Our Time Will Come - An After Story

49

Continuing Hardin

The two teenaged girls sprint to my Matte black Range Rover, eager to remove themselves from this whole situation. Charlie and I follow them, not so quickly. "Look Mr Scott, I just want you to know that I'm not usually the kind of guy who goes around punching peoples lights out" the kid loses eye contact with me. "He had it fucking coming, if you wouldn't have hit him, I would have" I put bluntly and he lets out a small sigh of relief.

I quickly call Tessa to tell her that I've collected the girls and ask her to call Landon and Nora and let them know. She fusses over the phone but I tell her that I'll explain everything later. I'd call Landon myself, but these girls have a lot of explaining to do, so there's no time for that.

Emery and Addy are shuddering by the time we reach the car, waiting for me to open it. "See ladies, this is why you wear clothes" I remark, putting emphasis on the word clothes. "Just let us in the car!" My daughter barks. I oblige and the two of them climb into the back. Charlie takes the passenger seat.

"So" I murmur. "So what?" My niece and daughter say in unison. "What the fuck was that?" I scoff. The two of them are stuttering and I'm growing impatient. Emery ignores me and begins to question Charlie instead.

"Really Charlie? You told my dad?" my daughter yells at her boyfriend. He begins to stutter, not really knowing what to say. "What? No. I didn't tell your dad, I came to your house after football practice like we planned, but you weren't there. Your dad thought you was with me but obviously weren't. He put two and two together and-" "Save it charlie, I don't want to hear it. Didn't you ever hear of the term 'snitches get stitches' ?" She scoffs. I can't believe that she's actually blaming him for her foolish actions right now. The kid is already going through enough without her dragging him into her drama. I knew that raising a teenage girl would be hard, but fuck, she is testing me right now.

"How about you stop playing the blame game and own up to your own actions. I swear to god if you don't tell me why you went to that Damn party right now, there'll be trouble" I turn around to focus my attention on Emery and she lets out a dramatised sigh.

"You told me no and I really wanted to go and... I don't know" she begins to hyperventilate. "I went because i graduated today and literally everyone from my class was going, it was my last chance to se everyone before I move for college" Addelyn finally speaks out. I can sort of understand why she'd want to go, but why would my daughter, a freshman, want to go a damn graduation party with the people who drugged her?

"Okay, I can get my head around that. But going back to Austin Priestley after what he did to you? Are you crazy?" I raise my voice and my niece begins to cry. "I know, I'm stupid, I know it's wrong but please uncle Hardin, you can't tell my dad!" She sobs. Oh no young lady, you're mistaken if you think I'm falling for that again. "Oh I'm telling your Dad. He actually believed that you were at a girly slumber party with face packs and movies. He needs to know the truth before you slip any further into that snakes trap" I huff and she becomes hysterical.

"And you! You know how many people have been the victim of Blake Priestley's behaviour, yourself included but you still chose to ignore that and continue to hang around him. You almost died last time Emery. What else do you need to happen to you before you realise that these people are bad!" My voice cracks as I bang my fist against the steering wheel.

"Yes, I ended up in the hospital but I did not almost die!" She's attempting to get smart with me but it isn't going to work. "Okay, maybe you didn't almost die. But Charlie did, did you even listen to the whole story about the train tracks? Only someone who is seriously messed up in the head, would do something like that" I yell, while running a hand through my hair. "Didn't you hear that your own boyfriend still gets nightmares to this day, because those psychopaths almost killed him?" My voice is softer now as I realise how uncomfortable the kid must feel.

"They're bad news Ems, they will make you feel like you're a part of the gang, like you're somebody. But they're not your friends, I learnt that the hard way" Charlie speaks up, without even making eye contact with Emery. It's almost like he can't bear to look at her. My daughter is all of a sudden quiet as she realises that he is right.

"I'm sorry for punching him in front of you, I don't agree with promoting violence .. but when he touched you, and you asked him to get off  of you and he wouldn't, I just lost it" he attempts to explain himself. Emery nods without even speaking and i feel like shaking her, to force her to accept his apology. He was protecting her for gods sake!

The car journey is quiet and we arrive at Landon's less than twenty minutes later. Addy cried for the majority of the way home, attempting to prepare herself for the brewing storm that is her father. Nora is stood at the window, peering out of the curtains and Landon rushes to the door as he sees my car pull into the driveway. Addy is looking worse for wear, as her mascara has run down her face and her hair is wild.

Landon prises the door open, demanding answers from his only child. "Where have you been!" He yells. What a stupid fucking question Landon, pal. It's clear that she didn't go to the tooty fruity girly slumber party that she made up.

"I'm.. I'm sorry" she sobs while climbing out of the car. Landon looks over to me, hoping that I'll answer for her and tell the authentic truth. "It appears that she's forgiven Austin rather quickly, don't let her lie her way out of it because I caught them, together. You better do something about it, or I will" I threaten my brother. His face is unsure and he doesn't know whether to thank me, or hate me.

He is silent for a moment and his eyes are still on mine. "Get inside" he bluntly whispers to his daughter. "But dad-" "I said, get inside Addelyn" he is now raising his voice. She sprints into the house and I hear Nora hurl a load of criticism at her. "What can we do to keep them away from those fucking people" Landon tugs at his hair.

"You're fucking lucky that Addy leaves for WSU In six weeks and she'll probably never see that slime ball again. She'll be living with my dad and your mom and will go back to being the innocent, quiet girl that she is. Emery, I'm not so sure" I mutter, careful that she doesn't hear me from the car. "How do you mean?" he lowers his voice and I glance around again to ensure that Emery isn't listening. "I thought that ending up in the hospital scared her out of ever pulling a stunt like this again, but it didn't. I fear that she won't realise, until something terrible happens to her, worse than what already has" I admit. 

We discuss our shared shame of the people that our daughters are associating with. Landon eventually goes inside and I climb back into the car. Charlie has climbed into the back seat and I appear to have interrupted their conversation. "Dad. Can you give us a minute?" Emery pleads. I look at her like she has two heads. "Please?" She repeats and I oblige.

"Oh fuck it, I'm going for a cigarette" I huff, while collecting my cigarettes and lighter from my emergency stash in the glove compartment. I stalk off, leaving Landon's driveway to spark up. She chooses not to howl me for smoking, frankly because she's in no bloody position to after the stunt she just pulled.