⋅•⋅⊰∙∘❦✾❦∘∙⊱⋅•-
I flinched hard enough that my shoulder slammed against the wall, the old plaster rough against my sleeve, and I instinctively tried to make myself as small as possible. "No, Dad, please, I swear it's not what you think—" I rushed out, desperate, but my words shattered against the roar that followed.
"Shut your damn mouth!" His voice sliced through the room like a whip crack, and I swallowed the rest of my plea so fast it hurt. I pressed my lips together, tasting blood from where I bit the inside of my cheek. The silence that fell was suffocating, only broken by my ragged breathing and the faint clink of the half-empty bottle on the side table when he shifted.
