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“Cecilia, just say it.”
“I’m fighting this, Clint. Please, give me time. Give this entire scenario some time.”
I gritted my teeth together. “Just. Say. It.”
She sighed. “Why? What good is it going to do?”
It’s going to help me let go of my hope. “Just trust me. Please. I’m begging you. If you give me nothing else, give me this.”
And with a defeated sigh, she nodded.
“Your father wants me to come with him wherever he buys his next house, but not you.”
Finally, after years of being bound to this hellhole, I felt the chains burst free. Any hope of ever finding the decency within my father popped off, leaving scars behind as the animal in me stood up. The animal he’d been starving and torturing and beating for years. The wounded animal he was more than willing to abandon out of sheer pride. Out of sheer anger. Out of sheer… abusiveness.
I was finally free of the dream of him. Of the dream I’d had ever since I was a little child. Of the dreams where my father loved me. Cared for me. Enjoyed my presence. Free of the expectation that I somehow had to make him happy. Make him proud. Do whatever he wanted simply because he commanded it. Weight after weight rolled off my shoulders. It felt easier to breathe. And as my tears dried up, I stood, helping Cecilia off her feet.
“Thank you for that.”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “It hurts to say.”
I nodded. “It does. But maybe it’ll give you some perspective on what to do next, and show you that you always have a choice.”
Then I pulled her into my arms and the two of us cried together, releasing emotions we’d been holding in for ages and finally freeing ourselves from the prisons my father had kept us in.
I only hoped she made the right decision for herself.
Because she was important, too.
14
Raelynn
“Fucking teachers.”
“Giving me a hard time.”
“Once. I was late once!”
“They’re judging me because of Clint.”
“They shouldn't even be teachers!”
“Prejudiced fucks.”
I kept my head down as I walked home from school. I murmured to myself, pissed off that all my afternoon teachers kept me behind to give me a lecture. I’d been late to their classes once. How the fuck did that warrant pulling me aside and berating me? What the hell did they expect from me? Yes, if a teacher pulls me aside, I’m going to be late for my next class. That isn’t my fucking fault!
That didn’t even touch what I found with Michael and Allison, though.
Michael sent me a text, telling me they were waiting out back in the parking lot. The only damn bright spot to my entire day. But, when I walked out of the back school doors, I didn’t see Michael’s big-ass SUV. It wasn’t until I squinted that I saw it at the back corner of the parking lot, parked underneath some damn trees. I should’ve known not to go near the damn thing. But I was naïve. I figured they wanted to get out of the sun while waiting for me.
Didn’t take a fucking rocket scientist to explain why the windows were fogged up.
Gross.
I didn’t even bother them. I simply turned around and headed for the road. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a car that smelled like pheromones and sexually-frustrated teenagers. This day had been a nightmare. Straight from the asshole of hell. And all I wanted was to get upstairs, get to my room, and close myself up for the weekend.
I didn’t even want to bother with school tomorrow.
