"I will make you pay."

He grabbed me by the scruff and gave me a hard shake. I'd never seen him so angry.

But he was doing the exact wrong thing, putting his hands on me, threatening me. With a quick lift of my hands to where his held me, I made my hands form little Cs, stuck them out in front of me, snapped them back to where his thumbs held me tight, and plucked him off easily. "I promise you don't want to do that. I would never want to hit you. Because it's sad. It's a sad thing to hit an old man. But if you put your hands on me again, you'll find out just what happened that night long ago." He went pale and staggered backward. "Let me be clear with you Dad, you try and fuck with me, and I will end you. You try and fuck with Xander, and I will really end you. If you go anywhere near Mum, or try to put this in the papers and attempt to embarrass her, or if you try to take anything away from her, I will end you. Do you understand?"

The fear in his eyes told me that he did. He knew what I was capable of now. He finally understood. With that, I turned around and stalked out. I had my freedom. I never had to step foot in that place again.

17

Abbie…

I fiddled with my camera as I rode the tube. The energy on the train vibrated and shifted around me. The dark gray clouds of morning had dissipated and given way to lighter gray ones, but there was no hint of sunshine to be seen. It was official—my good weather run had come to an end.

The Brixton Market was exactly what I was looking for. Located in South London, it was home to immigrants from all over the world but primarily Jamaicans and Haitians. As I passed fruit and vegetable stands, I took occasional shots for my portfolio, focusing on the rich colors and the lively, animated faces of the people I passed. Navigating through the market, I finally paused when I heard the sounds of Jamaican dancehall music.

Following the thumping drum and bass tunes, I tugged the earphones out of my ears and smiled at the familiar Sean Paul song. Immediately, my mind went to the party the previous night. I flushed at the memory of Lex’s hands on my ass, urging my body to fit against him as he stroked my tongue with his.

I had never been so reckless or stupid in my life. Ever. I didn’t make out with random strangers, no matter how beautiful they were. All the dating magazines and articles I'd poured over with my friends since I was old enough to be interested in boys said to play it cool. Act unavailable.