Abused and Unloved~

Chapter Twenty Three

I stomp down the stairs in the worst possible mood. I hadn't been allowed out of the house the entire weekend like Greg established, and I felt insane hoping and praying time would speed up. I hadn't done that since I was abused.

I'm not saying they're bad parents, grounding is a reasonable punishment, but I was undoubtedly being charged with a crime I didn't commit.

"Good morning Jessica."

I ignore the voice and glide towards the pantry grabbing a box of cereal.

"Good morning Jessica."

I turn, reaching for a bowl and open the fridge to get some milk.

"Really Jessica, you're ignoring me?" I start to hum a tune to myself, pouring in the cereal then pouring in the milk.

"You want us to treat you like an adult, but you act like a child."

Quietly, I scoff to myself grabbing a spoon before sitting at the dining room table to eat. Usually I would distract myself with my phone or sit on the bar stool and have a nice morning conversation with my guardians, but today I was in no mood.

"Maybe next time you won't go over to a boy's house and do things you're not supposed to." I wanted to snap back and argue my case but that's exactly what he wanted, and I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction, so I simply resumed my breakfast. 

"All you had to do was admit you were wrong."

I did. I apologized for being late and not letting them know where I was. I wasn't going to apologize for something I didn't do.

I carry on chewing my cereal despite having lost my appetite and it tasting like mush in my mouth.

"Jessica."

It sounded like he was warning me, but his anger didn't faze me. I would be happy and go-lucky this morning if he wasn't such a jerk when claiming authority over me.

"Say something now or I keep your phone all week."

My phone was scheduled to be returned tonight, but I couldn't give up my silence streak, that would mean he won, and my pride wouldn't let him win.

I rise with my empty bowl and place it in the sink before looking over my shoulder to give him a dirty look and trudging up the stairs.

"Jessica if you take one more step you're grounded for the rest of the month, no going out, no phone, you won't even go to your volunteering."

Was it worth it?

I run up the rest of the steps stubbornly deciding that hearing that satisfying growl downstairs was worth it.

~~~

Greg forced us in the car and drove us to school as a ploy to get me to talk to him. I simply sat in the back, allowing Kaylee to take the passenger seat, and stared out the window.

He kept my phone hostage all weekend and was planning to keep it all week. I was never insanely attached to my phone, but I still didn't appreciate its absence.

"So Jessica, I'll be right outside as soon as that bell rings."

Don't you have a job or something?

"Don't even think about leaving with one of your friends or that boy."

I could have sworn he was like IN LOVE with Jayden a little while ago, why was he being so difficult now?

"I'm not kidding around."

My phone was already gone, I was grounded for life, there wasn't much more he could take away. What was he going to do— make me sleep on the floor?