You're Not In This Alone

The next morning I wake up and my head feels foggy. I sit up and realise I'm in my bed so I climb out and stumble into the kitchen, expecting coffee but there isn't any made and I find a note from dad on the table. 'Baby girl I had to go in to work. I should be home around 3. Love you.' I drop the note back on the table and go back into my room, grabbing my cell off the bedside table and unlocking it, finding a message from my girlfriend, Kate. 'Hey beautiful I'm free all day. Let me know when you wanna hang out : ).' I hit her contact and bring the phone to my ear, listening to it ring before her sweet voice answers. "Hey beautiful" she greets me and I smile before saying "Hey so I'm home alone until atleast three. Wanna come over?" "Yeah, I'll be there in like fifteen minutes." "Sounds good, bring coffee" I tell her and she laughs before saying "Sure princess" and hanging up. I get in the shower, quickly washing my hair and body before getting out and putting fresh gauze over my cuts. I redress and leave the bathroom just as there is a knock at the door. I run over and answer it, being enveloped in Kate's arms. "Hey" she says, leaning in to kiss me and I kiss back before grabbing her empty hand and pulling her inside. Once she's in and the door is closed she hands me my coffee and I smile wide before taking a mouthful. "Oh fuck that's good" I tell her and she smiles and shakes her head at me fondly. We end up settled on the living room floor with all the pillows from my bed, laying back and I put on the movie from last night again, both of us giggling at the terrible acting. Halfway through the movie Kate's lips attach to my neck and she starts sucking and nibbling on the skin. I let out a soft moan as my eyes flutter shut and I feel goosebumps on my skin. She works her way down my neck until she reaches the collar of my shirt, urging me to sit up as she pulls it off. She kisses down my body, over my boobs and down my stomach before sitting back and gently touching the gauze taped over my many cuts. "What's this?" She asks and I shake my head. "Nothing." She sighs but doesn't say anything else and moves down to kneel between my legs, kissing up my thighs as her fingers slide up under my skirt and grip my panties, pulling them down and off before she dives in and licks one swipe straight over my clit. "Fuck" I groan out as she starts licking and nibbling and I'm lost in the pleasure, throwing my head back and groaning again. I start to feel myself get close to orgasm when I hear a male voice shout "What the fuck?" And Kate sits back from between my legs as my head snaps up to see dad standing in the doorway with his back to us and Matt standing beside him, staring, the bulge in his pants not subtle at all. I quickly sit up, pulling my skirt back down before dad turns around again. I grab my shirt and go to put it back on and dad says "What the fuck is going on?" And he sounds pissed. I feel tears of humiliation prick my eyes and I stand from the floor, telling Kate. "You should go" before running from the room and into my room, slamming the door shut. A few seconds later I hear the front door close and footsteps approach my room. The door flies open with no warning and dad storms in, still looking mad. "What is going on Ruby?" I stare at him and remain silent, my bottom lip quivering. "Answer me" he yells and I cower in fear, knowing that sometimes when he gets really upset he lashes out. Matt comes into the room and grabs his arm. "Come on Frank. Just calm down and then have this discussion" pulling him from the room and closing the door again. I lay face down on my bed and cry for a while before my phone buzzes and I see it's a message from Kate. 'Look I like you Ruby and you're really pretty but I don't know what I was thinking dating a child. I don't think we should see each other any more.' I scream out, throwing the phone at the wall before climbing off the bed and going to my closet, digging out my razor and pulling my shirt up, removing the gauze and cutting another four lines into my side. I replace the gauze and pull my shirt back down, laying on my bed again and feeling the stinging burn as my cuts bleed into the gauze. I lay there staring at the wall for so long I almost fall asleep again when my dad knocks lightly before coming into the room again. "Ruby?" He says softly and I turn my head to look at him. "I'm sorry for getting mad before. Please, can we talk?" I shrug my shoulders before rolling back over and staring at the wall again and a few seconds later I feel the bed dip where he sat down. "Baby girl, I know that's not the way I should have reacted but I never expected to walk in on that and I was taken completely by surprise. So is that your girlfriend?" I roll onto my back and stare at the roof as I say "Was. She just broke up with me cause she doesn't want to date a child." Dad sighs before laying down beside me and pulling me into his arms. I go, sniffling and trying not to cry again. "Oh baby girl" he whispers out as he gently rubs his hand up and down my back. We lay in silence for a few seconds before he says "How old was she?" "Twenty two" I tell him I feel him tense beside me. "Ruby" he says and by the tone of his voice I know I'm about to get a lecture. "Spare me, please" I snap and he sighs and doesn't say anything else. We fall into silence again before dad says "Ruby what was that on your side? If you got a tattoo your father will literally bust my ass for being a bad influence." I tense up and don't say anything and he says "Show me Ruby," obviously thinking it's a tattoo. I shake my head, moving away from him and he sits up and looks mad again. "Show me Ruby, right now." I shake my head again, my eyes welling with tears and he grows angrier. "Show me right now" he snaps and I slowly pull my shirt out of the way with shaking hands, uncovering the gauze and dad reaches out and gently peels the gauze away from my skin. His eyes widen and he drops the gauze on the bed as he takes in the many cuts that now litter my side. "Fuck" he gasps out and I try to pull my shirt back down but he stops me, grabbing my wrist and stilling my hand. "Ruby, baby girl, why?" I don't answer him, instead turning my head away and starting to cry. Dad doesn't say anything for a few seconds but I feel his fingers lightly brush over the cuts, making the fresh ones sting and causing me to flinch. "You did some of these today" he states, not really asking as it's obvious I did. I don't say anything and he sighs before standing up and saying "Where's your razor Ruby." I lay there facing the wall, not speaking and he snaps. "Where's the fucking razor Ruby?" "Closet" Is all I say and he marches over and starts tearing my
closet apart until he finds the little box containing two razors before storming out of the room. I reach out and pull the covers over myself, sobbing and trembling until I fall asleep.

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