Stolen Seconds

I still hadn’t answered my father yet. So Brady answered for me,” Dad I wanted her to come over after she got back from Missouri.”

He barked,” I didn’t ask you Bradford!”

My dad let go of my hair and pushed me with force towards the back door. I sneered,” Don’t touch me.”

I felt a tear drop off my cheek. I wasn’t crying because I was scared. I was crying because I was angry and humiliated. I was used to this treatment but today I sure as hell wasn’t going down without a fight. I opened the back door and he pushed me through and I yelled,” Didn’t I tell you not to touch me? Or are you just deaf!?”

~Zak’s POV~

She had been right. I now understood why she didn’t want me to go. I should have listened to her. I would have tried to free her from her dad but Brady had stopped me. He said that it wouldn’t help Ginny’s case anyway.

So I sat there feeling like a coward sitting in horror. Brady muted the TV so we could hear what was being said outback. Ginny was yelling,” You’re so stuck on how I should be living my life! Stop trying to force me to live the life you want. I’m a hell of a lot farther than you now that you sit at home a drink yourself silly! Good Role Model for Brady! Let hope to god he doesn’t turn out anything like you!!”

There was no response from her father. I was expecting a response but I guess not.

Ginny continued, “Do you even care that I’m happy with what I do? Or are you just pissed that you can’t live vicariously through me? You think that any great parent would be happy for their children no matter what they choose but you stopped being that parent when I made Varsity cheer instead of varsity softball. Do you remember the hissy fit you threw when you found out I had made cheer and I just so happened to “fall” down the stairs!?”

I looked at Brady in shock. I had not heard all of her childhood stories and that’s probably why she hasn’t told me about them. Why would she want to remember any of the stories? They were horrible.

Brady nodded and whispered,” Dad was so mad. He wanted her to get a scholarship for softball so she can go to Harvard. She was smart enough to. But Ginny was amazing at dancing and stunting. She was a flyer when she made the team. I mean she was good at softball but she didn’t enjoy it. She was telling mom and me upstairs and he walked out of his bedroom and started getting in her face. It all happened so fast and next thing you know she was at the bottom of the stairs with a sprained ankle and wrist.”

I gawked, “Why doesn’t your mom do anything?”

He replied,” no one can stop my dad.”

I jumped when I heard a roaring voice and a loud thump on the wall in front of Brady and me.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE AND DON’T EVER COME BACK YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT!!!”

We jerked our heads towards the back door which swung open to reveal a red eyed Ginny. She stormed past us and stomped up the stairs. Brady suggested,” I’d go wait outside for her if I were you. She is going to go get more of her stuff from upstairs and then leave. If you’re in here when my dad gets back in the house, more shit will go down, dude.”

I stood up and hesitated but Brady promised to go check on her, so I left to go sit on the front porch. It wasn’t long before the front door opened. I would say it was about five minutes.

I looked up to see Ginny standing there with a box of things and she looked sadly at me. I walked over to her and place my palms on her cheeks. I kissed her forehead and wrapped my arm around her shoulder and walked back to the car with her.

There was no I told you so, no bitterness, all there was, was just her wanting to get away from that place and those memories. I should have believed her and i'm sure she is thinking that but the hug that I got from her after she put the box in the truck, I knew she didn’t care about the fact that I had wanted to go or anything like that. All she wanted was to be with me in the moment.