a white shirt, black tie and an immaculate charcoal, chequered suit. He ran his hand through his hair, combing it back.
“How are you feeling?”
Silence was my answer, too. In the corner of my eye, I caught Nick’s ineffective attempts at suppressing a smile. Thomas took my coffee, resting his arms on the table.