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."

it? Yeah neither do I when Trevor's laying into me." I mutter sarcastically, my words

to speak to me, I've given her too many. There comes a point in your life when you forgive multiple times

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

want to eat my breakfast in peace." I tell her, hoping she'll stand up

has invited us to her wedding. It's on Saturday and we're going whether you like

everywhere. The place is a mess so

"What?" I ask in surprise, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I notice a new

Mum's older sister who I haven't seen for ten years since my fathers funeral. From what I remember, she's a big woman with dark crazy hair who has a tendency to scream instead of talk. As far as

men like

wedding. Trevor is more than happy to go so I don't see what the problem is."

when she speaks

Why is she so blind?

see the bruise under my eyes or my red scalp? Or hear my

'"I'm not going. There  is no way in hell I am playing happy families