Tell Me
Aviana
Past
Age 14
I sat at the kitchen table, the soft hum of conversation blending with the clinking of silverware against plates. The Fraizers had been nothing but kind since I arrived—a whole year of stability, of safety. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
I laughed quietly at something Chloe said, but the smile barely touched my lips before I felt it again—that weight. Liam’s gaze, heavy and lingering from across the table. When I glanced up, he didn’t look away. His eyes stayed on me just a second too long, his expression unreadable. My pulse quickened. I dropped my gaze to my plate, pretending I didn’t notice.
It’s nothing, I told myself. You’re just being paranoid.
But it wasn’t just the looks.
Earlier this week, while helping Chloe with the laundry, Liam had brushed past me in the hallway. Too close. His hand grazed my back, and it lingered just a little longer than it should’ve. I froze, my heart thudding in my chest, but he kept walking like nothing happened. It’s all in your head, I whispered to myself that night. You’re just letting the past mess with you.
But it wasn’t just in my head. The little things kept stacking up.
At first, I brushed it all off—told myself I was overthinking it, still haunted by the Widlows and everything Maverick had done to me. But now… now, there was this nagging feeling I couldn’t shake. Like standing on the edge of something dark, the calm before a storm I didn’t even see coming.
But deep down, I knew.
The storm was already here .
Ryan, though, had been nothing short of kind to me. He showed me the ropes—took me on walks around their land. He shared his favorite spots to sit and think. He also took me under his wing at school — sharing the places I should avoid and offering advice on which students to steer clear of if I wanted to avoid trouble. There was something in his presence that made me feel less alone in this strange new place. I felt more connected to him than I had any other kids I had connected with in the last six years of moving around from foster families.
But then, there was Liam. He had turned 20 recently, and though he didn’t attend school anymore, it was clear he had his way of pulling his own weight around here. He stayed home to work the land since Mason worked most days as some sort of financial broker and Chloe was in town as a veterinary nurse. Anytime Liam and I crossed paths, he carried an air of mystery that left me with an uneasy feeling. His stare would often linger, and on several occasions, I overheard him and Ryan arguing about me.
***
“What happened, Little Bird?” his tone growing impatient.
“Well, nothing . . . right away.”
“What. Happened?” enunciating every syllable of every word.
***
Over a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes Ryan had made, Chloe casually mentioned that her office was throwing a Halloween party after work, so she and Mason would be out for the evening. Her tone was light, almost offhand, but a quiet tension crept into my chest. It was just a simple comment, yet it felt like the calm before a storm.
Liam’s eyes lit up with an idea, his usual mischievous grin spreading across his face. He wanted to throw a house party, but Ryan, ever the voice of reason, leaned in quietly, almost protectively. “Mom and Dad will be back late tonight,” he said, his tone careful, as if trying to shield us from making a mistake. “There’s not enough time to invite everyone, throw a party, and clean up before they get home.”
Liam’s grin faltered, but he didn’t give up. “We can just throw a party for ourselves then. Just you, me, and our darling little sister, Avi.” His teasing tone didn’t mask the underlying excitement, but the mention of my old nickname made my stomach churn.
“Please don’t call me that, Liam,” I said, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be. “Aviana works just fine.”
Liam chuckled and mimicked in a high-pitched voice, “Ooohh, someone must be getting ready to start her period. Moody, eh?”
I felt my cheeks burn with a mix of frustration and embarrassment, but I fought it down. “Not really,” I replied, trying to steady myself. “That nickname just brings back bad memories, and I like my name.” My words felt stronger than I actually was, but something about reclaiming my name, something as simple as that, made me feel a little less small in this moment.
I guess Ryan must’ve noticed how I was feeling, because suddenly, under the table, his hand found mine. His touch was gentle, but firm, as if to say without words, I’m here with you. It was a quiet reassurance, the kind that spoke louder than any words could. In that simple, tender gesture, I felt seen, understood, and for a moment, the weight of the world on my shoulders seemed just a little lighter. Ryan didn’t need to say anything. I could feel his support in the way his fingers wrapped around mine.
