Chapter 24

Dear Kali,

I have been writing you for almost three years now. Next month will finally be three years since I've been in jail. I'm happy to say that I will be getting out next month. I am a free man. Which means I will be able to see you and your mother again. I have missed you both so much. I would do anything to make us a family again. I love you Kali. I love you and your mom very much. I am very sorry for the things I have done to you and your mother. I can never take away the bad things I have done. Oh how I wish I could but I can't. I am now a better man and I hope to get to see my little girl soon. I bet you have gotten so much prettier and taller. I can't wait to see you and wrap my arms around you. I will see you very soon.

Love,

Dad

Tears were rolling down my cheeks nonstop. I threw the letter and started sobbing. I lied my head down on my arms that were crossed on the table.

I can't believe he's getting out of jail in a month. I can't believe he said he's sorry to me and my mom! He isn't sorry he never will be. I will never forgive him.

I sobbed some more. All the flashbacks of him were starting to come back to me and I just wish I could forget about them.

*flashback*

"Dad please!" I begged.

I was on the floor in my room. He kept slapping me and kicking me around. I didn't fight back because I was only eight years old. I didn't know what to do.

I was crying so hard that I could barley catch my breath. "Dad why are you doing this?"

"Shutup!" He slapped my cheek so hard. My head jerked to the side. My cheek stung so bad. It felt like it was on fire. I sobbed for an hour while he kept slapping and throwing me around like I was some sort of rag doll.

He finally stopped and walked over to me. He bent down and pulled me into him. He wrapped his arms around me and then pulled away and kissed my forehead. "You must not tell anyone about this because if you do. Your mom will get very hurt and I mean VERY hurt. Do you want mommy to get hurt?"

I cried and shook my head no.

"Okay then promise me you won't tell anybody about this because we don't want mommy to get hurt."

"I-I p-promise."

"We are going to pretend that I just picked you up from school and that you got beat up by a couple of girls from your school. Okay?"

"O-Okay daddy."

*flashback ended*

The beating kept going on until I was ten but he made sure to only leave bruises on my stomach and back. Where nobody could see them unless I took off my clothes or wore a swimsuit. Which I couldn't go swimming unless I wore a swimsuit that hid the bruises.

When I was ten he stopped abusing me. He started drinking and staying out late. When he came home. He didn't talk to us at all.

When I was thirteen. He was a total drunk. He began to abuse me again. Mom finally found out and told him that we were leaving and that she never wanted to see him again and if he goes anywhere near me she will call the cops.

I was at school when she said all of this to him.

After she said that to him. He stormed out of the house and got into his car and drove off.

*Flashback*

School was out and I looked for my moms car but it was nowhere in sight. Dad then pulled up and told me to get in. I hesitated but he told me mom was at the hospital so that's when I hurried and got into the car. I could smell the alcohol on him. It was a strong smell. I almost gagged from the smell. I was about to get back out of the car because I knew it wasn't safe to be in a car with somebody who is drunk but it was too late because we were already taking off. I quickly put on my seatbelt. I kept telling him to slow down but he wouldn't he kept going faster and faster.

That's when we hit another car. I hit my head onto the dashboard then my head flung to the side and hit the window. I could feel the blood running down my head. I hit it hard really hard and I knew because my eye sight was blurry and everything was spinning. I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed the handle of the car door. I got out and right as my feet touched the ground I fell. I was on the ground lying on my stomach. My blurry vision was going back to normal but my head was still spinning and was now throbbing. I looked over to see a body covered in blood. I could see and hear her gurgling on her own blood. If only I could help her but I couldn't move. I was so weak and my head was killing me. I can feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier. She was looking right at me. She moved her arm and pointed. I looked at where she was pointing. I saw a little kid laying down on his back. He wasn't moving. I looked back at the woman. Her eyes were closed and she was no longer gurgling on her own blood. I looked back at the kid. I tried to say something but I couldn't. I tried to crawl over to the little boy but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything and it made me feel terrible. My eyes were now shutting and there was nothing I could do.

*Flashback Ended*

"Kali what's wrong?" Brad asked. He actually sounded very worried.

He joined me at the table. I didn't look at him. I didn't want him to see me like this.

"Kali talk to me." He begged.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Look at me."

I didn't look at him.

"Please Kali just look at me."

I wiped my eyes and cheeks. I sat up and looked at him. He got up and bent down in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me. I didn't want to hug him. I didn't even want to talk to him but for some reason I couldn't resist. I wrapped my arms around him. I found myself falling out of my chair and into him. He sat down on the kitchen floor and put me into his lap. He held me closely to him while I buried my face into his chest. He rubbed my back up and down while I just cried.

