‹ Prequel: A Part Of Me
The Webs We Weave
Chapter 14
Broden POV
I was sitting on the couch in my hotel room with Blake; we were watching the SpongeBob SquarePants movie again. This was like seriously the best movie ever! I had my legs pressed against my chest with my arms wrapped around them; Blake was on the other side of the couch lying down.
The movie was about half way through when I heard someone knock on my door; I slowly got up and walked over. I looked through the door’s peephole and frowned; standing out in the hallway was Leila and Derrick, so I quickly opened the door.
“Leila what are you going here? What’s wrong sweetie?” I asked taking a wiggling Derrick from her arms; I noticed her eyes were getting a bit teary so I was instantly worried about her. She rushed over to me wrapping her little arms around my legs; I moved us both back slightly so I could shut the door.
“Their fighting again… their shouting so loud… Mommy didn’t want us to see so we came here… but Phoenix is still over there” Leila told me trying to get everything out at once but couldn’t; I brushed some hair from her face as I kneeled down in front of her.
“Who’s fighting Leila?” I asked but I had a feeling I knew who it was; I had a bad feeling in my gut and I could just sense that my brother was around. We still weren’t back to what we were but I think we were slowly getting there; we call each other a lot more then before and sometimes we’ll go out to lunch.
“Mommy and Ronnie” She told me looking up at me with big scared eyes; I signed kissing her forehead. I took them over to the couch where Black was; Leila sat next to her while I laid Derrick beside Leila.
“Right I want you three to stay here alright; I don’t want any of you outside this room you understand?” I said firmly making the girls nod and Derrick just smiled at me; I kissed all their heads before grabbing my room’s keycard and walking into the hallway.
Alexis’ room was only across and down a bit from my room and as I got closer I could clearly hear the yelling; I picked up my pace and then started knocking on the door. It was soon opened by Lex who stepped aside so I could walk through; I saw Ronnie but no Phoenix which is good.
“What’s going on here? Why are you here Ronnie?” I asked looking up at my big brother; he didn’t seem high or drunk which is good but he was starting to get pissed off and angry, which isn’t so good.
“I just want to see my daughter but Alexis won’t let me; don’t you think she has a right to see me? Don’t I have a right to see her?” He told me as Lex stood behind me; I think she was a bit afraid right now. She hasn’t really dealt with an angry Ronnie that much before; unlike me of coarse.
“I don’t think your fit enough to be around her Ronnie; I’m not the only one who thinks that either. And coming here with no warning isn’t going to help change my mind about you” Lex said moving her hands around a little bit; and here I was again stuck right in the middle.
“You seriously can’t still be thinking about it Lex! I’ve given you more then enough time to think about this; what’s taking you so long” Ronnie said raising his voice slightly; that was not going to help him with Lex.
“Ronnie just calm down alright; I’m sure we can talk about this” I said calmly trying my hardest to stop the fighting; Phoenix didn’t need to hear this and I didn’t want her to heard her parents fighting. I didn’t want her to be like me; hiding in my room when my parents would scream at each other.
“No Brody, there’s nothing to talk about. I don’t want him seeing my daughter; if he was in the right frame of mind then maybe he could see her but he’s not. And watching me and stalking me isn’t going to help me change my mind” Lex said as she stormed into the bedroom; I frowned at my brother because I didn’t know he was watching or stalking her.
“Ronnie I think you should just leave” I said quietly looking at the ground; I hated the look he gives me when he thinks I’m betraying him. I’m not honestly but I just think it’s better for him not to be here right now.
“You’ll call me later right?” He asked standing right in front of me; I looked up at him and nodded my head smiling a bit. I took a deep breath as I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist; his arms instantly wrapped around my shoulders pulling me closer to his body.
After our hug he kissed my head and walked out; I signed quietly pitching the bridge of my nose. Then Phoenix burst through the door and ran over to me; I picked her up and hugged her tightly to my body. Her little arms wrapped around my neck; she rested her head on my shoulder as I saw Lex walk over to me. She mouthed “Thank you” to me so I smiled at her.
“So who wants to go back to my room to watch some movies? I have some ice cream too” I laughed as that caught Phoenix’s attention; she smiled brightly at me while putting her hand up in the air.
Lex and I laughed as we walked back over to my room; I unlocked the door letting us in. Leila ran up to Lex and hugged her tightly; once everyone was settled in the main room I went to grab the ice cream, spoons and bowls. I put some ice cream into the bowls before giving them to Lex and I kids; I feed Derrick his while we watched Ice Age 1.
I watched as Phoenix walked into my bedroom to use the bathroom; I gave Derrick to Lex and followed her. I sat on my bed and waited for her; when she walked out I waved her over to me. I helped her up onto the bed letting her sit next to me; I just wanted to make sure she was alright after what happened.
“How are you? Are you alright?” I asked her placing a hand on her back; she only looked at me and nodded slightly. I knew straight away she wasn’t okay; and I just knew how she was feeling right now.
“Phoenix none of this is your fault alright; sometimes people don’t agree on things and they start to fight. But it’s not your fault and you have to believe that; I know it’s scary when people are yelling and screaming at each other” I told her; when she gave me a confused look I knew I had to continue.
“I was a bit younger then you when my parents started fighting with each other; Ronnie would always go out when they fought but I stayed home. I didn’t really know what to do so I just hid in my room; I tried to not listen to them but they were just so loud. Then I started thinking that it was my fault they were fighting; my Dad used to come see me after Mom left and reassure me that it wasn’t my fault” I told her remembering back to those awful times.
“It’s not my fault?” Phoenix asked me quietly looking up at me; I shook my head no before kissing the top of her head. I picked her up and carried her back into the main room so we could continue watching the movie.
