“When am I meeting your parents?” she asked me about two weeks after our pizza night. Her father still looked me up and down when I picked her up but her mother was really nice to me and Samantha was happy. I was happy, even Mac and Jett noticed it and gave me endless shit that I was in love. The truth is, I was. “We can all go out to dinner,” I suggested. “Really dinner? Are you that ashamed to take me to your house?” she asked. “No, of course not. It’s just… complicated,” I said. “How is it complicated?” she asked me. “We just lead a different lifestyle and people can be judgmental,” I said to her not knowing how to explain it to her. “I lived in a house with no food and no heating until you came along, I think I’m the last person to judge,” she said and I smiled as I looked at her. “And what if I told you we weren’t like normal families?” I asked. “I’d say your secrets would be safe with me like mine have been with you and that I know who you are, deep down inside, and that

I didn’t hear from Sam for the rest of that weekend but I also didn’t reach out to her. She had heard everything, it was her move now. Even though it was unfair to even think about it she had a choice to make and I’d never given her any reason to doubt me.“There’s a party tonight,” Jett said as he sauntered into my bedroom after dinner.“Since when do we go to parties?” I asked him.“Since Beth told me all about how Travis’s parties work,” he said and grinned at me.“Beth talks to you?” I asked him.“Is it that hard to believe?” he asked me.“What does Beth say?” I asked.“Beth has a lot to say. The party starts out normally, then a girl gets chosen at the party, her drink is spiked and she’s taken downstairs by a group, always the same group, Travis being their leader, the girl’s undressed and raped, they all take turns and they videotape it all,” Jett said.“Doesn’t explain why they all keep quiet,” I said to him.“They take pictures which they show her afterward, it looks bad, lik

Eight years later ...I kept my eyes closed for a few more seconds as my mind cleared from the fog of sleep and turned on my side as I finally opened them. It was still early, almost five am. I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress and sat on the edge of the bed as I rubbed my hand over my face.I got up and pulled a pair of sweatpants on and pulled the hoodie over my head. Downstairs I made coffee for myself as the dull thud of my headache started throbbing in my temples. I drank to forget, I drank to sleep and not to dream, it worked mostly, but during the day, nothing could stop the memories.The kettle boiled and I was snapped back to reality. I hated how certain memories just popped up and took me back to a time when life was simpler, easier and a time when I used to be a good person.“I’m going out,” I said loudly, not expecting him to answer me, he never did.Every morning at five am I went out into the surrounding wilderness that was my backyard. I lived in a house on th

“Why are you here Jett?” I asked him as he pulled a pair of shorts on.“I was in the neighbourhood,” he shrugged.“Sure you were, you staying for dinner?” I asked him.“Obviously, and Griff, don’t call me fat again,” he said as he sucked in his stomach and I laughed.“Come on,” I said as I led him back towards the house.Kane lifted his head as I opened the front door and glanced at Jett, not showing the slightest hint if he was happy to see him or not. Jett followed me inside and looked around and I wondered how he had found me in the first place.“There’s beer in the fridge,” I said to him as he turned back towards me.“I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said as he walked through to the kitchen and I heard the fridge open. “You want one too?”“Sure,” I said and I heard him uncap the two bottles.“How’s he doing?” Jett asked me as his eyes flitted to where Kane was in the living room.“Still not talking to me,” I said to him.“He’ll come around, so what’s new, brother?” he a

Sierra was asleep on the couch with her head resting on Kane, he gave me a begrudging look when I walked in through the front door and I couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t impressed with me at all. I carried all the bags inside and she woke up after a while from the noise.“You’re back,” she said as she joined me in the kitchen.“You were asleep when I left, didn’t want to wake you,” I said.“The cat kept me company,” she said and Kane growled low enough so only I could hear him.“He has a name, Kane. I got you these,” I said and handed her the bag from the pharmacy.“Thank you,” she said.“No problem, the sooner you’re better the sooner you can leave,” I said and Kane laughed at me.“Wow, you weren’t joking when you said you don’t like people,” she said.“I have work to do, your presence interferes with that,” I said as I started packing things away.“I’ll be the perfect house guest, I promise,” she said and poured herself a glass of water to drink her pills.“Dinner’s around six or