Misfits - Chapter 10 (Patreon)

How could the simplest thing look so elegant on a person? For the first time ever, Callum was eating in front of me. Of course he made the food himself, but in the past we've always gone out to eat so the fact that he was currently eating in front of me was shocking to say the least. He was wearing a white tank top and some sweat pants, his muscles showing through the thin material.

Honestly I couldn't even focus on what was on my own plate. My eyes kept wandering to the muscle that was working in his jaw every time he bit down. Lucky for me his eyes were trained on something else. I can't help but wonder what's going on in his head. He never seems to just sit calmly and relax his mind seemed to always be working.

"You're not eating." I jump from Cal's voice, his eyes don't even move to look at me while he speaks. I immediately duck my head, embarrassment rushing through me. He probably knew that I was staring at him the whole time.

"Cal, I can't stay here." It's only been a day but I can't help the fear crossing my mind. I knew that Cal and I were nothing more than friends, and one day he would grow tired of whatever it was he was trying to prove when it came to me. Every time I asked him why he was doing everything that he was for me, he would just say something like

"I want you." or "I want to protect you." or "You deserve the world." That was one thing I hated about Cal. He always answered me with aloof answers that just made me more curious.

"Well, that's tough princess." He gets up from the table not even looking my direction as he takes our plates to the kitchen. I jump up from my seat and follow him.

"Cal, I appreciate everything that you've done for me, but all of this is too much. I need to just go back to the way things are supposed to be." He slams the dishes in the sink and turns to me angrily.

"Dammit Rue, don't you get it? I don't want you to return to the way things used to be! If I let that happen, you'll be dead within the week!" He turns away from me gripping his hands on the counter, I can tell my the way he's shaking that he's angry. There's a small tinge of fear as I take in his stance, images of my father flashing through my mind. i try and remind myself that he would never hurt me, but after being physically abused for 8 years, it was an almost impossible task.

He turns away from the sink and without warning smashes his lips to mine. The action so abrupt, I let out a gasp and he takes the opportunity to shove his tongue in my mouth. He's kissing me with such a fervent desire, I can't even think straight. I only kiss him back.

The pleasure of contact in this form being everything to me and I can feel myself getting aroused by it. He pulls away from me without warning and I have to bite my lip to stifle a groan. He's breathing hard and so am I, my eyes wide in shock. He roughly runs his fingers through his hair.

"Rue, I know you feel that." He steps closer to me, placing his arms around my shoulders.

"You feel something for me. I know you do. Just.. give me a chance. I'm trying to save you princess. If I let you go home, you'll come back even more battered and bruised than last time. You tried to kill yourself! Please, just let me take care of you." He's looking at me with pleading eyes. I don't even think about it. I nod my head and a smile breaks out across his face.

His phone vibrates in his pocket and he steps away from me giving me an apologetic smile.

"Yeah." He pauses as if listening.

"You've got to be kidding me.... Yeah.... Consider it handled." He hangs up the phone and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Is everything ok?" I ask. He opens his eyes as if remembering that I was in the room.

"Yeah. Just work." I raise a brow at him.

"On a Saturday?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to be gone all day?" I ask. He steps closer to me pulling me into his warm body, I can feel the planes of his muscles underneath his shirt. I have to look up to see his face.

"Unfortunately yes. I wanted to spend the day here with you." His eyes darken, and I can see the lust behind that burning gaze.

"I thought you had a party to go to tonight," I say, trying to ease his mind. He begins playing in my curls.

"I do. We don't have to go. with everything that's going on with you, we can stay in and order pizza if you want princess." I smile at the idea of just staying somewhere warm and cozy and eating. Not having to worry about someone coming to beat me to a pulp.

"Actually, you should go. I'll be studying all day anyway, the library is open today, and I have exams coming up." A small frown appears on Callum's face.

"Are you sure? You can stay here and study. I have a room upstairs if you want to use it." I only shake my head trying my hardest not to let him sway me.

"It's fine. I wouldn't be comfortable here alone anyway," I say. Callum looks like he's going to say something but decides not to. He pulls away from me and walks in the direction of his bedroom.

"Ok let me get dressed and I'll drop you off." He disappears around the corner, leaving me in the kitchen alone. I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't want Cal to lock me in this house all day, but I needed to get home before my father did. All of my school supplies and books and work was there. I dropped it the day he locked me out. And if I told Cal I needed to go home he'd just to what he did earlier. Tell me no and find some way to make it impossible.

Thirty minutes later we're speeding down the highway in Cal's sleek mustang.

"Are you sure you want to be dropped off princess, I can still take you back to my place." Cal's voice comes across the car like silk. I can tell he's putting on the charm to make me change my mind, which I really wanted to from his tone, but I needed to keep my mind on my endgame. Graduation, job, and getting away from this hell hole and my father. That was enough motivation for me to resist Cal's charms.

"I'm sure, Cal." He lets out an irritated sigh, but I don't miss the small grin that forms on his face. We arrive at the library and I step out of the car, but Cal steps out with me. He walks around trapping me to the hood of the rumbling monster and locking my gaze in his.

