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Vic
If they would have just listened but no, nobody would listen to me. They’ll listen to Mister Perfect, oh she’s fine. She wasn’t fucking fine! My mom is sitting with the other parents, but she keeps watching me. Apparently, they went and packed us all up at the hotel before coming here. They’re all doing it again, making plans for us. It’s quiet in here other than the whispering, and paging over the intercom. So, when the door slides open, and Mister Greenwood comes rushing in, we all look up.
“How could you all have no idea?” He shouts, coming straight for Clayton and myself.
My dad steps in between us. “All of us missed it. That includes you.”
“I’m working!” He shouts before looking at Clayton and me again. “As soon as I can get her out of here, I’m packing her stuff from that house. She’s coming home.”
“You can’t make her go home. She’s eighteen.” Momma steps in.
“Yeah? They’re all three- kids. They should have never been allowed to live together. All of you told me it’d be good for them.”
“ABIGAIL didn’t even have a home before moving in with Clayton! She slept in her fucking car or at Radman’s! What home are you taking her to? The one where she was raped and tortured for years? Some fucking father you are!” I scream tears falling down my face.
“She’s terrified! All the time! No wonder she did this!” Adam shrieks. “Look at you all! Can’t we just admit we all dropped the Abi ball and try and figure out how we fix it? She loves these two. You take them away, and next time she’ll get it right!”
“I’ll just take her with me. Obviously, she needs away from the whole lot of you.”
“You can’t do that! She won’t let you do that!”
“She’s my kid, and she’ll do as she’s told.”
“You’re fucking delusional that girl doesn’t do anything she’s told! Never has and never will.” Wayde laughs, he is standing to the right of mom and Adam to the left of dad.
“You have to go through us to get to them.” Adam shrieks. “And I can promise if you touch me, Abigail will not only never talk to you again. You’ll be lucky to see her again.”
“If you come on my property Mister Greenwood, rest assured I have a Louisville Slugger with your name on it. So please, come and get her. I dare ya.” Clayton finally speaks.
“Keep her shit. I’ll buy her what she needs. We’ll be moving away as soon as all this is over.”
“The fuck you will! I’ve been with that girl every day for years. You can go, but she’ll stay right where she belongs. The boys couldn’t have stopped her.” Fred steps in. “You lay one hand on either of them boys, and I can promise you’ll see a side of monkey you’ve never seen.” Fred steps in, pushing Mister Greenwood out of his way. He may be a big man but not as stout as Fred. “They’ve taken her to a room. We had some issues.”
“What happened? Is she going to be okay?” Clayton and I push through everyone.
“She ripped everything from her body. They’ve had to restrain her to keep her from hurting herself more. You can see her one at a time. No need in upsetting her more, so if you’re going to have her going off the deep end, then leave.” He looks at everyone. “Who’s first?”
“Me, I’m her father.”
“You’re not on the guest list, sorry.” Fred looks back to us. “Boys? Only one for now. I’m working it out so you can stay with her.”
I look at Clayton. “Rock, paper. scissors?”
“Sounds reasonable. One, two, three.” We shoot, and my paper covers rock. I go in first.
Fred tells me where to go. I swallow hard, seeing her. She’s strapped to the bed just like he said. She’s got bandages on both arms. God, she put up a fight. I walk over to the chair beside the bed and sit down. She’s sleeping.
“God, I’m so sorry, baby girl. I’m sorry for everything. I just need you to pull through what’s going on and come back to us. Clayton and I can’t cope without you. We are not a we without you.” I’m crying.
“Vic?”
I shoot up to the bed. “I’m here, baby girl.” I run my fingers over her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” Abi says with her big doe eyes staring up at me.
“Oh, baby girl, it’s okay. We’ll get through it.” I kiss her head.
“I need a drink.”
“Okay, let me grab your cup.” I’m sure it’s got ice water in it. All of these places do. I bring the straw to her lips. “Here, get you a drink. You have to suck on the straw.”
“That’s what he said.” She says before taking a drink.
I smile down at her. “I only get a few minutes before I have to leave and let someone else come in. I just want you to know I love you so fucking much.”
“I love you too.”
“Abi, they aren’t going to let you go home till you quit fighting them.”
“There was a guy touching me!”
“It’s okay, calm down, I'll take care of it.” I kiss her head again. “I’m going to swap places with Mister Perfect. He needs to see you.”
“Okay.”
I break down as soon as I’m out of her room. I couldn’t hold it together. I wrap my arms around Clayton as soon as he comes into view.
He freezes up a second but finally softens. “How is she, really?”
“She’s sad. It’s not going to be easy, but I think she’ll get through this. They let a male nurse in to take care of her.”
“I didn’t say- they didn’t know. It’s my fault. I’ll take care of it. I’m sorry.” He sounds so broken, so unsure of himself, not like the Knight she needs.
“Hey, chirp up, she’s going to need us both. She told me something she hasn’t said to me in months, so it’s an improvement. I want her to come home, but it’s your choice on if she comes with us or not.”
“Of course she’s coming home, why wouldn't she? I mean, she needs to get help, though. She can’t go home to the same shit she was doing. It wasn’t working... She needs help outside of us.” He says softly. “I hate to say this, but can we push her hand here? Use the guilt from this to make her get help? See a therapist from outta town?”
“We can try but pushing didn’t work before. We need to do what you always do and make it her idea. She’s not going to be able to be alone, and we need to clean up the place before she comes home. Have to make sure she hasn’t hidden anything. Naturally, it’s a seventy-two-hour hold.” I shake my head. “I’ve been through this too much. She’s eighteen, though. If she doesn’t want to stay, as long as she isn’t fighting, they can’t make her.” I run my hand through my hair. “What do you want to do?”
“You go home, take Wayde and Adam, and them pesky parents. Get the house in order. You know a stash sight better than I would. Don’t be surprised to find booze left over from the old man. I’ll stay here, try and get her to stay longer. Dry out better. Maybe talk to someone even. If not, I’ll bring her home. Okay?”
“You call me if anything changes, or you need me. I mean it.”
“I’ll get her phone back to her and well group facetime as soon as you get home. Promise.” He pulls me into him and kisses me. “I love you, now go.”
“I love you, too. Don’t let her guilt you. She’ll try that.” I turn walking from him only to turn back. “Not even if she says she’s in pain.” Wayde pulls me along. “Sex, either. She’ll go there. Abi plays dirty.” Now both Adam and Wayde are pulling me away.
