God Bless the Broken Road

As the weeks passed and turned into months, I went on with my life. I got two jobs and continued with my online classes, so that kept me busy. In the free time I had, I helped around the farm and learned more about the boys and even Henry and Linda. I kept my promise and talked with the guys almost every night and it was almost like they weren’t hundred of miles away from me. Almost.

Pre-season came and went and I officially was in love with hockey. All the teams did well. Jordan was bummed that he wasn’t able to play with his team, but we found out that he will hopefully be playing by the beginning on November. We also found out that Eric and the Hurricanes were starting off their season in Helsinki, Finland playing against the Minnesota Wild.

Tonight was the start of the 2010-2011 season and I was working at the bar. I was excited when I found out they were showing the Penguins‘ game. The Hurricanes played earlier today since they were on the other side of the world and they won. I had sent him a text before I went out for lunch with friends.

“Mackenzie!” Linda called from downstairs.

“Yeah, Linda?” I yelled, finishing my make-up.

“Cellina is here to take you to work!”

I smiled and fixed my hair. “Okay, I’ll be down in a second.” I grabbed my phone off the night stand before grabbing my jersey. I bounded down the stairs. “Alright guys, I’ll be home around midnight, don’t wait up for me.” I told Linda and Henry, placing kisses on their cheeks.

“Have a good night, sweetie.” Henry said from the couch. He was watching the pre-game material.

“Thanks Henry. All right, see ya guys.” I grabbed Cellina’s hand and we were on our way to work.

“You ready for a busy night?” Cellina asked, as she pulled onto the main road.

I nodded, adding lip gloss to my lips. “I am, Eric won earlier and hopefully Jordan’s team will win.”

My phone buzzed in my jeans pocket and I quickly pulled it out. I smiled when I saw that it was Eric.

What are you up to?

I smiled and shook my head. “Let me guess, it’s Eric?” Cellina said looking at me.

I nodded, she was my best friend here. We met at the bar, she was actually the one to tell me to apply. She’s a bar tender and I am a waitress, we hit it off really well our first night on together. Since then she and I have hung out almost every chance we got.

With Cellina, heading to work. HBU?

Next thing I knew, my phone was ringing.

“Hello?” I answered

“Sorry, I just wasn’t okay with texts. I wanted to hear your voice.” Eric said.

“Didn’t we just talk earlier?” I questioned.

“Yeah, I know, but still. Are you working at the mall tonight?”

“Nope, at the bar.”

Eric groaned, he hated the fact that I was working at a bar. He knew how women were treated in places like that, but I needed the money. To me it was better than working in a strip joint.

“Kenzie, you know I don’t like that you work there.”

I sighed. “I know Eric, but I need the money. I promise I’ll be careful.”

“Don’t worry Eric, I’ll kick any one’s ass that messes with my girl.” Cellina yelled and I chuckled.

“Please be careful, I don’t want anything to happen to you. I miss you Mackenzie.”

“I miss you too Eric, I promise to be careful. We’re here so I will talk to you later.”

“Okay, have a good night.”

“You too. Night Eric.”

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and grabbed my jersey out of the back. I walked into the bar and smiled at all the hockey fans sitting around, waiting for the game to start. Most of the people in the bar were Toronto Maple Leafs fans, but tonight they were all wearing Staal jerseys whether it was Marc’s, Jordan’s, or Eric’s. I saw the familiar name everywhere. Before starting my shift, I snapped a picture of the jerseys and sent them to the guys.

The night was going well. We had a good crowd and everyone seemed to be in good spirits and enjoying the game even though the Penguins were losing, I even got helped Cellina behind the bar some. Everything changed though fifteen minutes before my shift ended.

“Kenz, you just got another customer at table three.” Cellina told me looking around the crowded room.

I smiled and grabbed my tray heading over to the lonely guy sitting at my table. “Hey, how are you tonight?” I asked, slipping the tray under my arm. “What can I get you?”

“Just a beer and keep them coming.” the man said, not taking his eyes off the tv in front of him.

“Cellina, get me a Molson and keep ‘em coming.” Giving her my other orders as well.

When my orders were filled, I grabbed the tray to deliver the drinks. My lonely table three was the last one and something about the guy struck me as familiar.

“Why don’t you join me?” He asked, in a slight southern drawl.

“Sorry, my shift is just about done. Maybe some other night.” Not.

“You owe me at least one drink.” He growled.

I owe him? “Excuse me?”

Then he turned and looked at me and I gasped. “Dad?” I choked out.

“Hello Mackenzie, haven’t seen you in months. How’s is going?”

“It’s been great now that I’m not with you anymore. I have great friends that care for me and are letting me live with them.” I didn’t know where the courage to talk to him came from, but I was welcoming it.