"I will be back later for you. Don't go anywhere but here ok?" My eyes are wide as I stare at him. His face is so serious, I don't think I've ever seen him that way, at least not directed towards me. His dominant attitude taking over completely. I feel his fingers under my chin.

"Ok, princess?" I nod my head slowly, unable to form words under the intensity of his gaze. His eyes flicker to my lips and I can't help but run my tongue over them in anxiety. His eyes follow the movement and darken as he slowly bends to capture my lips in between his.

The kiss is nice and gentle at first, I can feel the cool press of his lip ring against my lip. He deepens the kiss and I can feel his hands as they reach up to cup my face. His tongue lightly traces my bottom lip and out of nowhere, a moan escapes me. Callum pulls away from me, staring at me with a cocky grin etched into his face.

"I'll be back to get you before the library closes." He leans forward before I can respond and gives me a quick kiss on the tip of my nose.

"Don't study too hard." He hops in his car, sending a final wink my way and pulls out of the parking lot, leaving the loud roar of his engine echoing in the breeze. I step into the library for about 5 minutes before I begin my trek home just to make sure Cal didn't double back.

The walk takes me about 20 minutes to get to the bus stop. Cal made sure to place money in my jeans pockets, even though I kept telling him no. With all the expensive clothes he got me I tried to wear the least expensive looking which was a medium length shirt and some skinny jeans. If Cal wanted to spoil me just because he wanted me, I wonder what he would do if I just completely cut him off.

I laugh aloud to myself at the notion. That was all but impossible. I tried many times to get him to leave me alone but he wasn't having it. He just barreled his way into my life with no restraint. And the way he looked at me told me he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

The bus arrives at my stop and the sun was still high in the sky which meant my father still had to be at work. I just needed to get in and get out without anyone noticing me. I walk up the road and the cold wind blows, causing me to shiver a bit. I can hear the familiar music basing in the distance meaning I was getting close. I just had to get my things and leave, and hopefully none of my fathers friends were around either.

I finally reach the apartment complex and hurry past the people to my own apartment. I test the door knob and it opens easy. I step silently inside, looking around before I went in all the way. After I see that it's empty I hurriedly head into my room, grabbing my backpack and all of its contents which were still strewn across the floor. I run in my room, grabbing my clothes that I can fit and shoving them in my bag along with the picture of my mother I kept hidden underneath my mattress.

I silently press my fingers against the photo, trying to remember what her voice was like. What good times we had together, before everything went to shit. I angrily wipe the now forming tears out of my face. Now was not the time to reminisce. I had to get the hell out of-

"Look at what the cat dragged in." My body tenses and my blood chills at the sound. I slowly turn and see my father standing in the doorway. There's no liquor in his hand, no drugs or anything. He pushes himself up standing at his full height, looking down on me like I was scum of the earth.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asks. I take in the man in front of me. This was not my father. My father died the day my mother did and this.. beast took his place. He watched me with such malice and anger, I can't help but fidget.

"I-I'm just getting my stuff." He scoffs at me.

"Your stuff?" My father steps closer to me, each threatening step sending deeper chills down my spine. Out of nowhere his hand lashes out and my bag is ripped from my hands, sprawling on the ground in front of me. I jump and a gasp escapes my lips.

"You think, you can just take your stuff and go huh?" His eyes travel to the clothes I had in my bag that were now scattered all over the floor.

"Oh? You planning on not coming back. Is that it? You think you can survive in this world? Is that it?" His voice is getting louder with each sentence and I'm too afraid to respond. His eyes land on the picture of my mother and my heart stops. My father slowly bends to pick it up, taking in her features.

"You think, you can fucking take the picture of MY wife, and just leave?" His voice is so calm, I'm shaking. He picks his other hand up to tear my last proof of my mother, and I don't think.

"No!" I shout lunging at him. It obviously catches him off guard, because I slam into his body and he stumbles back, the photo of mother falling from his grasp. Before I can reach for it he's coming at me full force.

"You think you're grown enough to hit me?!" He shouts. His hand latches around my throat immediately forcing me backwards and his fist connects with my face, I try not to focus on the pain, the only thing that matters to me is the picture of my mother. I have to protect it, once he finishes with me, he'll go for the picture and I can't let that happen. So I fight. With every breath in me I fight trying to get to that picture.

And each time I get a blow ten times worse. I feel his fist as it collides with my stomach, searing pain explodes and the breath is wrenched from my body. I collapse on the ground, unable to breath, but my fathers not done with me yet. He begins kicking me over and over and over again. I can't even cry out, not even when I hear the sickening snap of what could possibly be my rib.

I'm blacking in and out of consciousness. My father threads his fingers through my hair wrenching me up the hair to be eye level with him.

"You think I'm done? I'm not even close." He lets me go and I drop to the ground with no cushion. My vision is blurring in and out as I try and catch my breath. I hear my fathers footsteps going the opposite direction of the room, and try and lift my head. My mothers smiling face is still on the ground in front of me. I slowly crawl towards the picture, trying my best to move my body, ignoring the pain and the tears. I finally reach her picture, mustering all the strength I can to grab it in between my fingers. I take the picture and shove it in the ankle of the shoes I was wearing. I just had to hope that whatever he had planned for me wouldn't make my shoes come off.

