Don't lose HOPE [COMPLETED]

Chapter 26

HOPE

Thirty minutes feels like forever, and I'm nervous. I'm quite confident that my parents will take the 'bribe' and leave me alone, but all the sad feelings are coming back to me. The feeling of abandonment I've been having most of my life. The feeling of loving your parents, but weren't loved back. The feeling of wanting to make them proud so they might love you, but you couldn't, even how hard you tried. Then, I stopped trying and figured that it was for the best. I wasn't worth love and it was better to be by myself...until I met Zeke. He and his family has showed me how it's supposed to be and that I'm worthy to be loved.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Zeke says, holding me tight and leaning his head on mine. I just want to melt into him and stay there where it's warm, safe and I'm happy.

Like he's projecting good emotions into me, I suddenly feel calm, happy and much stronger.

"Did you do that?" I say, lifting my head up and look into his eyes.

"I did," he says, smiling. "Just like you calmed me when I was about to shift at school. You projected all your calmness, care and love for me. That's what made me stop. We balance each other out. You're the only one that can calm me down when I snap, and I can give you my strength when you need it."

I kiss him and smile at him.

"We better go down to the office before they arrive."

I nod and he takes my hand and leads us downstairs.

We sit down at a big oval table, Richard at the end with the lawyer to his right. I sit between Kate and Zeke, facing the door. They have all the paperwork ready and an envelope full off cash.

The doorbell rings and the lawyer goes to bring my parents in. When they enter the office, I have a hard time looking at them, but I do. Mom looks worse than ever and dad has his business-face on. They hardly look at me. They go to shake hands with Richard, then sits down at the opposite side of the table. Zeke squeezes my hand lightly to calm me down.

Richard starts talking with a stern voice, "So, you want your daughter back that you haven't cared about in, I'm supposed I'm right when I say, never?"

Dad looks surprised and annoyed at him. "Of course we⸺"

"Shh! I'm not done," Richard says sternly and dad shuts up. "You haven't cared about her the way parents should care about their child. You haven't even cared to call and check up on her since I called you and told you that she had been trying to take her own life. Why do you want her back now?"

"I told you over the phone," dad says, even more annoyer.

"I want you to say it in front of Hope."

A lump is starting to form in my throat, but I don't want to cry in front of my parents. Kate grabs my other hand and Zeke tries to be calm and give some strength to me, but I can feel his anger starting to boil deep inside.

Dad squirms uncomfortable in his chair. "People are talking. My dear wife here," he says with venom in his voice, "her habits are starting to show in public and she lost her job last week. On top of that, people are saying that we can't take care of our daughter, and that's why she lives with you."

"And isn't that true?" Richard says, surprised, like someone would've made it up.

"It's starting to affect my job. Even if I work a town over, rumors spread fast and I want to stop it before it's too late. That's why we need Hope to move back."

And there it is. My dad's work has always come first, mom second⸺if even that⸺and I...way down in the back.

Zeke clenches his jaw and I can feel his anger getting worse. Richard gives him a look and I guess they're talking through the mind-link. Kate rubs my hand with her thumb and gives me a comforting smile.

"You're aware that Hope is turning 18 on Saturday and after that is a legal adult. She doesn't have to live with you anymore if she decides not to," Richard says.

Mom and dad look at each other surprised. Of course they didn't know that. They've never cared about my birthday.

Richard looks at me. "Hope, do you want to move back with your parents?"

"No," I say, shaking my head.

"If you would go back with them today, would you stay with them after your birthday even if you, as an adult, have the right to move out?"

"No," I say with more strength.

He turns to my mom and dad again. "What's the point of bringing her back for 4−5 days just to have her move out after her birthday?"

"She can't move out until she's starting college anyway. She's got no money other than the college fund. When she goes to college, no one's going to question me why she's not staying at home," dad says with a smirk.

Richard chuckles. "What makes you think that she's not going to come back here? Because she will always be welcome here. Have you even asked her about her college plans? Hope," he says, looking at me again.

"I'm not planning on going to college," I say to my dad with more strength than I thought I had.

"What! You're going to stay here with that boy and be a teenage mom? I thought higher of you," dad spits out, looking at Zeke.

That one stung and my tears starts to fall. "I've always had high grades, never done anything stupid and done nothing more than tried to make you proud of me," I cry out. "I never made any plans to go to college because I knew that I wouldn't be here that long." Tears are running down my cheeks and Zeke holds me, trying to calm me down, but I know that it takes everything in him not to lash out at my dad.

"Here's the deal," Richard says angrily to my dad. "She's not coming back with you. She's staying right here and you're not going to contact her ever again. If she at any time wants to contact you, that's up to her, but you will leave her alone. Here's one million dollars, cash," he says, shoving the big envelope in front of him.

Both mom and dad look at him with big eyes.

"This is a one-time deal and I suggest that you take it. and use some of it on rehab for you, Mrs. Tenley," he says, looking at mom. "You're not going to come back for more money. I have connections in high places and I won't hesitate to bring you down and get you fired from that precious job of yours," he says looking back at dad. "I'm only doing this out of respect for Hope. You're her parents even if you don't deserve to be. Take it or leave it."

They look at each other, but don't need to think for long.

"We'll take it," Dad says and grabs the envelope.

"Good choice. Sign these papers and I'll show you out."

They both sign them and Richard shows them to the door. Not a goodbye or anything to me, but I'm relieved that they didn't argue about it. I'm finally free from them.

I give Kate a hug, and when Richard comes in, I hug him too. "Thank you," I say with tears in my eyes.

"No need to thank us, remember," he says, smiling, and I smile back.

"I wanted to snap his fucking neck," Zeke growls out.

"You and me both, son, but that wouldn't have done us any good."

"Now, we can focus on your birthday and all the happy things to come," Kate says, smiling.

Zeke comes and wraps his arms around me and I'm starting to feel happy again. He wipes off my tears with his thumb, then lifts me up and carries me to his room.

"You're all mine now," he says, smiling.

I smile back, but suddenly think about what we did in the truck. Does he mean that we're continuing where we left off? I need to talk to Evelyn about that puppy stuff before this goes any further.

"Hey, relax. We're just resting," Zeke says, chuckling.

"Oh," I say relieved when he walks us into his room.

We lie down on his bed, me on his chest, as usual.

"Isn't it uncomfortable having me sleeping on top of you every night?" I ask him.

"Nope, I couldn't be more comfortable. I've never slept this good," he says, smiling.

I smile at him and put my head on his chest again with a content sigh.