June 2nd
Milo's POV:
I feel far away as Harvey's head rests against my chest on my bed, after him breaking down in my arms we went to my house. My mum still isn't home and I'm thankful for it.
I wished I lived further so Harvey didn't have to be so close to that monster.
I feel my eyes twinge as I remember how cruelly Harvey's father, the mayor of this shitty little town beat the crap out of this precious boy in my arms. No wonder he pushes everyone away.
If his dad treats him like utter shit.
I remember the face he wore when he saw me through the window, he looked so scared. More scared than what he looked like when that man was hitting him.
I feel a sharp pain in my chest when I picture back to him on the floor and his father over him with a vicious face. Kicking him repeatedly.
I blink and a tear escapes my eyes so I quickly rub it away, I don't want Harvey to focus on me. I need to get him to talk.
Speaking of, Harvey fidgets slightly and glances up to me. He sniffles and tries to give me a small smile but it fails, I close my eyes for a second but all I can see is that horrible scene I just witnessed.
I open them and lean down, kissing his head of hair. I inhale in and pull him closer to me, which is quite hard because he's already very close.
I put an ice pack against his stomach but after a couple minutes he shruggs it off,
"I don't need it, I've been through worse" my heart shatters even more after hearing that. All this time I've known him, all the time I've had suspicions about his father. And I did nothing.
Said nothing.
I move my head from his hair and he looks up to me with tired sad eyes, "are you okay?" I ask but I know it's a stupid question. Because how can someone- anyone, be okay after that.
Harvey's father abuses him, he just took a serve beating. And here I am asking if he's okay, holding him tight to me to make sure he knows I'm here. But I don't think that's enough, his face... he looks exhausted.
"I don't know anymore" I inhale sharply and close my eyes, feelings water pool in them. But I won't let them fall, I can't. Not with him in my arms. I take a deep breath and open them, staring into a beautiful green colour.
I tuck a small strand of hair behind his ear, "that happens a lot doesn't it?" I question quietly. The words drifting out into the air as he takes a while to answer. But I let him, I keep him close, resting against me for comfort.
"Yeah" he whispers out but his voice breaks, he then shuffles around into a sitting position and clears his throat. "Ever since I can remember" he finally says and I swallow.
Feeling like there's a hard lump in my throat.
I take his hand into mine gently and he sighs. "He always hurts me when I mess up, it's been happening forever and I know it's just the way he deals with it but-"
"No, Harvey. No. That's not a fair punishment for bad behaviour, he's abusive. He abuses you" I sit up and tell him, lightly putting my hands against the harsh marks left by his dad on his cheeks. He closes his eyes then shakes his head.
"No, no he's not. No-" a loud sob erupts from him and soon tears are falling again, I take him in my arms again and pull him so close to my chest. Stroking his hair and saying comforting words.
We stay like that, me holding him close, for ages. In the middle of the day we get hungry so I order food, pizza. He asks for pineapple on it which I hate but I order it anyway. Only when it arrives do we break away from our hug, which I miss instantly.
I want to be there, close to him for comfort. To help him and tell him it's going to be okay, but I don't know that it is. The way his dad treat him like that, I saw it. I saw it all.
How he had Harvey on the floor, he kicked him and didn't stop. It was disgusting, he told me it's because we left cups everywhere in his garden which isn't fair. Just because he had friends around?
I feel bad and like it's out fault for having that party, for dragging it over to Harvey's house.
"All those times you showed up with brusies or cuts?"
"That was him" he tells me quietly, taking a bite of his slice of pizza. I bit my lip and look down at the bed, annoyed at myself. I knew he was lying about him being clumsy and the bruises being accidents. But I didn't really say anything.
If I had just kept asking maybe he would have told me sooner. About what's going on.
That he has a monster for a dad, he can't even be called that. 'Dad', no dad treats their kid like that. Abuses them.
I ask him, hesitantly to tell me more and I'm surprised when he actually he tells me a few stories. Horrid ones that I wish had never happened.
"He once threw me into the coffee table in my living room, I hit my head pretty hard on the side" he shows me a light scar he has on his forehead and I wince.
"He once threw a vase at me when he was angry, it missed me by a second and hit the wall. Mum was pretty mad that her wall had a dent in it" I inhale at that, imagining that situation. He said he was only 8.
