Out of Time

Chapter Seventeen

I made a promise to Axel to be honest about everything, and now we were sitting on my bedroom floor looking through pictures of me and my brother.

"What made you want to look through these?" Axel asked as he put the pictures he had down and focused his attention on me.

"I always look at them, sometimes I take them out and talk to them-" I said as I chuckled, "Like he is here with me."

Axel smiled back at me as he grabbed my jaw and kissed my lips.

"Gross. We can't kiss in front of my brother." I said as I laughed and Axel shook his head with a laugh.

Axel put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned my head on his.

"Your dad ever come home?" He asked as he kissed the top of my head.

"Nope. Sometimes I just really hate him." I said as Axel remained quiet. "Then sometimes- I really miss him."

"I get it." He said as I shook my head. "No no, don't start shutting me out."

"I'm sorry. It's just bullshit." I said as there was a knock on the door.

Axel followed me out as I opened the front door to see my mother with tired eyes. We just stared at each other as Axel put his hand on my shoulder.

"Happy new year sweetie." She said as I glared at her.

"What do you want?" I said as I noticed she slipped her foot in the door.

"We need to talk, alone." She shifted her gaze to Axel who cleared his throat and nodded his head.

"See you later babe."

I watched Axel as he got into his car, leaving me at the front door all alone.

"What."

"It's your father."

My heart sunk as I thought of the worst.

"What."

"He- He showed up at the motel I've been staying at- we got into an argument. He was drunk, I should've taken his car keys, but I didn't."

"Just fucking spit it out- is he dead?" I said as my eyes filled with tears.

"No, but, he is in the hospital- critical condition. He asked to see you." I shook my head as I clenched my jaw.

"Why would I want to see that monster?"

"He is your father. Please Briella Grace, for me. We can be happy again."

"HAPPY? How am I ever supposed to be fucking happy again? My brother is DEAD because of him." I screamed at her as I felt the tears forming. "And I hate that a little part of me loves him enough to want to go."

"He's your father Briella." She said as I shook my head.

"He was Luke's father too. I deserve my own justice for what he did to me. A nine year old can't forget those things." I said as I walked into the house and put shoes on. "I'm gonna make sure he knows it."

My mom nodded as she walked me to the car and we drove to the hospital. Axel kept texting me but I ignored every single text. He's gonna hate that, but I don't care. When we got to the hospital they had to sign me in before showing me my dads room. I felt like my heart got caught in my throat as I saw my dad hooked up to all the machines. All of my anger faded, and then quickly came flooding back when his eyes flickered and looked at me, then closed again.

I walked up to him and sighed as I stood over him. His lips curved up in a smile and I shook my head, he disgusted me.

"I guess this is it." I said as I looked around at all the machines, and noticed the one that was mainly keeping him alive. "Cause that one machine determines if you live or die."

"Briella-" My mom said as she raised her voice but I didn't turn to look at her.

"You asked to see me? I can't imagine why. You killed Luke. You touched me in ways no nine year old should ever experience. This is what you deserve." I said as he moved his hand to lay on top of mine and I felt the tears coming back.

"You don't deserve the love I feel for you. For years I've wished I was the one leaving this world first, but I'm not surprised that it's you. You wanted me dead too, but I won that fight. You can't just run me off the road like you did Luke. That game is over, cause I'm happy." I said as my mom came up to me and grabbed my shoulders. I turned around and shoved her, hard.

She stumbled backwards as I had tears streaming down my face as I turned around and looked at my father again.

"I would say tell Luke I said hey, but you're not seeing him where you're going." I said as someone came up behind me and constrained my arms. "We were kids. KIDS!" I screamed.

I was dragged out of the room as I started bawling my eyes out. I wasn't done yet. I tried to hit off whoever was behind me. They pushed me down into a chair outside as I finally saw that my mom and called security, it must have been when I pushed her.

I looked around to see officers everywhere as my mom just stood by the door to my fathers room. I cried as I put my head in my hands and just stayed like that. Eventually, when I looked up I noticed that everyone had left, just my mother was standing in the doorway

"Shit." I said as I stood up and looked into the door.

"He's gone." She said as I just stared at her.

"Ok." I said as I turned around and started walking to the door.

My world was crumbling and I didn't even notice it, but now I did. And change is hard, there is no denying that. I'm just hoping everyone around me can handle the change now. Cause I don't think I will be able to hang on much longer, I'm running out of time.