Concealed

“What in the hell did you just say?” Brian closed his eyes as his grip on the phone tightened.

Lindsey sighed and repeated herself, “She's claiming he raped her.”

“And you're just telling me this now?” He gritted his teeth in anger, “This is fucking unbelievable, Lindsey!”

“I didn't think it was important,” She told him, “Besides, this was months ago, and she's not being honest anyways.”

“Not being honest?” He questioned, narrowing his eyes together, “Since when did Gracie start lying about being put through something like that? Because the last I can remember, Gracie wouldn't lie about something so...important.”

“As if you would know, right?” She scoffed, “Tommy has practically raised her as his own and has been there for her through everything that has happened in her sixteen years of life. He would never do something such as that.”

Brian shook his head in disbelief, “I'm hanging up now because I can't stand to hear you speak at this moment. Goodbye, Lindsey.”

He hung up the phone and stared at the small device for a few moments before pulling his arm back and throwing the phone. It smashed against the wall and fell to the floor in several pieces. Brian was livid. How dare she not only keep something so incredibly important from him, but also insult him by practically saying that Tommy had raised his daughter instead of he himself. He had never wanted to hit a woman so badly in his entire life.

Brian wasn't able to spend time with his daughter all that much while she was growing up because of the band and touring, and Lindsey taking her to Nevada when they divorced, but he kept his and Gracie's relationship as tightly built as he could. He saw her every chance he got and spoke to her every day on the phone no matter what. He may not have been able to tuck her into bed every night or allow her to cry on his shoulder when she really needed him, but he was the best father he could be for her and he knew that she knew that. Tommy was nothing compared to him.

“Dad?” Gracie's voice rang out softly from the doorway of his office.

Brian turned at the sound of her voice and gave her a soft smile, not wanting her to see just how angry he happened to be, “Hey Monster. I thought you were asleep already?”

Rubbing her eyes, she walked over to him, “I can't sleep,” She murmured.

He laughed slightly, “Climb aboard,” He teased.

She smiled faintly and climbed onto his lap. She may have been sixteen and practically grown, but she was still just as petite as she had been when she was thirteen, and she was still able to sit in his lap against his chest without crushing the life out of him.

“I thought I heard something break,” She said softly as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Brian shook his head and kissed her forehead, “It was nothing, Sweetheart. Don't worry about it.”

Gracie nodded and a peaceful silence drifted between them for a minute before she spoke again. “Hey dad?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you something?” She wondered.

His eyes flickered down at her, “Of course. Anything.”

“You'll love me no matter what, right?” She chewed on her bottom lip.

Furrowing his eyebrows together, he asked, “What do you mean? Of course I will.”

“I mean,” She breathed out, “If were to say steal something or lie or choose to do a profession that you didn't approve of when I grow older, you would still love me right?”

He licked over his bottom lip, “Are you trying to tell me something?”

She shook her head, “Just curious is all.”

“Gracie, you could kill somebody and I would still love you. I would be disappointed of course and not understand why, but I would stand by you. Why? Because you're my daughter. I love you more than any other person in this world, and I would never turn you away over something so little as lying or stealing, okay?”

“Okay,” She replied quietly as she traced the tattoos on his arm with her finger tip.

“Now can I ask you question?”

“Sure.”

He wanted so badly to ask her if what she had claimed Tommy had done to her was true, but he knew bringing it up would only be a mistake at that point. She was a strong girl no doubt, after all she was a Haner, but beneath the strong wall she kept up was a very fragile and delicate girl with some painful secrets. Brian was not about to force her to tell him the truth about the situation at hand because he knew that it could very well screw things up at that point. If she was keeping it from him then there was a reason for that, he just didn't know what that reason was.

“You're not one to lie a lot, are you?” He wondered.

She shrugged, “Not usually. Why?”

“I didn't think so,” He nodded, “I was just curious I guess. There are just so many teenagers out there these days that are lying their asses off to their parents over such stupid shit.”

“Well I'm not one of them,” She smiled.

Brian laughed at her before shifting her in his arms until he was cradling her. She raised one eyebrow at him as he stood from his desk chair, her dangling in his arms.

“Where are we going?” Gracie asked.

“To bed,” He simply smirked as he carried her down the hall and to her bedroom.

He walked through her door and over to her bed. All the lights were turned out but the night light was on, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Brian set her down on the bed and she immediately cuddled up beneath the covers. He smiled down at her as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Why do you sleep with a night light?”

Gracie's smile faltered for a moment, “Because when it's completely dark you never know what's lurking around that could hurt you.”

“You know, if I can remember correctly, you were never afraid of the dark when you were a little girl,” He pointed out.

She sighed, “I guess I just didn't have anything to be afraid of in the dark then.”

Brian raised one eyebrow high, the curiosity eating away at his insides, “But you do now?”

Gracie looked away, “It doesn't matter,” She mumbled.

“Believe it or not, it matter's to me.”

“Really?” She looked back at him.

“Of course, Gracie. Everything that revolves you in any way matters to me. I promise.”

“I love you, dad,” She whispered.

“I love you too.”

“Can you do me a favor?” She asked him.

He nodded his head, “Anything.”

“Will you lay with me until I fall asleep?”

Brian smiled as he pulled the blanket back and climbed beneath the covers beside her before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head against his chest, her arm thrown across his torso, never wanting to let go of him or that moment to end. Gracie loved her dad more than anybody and she was starting to wish that she could stay and live with him and Michelle for good instead of going back home at the end of the summer. She knew her mom probably wouldn't stand for it and would force her to go home back to Nevada, but no matter what, Gracie was determined to convince her dad to speak to her mom about staying and finishing high school in Huntington. She really wanted to be able to see her dad every day instead of every six months, and the further she was away from Tommy, the better. Living in Huntington would be perfect if she were a loud too.