Razorblade Kisses(14)

She wouldn’t survive if she stayed.

She swallowed her sorrow, regret, and any misgivings she had. Quietly closing Ashley’s door, she padded back to her room and grabbed her bags. This was surreal. She was actually running away from home. She had to; he would never stop. She heard the chimes that meant a door opened in the house. Panic set in as she glanced down at her watch—they were home two hours early! It was do or die for her. She didn’t have time to think or change her mind. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard it reverberated in her throat. Her eyes throbbed in time with her heartbeat and she made it down the back staircase and into the basement. She hadn’t heard the chime again, meaning a door closed, so she threw open the door, hoping her timing was right, and ran. She sprinted away from the house holding her bags, full of the only things she had left in the world. Emery never looked back as she navigated her way through the backyard.

Reaching the fence, she threw the bags over and climbed slowly to the top. She swung her legs over and carefully dropped to the grass on the other side. Grabbing her bags, she continued to run. She finally took a breath when she reached the street behind her house. Then she pulled out the pre-paid phone she purchased and called Rachel.

“You chicken out?” Rachel asked as she answered the call.

“No,” Emery gasped for air. “They came home early and I made a run for it. I’m on Glebe. Come get me and let’s get out of here.”

“Be there in five.”

The call disconnected and Emery dropped her bags on the ground. She bent at the waist, putting her hands on her knees. She didn’t know if it was from the adrenaline or the run, but she could hardly breathe. She closed her eyes and pictured her sweet, innocent sister sleeping in her pink bed. She prayed that her mother would protect Ashley. All she could do now was pray. She wasn’t even sure she believed it would help, because she’d prayed for herself for three years and that hadn’t resulted in anything.

Rachel pulled up in her crush, Derrick’s, SUV and stopped in front of Emery. She was wearing all black and had a black wool cap on, her black hair hidden. She looked like a cartoon character, Emery thought. If she wasn’t so afraid of cracking in two, she would find it humorous. If it weren’t so damn tragic, Emery would have rolled on the ground laughing.

She opened the back, but pulled Emery in for a tight hug. “You have to go,” Rachel whispered.

Emery nodded. If she said anything she’d burst into tears. Guilt permeated every cell of her body. She turned and looked in the direction of her house, then snuffed out the rising hysterics in her mind and got in the SUV. Rachel ran to her side and took off quickly.

“I have your new ID and everything in the bag in the back. Derrick got everything for us. I also got you copies of all the bank accounts I’ll use to stick it to Phil.”

Rachel was talking. Emery knew she was telling her important things, but all she could do was nod. She bounced her head up and down so many times she’d lost count. Rachel pulled onto 285 going toward 75 North. They’d already planned everything, but all she kept seeing was Phil entering her sister’s room, her mother drinking through the entire thing.

“Go back,” Emery said.

Rachel turned her head slowly to look at Emery.

“Get off here, Rachel. Get off the highway and turn around.”

“Em…”

“No! I can’t! Ashley…”

“Emery, I’m not taking you back.” Rachel’s voice was calm.

“The fuck you’re not!” Emery reached over and grabbed the wheel, trying to move the car toward the exit so that they could turn around.

“EMERY!” Rachel screamed and took back control of the car.

“Rachel, I can’t leave her. I can’t. She’s so innocent. She’s so perfect. I couldn’t live if anything happened to her. I couldn’t.”

Rachel was silent.

“I need to be there. I need to be the one he…”

Rachel kept her foot on the accelerator, going as fast as she could away from Atlanta. “You really want to do that? Go back and let him rape you?”

“I have to…”

“No. No you don’t.”

“Rachel…”

“Emery, you are fucking sixteen, this isn’t on you. Your fucking mother should be there. She should take care of your sister. This is not your burden. Your sister will be fine. You want me to anonymously give your mom a head’s up? I’ll do that. You want me to cut his dick off, that I’ll do too, but I’m NOT taking you back there and watching you disappear.”

Silence.

“I won’t do it.” Rachel shook her head, emphasizing her position.