Forevermore

chapter 3: Stop Running

I stayed at his house for the next week. It was the most peaceful week of my life, and then I went home the next day. It was nice. I started cleaning my room and packing things, putting them in boxes and bags, and stacking them in the corner of my room. That same night I got my dad's charcoal 1976, Nova, back up and running. Even though I knew he wasn't my biological dad he acted like it which meant the most to me before he passed away he taught me how to fix it whenever it needed to be fixed he taught me a lot about cars everything I know is because of him I stayed up until 2 a.m. working on it John and my mother were not back from the bar yet so I went upstairs and got my boxes put them in the car's trunk and then I grab my bags and put them in the car's cab and then covered the Nova with a tan tarp that it was originally covered with after that I locked the car and went upstairs to go to bed but my mind did not want to go to bed that night it wandered everywhere I was reading when John and my mother burst through the door they told me to go downstairs and clean up I didn't know what I had to clean up but I did as I was told I went downstairs and I clean their beer bottles off the counter clean up the kitchen floor for my mother puking on it and then when I thought I was done I tried to go back upstairs but They were both still drunk and pinned me down and I got hit 3 times by my mother then 3 times by John both of them kicked me till my ribs were cobalt cut open and hard to breath. I ran to my room with tears in my eyes, seconds after I picked up my phone, and call Jake.

"Hey, hun why are you up so late?" Jake asked concerned

"Jake" I stuttered

"are you okay? What's going on?" moments passed as I tried to figure out what I wanted to say to him and how I could say it. "Cat please answer me" I could not stop crying but I managed to mumble out some words.

"Jake I'm coming to your house I can't do it anymore" I wiped tears from my cheeks and leaned on my vanity

"cat let me come get you," He said calmly. Hearing his voice made me feel better even in the slightest. I picked up a framed photo of my dad. emotions rushed back. None of this would be happening if he was here. My dad stood proud holding me on his shoulders my hands rested on the top of his head ruffling his hair. We were so happy then

"I got my dad's Nova running so I have a car to drive now I have to do this myself Jake" I grabbed the keys to the Nova and things i needed I ran out to the car uncovered it from the tarp unlocked it and got in. I drove to his house speeding all the way. it was a peaceful drive even though tear's still rolled down my face. I could hear the motor of the car rumbling. It was a beautiful sound that I haven't heard in 4 years. Dad and I were working on it together for 2 years. Every Sunday after church we would go out there for hours and hang out, talk, and work on the car and then he passed, and I never touched the car until a couple of months ago when I finally figured out that the breaks were bad oil needed to be changed and it needed a new filter. I was surprised when it started after being in the shop for so long and that those were the only problems. I couldn't help but think how many happy memories my dad and I had in this car we drove from Los Angeles to Texas and then to Maine and then back to Los Angeles we sat out and watched fireworks exploding in the sky while on the thick roof. My dad was the only one that had ever kept me going in life. I hate not having him around anymore.

Thought after thought ran through my head and the next thing I know I was pulling into his driveway. I put the car in park, shut it off, unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the door before Jake ran up and hugged me tightly. I cried out in pain.

"Fuck I'm sorry did I hurt you," he said frantically letting go and waited for my response

"Just my ribs" I cried softly

"let's get you inside let me have a look at you" I locked the car and took his arm for the support he walked me inside and set me upon a counter he grabbed a clean washcloth and wet it down he cleaned off the swollen cuts on my face and the dried blood and then he carefully took off my shirt to look at my ribs.