Less than Perfect by S. J. Evans (librera reader .TXT) 📖

gray-blue eyes that he had looked into so many times. She met his eyes and stared at the, bright and electric blue eyes, eyes which buried into her soul, and not in a good way.
“You can leave whenever you feel you’re ready,” Johnny answered, taking the place of Leah. Bryan looked up at her step-father with admiration. Johnny didn’t deserve the admiration that he had somehow earned and he shouldn’t ever have gained it.
She lifted herself carefully out of bed. She had lived with a few fractured ribs before and it wasn’t as big of a deal since there was the fact that everything else was hurting. She grabbed Bryan’s shoulder for help and he let her cooperatively.
“Careful now, you don’t want to hurt yourself.” Johnny said, springing up from the chair and hurrying over to her as he offered a free hand to help. No, because that’s your job isn’t it?

She wanted to scoff at him.
Leah laced her fingers through Johnny’s and smiled up at him. “Thank you, dear.” She whispered.
“Well, I want to make sure she’s okay. Bryan, be careful,” his voice seemed urgent, filled with what could pass as worry for Skye’s safety; but he wasn’t worried for her safety, after all, he was the one who had caused her all the pain. Bryan’s not doing anything wrong, you’re the one who hurt me, and you’re the one that got me into this situation, so why can’t you stop touching me.

She knows that she’ll scream something at him someday, a day when she could say something and not care what happens to her, but she could never know when that would be.
“I’ve got her, you don’t have to worry—I can take care of her.” Bryan said towards Leah and Johnny.
“I can walk myself, as much as it may surprise you guys, I’m good with this.” She held onto her twisting stomach and wanted to just get out of the hospital and into her own bed as quickly as possible. She was still worn out, tired from the beating and exhausted from the emotional battle within. She really didn’t

want their help.
“Okay, sweetie, we know. We’re just looking out for you.” Leah chimed in, her soft and gentle voice soothing each and every person in the room. It was so gentle that it could calm anything down.
“I know, thank you.” Skye walked over to her bag of stuff and grabbed it. “Ready?”
“Of course.” Leah said sweetly.
“Can I get a ride home?” Bryan asked, tipping his gaze to Leah.
“Of course you can, Bryan. Johnny can give you a ride,”
“I would like to ride with Skye if that’s alright,” Of course. He’s acting kind so that it won’t ever look suspicious of him when I come home with bruises.

“Oh,” Leah looked bummed, as if someone had just told her something completely altering her own desires. “That’s fine. Skye can ride with Johnny too then.”
No please don’t let me in a car with him! That’s what got me here in the first place!

Skye screamed in her mind, wanting to speak the words aloud. She felt her nerves tense up and found it hard to take deep breaths. She would be in the car with Johnny again—alone once Bryan was gone—and he could do anything he wanted to her since she’s too exhausted to fight against anything. “Sounds great, Bryan.” She lied instead.
“Thank you Mrs. Rich.” Bryan grinned. Skye hates Johnny’s last name; every time she hears it she thinks back to the day of their wedding, the day that caused Johnny to have such a destructive hold on her.
“No problem. I will meet you two back at the house than?” Leah replied, pointing to Skye and Johnny. Skye was holding her chest and trying to calm herself, she needed to take as many calm and deep breaths as possible. The room around her was starting to spin from worry.
“Yes, we’ll meet you there.” Johnny said after a long pause. He glanced over at Skye and smiled. “It will be good to get a chance to talk to one another, right Skye?”
Now you call me Skye. Is everything all just a show for you, Johnny?

“Of course,” she faked a smile, her voice somewhat catching.
“You do need to get some rest, Skye. You’ll have to take it easy for a while and rest—doctor’s orders.”
“Okay, sure, I will.” She replied, feeling doubt bubble up in her gut. She looked desperately into Johnny’s eyes and wanted to find out everything he could possibly plan against her, thinking that if she knew maybe she could find a way to stop it all. “You have nothing to worry about, Mom.”
“Good, see you two later. Goodbye Bryan, I hope we get to talk another time soon.” With Leah’s last words she left the room. Skye headed out as the two men followed behind her, saying something quietly under their breath. She didn’t want to face the two biggest problems in her life and she especially definitely didn’t want to face them if they were planning something.
Behind her she heard a quiet voice coming from Johnny, “We better get going, Bryan, it is obvious Skye wants out of this place.”
More than that, I want out of this life of lies with you and Bryan. I want to be set free of this life and I desperately need a chance to see a world without him. Johnny, he’s suffocating me and I just need a chance to breathe.

