Page 120 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“Yes.” Maddie said without hesitating. “At fourteen you’re old enough to understand the consequences.”

He snorted. “You have an interesting idea of justice.”

She shook her head and turned away at his words. What did he know about it, she thought.

He narrowed his eyes and she gulped realising she’d muttered it out loud. That he’d heard exactly what she was thinking.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Forget it.” She said stepping back.

“Maddie.” He snarled grabbing her and she pushed him away.

“You think because you pushed some nasty kid off a cliff that that makes you a bad person?” She asked. “You have no idea what I’ve done.”

“Then tell me.”

She shuddered glaring at him as she sat down on the grass. “I stabbed someone.” She said.

“Who?”

“Does it matter?” She asked. He was sitting beside her now.

“Yes.”

She shut her eyes and all she could see was him. That man. That moment.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She said. Suddenly the damn tears were falling again. What the hell is this, she thought, she hadn’t cried in years, actual god damn years and now she was becoming a blubbering mess.

Cole pulled her back into his arms. “It’s okay Maddie. Whatever you did, I’m sure you had your reasons.”

She shook her head, burying her face in his coat and he sighed.

“Tell me Maddie. Trust me.”

She looked up at him. “You’ll never look at me the same.”

“You’re right. I won’t. I’ll understand you better, love you better.” He stated.

“He was hurting me. He’d been doing it for years.” She said quietly.

“Who was he?”

“Just someone that hung around my mother. He was a drug dealer but they were also in a relationship when it suited him.”

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen.” She whispered before clearing her throat. “Fifteen when I stabbed him but he’d been hurting me since I was twelve.”

He scowled. “And you stabbed him?”

“Yes. Turns out he’d started messing with other girls on my street. I planned it. I lay in wait. I had a knife and when I saw him I attacked. I stabbed him over and over.”

“Did he die?”

“No.” She said shaking her head. “I thought he was dead. There was so much blood. I packed a bag and I ran. The police found me two days later.”

“What happened to him?”

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