They say that the best people come unexpectedly. Kaylia Cooper runs away from home to live with her father. In a town like Forks Washington where secrets are buried, Kaylia finds herself discovering all that the town has to offer. She finds love, an...
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I've always been told that I have a great imagination. But nothing could have prepared me for this.
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The door creaked open slowly, revealing the familiar yet distant face of her father. Kaylia stood there, drenched in the heavy silence of their history, her heart pounding like a drum. She had longed for this moment for so long, but now that she was here, she felt the weight of uncertainty settle on her.
"Kaylia what are you doing here?" A pale man asked the girl in shock. She stood outside his front door shivering from the cold with blood shot eyes. She carried a backpack with her and a small black suitcase in her hand. Her hair was tangled and unkempt, a reflection of the chaos swirling within her. She had not been herself for a while; the warmth of childhood had faded, replaced by a shadow that loomed larger each day. Her eyes, usually bright and full of life, were now cold and vacant, as if the world had chipped away at her spirit.
"Can I come in?" She asked dismissing his question. Before he could answer she shoved her way inside. Leaning her bags against the wall and taking her coat off, hanging it on the hook next to the door. All while her father stared at her with confusion.
"Kaylia-
"Dad I just can't do it anymore. I'm not going back home, I want to stay with you" she tells him as she wraps her arms around him in a hug. He pulls her closer as he hasn't held her in his arms for a long time.
"You'll have to tell me what's going on first. Your mother will be calling me as soon as she notices you're gone" he explained calmly. He motions her to the living room as they let go. The shorter girl following him in and taking a seat next to him on the tan sofa.
"Well there's been a lot of things happening back home. And it's just not safe to be there anymore. I snuck out of the house when mom was asleep and caught a bus to the nearest airport. And here I am" she tried to tell him without giving a lot of information. But if she knew her father that wouldn't cut it.
"If you're wanting me to not call your mother. You need to be honest with me. Start from the beginning" Neil tells the girl.
She huff a little and sinks herself deeper into the sofa. She knew she would have to tell him. She just didn't want to have to relieve what has been happening the past months.
"Mom has a new boyfriend, they've been together for a few months. Umm...he has some weird obsession with me. He's tried to...do things to me. It doesn't matter if mom is home or not he doesn't care. And I got fed up and told her. But she didn't want to believe me over her boyfriend. She started to get physical with me. If I looked at him wrong or tried to tell on him, she would hit me. That's been happening for a while, then a few days ago. He uh got a little more brave and decided to pin me down in front of her. Instead of getting mad at him for what he tried to do. She started yelling at me and saying things like I was trying to seduce him. Like I put myself in that situation on purpose. I- I she just-
The girl was full on sobbing at this point. Her father grabbed her and placed her on his lap as he hugged her with all his might. Caressing the top of her head as she cuddled into him.
He could feel the anger rising in his body. But held back from running to his phone to call the police department in Ohio.
"You never have to go back there ever again. I should have been there. I should have been there" he whispered in shame kissing her forehead as tears fell from his eyes.
After a while of the two calming down from their cries, and just holding onto each other. Kaylia fell asleep from exhaustion. Neil laid his head back against the sofa as his mind raced over the things he just learnt. He knew from the beginning that he should have kept Kaylia from her mother. Though with the courts and custody battle she won, which made life harder for him and his daughter. The man only had monthly visitations with how far they lived from each other since the girl was eight. And once Kaylia turned fifteen her mother hadn't let her visit anymore. The wretched woman took any and all communication from the father and daughter. He tired so hard to get his rights back and see his daughter. But the courts didn't seem to care it was just about who had the most money, and in that case Jaynelle had won their daughter. As if she was some prize to hold over his head. She wasn't an object, this was their daughter. His child, and he would do anything to prevent his child from ever having to go back to that family.
