Unraveling Rogue

Chapter 9 - Troubling Times

It hit me like a brick.

"You can't do this. She's our daughter."

The words replayed through my mind.

I'm their daughter?

They're my parents?

"No." I dropped the necklace from my fingers and grabbed onto the railing of the stairs for support. "My parents abandoned me. They could be dead for all I know." I hiss through clenched teeth.

"No, hon." The woman says with a small smile. "We're here. We're your parents."

"And we want you to come home with us." The man spoke up as he put his hand on the woman's shoulder. My stomach began to churn, and I immediately wanted to vomit.

"No." Luke says, standing between the strangers and I. "This is her home, and I want you to leave."

"She has a choice."  The man says, looking around Luke to make eye contact with me. "She can decide where she goes by herself."

The woman's eyes were pleading as she watched me. Luke looked at me from over his shoulder with dark, sad eyes.

Did he really think...? I stayed silent for a moment as I gaped at them.

"I...I don't even know you!" I exclaim, dumbfounded. "You can't barge in here, tell me that you're my parents, and expect me to actually believe it! Then, on top of that, ask me to leave with you!" I yell as I begin climbing the stairs. 

"You didn't know this guy when you went home with him!" The woman calls out after me, referring to Luke.

At that, Luke snapped.

"Get out of my house!"

I stop halfway up the staircase and look back. I think this is the angriest I've seen Luke since I met him. He pushes the man back, then grabs the woman's arm — ignoring her gasp of protest — and drags her out on his way to the front door.

"This is not the last you'll see of me!" The man yells as he's pushed through the door frame.

"I had someone who cared deeply for me while I was growing up. As far as I'm concerned, she's my family!" I yell as Luke pushes the lady out the door, then slams it shut behind them.

Luke leans against the door and takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He runs his fingers through his hair angrily as he looks up to me, standing on the staircase.

"Are you...?" Luke asks after a solid minute of silence.

"Okay? Yeah." I say quietly, not knowing if I'm telling the truth or not. It was a lot to take in, in my defence.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." I say, looking down. I don't enjoy expressing my feelings; it's not something I do well.

"Oh," Luke pushes himself off the door and looks out the nearest window. "They're gone, if that makes you feel any better."

"Yeah." I say, turning back to look up the stairs. "I'm going to go get some air."

"Don't leave the deck!" Luke shouts after me as I run up to the second level. "We can't trust that they won't come back!"

"Got it!"

I run down the hall and pull open the glass door leading to the deck. I push it firmly shut behind me before walking to the edge of the deck and breathing in the fresh air in gulps.