Just Don T Mention It Pdf Gratuit

Starting time published in 2018 by Ink Route

INK ROAD is an banner and trademark of

Black & White Publishing Ltd.

Nautical House, 104 Commercial Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6NF

www.blackandwhitepublishing.com

This electronic edition published in 2018

ISBN: 978 i 78530 209 1 in EPub format

ISBN: 978 i 78530 197 one in paperback format

The right of Estelle Maskame to be identified as the

writer of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the

No function of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval organisation, or transmitted in any form, or past any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,

without permission in writing from the publisher.

This novel is a piece of work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents

portrayed in it are of the writer'southward imagination. Any resemblance to actual

persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely casual.

A CIP catalogue tape for this book is bachelor from the British Library.

Ebook compilation by Iolaire, Newtonmore

To all of my incredible readers, because this story is for you.

Contents

Title Folio

Chapter 1

Chapter two

Chapter iii

Affiliate 4

Chapter 5

Chapter half dozen

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter ten

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter xiii

Affiliate 14

Affiliate xv

Chapter sixteen

Chapter 17

Chapter eighteen

Chapter xix

Chapter 20

Affiliate 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Affiliate 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Affiliate 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Affiliate 34

Affiliate 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter twoscore

Chapter 41

Affiliate 42

Chapter 43

Affiliate 44

Chapter 45

Affiliate 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Affiliate fifty

Chapter 51

Affiliate 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Acknowledgements

'I Know I Can't Tell Anyone, Ever'

5 YEARS EARLIER

My wrist is stiff as I run a paw back through my hair, damp and tousled after lying in the bath for the by hour, dipping my head below the water every once in a while to count how many seconds I tin hold my jiff for. My tape is ninety-three, but I wish it was more.

I sit downward on the edge of the tub and reach for the packet of painkillers by the sink. There's merely a few tablets left, so I'm hoping Mom volition stock upwardly on some more shortly. I pop two of the tablets out of the packaging and clamp my fist effectually them, enclosing them in my palm every bit I lean over and fill myself a drinking glass of water. I consume the offset, then the second, then pour the remainder of the water back into the sink.

My gaze falls to my shoulder. The pare is grazed on the back of my shoulder blade, but it's stopped bleeding now. Below the fresh cut, there's a deepening trample, a mixture of purple and bluish. I prod information technology with my fingers, and it stings from the pressure, creating a tiresome ache below my skin, deep under the surface. I'd take hold of myself some ice from the kitchen, merely I'd have to pass the living room, and the final thing I want to do is draw attention to myself. Information technology'south after eleven. I should be asleep by now. I have schoolhouse in the morning.

I get to my anxiety and stash the remaining painkillers back into the cabinet higher up the sink, at the very back of the second shelf from the top because it's the highest I tin reach. I already know I'll need them tomorrow. When I click the cabinet door shut again, my empty reflection stares back at me in the mirror, and that's when I find the tiny cut in my lower lip. I border forrard, pinching my lip between my pollex and forefinger as I examine it up close in the mirror. I can't recollect when I got it, but it's non fresh, and so I know I didn't get it tonight.

I shake my caput and pace back. It doesn't matter when I got it, considering as before long as information technology heals, there'll be another to replace it. The same way in that location'll be more claret, the same way in that location'll be more bruises.

My reflection is still in that location, my eyes lifeless and sunken into my face up, my shoulders slumped low and my lips set in a permanent pout. I press a manus to my forehead and push back my hair to reveal a deep cut that runs parallel to my hairline. It's taking forever to heal, and I'1000 starting to worry that it's going to turn into a scar. Quickly, I smooth my clammy hair back downwards over it, then plough abroad from the mirror.

I grab my shirt and pull it on. In that location's a row of fading brownish bruises forth my lower dorsum that I need to embrace, so going shirtless is never an option anymore. There'south always something new to hide. I slip into a pair of shorts, then toss my towel into the drained tub and glance at myself one final fourth dimension in the mirror before I exit the bathroom. Nothing is on brandish, and so I'm practiced to go.

Carefully, I push open the door a few inches, and equally silently equally I tin, I step out into the hall. At that place are no lights on, and it's nighttime. I tin hear the sound of the Telly from the living room and the sound of my parents laughing in unison at whatsoever show they're watching. I keep my steps light as I edge along the hall toward the stairs, merely I detect that the living room door is open a fissure as I grow nearer, and instead of disappearing upstairs similar I should be doing, I creep over and peer around the doorframe.

Mom and Dad are on the couch, their bodies entwined. He has her held close confronting him, his arms wrapped deeply around her, his chin resting atop her caput. Although she'south laughing, she even so seems tired. She simply got back from the office merely as I was locking the bathroom door and climbing into the bath an hour ago.

I dorsum away from the living room and spin effectually, running up the stairs as fast as I can, 2 steps at a time. Against the carpet, my footsteps are almost silent. The door to my room is broad open up, the lite nevertheless on, but I end for a second to peer into the room on my right, my brothers' room.

