Our secret

Home sweet home

When we got home it was late. We got a late start to leaving. Mom and Todd drove back together and I drove half way back with Damien. We switched seats on the halfway mark because I was tired and still sore. It was midnight when we got home and I was sleeping in the car.

"Ads"

I opened my eyes and looked at Damien
"We're home"
"Oh okay"

Damien just looked at me.
"What"
"Nothing ads can't I admire how pretty you are"

I smiled at him
"Mhm"
"Come on. I'll unload the car and I'll put your keys in your room when I'm done okay get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow"

I smiled at Damien and said thanks before we got out of the car. I went straight up the stairs and crawled into bed. I woke up later to the feeling of someone sitting down on my bed. I opened my eyes and was face to face with Zack.

"You ruined my fucking life I'm going to kill you"
All I could was scream. I was frozen in fear as zack charged me.

"ADS ADS HEY ADS"

I opened my eyes screaming and crying to my mom and Todd and Damien surrounding me.

"Honey it was just a dream your safe."

I looked at my mom and then to Todd and Damien was looking at me with fear on his face.

"He-he's ganna come back mom he's ganna"
"No he isn't honey your safe here he can't get to you Adalyn"

I couldn't stop crying and shaking and my mom grabbed me hugging me. Todd looked at me.

"I'm not ganna let anyone come into this house and hurt you kiddo"

Todd walked out and Damien looked at me. I was shaking and I couldn't stop crying.  My mom just hugged me trying to calm me down. After what felt like hours of crying my mom got me to lay back down. She was sitting on my bed rubbing my back.

I didn't want to fall back asleep. I knew if I did I would see Zack again . The dream felt so real. My eyes were so heavy though and I couldn't help it. Before I knew it I couldn't stay awake.

DAMIENS POV

"Is she okay?"

Ads mom jumped and looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what to do Damien. I don't know how to make this better. I don't know how to fix her."

"She's not broken you can't fix something that isn't broken. She went through a traumatic experience that doesn't mean she's broken"

I can't believe she just said that. I start to understand more and more why ads and her mom ain't close. Yeah sure they love each other but they ain't close at all.

"I no that I didn't mean..."

She took a breath.

"She doesn't talk to me Damien. I don't know anything about her life. She doesn't tell me anything anymore like she used to. We used to be so close and it's like she hates me now."

I looked at her and then I looked at ads sleeping. I sighed and sat down.

"She's not a kid anymore. She's growing up and sometimes a person loves and admires their parents but they don't want to tell them every detail about their life. She loves you but that doesn't mean she wants to tell you every single thing that happens. If she needs you trust me she will come to you. She's just growing up and that's inevitable"

Ads mom sighed and smiled at me

"I'm just happy she has you Damien. she admires you and looks up to you. And I owe you everything for stopping him"
"I got her trust me. I will always protect her even if you and my dad don't work out. I ain't going anywhere and I will still be around no matter what."

Ads mom smiled at me and looked at me like she was going to say something but instead she got up and patted my shoulder walking out. I just sat there and stared at ads sleeping. I didn't want to take my eyes off of her. I knew my dad and her mom would check up on her periodically so I couldn't sleep in bed holding her so I went to her closet and grabbed a pillow and blanket and I laid on her floor to make sure if she needed me I would be there.

I watched her sleep until my eyes got heavy and I couldn't keep them open any longer. I woke up to being tapped on the shoulder.

"Hey go back to your room we got her now"

I opened my eyes to my dad and ads mom standing over me. I sat up and stood up.

"I was worried I'm sorry"
"Don't be sorry Damien we're all worried"

Ads moms face looked thankful as she looked at me. I looked back at ads and walked back to my room collapsing on my bed closing my eyes. I woke up around noon and Ads wasn't home. I walked into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee.

"How'd you sleep?"

I looked up from my first sip to my dad looking at me at the table.

"Good after I got off the floor. look I no you guys are probably mad about that but-"

My dad held his hand up to stop me.

"We're not mad Damien we're happy you guys are bonding even if the circumstances of why isn't ideal it means a lot to us both that you two are trying. You make us both feel better knowing she has you on her side. It makes us feel relieved that even if we ain't here you will be"

"What's going on dad"
"We're ganna talk to you and Adalyn when she gets home"
"Yeah where is she?"
"Therapist"

I almost spit my coffee out. "A therapist"
"Yeah my brother said it would help her a lot and it would also look good when court comes around. Adalyn busted the case wide open"
"What do you mean"

My dad looked at me and sighed "you should sit down"

I looked at my dad and sat down waiting for him to tell me what they wasn't telling me.

"When the arrest of Zack got out other girls came forward. Knowing he was in jail made them feel safer so they reported him for all kinds of things"
"What kind of things dad"

Ads mom chimed In "well according to my brother rape, attempted rape, assault, attempted murder, kidnapping"

I could feel the color of my face drain
"Damien breathe kid"

My dad was to my side as my panic attack started
"Damien breathe"
"I-I-I introduced them I trusted him. I thought.. I didn't no. I swear to god I didn't no dad he coulda killed her imma be sick"

I jumped up and ran to the bathroom barely making it before the vomit made its way into the toilet

"Hi guys. where's Damien"
Ads voice was low but it rang in my ears snapping me back and grounding me to reality making me breathe.