And how can his mum not care, he said he doesn't think his mum does anyway. He told me that she saw him today, how he was on the floor. And his father stood over him. Yet she did nothing.
I curl my hands into fists at that and breathe to try calm me.
Every story he tells me i break down a little more, wanting to go back in time to know Harvey sooner and help him. Hold him so he knows someone cares, but that's not how it works.
We finish with our food and go back to cuddling on the bed. This time watching a movie to preocupie ourselves, as we watch the images move on the screen i slowly move my fingers through his hair. Every now and then getting a finger caught through a wave but he doesn't so much as flinch.
His head rests on my chest and one of his legs are propped up against mine, his hands are under them on top of my chest too and below his chin. He looks peaceful.
And I don't even know it but soon his eyes are drifting close as the movie comes to an end. I look down at how calm he looks as the movie plays a last song and soon I'm falling asleep too.
Harvey's POV:
I wake to find myself sleeping on top of Milos chest, I glance up at him to see his eyes closed and I give a soft smile. I feel something run down my chest and I brush it away with my sleeve, knowing it's tears from my sleep.
I try to get up without making a sound or waking Milo up, as I do I glance at the clock above his bed and see that it's almost 7pm. We spent the whole day cuddling in bed.
I look out the window to see my bed and I sigh, knowing I have to go back. I lift my hand out from where it's stuck between Milos arm and his chest and I quickly get up.
I flatten my clothes down and make sure they're nice and neat, then i ruffle through my hair. I look back at Milo one last time and walk over to the window, I open it slowly so it doesn't make a noise but a hand grabs mine so I squeal and jump back.
Jumping into Milo.
I turn around and his brows are raised, "what are you doing?" He questions me as he looks from me to the window and back again.
"What am I doing? You're the one who almost gave me a freaking heart attack!" I huff out at him, trying to calm my beating heart.
He rolls his eyes and takes my hand, "you don't seriously think you're going to go back do you?" I raise my own brow at him before snorting in his face and letting go of his hand.
"What do you mean? It's my house, of course I'm going back" his face scrunched up like what I had just said was the most stupidest thing in the world.
Which yeah, it might be.
But if my parents find out that I'm not home they're going to be more pissed than they already are. And not to mention my dad told me to clean the garden and it's 7 already and I haven't.
"Well tough, you're not going back there" I scoff at him and his ridiculousness.
"Yeah I am, watch me" I tell him with a smile and turn around, continuing where I left of because he doesn't tell me what i can't do.
As I turn though he catches my wrist again and I grit my teeth, "get off me!" I hiss out but he doesn't listen.
"Look at you Harvey, stop being a fucking idiot. Of course you're not going back!" He yells at me and I flinch back slightly before composing myself. There's nothing wrong.
"What do you mean look at me? I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me! Stop making this into a big deal" he laughs at me and I close my mouth.
"Really, nothing wrong? What is this then" he lifts my shirt up to show me dark brusies already painting my body. A tear forms in my eye but I blink it away.
"Milo, seriously fuck off. You don't know anything" he scoffs again and I rip away my hand from his grasp, annoyed at him for making this seem like a big deal.
"No, i won't. You spent the whole day today telling me stories about him and you expect me to let you go back there. And it is a big deal, Harvey he hurts you for gods sake!" I shake my head and him and bite at my lip.
I know all the stories i told him sound bad but it's normal for me, it's all I've known. And if I don't go back my father will just be madder.
"Harvey, please. Please listen to me, you can't go back there. Not to a house where your father abuses you-"
"Stop saying that!" I yell at him, the loudest I can. He winces and closes him mouths as he watches me but I see him deflate.
"Why, it's true. That's whats happening-"
"Because I don't want it to be true! I don't want it to be real okay, I don't want a father who hits me or a mother to pretend like it's not happening and that it's all okay! I want my father to look at me and be happy, be proud of me instead of thinking me as something to take his anger out on.
Or my mum to love me how she used to, i don't want to admit all of that okay! So please stop trying to fix it, it's my life and I'll deal with it how I will."
At this point tears are streaming down my face and I see tears in Milo's eyes gloss over but he's standing there strong because he's not letting them fall. I look to him one last time before leaving his room and going to mine.
I shut the window and close the curtains quick, seeing him look to me like he wants to help. To do something, but he knows i won't let him. There's nothing to do, this is how it is.
