Chapter 4

"Julia, can I stay here for a few days?" he asked softly.

I froze for a second, then quickly pulled him inside. "Who hit you? Was it Mark?"

David heard the commotion and rushed out of the kitchen. "Who hit you?"

Alex sniffled, his voice trembling. "It was Mark."

David clenched his jaw, his voice tight. "Why did he hit you?"

Alex mumbled, "I didn't take good care of Ryan."

That night, Linda and Mark had plans to go out for dinner with friends.

They didn't want to deal with taking Ryan out, so they left him at home for…