I squint into the irksome room as my eyes slowly adjust. In the bed on the left, my youngest brother, Chase, is asleep. He'south on his tummy, his face pressed into his pillow with one leg dangling over the side of the mattress. Over in the bed to the right, Jamie is snoring softly. There'due south a bruised lump on his brow from earlier in the twenty-four hour period, when some other kid on his fourth-grade baseball squad hurled the brawl at his confront by blow.

I wish my bruises were merely accidents, too.

Stepping out of the room, I pull the door closed, but not completely. Hunt is even so scared of the dark and he likes it to be left open, and so I get out a safe crack of a couple inches and and so turn for my own room.

It'southward exactly every bit I left it. My math homework is spread across my floor, zip more than than worthless scraps of paper that aren't good enough to hand dorsum in next week. O

ne of the sheets is torn into three uneven pieces. Information technology'south the one that contains the unmarried equation I messed up on. Merely one elementary error is obviously ane error too many, fifty-fifty if it is only seventh-class algebra. I'll need to fix information technology tomorrow, and and then pray my damned hardest that everything is finally up to his standard.

I get together up the papers and stuff them into my backpack, and so I turn off the light and climb into bed. Just it hurts, and so I wince and breathe out, moving onto my right side. I pull my comforter up to my chest, and I lie at that place in the dark for what feels like forever, staring aimlessly at my wall. Information technology always takes me a long time to fall comatose.

I raise my left hand and agree information technology upwards in the air. I flex my fingers, and then roll my wrist in a round motion three times. I'one thousand supposed to practise this a agglomeration of times during the day, simply I go on forgetting. Later on having my wrist in a bandage for the by 4 weeks, it'south super stiff. It could have some other few weeks earlier the fracture heals fully.

There's sudden footsteps against the stairs and I drib my hand back down immediately, squeezing my eyes shut and pretending to be asleep. I do this a lot, then I'grand pretty good at it. I even open my mouth a trivial, deepening my breath.

My door opens, and at that place's a moment of silence where he hovers for a couple seconds before he takes a step inside. And I know it's him. It'southward always him.

He enters, closing the door backside him with a soft click. There'due south no audio other than his breathing for a while, and and then I begin to sense him slowly moving around my room. I don't know what he's doing, and no thing how badly I want to roll over and open my eyes to check, I don't want to take the adventure, so I stay equally even so equally possible.

I hear some fumbling, and I think he could be searching through my backpack, considering at that place'due south the shuffling of paper, and afterward what happened earlier in the dark, information technology seems probable it's my math homework he's after. Silence over again. More than shuffling. A long sigh that sounds almost like a groan.

And and so he speaks, letting his voice interruption the silence. His words are low and hushed as he murmurs, "I'one thousand pitiful, Tyler."

I don't know if he thinks I'm asleep or awake, but I do know that he says sorry a lot. I also know that he doesn't mean it. If he did, he wouldn't have to say it again tomorrow, and then the twenty-four hours after that. I'grand scared he'south ever going to have something to apologize for.

I continue to keep nonetheless, because the quicker I can convince him I'm asleep, the quicker he'll leave. And I call up he'southward ownership it, considering he hasn't said anything else. I don't think he's moved either, and I don't know where in my room he is.

A few minutes pass where nothing happens, where I focus on my breathing, where I pray that he'll get out. And then there's more footsteps that are hard to hear against the carpeting, and so the opening of the door, and then 1 final suspension. He sighs again, but he sounds bellyaching, and I can't tell if he's annoyed at me or if he's annoyed at himself. I think it's me. It unremarkably is.

My door is pulled shut, and he'southward gone.

I exhale in relief and open my eyes. At least I know information technology'due south over for tonight. I tin become some sleep now; only I won't, because I haven't had a total night's sleep in months. I'll wake in a few hours, where I'll stare at my ceiling for a while earlier I fall back asleep, and so echo.

Yet although I can never sleep well, this is ever the best office of every day. That time where I know that for the next vii hours, I'm safe. I similar that feeling, but I too hate knowing that tomorrow, I'll accept to do this all over over again.

Tomorrow, I need to go to school and keep on acting normal in front of anybody.

Tomorrow, I need to endeavor my best to keep tonight'southward fresh injuries subconscious from Mom.

Tomorrow, new bruises will develop and new cuts will appear.

And they will all exist caused by Dad.

PRESENT DAY

Someone's been fucking around with my beer. It doesn't gustatory modality the same as it did ten minutes ago. I close one eye and tilt the rim of the canteen toward me, peering inside, trying to figure out if someone has been pouring other drinks into it while I haven't been looking. I'one thousand getting a strong scent of rum. I glance over to the kitchen. Jake is there, his back to me, aptitude over the countertop as he mixes together a bunch of dissimilar drinks as though he's a fully trained bartender. I fucking hate that guy.

"What'south wrong?"

I drib my glare down to Tiffani. She's been sprawled beyond me for the past five minutes, her long bare legs folded over my knee and her caput resting against my bicep. She's been running her nails slowly around my breast in a circular move, but I haven't realized she's stopped until right now. Her face is tilted up to look at me, and her brilliant blue eyes are studying me through a thick set of eyelashes that didn't exist yesterday.

