HIS SALVATION

23

~CLAIR~

My phone began to ring as I brought out a pan of hot muffins from the oven. I dropped the pan it on the counter and grabbed my phone from my back pocket. I looked at the caller ID and frown. Dad? "Yes dad?", I answered. "Hello sweetheart, how are you doing?", he asked a little to calmly for my liking. "I'm good, thank you", I told him.

"I need you to come home", he said. "What's wrong?", I asked as I started getting worried. "Nothing, I just want to see you", he said with his voice strained. That spiked my curiosity. "What's wrong, dad? Seriously, tell me", I asked him again. "Just come when you're chanced", he said. I nodded, "Okay". Then he hung up.

Worried, I dropped my phone on the island and sat down. "What could possibly be wrong?", I asked myself as I cleaned up the kitchen. I picked my phone and walked out of the kitchen after I was done.

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Knocking at the door, I adjusted my red gown and my hair. I didn't want my mom complaining about my appearance. The door opened and I saw Jessica, our maid. "Good afternoon, Clair. Come in", she ushered me inside happily. I smiled at her and walked in.

"Thank you. Do you know where my parents are?", I asked her. "Yes, they are in the living room", she answered and I nodded. She walked back to wherever she was and I walked off to the living room.

The first thing I saw was my sister sitting on the couch while my brother was standing by the arch that led to the large staircase. My mother was sitting on the couch with her hands folded on her lap.

They all turned to face me as I walked in.

"Clair". My mom stood up and walked towards me. She pulled me in a hug, confusing me but I returned it. It's been a long time since I've had a warm hug from her. "Hi", I said to her. She smiled and gave me a kiss on my cheeks.

"Hey, Bunny", Aiden walked towards me and pulled me in a hug. "Now that you're here, let's go see your father. He's in his study", mom announced and we nodded.

Taylor stood up and followed us up the stairs. When we got into the hallway, she held my hand and pulled me back. "I missed you, Lil sis", she ruffled my hair. I swatted her hand away and glared at her playfully, "Mom will comment about my hair now". She chuckled and flicked my nose.

We entered my dad's study; he was standing by the large window, lost in his thoughts. With the way his shoulders were tensed, I knew this was not good.

He turned around and flashed a smile at us. "It's nice to see my kids all grown up and married", he said putting his hands in his pockets. Mom closed the door and we stood in front of him.

"Sometimes; when you guys were kids, I wished you guys would never grow up. I really loved how lively you were, now you're all grown up and busy", he said with a smile. I honestly don't know where he's getting at.

"Clair?", he called me  "Yes dad?", I answered. "Joker's out of prison", he told me. My heart dropped to the bottom pit of my stomach. I felt like sinking into the floor.

Many unwanted memories began flashing through my mind making me more and more scared. "Clair, don't worry. We'll get this under control, we have investigators and cops out on the look", mom said as she approached me to comfort me but I stepped away from her.

"No! I don't want to hear it!", I yelled as I held my hands out. "Clair, calm down", Aiden said softly as he slowly walks to me. "Don't come closer!", I warned him. Tears well up my eyes as I swallow hard trying not to cry. "You guys don't know how it felt to be trapped in that place for months", I told them as tears streamed down my face.

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Tears flowed down my cheeks as I tried to gather my thoughts. I couldn't think straight, my heart was beating abnormally fast and my head was pounding.

"Clair?", I heard my sister's worried voice. I continued to sob as I wiped my tears. The door opened and she walked in. Seeing my state, she rushed towards me and pulled me in a hug. "I'm so sorry, baby", she mumbled into my hair.

"What if he finds me?", I cried into her shoulder. "He'll never find you", she said. I shook my head, "You guys don't know that. I'm the reason he went to jail, he'll want revenge", I told her.

"Shhh, don't talk like that", she told me. "Besides, I have something to tell you", she said as she sniffled. I wiped my tears, "What is it?". "I'm one month and two weeks pregnant", she whispered. All the reasons why I was crying vanished and I was filled with happiness. "Seriously?", I asked her as I wiped my tears and smiled. She nodded smiling widely. I pulled her into a hug as I smiled widely.

"I'm so happy for you", I told her. "Thank you", she said. I sighed and then I remembered what I wanted to tell her. "Taylor?".

My older sister looked at me.
"Yeah?", she answered. "I slept with Matteo", I told her. She nodded and then her eyes widened at realization of what I just said.

"You guys made love!", she exclaimed. "Shhh, noooo", I dragged. "We didn't make love, it was an accident".

"How can making love be an accident?", she asked with a frown. I hesitated for a second. "I was drunk so I practically begged him to sleep with me", I admitted sheepishly.

"Well, you're married to him and now he made you his woman so you're meant to be happy", she said to me. I sighed and lay on my bed. "What if Joker finds me?", I asked her as my mood began to saf. "Clair, please stop saying that", she begged me. "I'm just saying", I mumbled. "Do you know his really name?", she asked me.

Then a memory flashed into my mind.

'A dark and cold small room with squeaks of rats and stench smells. Sixteen year old me was sitting on a chair, bounded like a prisoner with a large bruise on my cheek. The door opened and I shook visibly. In walked a very large man with two other people by his sided.

"Good morning my lovely flower", his unwelcoming and scary voice said. "Do you know who I am?", he asked me and I shook my head saying no, scared of what he might do. He was wearing a white mask with the painting of joker from DC.

"They call me Joker and I love to play", he said and I felt my body ignite with electricity making me scream in my highest pitch....'

"Clair!", Taylor shook me hard. Tears flowed down my cheeks as she pulled me in a hug. "I'm sorry, it's going to get better, everything will be fine", she said. The door opened and Aiden walked in. "Dad's down stairs and he's calling us", he told us. His eyes met mine and they softened. He walked towards me and pulled me in a hug.

"We'll fix this", he whispered and I nodded. Taylor and I followed him out of the room. I wiped my tears as we reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the living room. Matteo was standing in front of my dad talking to him. My mom saw us and ran to me.

"My baby, I'm so sorry", she told me. Dad and Matteo turned to face us. Matteo's eyes softened when he saw my state. I turned around and covered my face with my two hands, I didn't want him to see me in my messy state.