Page 52 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“You were going to take her away from me, weren’t you?” he stands and walks back over to Mama.

“No. We…”

*Crack*

Mama’s head snaps back, and she falls onto the floor. He kicked her. She isn’t moving. Is she dead?

“Mama?” I cry quietly.

“Shut the fuck up, Willow.”

I can hear Mama cough and can see she’s trying to roll onto her side. She’s alive.

I start to crawl over to her, but he grabs me by my hair again and pulls me back then starts dragging me toward the kitchen.

“Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t say you can move.”

She finally looks up at me. Her face has blood on it, and her one eye is shut. She’s hurt really badly this time. She’s barely able to sit up, but she gives me a small smile.

“It’s okay, baby. Everything’s going to be okay,” she says, then coughs again, and I can see her spit out more blood.

Daddy laughs. It’s scary, and I hate it when he laughs like this. Everything hurts worse when he does.

“Don’t lie to her, Deb. You fucked up big time. You tried to take my only child from me.” He shakes his head at her before looking at me. “Now that’s unforgivable. Isn’t it, baby?”

“It’s over, James. Let us go, and we can forget this ever happened.”

Mama’s trying to stand. She tilts back and forth before finally standing up straight.

“Let her go.”

“I don’t think so, Deb.”

“Please. Just let her go, and we’ll leave. The cops will never know…”

“Cops? You think I give a fuck about the cops around here? How many of them have seen your face in town? How many have even spared a second glance your way? No one fucking cares about what happens to you, Deb. Your life doesn’t matter.”

“If we don’t show up at my friend’s house in the next two hours, the state cops will be here.”

Daddy’s fist tightens on my hair.

“What the fuck did you do, Deborah?”

“I’m done letting you hurt my daughter.”

“Our daughter,” he screams, and that’s when Mama starts laughing. “What’s so fucking funny, bitch?”

“She’s not your daughter.”

“You’re lying. Willow is my daughter.”

“She’s not.”

“Whose is she then?!” he screams, and he pulls me back so I’m behind him.

“It doesn’t matter.”

He runs at her and grabs her by the throat, pinning her to the wall.