20. Steady Hold
Chapter twenty
Steady Hold
NOAH
My eyes sprung open, only to find that I was submerged in darkness. Where was I?
“Haha, Noah.”
The voice echoed around me and my chest tightened. David was in here wasn’t he? Coming for me.
“Damy...” My scream came out hoarse, my throat swollen shut.
The childhood nickname rolled off of my tongue so fast I forgot I was actually nineteen, not nine anymore.
Sweat stained my cheeks and neck. I felt dirty.
Lost. I didn’t know where to go. I was too afraid to move for fear of what I would run into.
The Monster was lurking in the shadows. Waiting.
Watching.
“I can make you feel good.”
I couldn’t relive it.
It couldn’t happen again.
“There you are….”
I wouldn’t make it through another time.
“Help me, Damy!”
I clawed at the sheets. I could feel him.
“DAMIAN!”
“Shut the fuck up. No one is coming.”
I screamed as loud as I could. But I knew deep down that no one was going to save me.
No one ever did.
“Suck me.”
The tears poured mercilessly.
“HELP ME!”
There was a loud slam and my world suddenly brightened. I opened my eyes to see Damian standing dumbstruck in the doorway, his hands clutching the center of his chest as though he could hold it in place. Tears sprouted from his hardened eyes. He stood, immobile, on the other side of my room.
“You came,” I cried, unable to believe what I was seeing. “You came.”
Damian sprinted to the side of my bed, taking me into his arms, and for the moment, everything was okay.
I clung to him as I was never able to do. There was never anyone before. But I was safe now. My brother was here to save me.
“Ssh, I’m here, Noah,” Damian whispered soothingly. “You’ll be okay now.”
“Why weren’t you there?” I pressed my face deeply into his chest. “Why didn’t you help me?”
I could feel my heart aching. A broken, throbbing wreckage of a heart. “I screamed for you!”
Damian rocked me gently. “I wasn’t there, little brother. I was never there when it happened.”
“You’re lying!”
“I swear to you,” he clutched me tighter. “I swear that if I had been there, I would have made sure you never went through any of that. I would have protected you.”
I could hear Damian’s shaking breath. “I love you.”
I wanted to believe him.
More than anything.