I hear his footsteps coming back and look up through blurred vision, my stomach drops. There's a knife. There's a knife in his hand.

* * * * *

How long has it been? It feels like forever. The darkness that has come over me is comforting. I immediately relate the black to Cal. I wonder what he was doing. What was so important at his job that it would take him the whole day to complete.

I jolt awake, vigorously gasping as cold water is thrown on my body. I don't even have the strength to scream. I have no strength left. My breathing is heavy, It hurts to breathe in. One of my eyes are swollen shut, and I can taste the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth.

I look around me through my good eye and see my fathers friends. They're all laughing. Smiling as if they weren't here torturing me. What time was it? How long had I been here? My fathers friends showed up a little bit after he had begun his beating. And they decided to join in. I vaguely take note of all the burns on my body from the cigarettes and the blood that I was losing from all the cuts. Not to mention the pain.

"She's come back to us!" My fathers friend, Dre is standing over me, smiling evilly at me. I can't even get away. Not this time. My gaze travels to my father, he's standing in the corner of the room with one of his whores on his lap, a bottle of booze in one hand and a blunt sticking out of his mouth.

"Hey, I think it's about time we had some real fun with your daughter man." Dre calls out to my father, I can see the lust that clouds his gaze. I can't even move my mouth to beg. My father looks over to me standing from the couch and pulling the blunt from in between his lips.

"Do what you want." He flicks his blunt in my direction and walks out of my line of vision. In that moment, my heart breaks. I can feel what's left of my shirt being torn from my body, and I can do nothing but lie there in pain.

Tears are leaking down the side of my face, seeping into my hair. I can feel his disgusting fingers as they pull at the waistband of my pants. I close my eyes in defeat, wishing that death would claim me.

A loud bang causes me to open my eyes, and out of nowhere the front door splinters from its hinges. I look up and see Callum in all his glory standing in my house. He's wearing all black per usual, and there are gloves on his hands. His flame colored hair is wildly pushes back away from his face, and I can see the piercing on his lip as well as the tattoos peeking from his collar. He looked menacing. I want to scream in joy, I want to smile, I want to run and jump in his arms, but I can only lay here helplessly on the ground. He takes in the room immediately his eyes landing on my battered form on the ground.

Anger. Rage. The look on Callum's face was one that sent pure terror down my spine. If I hadn't witnessed it you couldn't convince me it was there. In the next moment he wipes his face clean of any emotion, exuding a calm exterior. Callum charges in my direction.

"Who the fuck are y-" Dre doesn't even get to finish his sentence. Cal grabs him around head, bringing him face down into his knee. The sickening crunch of his nose and the gush of blood fills the air as does his cries of pain. But Cal's not finished. He brings his foot up landing a hard blow in between his legs, and another one and another one.

He pulls a knife out of nowhere and plunges it into Dre's chest. The rest of my fathers friends try their best to take Cal down, but he sends all of them flying with ease. Not one of them touching Cal in any way, until all that's left is Cal and my father. I can only watch in shock and awe.

My father is shaking. From fear or anger, I don't know.

"Who do you think you are, barging into my home you fucking freak!" Cal doesn't even flinch. He's literally vibrating with anger.

"I'm the man, that's going to kill you." His voice is cold and detached, ringing with anger. He lunges for my father and punching him over and over. My father throws a sloppy punch at Cal, but he dodges it with ease, grabbing my fathers hand and bringing his knee up. The snap of my fathers arm being broken echoes and he cries out in pain. He doesn't get to cry out for long though. Cal goes to work punching him and kicking him and beating him. My father falls to the floor in a bloody pulp, trying to crawl away, and Cal only watches. I can only watch in shock, trying my hardest to force myself to stay conscious.

Cal pulls out a cigarette, and a lighter, slowly lighting the cigarette and taking a long drag while he watches my father pathetically crawl with his one good arm. Cal blows a puff in the air and his leg lashes out, kicking my father in the head.

"You know what?" He takes his cigarette and kneels to my father.

"I have watched your daughter go to school the past month, barely able to make it." 

He wraps his hand around my fathers throat and brings the cigarette down, burning his face. He screams in pain and Cal tilts his head to the side, as a small smile forms on his face.

He tosses the cigarette and pulls my father up by his collar.

"She wanted to protect you for some reason, refusing to tell anyone who was beating the shit out of her everyday," he growls. His fist connects with my fathers face over and over again. When he feels he's had enough he drops him to the ground, and pulls a gun out, aiming it for his head. He pulls back the hammer as he presses the cold steel against my fathers forehead.

"She was right to in one way. Cause if she had told me sooner, I would have had the pleasure of doing this a long time ago." A smile spreads itself across his face. I muster all the strength I possibly can.

"Cal." My voice comes out a broken whisper, quite honestly I didn't think he heard it, but he did. He turns his head in my direction, an almost deranged look on his face. It takes me a few seconds to catch my breathing and utter my next sentence.

"Don't," I whisper before I black out.