***
“Little Bird, quit stalling and tell me what the fuck happened.” he tightens his grip on my hands behind my back.
“Nightshade, please don’t make me do this.”
“I am not making you do anything, Little Bird. I want you to tell me what happened. I need to know what happened that night.”
Why was he so eager to know? “It won’t change things now.”
“No but I will have more people to add to my shit list.” and he picks me up and deposits me back on the rock and starts to walk away.
“Nightshade, where are you going? ”
“Tell me what happened, Little Bird or I may decide to teach you another lesson.”
“Wh - what do you mean by that?”
He chuckles under his breath and turns back to me with the blindfold in one hand and his belt in the other. I never saw his belt come out of the loops, he yanked it so fast.
“Nightshade!” I am practically climbing up the rock to get away.
“Tell. Me. What. Happened. Little. Bird.”
***
I was in my room when the front door clicked shut, a soft sound that echoed through the quiet house. Looking out my window, I saw Chloe, her costume a typical black cat, and Mason—dressed, I think, as some sort of farmer or scarecrow. From this distance, it was hard to tell; maybe he was going for a mountain man vibe. Either way, I didn’t have much time to analyze it.
Suddenly, the house was filled with the booming, cheerful chaos of “Monster Mash” blaring from the stereo system. It was loud, almost deafening, and the shift in atmosphere made my pulse quicken.
“C’mon, Aviana! Join us for the party, why don’t you?” Ryan’s voice echoed up the stairs, louder than usual, as if he was trying to be heard over the noise.
I muttered to myself, “I don’t know why he’s going along with this since he was against it in the first place,” as I dug through my closet, frantically searching for something—anything—that could be put together into a makeshift Halloween costume. Sure, it was just us three, but even so, I wanted to get into the spirit of things.
The door creaked, and Liam’s voice rang out from the doorway. “Hey there, sis. Why don’t you put on that pink ball gown dress at the back of your closet and go as Sleeping Beauty?”
I jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. I looked over my shoulder, trying to process his words. He had on a Ghost Face mask, black sweatpants, and for some inexplicable reason, he’d gone shirtless, his chest splattered with what I really hoped was fake blood. There was no way he butchered a farm animal for this party, right?
“What do you say?” Liam exclaimed, looking absolutely shocked. “You already are the princess here.” He shrugged, nonchalantly, bouncing down the stairs without missing a beat. “Come on, get dressed and dance with us!”
Sighing, I pulled the pink dress from the back of my closet, threw it on and grabbed a pair of canvas shoes, opting to forgo the heals. Then, I found an old ribbon lying on my desk in the corner and tied my hair up.
When I finally made it down the stairs, the noise from the party swelled louder, and I heard Liam’s voice from across the room. “Oh, look, there she is! Finally ready to party. I was about to send the party up there!” He raised a black solo cup high in the air, a grin spreading across his face as the music blasted, filling every corner of the house.
Despite my uncertainty, I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to feel like part of this chaotic little world of theirs.
***
He has moved to sit on the rock with me “Tell me Liam didn’t fucking put his fingers on you that night, Little Bird.”
Inhaling deeply to even out my breaths to not give away any details, he stands up and moves around me, putting the belt around my throat with one hand.
Clawing at the belt, he just tightens it.
“Okay” it comes out as a whisper. “Okay, please, I will tell you.”
“Stop fighting it. I know you enjoyed watching me take off my belt and you will enjoy it around your neck. Tell me I am wrong, Little Bird. I want to hear just how wrong I am.” his erection hitting my back and instinctively I lean into it and with a hint of a voice tell him, “Yes.”
“Yes what Little Bird? Yes he touched you or yes you are enjoying this?”
“Please, Nightshade.” I don’t know exactly what I am begging for but I have to tell him what happened or he could become more dangerous.