The next day was just as predictable, until the night brought something different. Dinner dragged on with the usual meaningless small talk. The boys bantered about their day, teasing each other between bites of mashed potatoes, the clatter of silverware filling the gaps. I sat quietly, trying to shrink into my chair, as if being smaller would make me invisible.

Dad was playing his part perfectly, laughing and joking with Ethan and Maxim, his charm shining through as he complimented Lorenzo on some new project at work. He always played the doting father when we were all together. His smile was wide, his tone gentle, as if he could never be the same man who would corner me when no one else was looking.

"How's school going, kiddo?" Dad asked, turning his attention to me, his voice light and casual, like nothing was wrong.

I felt every eye at the table shift toward me. My throat tightened, but I forced a smile, the same one I wore every time. The one that hid everything.

"Fine," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Just... busy."

Ethan and Maxim barely noticed, too wrapped up in their conversation about the latest soccer match, but Elijah shot me a glance, his brows furrowing slightly. I looked away, focusing on the food in front of me. I couldn’t let him see through me. He was always the one who noticed the cracks in my facade, the way my hands trembled sometimes when Dad was around.

Dad leaned back in his chair, satisfied with my answer, and the conversation drifted back to the boys. I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my breath, but I could still feel his presence looming over me like a shadow, even when he wasn’t looking directly at me.

The rest of dinner passed in a blur of voices and clinking plates, and when it was finally over, I excused myself as quickly as I could, eager to retreat to the safety of my room. My footsteps were soft as I slipped down the hallway, my heart racing the closer I got to the door. I could already feel the tension in my chest building, the familiar dread creeping in.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath. The house felt so different when I was alone in my room, the walls seeming to close in on me, the silence heavy and suffocating.

I grabbed my phone again, my fingers instinctively hovering over Adrian’s name. He had texted me earlier, asking if I was okay, and I hadn’t responded yet. Part of me wanted to tell him everything, to unload the weight of it all onto someone who seemed to care, but the other part of me, the stronger part, knew better.

I opened the message thread and stared at his last text.

You good? You didn’t answer earlier. I’m worried about you.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, and after a long pause, I typed back:

Yeah, I’m good. Just busy with family stuff. Nothing to worry about.

Another small piece of the truth buried deep, hidden where no one could find it.

A few moments later, my phone buzzed with his response.

Okay. But if you need anything, just tell me, alright? I’m here.

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t.

Instead, I set the phone aside and curled up on the bed, pulling the covers tight around me as if they could shield me from the darkness that was always waiting. But even as I tried to drift off to sleep, my mind raced, haunted by the quiet menace in Dad’s voice, the way he looked at me when no one else was watching.

And deep down, I knew that no amount of pretending could ever change the reality of what was happening.

---

The night stretched on endlessly, the weight of the day pressing down on me even as I tried to fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the suffocating presence of Dad’s gaze, his voice, the warning behind his smile. My stomach churned with dread, and even though I knew I needed sleep, my body refused to relax.

Somewhere in the haze of restless thoughts, I heard a faint knock on the door. I froze, every muscle tensing. Dad never knocked. He just came in when he wanted. I lay still, my heart thudding in my chest as the door cracked open slightly.

“It’s me,” Elijah whispered, peeking his head in. “Can I come in?”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Yeah, sure.”

He slipped into the room, closing the door softly behind him. In the dim light from the street lamp outside, I could see the worry etched on his face. He crossed the room and sat on the edge of my bed, his weight making the mattress dip slightly.

“I just wanted to check on you,” he said quietly, his voice gentle. “You’ve seemed... off lately. Everything okay?”

I hesitated, my mind racing for an answer that wouldn’t give anything away. Elijah was the most observant of all my brothers, always the one who could sense when something was wrong. But no matter how much I wanted to tell him, the fear of what Dad would do if anyone found out kept my lips sealed.

“I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a weak smile. “Just stressed with school and stuff, you know?”

