Chapter 14

~Valeria ~ Mother cleans the blood from her hands with a towel. “I will NOT let you ruin things for your sister. Am I clear?!” I’m dazed, staring at the floor, but I can barely see. My face took the brunt of her anger this time. “Am I clear!” she shouts. All I can do is slowly nod. “Now no one will look at you,” she mutters as she finally leaves the room. Max slowly walks up to me, whimpering. He licks my hand, and I cry. I… I want it over. I want them gone. Why can’t they just leave me be? No Mother. No Father. No Jade. No Raphael. No Tobias. No one. Just… leave me… alone. I sink back onto the bed and close my eyes. Max’s licks wake me, pulling me into daylight. I can see now. One glance in the mirror makes me cringe—it hurts even to move my face. My skin is purple, my lip split. Blood stains the bed where I slept while still bleeding. One of my eyes is so swollen it looks smaller than the other. I squint, looking closer. “Oh no… my nose.” It’s crooked. I shut my eyes as tears slip fr