AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m fine,” April argued, but her words were cut off by a knock on the door.
She hurried to the window, pulling aside sheer white curtains and revealing a police car in the driveway. I followed her to the front door, which she quickly pulled open.
Two officers stood with a shadow of the man I’d seen in the photo. He was still just as tall, but now his shoulders slumped. He was thinner, less brawny than before. There were pocks of scars on one side of his face and neck. His eyes flashed over me for only a moment before going back to the floor.
“Dad,” April breathed. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“This is Douglas Adams?” the officer confirmed.
Her dad shoved off the officer. “’Course I am,” he grunted, stumbling past the officers, past April and me, toward the kitchen. Now I noticed the shopping bags in his hands as he went to the kitchen, banging around in the cabinets. “I’m a grown man. I can go to the store,” he grumbled loudly.
My heart rate picked up like I could feel a big wave approaching.
“He was at the store?” April asked.
The officer on the right nodded, speaking under a thick mustache. “We spotted the car, probably on his way back here from the store, and pulled him over. He was driving without a license, but we’re going to let him go with a warning today.”
“Thank you,” April said, her voice sounding small. “Thank you so much.”
The officer nodded, exchanging a glance with his shorter partner. “Be sure you keep those keys locked up in a secure place.” He looked inside the door, tapping the beach-themed key rack with a thick finger. “This ain’t gonna cut it anymore.”
“Absolutely,” April said, taking the keys from him. She slipped them in the pocket of her leggings.
A pan clattered loudly on the kitchen floor, followed by a string of curse words from April’s father.
The officers peered around us, the vocal one asking, “Are you sure you’re okay, young lady?”
April nodded. “I’ll be fine. Have you called my mom?”
He shook his head. “Why don’t you do that and let her know he’s home safe?”
“I will,” April agreed.
The silent officer spoke up. “The vehicle’s on the side of the road by mile marker fifty-one. Call us if you need anything, miss.”
She nodded, slowly closing the door behind them, and then took out her phone to call her mom.
Their conversation was short and ended with a quick “I love you.”
April held her phone to her chest. “Mom was just at the gas station. She’ll be here in five.”
“Good,” I said. Another noise came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of cracking plastic.
“You should be good to go,” April said, taking my hand and trying to pull me toward the door.
I stood firm and looked from the kitchen doorway to her eyes. “April, it’s okay to let me in. You don’t have to be embarrassed about this.”
“OW!” her dad shouted from the kitchen. Her eyes widened as she hurried past me to see her dad putting his hand under the running faucet. He already had a nasty red burn mark on his arm.
“Dad, are you okay?” she asked.
He slammed the water off, making the faucet shake with his force. “I’m a grown man, April.”
“I know that,” she said gently, “I just—”
“This is ridiculous.” He smacked his uninjured hand on the counter, walking closer to us.
I could feel April shrivel beside me, making herself as small as possible. Instinctively, I stepped between her and her dad.
