Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
“I don’t want you to see her anymore.” Those were the first words she’d said to me on the matter. Well at least my kid had more guts than I did, she spoke her mind, said what she wanted.
“I’m sorry but that’s not your call. You’re my kid not my owner. I tell you what to do not the other way around. I love you Crystal, no one and nothing can ever take away from that, but I love her too, a different kind of love but it’s love all the same. I hope one day you find that kind of love, maybe then you’ll understand why I have to do what I’m about to.”
I walked over and hugged her and kissed her head, hoping that she understood. “I love you baby.”
“No you don’t you don’t care…” She started crying again but I couldn’t let that stop me this time. Instead it made me wonder about Brianna, how many tears had she shed over me?
“If that’s the way you feel I’m sorry to hear it.” I started to walk away but her next words stopped me cold.
“I’m glad her father beat the shit out of her for being a slut.”
I turned and looked back at her as my blood turned to ice in my veins. “What did you say?” For the first time in her life she looked at me with uncertainty, but there was still enough venom left in her to make her finish.
“I told him, in fact I told everyone what a little slut she is.” She was crying and hurt and so sad, and I dreaded what I had done to her by dragging this shit out. “If you no longer wish to live here I understand, but I’m going to get Brianna and bring her home.” I turned away heartsick. I had just seen so much of her mother in her it was scary. I’d created a fucking monster with my bullshit.
Chapter 10
GABE
Her father had hit her. That’s the one thing that kept going through my head as I got dressed. He hadn’t done it in a while she’d said, when she finally broke down and told me about her home life. I knew her parents, we were about the same age, had gone to the same school.
Their situation was a bit like mine and Priscilla’s only they didn’t have the loving parents to step in and take the burden off their shoulders. That in no way excused his treatment of his wife or his family though.
I couldn’t wait to get to her now. I didn’t even call ahead first, just left the house and drove away. I see now where I had gone wrong. I should never have given my daughter any kind of power over my love life, should never have even involved her in the equation even though it was all in my mind.
She was old enough that she should understand falling in love, and if her problem was with the fact that Bri was her age, then there was nothing I could do about that. I wasn’t some dirty old man out to get his rocks off, this was the woman I’d fallen in love with. The heart knows what it wants and mine wanted her, only her.
I went to her house, the little rundown cottage that could do with a good overhaul, and walked right in. She was sitting at the kitchen table with the asshole, looking miserable. Her eyes flew to mine when I walked in. “Come.” I pulled her up from the seat without a word to anyone else in the room.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
“You might want to step the fuck back outta my face drunken ass. And the next time you put hands on her I’ll chop your arm off at the fucking elbow.” He had the good sense to read the danger warnings in my eyes.
I was suddenly more pissed than I’d ever been. Pissed at him, Crystal, myself, mostly myself. She snatched up a little purse from the side table next to the door as I pulled her along behind me.
“Gabe wait, I have to get my stuff.” She said it with a question in her eyes, I understood. “No you don’t, whatever you need from now on I’ll get. We’ll come back for the jeep later.” I took her to my car and strapped her in, ignoring the drama unfolding in the house behind me. “Say goodbye baby, you’re never coming back here again.” She broke into tears.
I held her little hand in mine all the way home, just grateful that she was here and whole and still mine. I wasn’t expecting to see Priscilla’s car parked in my driveway, but I guess I should’ve. We’d both done a great job of teaching our daughter how to manipulate others to get what she wanted.