CHAPTER 3

I wanted to cool off in the shower but then I had no stuffs in this house.

‘’Drew’’ I shouted, I don’t have any stuffs here and I need to shower.

‘’The bathroom is down the hall, first door by your right. Make yourself comfortable, I’ll get you my clothes to fit in for the mean time.’’ His reply was clipped and for a moment I wanted to ask if he was mad at me.

I hadn’t asked him to come stay here, he was the one who decided to bring me to his house. A part of me was thankful to him for bringing me here tonight to at least escape whatever punishment my stepfather had for me.

I turned on the water faucet allowing it to get warm a bit before I stepped in, many thoughts ran through my mind as I laid lazily in the water one of which was the most recent torture I had received from Mark my stepfather.

I had returned from work two nights ago when he barged into my room demanding I gave him money. I had lied to him that I had no money with me, but he searched my bags and when he found money in one of them, he had given me the beating of my life and forced me to give him a blowjob of which he released everything in my throat.

The shower was the only place I found solace and received no judgements ever since Drew left home.

A knock came at the bathroom door jotting me out of my thoughts. ‘’Come in’’ I answered as I flipped the curtains to cover my bath area.

Drew walked in and placed some clothes on the bathroom counter, I peeped through the curtains to see he was only in his boxer brief. I blushed, not just was he looking like a model, but a beautiful one that would break your heart into tiny pieces and still smile in front of you.

‘’I can see you, you know’’ his voice came softly like a whisper and I closed the curtains hiding my head in shame.

‘’Don’t look so bashful Alexa, you’ve seen me this way a million times’’ he spoke again.

‘’I’m not embarrassed’’ I replied slowly, if only he could see how wobbly my legs shook.

He left the bathroom shutting the door gently behind him. ‘’Be careful Alexa,’’ I told myself.

You can’t trust him again no matter what.

The water was getting cold already so I hurriedly took my bath, dressed up and left the bathroom holding my bikini in hands. I was going to dispose them, even if I ended up going back to the club to work as a stripper, I wouldn’t be wearing this.

I entered the sitting room and saw Drew sitting on one of the sofas with the remote his hands as he flipped through several sports channel on the big TV, he later settled for an ongoing football match. I hissed showing no interest in watching football with him.

He paid no attention to me clearly concentrated on the sports. I looked at him, he wore a pair of sweatpants and hoodie with bold writings on it captioned ‘’not just a pretty boy’’. I smiled knowing fully well he had gotten that hoodie on purpose.

I looked down at myself in the clothes he had given me, a pair of black sweatpants and a blue t-shirt. I smelled just like him and this thought gave me butterflies in my belly.

‘’How long am I supposed to wear your clothes before I get mine or go back home?’’ I asked him trying to get his attention from the TV.

‘’I will call in my assistant first thing tomorrow morning to get you some new stuffs and you are not going back home.’’ He answered not turning his gaze from the TV and finality evident in his tone.

‘’What do you mean by I’m not going home? I asked. What do you expect Drew That I live here with you? Did you even asked if I wanted to be here in the first place? I bombarded him with questions.

‘’ I am not asking you to be here Alexa, I demand you stay here and that is final.’’

‘’No it isn’t final Drew, you don’t own my life. You can’t just appear after six years and choose to control my life, I am not some item you bought from the store.’’ I screamed back. Just because you have money doesn’t mean you can boss people around like toys, I am not your toy. I won’t leave home just like you did abandoning your family.

He stood up and walked close to me like he was going to punch me in the face, ‘’ you think I abandoned my family and left because I wanted to? Alexa I had to leave.’’ He said looking at me with so much anger.

‘’Whatever you say, but I’m not leaving my mom there alone.’’

He looked at me this time like I was completely insane, ‘’you’re fucking kidding me right? You’re not going to leave your mom you say, she’s not the victim here Alexa. She had watched you suffer for years and has done nothing to stop any of it, you have to start living for yourself and not for her anymore.

For the first time tonight, his words made complete sense to me but I didn’t want to believe him, I didn’t want to believe my mom didn’t care about me nor my wellbeing. ‘’I won’t be like you, Drew, I have a conscience unlike you.’’ I stated angrily.

‘’It’s really bad how you think of me Alexa but suit yourself, I have no explanations for you at the moment.’’ And with that, he turned around switched off the television and walked to his room.

I was exhausted from everything that played out today, I wanted so badly to call my mom and prove to him that she cared for me unlike his dad, but when I picked up my phone, the time read 1:46am. I stood up and made my way to the huge guest room sleeping off as soon as my head hit the pillows.

The next morning, I had woken up with a throbbing headache as a result of the hard alcohol I had consumed before going up the stage last night. I made my way to the kitchen to look for some pain killers and probably have breakfast.

As I passed the sitting room, I saw a note in the flower vase just beside the kitchen door, I picked it up and it read; ‘’Melissa my assistant will call in by 9 to ask for your size and by 10, she would be here to deliver some stuffs to you. You know your way to the kitchen if you feel hungry- DREW.’’

I walked into the kitchen and searched till I found some painkillers in one of the cupboards, I decided to have breakfast at once. I wasn’t in the mood to make a proper breakfast so, I just settled for cereals with milk and some cookies.

I made my way to the sitting room, turned on the television and flipped through the channels. I decided to watch nickelodeon as the popular show ‘’game shakers’’ was on. I began eating my cereals when the mobile phone rang, I picked it up immediately remembering the note he dropped.

‘’Hello, is this Alexa, Drew’s sister?’’ a sharp voice said through the phone.

‘’So nice of you to call your boss by his first name, Melissa’’ I replied back instantly without thinking.

‘’Excuse you?’’ she replied back

‘’Size 10’’ I yelled into the phone and ended the call without waiting to a get a response from her.

I don’t know if this made me sound like some crazy bitch, but the thought of Drew sleeping with his assistant disgusted me. I finished with my breakfast and decided to call my mom, she had picked up immediately the phone rang.

‘’Hi mom’’ I said into the phone

‘’Hi sweetie’’ she had replied back

I told her I had to fill in for my colleague who had called in sick and that why I couldn’t go home last night and that I would be back the next day.

‘’Alexa, Mark found out you were at a club last night stripping and he didn’t take in the news well, things are not so good at home right now and I’ll advice you do not return anytime soon.’’

Tears welled up my eyes as I listened to everything she said, ‘’but mom I…

‘’I have to go now honey, bye.’’ She said and ended the call not allowing me speak.

The sadness I felt increased, how could a mother not care about her own child. She didn’t even ask if I was fine or cared to know where I was, she was only concerned about not getting on the nerves of her husband.

At that moment I knew I had to stop, I had to take Drew’s advice and start living for myself. She wasn’t the victim and she would never know exactly how I felt, she knew I would be fine after all.

I was determined to be fine!