"Jake thinks he'due south hilarious slipping rum into my beer," I tell her, and so press my lips together every bit I lay my canteen down on the small tabular array by the side of the couch. "Come hither," I murmur, pulling my arm out from below her and sliding it around her shoulders instead, pulling her closer against me. She presses her head to my chest now, and I know for a fact she'southward going to get at least v layers of her makeup on my shirt, simply I don't care, because now I'1000 running my eyes over her legs. I movement my free paw to her knee, and so slide it beyond the smooth skin on her thighs. Her tiny black dress is too curt and likewise tight, but that's nil to mutter about. "What fourth dimension are nosotros heading out?"

"I was thinking eleven," she says, but I know she'due south distracted, because she reaches for my hand and places hers on elevation. Slowly, she moves my hand higher up her thigh, under her dress. I can feel the lace of her underwear beneath my fingers, and when I expect downward at her, she'due south smirking equally she leans up toward me, her lips brushing my ear every bit she murmurs, "Are you staying here tonight?" I used to honey that matter she does with her phonation, where she lowers it to a blatant whisper that would have driven me insane a year or two ago, only it just doesn't do it for me anymore. She's only trying to go on me interested with the promise of sexual activity.

But whatever, right now it'southward working. I sit up a fiddling and pull her entirely onto my lap, my hand notwithstanding gripping her hip beneath her wearing apparel and my other moving her blond hair to i side so that I can press my lips to her neck. She tilts her caput back fully equally she runs her fingers through my hair, her eyes closed. I take her pare beneath my teeth, leaving my all-too-familiar marking on her body. Tiffani claims she hates hickeys, but she never attempts to stop me, and so I beg to differ.

Suddenly, she pulls away, springing off me and getting to her anxiety, straightening upward fast. Over the sound of the music that Jake'southward controlling from the speakers in the kitchen, I haven't heard the front end door open. Tiffani has, and now she's dumping her drink on the coffee tabular array and pulling at her dress, willing it to cover more than of her thighs. Right now, information technology hardly covers her ass.

"Mom," she splutters, taking a few barefooted steps across the hardwood flooring. "I idea you said yous were working late."

"It'due south viii thirty," Jill states. There's a blackness folder held to her chest equally she moves further into the kitchen, her heels clicking against the floor. "This is tardily." She purses her lips in disapproval every bit she looks around. First at the alcohol lining the countertop, then at Jake, who is leaning over to chop-chop lower the volume of the music, and and then at Tiffani. "Yous didn't tell me you were having friends over."

Tiffani is still pulling at her clothes, considering if there's one thing I know for sure about her mom, it'south that she won't be impressed right now. "Because I thought we'd be gone earlier you got back," she admits, shrugging. She has her arms folded across her chest now, only it'southward obvious she's only attempting to hibernate how exposed her body is in that dress.

"And where exactly are you lot planning on heading?" Jill asks in that hard tone she seems to always have. In the past 3 years that I've been dating Tiffani, I don't call up I've ever seen her mom fissure a grin. She's kind of a bitch. They both are.

"There's a party,�

� Tiffani says, pouting. "I idea we could all just hang out here until information technology was time to bear witness upwards, because c'monday, Mom, we never turn upwardly early to firm parties. That'due south just embarrassing."

"Fine," Jill says, merely the stern tone to her voice makes it clear that she's not happy we're here. "Continue the music downwardly. I have a pounding headache." She rubs at her temples as though to prove this, so flicks her pilus over her shoulder and spins effectually, back toward the door. As she leaves, she throws me a disgusted glance as her eyes narrow, and I raise my hand and wave dorsum at her. I grin only because I know it'll piss her off.

The affair is, Tiffani's mom doesn't like me. She never has from the very first moment I met her back when Tiffani and I were nothing more than friends. Fifty-fifty so, she didn't want her girl effectually a child similar me. Bad influence, she idea, and in some ways, I was. Over the years, her dislike for me has grown into seething contempt, which she doesn't fifty-fifty endeavor to hide. But I don't even care all that much about Tiffani, permit solitary her mom, and I know this relationship isn't going anywhere, so I'm not worried virtually winning over her parents.

The second Jill is gone, Tiffani relaxes back into her dress and says, "She's so lame sometimes." Rolling her eyes, she tells Jake to turn the music back up as she joins him by the speakers. He's careful not to play information technology as loud as earlier.

Pushing myself up from the couch, I go to my feet and head toward them both equally they hover around the kitchen countertop, debating over which songs to add to the playlist and which drink to have adjacent. I push my way in between the two of them and throw my arm effectually Tiffani'southward shoulders, and as she leans in closer against me, Jake watches us out of the corner of his centre. Jake Maxwell tin become whatever damn girl he wants, simply he can't go Tiffani. I think information technology'll forever infuriate him knowing that iii years ago, she chose to become together with me rather than with him. Sometimes I similar the satisfaction of knowing I'm with a girl so many other guys would kill to accept by their side. Other times, I wish Tiffani had chosen Jake over me. That manner, information technology would be him she puts through hell and dorsum, and non me.