She walked out of the room, feeling the pain in the air of all the people injured or fighting for a chance to live. She almost felt guilty for being able to leave the place alive and mostly well while others sat on their death bed. She would easily take their place instead of living her life full of lies and pain. She wants to be able to free and save herself, but maybe she can’t do it, maybe it isn’t a part of her destiny.
Or maybe it’s not breathing I need but it’s not breathing. If Johnny wants me out of the picture all he has to do is say so, maybe I don’t want to be in the picture anymore.

Skye stared out the window in the back seat of Johnny’s car, avoiding him as best she could. Bryan was talking to her in hushed tones, and she could tell from the silence with Johnny that he was listening in. “Skye, you haven’t seen Jules again have you?”
She grimaced at the mention of Jules’ name. She knew that she had hurt him and he hadn’t deserved what she had given him, even if it was all for show. “No, Bryan, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He touched her face gently and turned her head towards him. “Good. I just don’t want to lose you, Skye, that’s all.”
“Then trust me, Bryan. Honestly, do you really think that we can make things work if we don’t trust each other?”
“No, you’re right—things won’t work out as well if we can’t trust each other.”
“Then please just give me some space. I don’t want to rush things, we have plenty of time, let’s just slow down, okay?”
His eyes suddenly flickered with anger and desire. He didn’t want to slow down. “Slow down? Skye, we’re not going fast,” he growled, bringing his lips down to her neck. He nuzzled her neck and breathed in her scent, as if he could commit it to memory.
“This, Bryan, this is too fast.” She breathed, pushing him away. “You’re trying to suffocate me and I don’t want this right now.”
“Skye, I can take things too fast, but this, this is taking things slow. I can show you slow,” he purred. He wrapped his arms around her and let his weight come on her legs, kissing her forcibly and bringing his hands down to her hips so that she couldn’t move.
She gasped between kisses and pushed against his body, her hands desperately shoving him away. “No, Bryan, stop!” She breathed, her heartbeat racing.
He stopped and looked at her, laughing under his breath. “What? You don’t like it?”
“No, I don’t. It’s too much, Bryan.” She clutched his shirt and took a few quick breaths. “Please,” she begged, searching inside his eyes for something to give her a settlement.
“Fine,” He grumbled, dropping himself back into the seat beside her. His gaze swept up and down her and he grinned, thinking about the day when she would let him take things up a notch. She didn’t ever want that day to come though, she would only want for them to take things slow and keep it that way, rushing things in her mind would be as bad as Johnny’s abuse, she couldn’t handle it.
Skye looked out the window, irritation beating inside of her, and watched as they pulled into the Echols’ driveway. “Bryan, you’re home. We can talk later.” She whispered, utterly exhausted, her weary body shutting down.
“Yeah, later.” He agreed, giving her one last passionate kiss before he hopped out of the car. He waved a goodbye as Johnny sped the car down the street, a smirk carefully playing his lips.
Skye rested her head against the window, feeling the cold glass against her flushed cheeks. “Johnny, if you take me straight home and leave me alone I’ll give you one free pass. Please.” She begged as her heartbeat and breathing finally slowed. A free pass would allow him to do whatever he wanted, to beat her until he was content. He had only gotten a “free pass” once and it resulted in a trip to the hospital. She needed her rest though, and she would do anything to get that rest. Giving in to him would be worth the rest.
Johnny nodded and looked at her in the rear-view mirror, his eyes giving off one thing: his thoughts. Perfect

, they rang.
***
“Dinner’s ready!” Leah exclaimed from downstairs. Skye lay on her bed resting as best she could as she fought the pain.
Whimpering, she tried to get up but it only resulted in pain. Instead she grabbed her phone from where it was charging beside her bed and dialed her mom’s number. Johnny picked up, “What do you need, Skye?” She couldn’t get the ring of his voice out of her head, the ring of him calling her by his “play name” Princess

.
“I can’t get up right now. I need the pain medicine. Can Leah bring it up, along with my dinner, please?”