Tangled Love

Whenever Trevor leaves for work early, my morning starts amazing. I wake up without feeling like I need to watch over my shoulder. I don't have to walk on tip-toes or silently wish he doesn't hurt me right before college. This morning I take my time getting ready with a faint smile on my lips.

I often wonder when I'm smiling whether I'm allowed to with the thoughts swirling round in my head. How can I appear happy when in reality I'm miserable? I've always prided myself in my smile being the only thing Trevor cannot take away from me and despite the hell inside my mind, that won't change.

This particular morning, my smile doesn't last long. I glance around the kitchen, letting out a small sigh. The stench in here is almost unbearable and I try to ignore the rubbish littering the floors.

"This whole place is a damn mess," I mutter, clearing a section of the table so I can sit down with my cereal. The rest of the house besides from my room mirrored each other, filthy and cluttered. It wasn't always like this . . . Dad and Mum were so house proud until he died and everything went downhill.

I am mid-way through crunching down on my golden balls cereal when Mum enters the kitchen. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, my shoulders automatically tensing in her presence. She takes a seat beside me, oblivious to the rubbish surrounding her. Trevor must have definitely burned eighty percent of her brain cells . . .

"What do you want?" I ask her abruptly, my tone hostile. Mum lets out a sigh and I feel her burning stare seep it's way into my face.

"Emily, don't speak to me like that."

do I when Trevor's laying into me." I mutter

I've given her too many. There comes a point in your life when you forgive

my anger and resentment towards her. I breathe calmly through my nose before taking another bite of

want to eat my breakfast in peace." I tell

us to her wedding. It's on Saturday and we're

deep throat my cereal and begin sputtering milk and half eaten cereal everywhere. The

I ask in surprise, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I notice a new expensive looking

I remember, she's a big woman with dark crazy hair who has a tendency to

goes through men like running

has invited us all to her wedding. Trevor is more than happy to

Her face practically glows when

is she so blind?

not see the bruise under my eyes or my red scalp? Or hear

happy families with you and Trevor." I spit out