“I’ve missed you, sweetie. I really have. I know it wasn’t great before, but please come home. I miss you.” He said, placing a hand on my arm.

“Don’t touch me.” I said through clenched teeth. “I do not want to go back home with you. I have a wonderful place to live.” With that I turned on my heels and walked to the employee lounge in the back and clocked out. Cellina was already waiting for me outside, so I said goodbye to everyone and some of the regulars before leaving. I didn’t make it outside though, a strong hand pulled me into the hall where the bathrooms were as I was walking by and pinned me to the wall. I knew who it was and I knew not to fight it, to just take whatever he was going to give me. Without a word, his fist collided with my face and I fell to the ground in pain.

“Get up! Get up, right now.” He yelled, pulling me up by my ponytail. I whimpered and stood up.

My father’s fist collided with my face repeatedly. I bit my lip trying to keep from crying because if I cried or made any noise he would hit me harder. The grip he had on my hair was tight and I could feel the little baby hairs bring ripped out. After a few more punches I couldn’t take it anymore, I fell to the ground again and couldn’t get up. Dad took that opportunity to kick me while I was down. Tears were now streaming down my face as the all too familiar pain of being beat up came back to me.

Silently I was begging for someone to come back here so he would stop. What seemed like hours later someone finally came into the hall to use the bathroom.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” He asked, taking a step towards me and my dad.

“None of your fucking business.” Dad snapped at him.

“Help me please?” I pleaded as best as I could with swollen, bloodied lips, and little air in my lungs.

The guy took one look at me and turned to my father, placing a well powered blow to his head. Dad took one breath and hit the floor right next to me. Quickly, I tried to get up and get away from him.

“Are you okay?” my savior asked helping me up.

“I’m fine, thank you for helping me.” I said, walking out to the parking lot.

“Where were you….ohmygod! What happened to you?” Cellina asked, walking over to me.

“Nothing, I’m fine. Can you just take me home please?”

With a small nod and no more questions, Cellina jumped into the driver’s seat and took me home. When I got home no one was awake so I was able to go up to my room without having to answer any questions. I quickly stripped out of my clothes and into my pajamas before cleaning up my face. I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and broke down. It has been so long since I felt and looked like this. I had bruises on my arms and stomach, two black eyes, and a swollen and cut lip. After I washed my face I crawled into bed and grabbed my phone, dialing a familiar number.

“Hello?” A groggy voice asked.

“Jord? Did I wake you?” I asked, biting my lip.

“Mackenzie, is that you?” He asked, clearly not awake.

“Y-yeah it’s me. Can you talk?”

I heard him whisper to Heather and then the sound of the sheets moving. “Of course, what’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something wrong? Can’t I call my best friend after a busy night of work?” I asked, trying to sound like my normal self and not cry.

“Well yeah you can, but I can tell something it wrong. What’s up? Did something happen at work?”

That was it, I broke down and couldn’t answer him. Crying hurt like hell because dad bruised my ribs again.

“Mackenzie?” Jordan asked alarmed. “Mackenzie what happened?”

“He found me.” I choked out.

“He found you?” He was quite for a second and then cursed. “Your dad showed up at work didn’t he?”

I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me. I was trying to keep the sobs from escaping. “Yeah, Jordan.” I cried. “I’m in so much pain right now.” I curled up into a ball and cried.

“Shhh, Kenzie you’ll be okay. Do mom and dad know?”

I sniffled. “No, they were asleep when I got home. I’m in bed now.”

Jordan sighed. “You should have gone with Eric or Marc.” He said after a few minutes of silence. “This wouldn’t have happened if you were with them.”

“I know, but can you blame for want to stay here?” I asked quietly.

“No, but…”He trailed off. “I don’t know, I’m worried about you Mackenzie. We all are, especially Eric.”

“Don’t tell him about this, he’ll freak.”

“Mackenzie, he has a right to know. Your dad hit you again.”

“Jordan, he hates that I work at the bar. He’s going to totally freak when he finds out that I got hurt on the job.”

“You need to tell him, you need to tell Marc and Jared too.”

I groaned. “Why?”

“Because we love you, we don’t want anything to happen to you.”

I sighed, Jordan was right. They guys did deserve to know. “Fine, I’ll tell them. I’m going to bed right now though. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Alright Kenz, have a good night and please tell them.”

“I will. Night Jordan, tell Heather I said ‘hi’.”

“Will do. Night Kenz.”

When the line went dead I turned my phone off and curled up into a ball and cried. I was alone again after a beating, after being with the Staals I never thought I would be alone again. Tonight of all nights I really needed them. Eric especially. I laid there and thought about what Jordan had said. If I would have gone with Eric or Marc, dad wouldn’t have found me and I wouldn’t be reliving the pain I was currently in. Once I closed my eyes, I was fast asleep.