I quickly go away from the window and wipe all the tears away from my face, I sniffle and practise a smile. Then I sort my hair out and clothes again, when I finally think I'm decent enough I go to the door. Breathing in deeply I close my eyes and take a second.
Then I open it and go downstairs.
First I see my mum, she's in the living room reading. She's also humming which is a strange combination.
I see that she's sat where I was not too long ago and I falter, i dig my nails in my palms to help calm myself but it doesn't help in the slightest.
I walk into the living room and sit next to her quietly, but she doesn't even bother to look up.
"Mum" I call out her name, my voice cracking a bit. She doesn't answer so I do it again, and again and again. "Mum, please listen" I ask her but she just flips a page.
So I grab it, once her stupid book is in my hand she glances up at me. With a smile.
"Hello darling, when did you get back?" So she knew I was out. I scoff, sniffling again because i can tell I'm getting emotional.
I shake my head reacting to her 'darling' in my mind, wondering how she can call me that and act like everything is okay. I look down at her book and stand up, throwing it against the wall. The stupid wall where my father threw a vase at me once.
I turn back to look at her and see her jump, "you don't get to call me that! Not anymore, you know that dad is hurting me" my voice breaks at the end and I close my eyes.
"He's not hurting you Harvey, he's teaching you" I open my eyes to stare into her soulless ones. I shake my head, "you know he has a temper. You shouldn't anger him sweetie" my mouth shuts close because I don't know what to say to that.
I look out the window but I don't see anything in Milos house.
"How are you allowing this" I whisper out and she stands up, walking over to me she moves a strand of hair behind my ear. I lean into the touch, not meaning to but wanting that feel of a mother. The feel of her fingertips and suddenly I'm back as a child.
And me and my mother are close, and we do everything together. But then I'm snapped out of it.
"He's your father Harvey, yeah I might not agree with him and his ways. But he's doing it for the right reasons" I turn my head as she goes to tuck another strand behind my ear. I hear her sigh and she steps back, I turn my head back to her and she stares at me like she's awaiting something.
I scoff, "well, mother knows best."
Before she can reply my father barges into the room, he glances at me to my mother and comes walking my way.
"How dare you leave like that! Didn't I tell you to sort the garden out."
I take a shaky breath and look back to my mother who bends down to retrieve her book, my father asks her why it was on the floor like that.
"He threw it" my head whips to her and I scoff, seeing how she doesn't even feel bad that she gave him another reason to be angry.
He looks to me with a venomous look and I realise Milo was probably right. It was probably better to stay away but, too late now.
"Yeah because you-" I yell out but instantly my head is snapped to the side like so many times before. Tears form in my eyes instantly because I'm so done with this.
I turn back and glance from my mother who isn't looking at me and my father who looks annoyed.
He follows a tear falling down my eye and chuckles, a menacing chuckle. He turns to look at my mum with a laugh and back to me and I step back, letting more tears fall.
"What is this? Are you crying now?" I furrow my eyebrows at him in confusion but he just steps forward. "Boy's don't cry." I let out a sound at that.
A sort of cry but in a humorous way, I step closer to him challenging him. "Father's don't hit" I grit out and his mouth locks shut. I glance over to my mother and back to him and scoff.
I walk past him and rush up the stairs, not even being called back. I probably suprised him with that.
I get to my room and slam my door, rushing into my bed I pull at my hair, annoyed at everything. Annoyed at the whole day and wishing it never happened.
A while later I feel my eyes slowly drooping, slowly seeing darkness and about to fall asleep.
Before arms wrap around my body.
I jump up and turn around but I only see Milo, I furrow my brows at him.
"Milo what the fuck, what are you doing here. How'd you even get it!?" I hiss out but quietly as I look at the handles pointing to 11pm on the clock. Milo doesn't say anything, instead he gets in the bed and shushes me.
Bringing my head down onto his chest, he starts petting at my hair, which makes me sleepy again. And then I don't question it, I'm just glad Milo is here with me.
I feel him bring his head to my hair and kiss it, once he pulls back he says "did he hurt you?" I mumble out a no and see him smile sadly down at me.
"Don't lie Harvey, your cheek is red" I sigh and cuddle up further into his neck. He kisses my forehead again and I nod before falling sound asleep.