All Better Beautiful (Payton's Heart) Read Online Free PDF

around my chest. She left the room
bringing back with her a small glass of water placing it in my hands before
exiting the room and back into the kitchen.
     
    "Payton,
Oh my god what happened," Karen's voice came out of nowhere and I hadn't
noticed but my mind must have wondered off in the time it took for them to call
her and for her to drive here. She sat down next to me on the couch and then I
saw him. Dylan was here with her. He knelt in front of me on the floor without
touching me just looking into my eyes he said, "It was John all along
wasn't it?" Tears began to fall and they fell so hard I couldn't stop
them. I just shook my head when I had finally caved, crashed and let it spill
over. I would no longer continue to protect him. If I ended up in foster care
or on the streets it had to be better than the hell of my past 6 years, the
hell that my mother had left me to live through. Dylan took me into his arms and
I didn’t hesitate…as Karen held onto my hand. I am not sure how long he held me
but I had never felt more safe then I had at that very moment.
     
    The police
took my statements regarding everything that had been going on from John
hitting me and then with what happened today. Karen walked out she couldn’t
listen any longer. She hurt worse with every word knowing that for years this
was going on and she had no idea. Dylan never left my side he sat next to me on
the couch holding me close. He tensed as I gave the details and at one point he
rested his chin in the crook of my neck taking a deep steady breath. It all
came out so easily. I really had no idea what was going to happen to me or
where I would be this time tomorrow but being free from John and the abuse was
an amazing feeling. Dylan helped me from the couch and led me out to Karen’s
car climbing into the backseat next to me. He wrapped me tightly into his side
with his arm securely around me he placed his lips to my forehead and I felt a
tear drip onto my cheek. I turned to look up at him and seen that he too was
crying. "I am so sorry you’ve been hurt Payton. I’m sorry I should have
pushed Casey harder for answers." He placed his hand onto my cheek as he
looked me directly in the eyes, "I'll never let him hurt you again".
     
    They
arrested John and the drunken stranger who attacked me immediately following my
statement. I spent the remaining part of that day sleeping and having Casey
watch me like a hawk. Every single movement I made she was checking on me. I
was fine I was just exhausted. I woke up on and off throughout the day and
night. About midnight I got up and went to the kitchen to get something to
drink and I saw Karen sitting at the kitchen table in the darkness. It startled
me at first. She turned when she heard me gasp, "Payton it is okay I just
couldn't sleep." She rubbed her hands together nervously and then placed
them back in front of her next to her glass of water. "Come sit with me,"
she waved me over. I had grabbed a bottle of water and went over sitting in the
chair next to her.  For the next few minutes we sat in silence. Karen
lifted her hand out and touched mine, "Why didn’t you ask for help? I
would have helped you. We could have gone to the police together. Has this been
going on since your mom left?" Tears filling hers eyes before spilling
over. I was so unbelievably grateful to this woman for everything she has done.
She has welcomed me into her home not just tonight but anytime and every time
over the last six years. I owed her an explanation. I lifted my gaze from table
and look directly at her and told her just why, "Karen it wasn’t always
this bad, I mean he was never really nice but just over a last couple years it
became more frequent. I was scared to say anything. If I told anyone I didn’t
know what would happen to me. I wasn’t sure where I would end up. I didn’t want
people to look at me differently, to look at me as a victim. That poor girl
abused and almost raped. I hate the idea of the