CHAPTER 17

Matt felt the silence linger for a moment as he processed her words. Before she spoke again, Matt blurted out, "I hate my dad." Erica stared blankly at him. The words were just there between them. There was nothing to be done about them. Even saying them out loud did nothing to weaken their truth. "He... he controls everything about me. About my life. Everyone around me in my life is around because of him. They- i just- I don't know. I feel alone." Sadness grew on Erica's face. She looked like she was lying beside a puppy and was fighting the urge to scoop it up. A moment passed and Erica leaned forward and took a rough swallow from the whiskey bottle, handed it to Matt, who took it and also took a long pull from it. Matt smacked his lips as the bite stung his tongue and cheeks. "Jordan doesn't touch me," she said softly. She turned her head to look at the ceiling. With her lying on her back, her tank top riding up and revealing her belly button. The thin gold pendant necklace around h