A Little Piece Of Heaven
Coming Clean
Chapter Twenty-One:
“Angela, wake up – there’s someone here to see you.” Gwen whispered. I forced myself to open my eyes. I’m so tired. I can’t focus on her face. I looked around the room and closed my eyes again.
“So tired,” I mumbled.
“I know, baby, but Jared is here to see you.” She told me, rubbing my cheek with her hand. “Is that okay?” She asked.
“Okay.” I told her, my eyes still closed.
-.-
Gwen’s POV
“How is she?” Jared asked me. I shrugged.
“She said she’s tired. She’s on some heavy-duty painkillers. She’s not all there right now, but you can see her. She’s okay with it.” I told him.
“Is she… How bad does she look?” He asked me.
“She’s okay, that’s what matters. I’m sure she appreciates you wanting to be here for her.” I squeezed his shoulder.
“I hope so. Thanks, for everything.” He disappeared into the guest room.
-.-
Angela’s POV
“Angela,” someone called. I jolted awake. My eyes sped across the room. My vision landed on Jared. I pulled my blankets higher, covering my sweater.
“Jared? What are you doing here?” I asked him, trying to sit up. He came to my side and helped pull me up. I pulled away from him as soon as I was situated.
“Didn’t Gwen tell you I was coming?” He asked. I frowned and thought back.
“She did. I must have forgotten.” I told him.
“How long has that man been hurting you?” He asked me. I shook my head.
“Don’t do this. There’s nothing you can do. Nothing I tell you is going to make you feel any better about anything. You can’t help me. If he finds out that you know, it’ll just make things worse for everyone. I don’t know why nobody understands that.” I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm myself down.
“I’m not arguing with you, baby girl. If he goes too far, you need a back-up plan. Just answer me. Why didn’t you tell me he was hurting you?!” He asked – he’s shaking.
“Right after mom died. I don’t know what you’re expecting to hear from me! You didn’t want anything to do with me then. You made that perfectly clear. You gave me money and told me that you couldn’t be a part of my life. Why would tell you? I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I was only thirteen! What do you want from me?!” I screamed at him, tears blazing down my face.
“You’re right. It’s not fair for me to come in here and expect you to tell me everything. I haven’t earned that, yet. Just… answer what you’re okay with me knowing. I’m not going to tell him that you told me anything. I’ve been speaking with Ms. Atwood and we have a plan. You’ll know more when you need to. The less you know the better.” He told me. I didn’t say anything.
We stayed that way for a long time. He made small talk until I was ready to discuss more. I told me as little as I could get away with. I told him how it started and how it wasn’t always bad. I told him about Matt and how he was the trigger for the latest attack. He didn’t ask many questions, just let me talk. He listened more than anything.
It’s insane how natural it felt. Things have always been comfortable around him. It’s something that I haven’t felt with many people. If he wasn’t my father, I probably wouldn’t understand it.
After everything was said, I was hurting and ready to sleep. He excused himself and left to talk to Gwen. I took my medicine and stared at my phone. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but I’m really dreading school tomorrow.
I turned on my alarm for the morning and set it on the nightstand. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. I can hope for the best until my face turns blue, but at some people you just have to embrace the suck.
“Angela, wake up – there’s someone here to see you.” Gwen whispered. I forced myself to open my eyes. I’m so tired. I can’t focus on her face. I looked around the room and closed my eyes again.
“So tired,” I mumbled.
“I know, baby, but Jared is here to see you.” She told me, rubbing my cheek with her hand. “Is that okay?” She asked.
“Okay.” I told her, my eyes still closed.
-.-
Gwen’s POV
“How is she?” Jared asked me. I shrugged.
“She said she’s tired. She’s on some heavy-duty painkillers. She’s not all there right now, but you can see her. She’s okay with it.” I told him.
“Is she… How bad does she look?” He asked me.
“She’s okay, that’s what matters. I’m sure she appreciates you wanting to be here for her.” I squeezed his shoulder.
“I hope so. Thanks, for everything.” He disappeared into the guest room.
-.-
Angela’s POV
“Angela,” someone called. I jolted awake. My eyes sped across the room. My vision landed on Jared. I pulled my blankets higher, covering my sweater.
“Jared? What are you doing here?” I asked him, trying to sit up. He came to my side and helped pull me up. I pulled away from him as soon as I was situated.
“Didn’t Gwen tell you I was coming?” He asked. I frowned and thought back.
“She did. I must have forgotten.” I told him.
“How long has that man been hurting you?” He asked me. I shook my head.
“Don’t do this. There’s nothing you can do. Nothing I tell you is going to make you feel any better about anything. You can’t help me. If he finds out that you know, it’ll just make things worse for everyone. I don’t know why nobody understands that.” I ran my hands through my hair, trying to calm myself down.
“I’m not arguing with you, baby girl. If he goes too far, you need a back-up plan. Just answer me. Why didn’t you tell me he was hurting you?!” He asked – he’s shaking.
“Right after mom died. I don’t know what you’re expecting to hear from me! You didn’t want anything to do with me then. You made that perfectly clear. You gave me money and told me that you couldn’t be a part of my life. Why would tell you? I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I was only thirteen! What do you want from me?!” I screamed at him, tears blazing down my face.
“You’re right. It’s not fair for me to come in here and expect you to tell me everything. I haven’t earned that, yet. Just… answer what you’re okay with me knowing. I’m not going to tell him that you told me anything. I’ve been speaking with Ms. Atwood and we have a plan. You’ll know more when you need to. The less you know the better.” He told me. I didn’t say anything.
We stayed that way for a long time. He made small talk until I was ready to discuss more. I told me as little as I could get away with. I told him how it started and how it wasn’t always bad. I told him about Matt and how he was the trigger for the latest attack. He didn’t ask many questions, just let me talk. He listened more than anything.
It’s insane how natural it felt. Things have always been comfortable around him. It’s something that I haven’t felt with many people. If he wasn’t my father, I probably wouldn’t understand it.
After everything was said, I was hurting and ready to sleep. He excused himself and left to talk to Gwen. I took my medicine and stared at my phone. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but I’m really dreading school tomorrow.
I turned on my alarm for the morning and set it on the nightstand. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head. I can hope for the best until my face turns blue, but at some people you just have to embrace the suck.
This is an amazing story. Some chapters were hard to read but I was hooked. Thank you for sharing it.
2/16/18