The Love I Found

Chapter 7

The front door whipping open against the wall downstairs is followed by the sounds of loud, hurried footsteps thundering up the stairway.

I open my eyes to see Mr. Scott directly in front of me. He's glaring down at me like it's my fault that he’s getting caught in this situation.

Cal!" The scream rips out of me before I can think about it, and Mr. Scott's hand comes flying toward me. The crack of his slap seems to echo through the room, and I lift a hand to touch my instantly red cheek as my bedroom door flies open.

"Get the hell away from her! Did you hit her? You son of a bitch!" Cal is running at us like an unstoppable freight train.

I sob his name again, only wanting him to pull me into his arms so that he can reassure me that I am safe, that it's over. But Cal has a completely different mindset.

His fist connects with Mr. Scott's jaw before the man seems to fully register that he is even in the room.

I awkwardly hop onto the edge of the dresser to try and stay out of the way, and watch with rapt horror as Mr. Scott gives Cal a hard shove, sending him back a few feet.

But Cal isn't easily deterred. Mr. Scott might be taller and larger than he is, but Cal is quick on his feet, and his fists pack a heavy punch for a kid who is not yet eighteen. He comes back at Mr. Scott with a roar and feeds him punch after punch, blatantly ignoring the few hits the older man manages to get in.

My tears are now streaming down my face. I scream as Mr. Scott lands a hefty punch to Cal's left side. It's one that isn't as easily ignored, and Cal lets out a painful sounding, "Hmmph," as he grips his side where the larger man made contact. He staggers to the right and braces his arm on top of the wooden chair that is set up with a small table for my schoolwork. He looks defeated as he hangs his head.

"Remember your place, you piece of shit!" Mr. Scott antagonizes. He turns to find me cowering on top of the dresser. "You see what I just did to him?" he asks as he once again begins to stalk toward me. "If you think you can defy me, you'll end up just like Calvin, you little cun—"

His words are cut off as the wooden chair comes crashing down over his head. His body falls to the ground with a loud thump, revealing Cal standing behind him, gripping two legs of the chair tightly in his hands.

He slowly lowers it to the ground as he stares down at Mr. Scott's unconscious body. "It's Cal, bitch."

A hard kick lands against Mr. Scott's fat stomach, and Cal spits on his limp body before moving around it and walking toward me. His dark eyes which had just been full of rage are now filled with concern. "Are you okay?"

I shoot off the dresser and close the short distance between us, almost jumping off the ground as I throw my arms around his neck.

"Cal. Cal." I don't know what else to say so I repeat his name one more time, clinging tightly to him. "Cal!" My voice shakes along with my trembling body.

He gathers me close with an arm around my waist and presses his lips against the top of my head. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay. What'd I tell ya, you scream and I'll come running, yah?"

I can't stop the tears from flowing, and I bury my face against his chest. "How did you know? You weren't here, and Mrs. Scott left and, oh Cal, what if you didn't come home?" I press myself tighter against him, squeezing his body like somehow getting closer to him will make all the darkness in my world go away.

I feel him tense, and when I lift my face to look up at him, I see a look of discomfort. He quickly masks it, but the pained expression had been there, and I feel guilty now for hanging onto him so forcefully when he is clearly a little banged up. My arms loosen from around his neck, and I try to take a step back, but Cal's arm is still firmly snaked around me, and he doesn't let me get far.