Confronting the Past

I shook my head. "I can't go to your house, Johnny. Please, I can't see him," I begged as he continued to drive in the opposite direction to my house.

"Stephen?" he asked, frowning. I nodded, unable to speak through the lump in my throat. My hands were shaking. I closed my eyes and thought of Liam, trying to stay calm.

I thought of the colour of his eyes, how his hair felt when I ran my hands through it, the sound of his voice.

"You OK?" Johnny asked, sounding concerned.

I nodded weakly. "I don't want to see him, Johnny," I whispered, turning in my seat to look at him.

He was trying to watch the road and look at me at the same time. "Why not?" he asked quietly. I shook my head. I couldn't talk about it, especially not to him, that was his stepfather for goodness sake, he lived with him.

"I just don't, please." I begged him with my eyes.