I was sitting on the couch in my hotel room with Blake; we were watching the SpongeBob SquarePants movie again. This was like seriously the best movie ever! I had my legs pressed against my chest with my arms wrapped around them; Blake was on the other side of the couch lying down.
The movie was about half way through when I heard someone knock on my door; I slowly got up and walked over. I looked through the door’s peephole and frowned; standing out in the hallway was Leila and Derrick, so I quickly opened the door.
“Leila what are you going here? What’s wrong sweetie?” I asked taking a wiggling Derrick from her arms; I noticed her eyes were getting a bit teary so I was instantly worried about her. She rushed over to me wrapping her little arms around my legs; I moved us both back slightly so I could shut the door.
“Their fighting again… their shouting so loud… Mommy didn’t want us to see so we came here… but Phoenix is still over there” Leila told me trying to get everything out at once but couldn’t; I brushed some hair from her face as I kneeled down in front of her.
“Who’s fighting Leila?” I asked but I had a feeling I knew who it was; I had a bad feeling in my gut and I could just sense that my brother was around. We still weren’t back to what we were but I think we were slowly getting there; we call each other a lot more then before and sometimes we’ll go out to lunch.
“Mommy and Ronnie” She told me looking up at me with big scared eyes; I signed kissing her forehead. I took them over to the couch where Black was; Leila sat next to her while I laid Derrick beside Leila.
“Right I want you three to stay here alright; I don’t want any of you outside this room you understand?” I said firmly making the girls nod and Derrick just smiled at me; I kissed all their heads before grabbing my room’s keycard and walking into the hallway.
Alexis’ room was only across and down a bit from my room and as I got closer I could clearly hear the yelling; I picked up my pace and then started knocking on the door. It was soon opened by Lex who stepped aside so I could walk through; I saw Ronnie but no Phoenix which is good.
“What’s going on here? Why are you here Ronnie?” I asked looking up at my big brother; he didn’t seem high or drunk which is good but he was starting to get pissed off and angry, which isn’t so good.
“I just want to see my daughter but Alexis won’t let me; don’t you think she has a right to see me? Don’t I have a right to see her?” He told me as Lex stood behind me; I think she was a bit afraid right now. She hasn’t really dealt with an angry Ronnie that much before; unlike me of coarse.
“I don’t think your fit enough to be around her Ronnie; I’m not the only one who thinks that either. And coming here with no warning isn’t going to help change my mind about you” Lex said moving her hands around a little bit; and here I was again stuck right in the middle.
“You seriously can’t still be thinking about it Lex! I’ve given you more then enough time to think about this; what’s taking you so long” Ronnie said raising his voice slightly; that was not going to help him with Lex.
“Ronnie just calm down alright; I’m sure we can talk about this” I said calmly trying my hardest to stop the fighting; Phoenix didn’t need to hear this and I didn’t want her to heard her parents fighting. I didn’t want her to be like me; hiding in my room when my parents would scream at each other.
“No Brody, there’s nothing to talk about. I don’t want him seeing my daughter; if he was in the right frame of mind then maybe he could see her but he’s not. And watching me and stalking me isn’t going to help me change my mind” Lex said as she stormed into the bedroom; I frowned at my brother because I didn’t know he was watching or stalking her.
“Ronnie I think you should just leave” I said quietly looking at the ground; I hated the look he gives me when he thinks I’m betraying him. I’m not honestly but I just think it’s better for him not to be here right now.
“You’ll call me later right?” He asked standing right in front of me; I looked up at him and nodded my head smiling a bit. I took a deep breath as I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist; his arms instantly wrapped around my shoulders pulling me closer to his body.
After our hug he kissed my head and walked out; I signed quietly pitching the bridge of my nose. Then Phoenix burst through the door and ran over to me; I picked her up and hugged her tightly to my body. Her little arms wrapped around my neck; she rested her head on my shoulder as I saw Lex walk over to me. She mouthed “Thank you” to me so I smiled at her.
“So who wants to go back to my room to watch some movies? I have some ice cream too” I laughed as that caught Phoenix’s attention; she smiled brightly at me while putting her hand up in the air.
Lex and I laughed as we walked back over to my room; I unlocked the door letting us in. Leila ran up to Lex and hugged her tightly; once everyone was settled in the main room I went to grab the ice cream, spoons and bowls. I put some ice cream into the bowls before giving them to Lex and I kids; I feed Derrick his while we watched Ice Age 1.
I watched as Phoenix walked into my bedroom to use the bathroom; I gave Derrick to Lex and followed her. I sat on my bed and waited for her; when she walked out I waved her over to me. I helped her up onto the bed letting her sit next to me; I just wanted to make sure she was alright after what happened.
“How are you? Are you alright?” I asked her placing a hand on her back; she only looked at me and nodded slightly. I knew straight away she wasn’t okay; and I just knew how she was feeling right now.
“Phoenix none of this is your fault alright; sometimes people don’t agree on things and they start to fight. But it’s not your fault and you have to believe that; I know it’s scary when people are yelling and screaming at each other” I told her; when she gave me a confused look I knew I had to continue.
“I was a bit younger then you when my parents started fighting with each other; Ronnie would always go out when they fought but I stayed home. I didn’t really know what to do so I just hid in my room; I tried to not listen to them but they were just so loud. Then I started thinking that it was my fault they were fighting; my Dad used to come see me after Mom left and reassure me that it wasn’t my fault” I told her remembering back to those awful times.
“It’s not my fault?” Phoenix asked me quietly looking up at me; I shook my head no before kissing the top of her head. I picked her up and carried her back into the main room so we could continue watching the movie.