I stayed in his arms for about a good thirty minutes. I told him everything about my dad. He didn't say a word he just listened to me. He tensed up on a few parts but still let me finish. After I was done he then asked me a few questions and said some mean things about my dad. He also told me some sweet things about me like how I'm so strong and beautiful and just nice things like that.

"You opened up to me and I know that was hard. You never told anyone about this other than your mom. Now I think it's time for me to open up to you. I also haven't told anyone about this other than my dad and Carter only knows half of it but not all. You ready?"

I nodded.

He let out a breath. He put his hand through his hair and then wrapped his arms around me again.

"I was there the day when my mom left me, my brothers and my dad. All the boys were at Hunter, Hayden and Haliey's house. While I stayed home because I wasn't feeling too good. I came downstairs to fix myself a bowl of soup but when I came downstairs. I saw two suitcases by the front door. I thought that was strange but I just kind of shrugged it off and walked into the kitchen. I saw my mom sitting at the table writing on a piece of paper. I walked over to her and asked her what she was doing. She told me nothing. I asked her again and she still said nothing. I glanced over her shoulder and started reading some of it."

He let out a breath and then continued.

"So I was reading it and I saw something saying how she is leaving for good and how she loves all of us so much and stuff like that. She caught me reading over her shoulder and pushed me away. She walked over to kitchen and put the piece of paper on the counter. I walked over to her and asked her why are you leaving? Where are you going? She said I just need a break and I will still be around in the area. I asked her why do you need a break? She looked at me right in the eyes and said because I am tired of all of you. You are all taking my money, my life. I need some time away. I may not be back but I still love you all. I of course went off on her and was telling her how she can't just leave us like that."

"I said to her that she's are mom she needs to stay with us and help dad take care of us. She wouldn't listen to me. She told me that I won't change her mind. I told her she doesn't love us if she's leaving us. She smacked me for that. She said never say that again because I do love all of you but I must go. She grabbed onto her suitcases and headed out the door. I ran after her. She put her suitcases in the trunk of her car. I grabbed onto her wrist and told her not to go. She tried to jerk away but she couldn't escape my grip. She told me to let go of her before I regret it. I didn't listen. I kept telling her to stay and just come back inside but she just slapped me again but this time way harder than she slapped me last time. I let her go and backed away from the car. I couldn't help but tear up. I watched her as she backed up out of the driveway. I followed her and stopped right at the end of the driveway. She looked at me and all I could think was why is she doing this? Why would she leave us like this? How could she do this? What did we do wrong? What did I do wrong? And why the hell isn't she even sad about this? She didn't cry once."

"She starred at me for another second then she drove off. I watched as her car disappeared. I fell to the ground and just started crying. I've never really been the one to cry but at that moment I was crying like crazy. My head was in my hands. I stayed like that until my dad came home from work. Which means I've been out there for about two hours just crying my eyes out. It was horrible having to tell my dad what happen. He was sad for the longest time until he met your mom of course." He smiled at the last part. Which made me smile.

He looked down at me. "I know we haven't really been on the best of terms but I would like to start over. If that's okay with you?"

"You know what. I don't want to start over. I want us to still be the ones who argue like little kids and always pick on each other. I want us to still be the same. I don't want us to change for each other just because we both have a sad story. I don't want you to feel the need to be sorry for me or nice to me just because of my story. Just promise me you will still be like how you were around me."

"I promise but only if you promise me to be like how you were around me."

"Promise!"

He smiled. "Alright how about we get ourselves some sleep?"

"Yeah what time is it anyway?" I asked.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. "It is three in the morning."

"Oh great. Well goodbye to getting a couple hours of sleep." I sighed. I got out of his lap and stood up. He stood up too. I grabbed my dad's letter and then we headed upstairs.

Brad came into my room. He hugged me. I hugged him back.

"Goodnight Kali." He pulled away.

"Goodnight Brad."

He started walking away but before he could make it out my door. I told him to wait. He turned back around and looked at me.

"What?" He asked.

"Actually can you um...sleep with me tonight? Not like hooking up but you know I could use some company."

He smirked. "I could use some company too." He walked over to me and we walked over to my bed. I laid on my side of the bed while he laid on the other side of the bed.

"Thank you Brad." I said.

"For what?" He asked confused.

"For tonight. Just being there and letting me talk and not making fun of me for crying my eyes out."

"No problem. Sometimes we all just have to let it out sometime but thank you for being there for me and just letting me talk about my mom."

"You're welcome. Even though I was mad at you I will always be here for you."

"I will always be here for you too." He mumbled. I could tell he was about to fall asleep at any moment now.

"Kali?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to know...that I-I..."

"Brad?"

No response.

"Hello Brad?"

Again no response.

He was fast asleep. Damn it what was he going to say!?

Btw I changed my username and the book cover!

Sorry if you got confused. 😣

So what do you think Brad was going to say? Hmmm.

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