Elijah didn’t look convinced. He watched me for a moment longer, his brows knitting together in concern. “You sure? I’ve noticed how you get quiet whenever Dad’s around. I don’t know... something feels off.”

My throat tightened, panic rising in my chest. I couldn’t let him see through me. I couldn’t let him know the truth.

“I promise, I’m okay,” I said, my voice cracking slightly despite my best efforts to sound convincing. “It’s just been a long week.”

Elijah’s gaze softened, and he reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Alright,” he said softly, though I could tell he still wasn’t satisfied with my answer. “But if you ever want to talk, about anything, you know you can come to me, right?”

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

He gave me a small, reassuring smile before standing up and heading back to the door. “Get some sleep, okay? You look like you need it.”

“I will,” I whispered as he quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, the knot in my chest tightened again. I hated lying to him. Elijah had always been protective of me, always the one looking out for his younger siblings. But I couldn’t burden him with the truth. I couldn’t drag him into this nightmare.

I turned over, burying my face in the pillow to stifle the silent sobs that had begun to escape. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep pretending. I didn’t know how much longer I could carry the weight of it all alone.

---

The next day at school, I was exhausted, barely able to focus on anything. The sleepless night, combined with the constant anxiety, had worn me down to nothing. I drifted through the day like a ghost, my mind elsewhere. Every time I thought about the night before, I felt a pang of guilt. Elijah had known something was wrong, and I had lied to him. Again.

By lunchtime, I found myself sitting outside in my usual spot, away from everyone else. The cool breeze felt good against my skin, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside me.

I pulled out my phone, scrolling through the messages I hadn’t responded to yet. Adrian had texted me again.

You okay? You were quiet yesterday.

I sighed, feeling the familiar pull of his attention. He cared about me—at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. But lately, that care had started to feel suffocating. He was always checking in, always wanting to know where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. At first, it had been comforting to have someone who seemed to care so much. But now... it felt different. He felt different.

Before I could decide how to respond, I heard footsteps behind me.

“Hey.”

I turned around, already knowing who it was. Adrian stood there, his hands in his pockets, his smile easy and familiar, though something about it seemed a little forced today.

“Hey,” I said quietly, offering a small smile in return.

He sat down beside me, his presence looming over me in a way that made me feel both comforted and uneasy at the same time. For a while, we didn’t say anything, just sat in silence, the tension between us almost palpable.

“You’ve been acting weird,” Adrian said after a while, his voice calm but laced with something heavier. “I’ve been texting you, but you don’t respond sometimes. You can talk to me, you know.”

“I’ve just been busy,” I replied, my stomach twisting. “There’s been a lot going on at home.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned toward me, his expression softening into concern. “At home? What’s going on?”

I hesitated, unsure of how much to tell him. I didn’t want to get into it, didn’t want to explain everything. But the pressure of his gaze, the expectation in his voice—it was enough to make me feel trapped.

“It’s just... stuff with my family,” I said vaguely, trying to brush it off. “It’s not a big deal.”

Adrian didn’t look convinced. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You know you don’t have to hide things from me, right? If something’s going on, I want to help.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening with the weight of the secrets I was keeping. But telling Adrian about Dad felt wrong, like opening a door I wasn’t ready to walk through. I didn’t want to let him in that deep. Not yet.

“I’m fine, really,” I forced myself to say, offering another weak smile. “It’s nothing.”

For a moment, Adrian just looked at me, his eyes searching mine as if he could see through the walls I had put up. Finally, he sighed, leaning back again. “Alright,” he said, though I could hear the edge of disappointment in his voice. “But don’t keep me in the dark, okay? I don’t like not knowing what’s going on with you.”

I nodded quickly, feeling the tension in my chest ease just a little. “I won’t.”

But even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true. I couldn’t tell him everything. I couldn’t tell him about Dad. And deep down, I wasn’t sure if Adrian would understand, or if his concern would turn into something else—something even more suffocating.