Midnight Rain - L.B.

S I X T E E N

I'd do whatever I could do
I'd run away and hide with you

Vaughneton Manor
December 9th, 1989
6:57 pm | Tatum Vaughneton

Chapter Warnings:
domestic violence

"You come home drunk every damn night! What the fuck do you expect me to say?! I need you home to help me raise our daughters!"

"I gave you your bloody mansion, I gave you your fucking cars and your bags and whatever else your heart could ever desire! I provide for all of you, working myself sick, and all you do in return is complain and turn my own children against me!"

"You're never around! That's what I need! Not the goddamn money! I can't turn them against you if you were never there for them to be on your side in the first place!"

I turned up the music playing off of the old record player, taking Andy's smaller hands in mine. "C'mon, let's dance."

She smiled wide, her two top teeth missing as they'd fallen out a few days prior, laughing as I spun her around to distract her.

"What the fuck Claudia!"

I let go of Andy's hands abruptly, swallowing hard. "Stay here for a second, okay? You can play with my stuffies if you want." I left my room, closing the door behind me while she stayed in and played with the toys I had scattered on my floor with a content smile.

I padded down the hallway quietly, my heart racing in my chest as I felt increasingly nervous, standing at the top of the stairs. "Mum! I need your help with something!" I lied, my arms holding over the side of the railing.

There was a short pause in the seemingly endless arguing.

"I'll be up in a second!" She yelled from the kitchen. "Let me just finish talking with your father!"

"Mum, I really need you!" I yelled back, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Please, just come upstairs!"

"Valerie, your mother and I are trying to have an adult conversation!" Dad snapped.

"I'll be up in a moment! Just go back to your room." Mum finalized.

"Sorry," I whispered, too quiet for them to hear anyway, walking back towards my room but staying by the bathroom door, just around the corner of the staircase.

"Just get out of the house. Come home when you're sober." I could hear Mum speaking lowly, probably trying to make sure I didn't hear anything.

There was a sharp noise and a thud.

I ran around the corner before I could think better and raced down the stairs, my heart beating uncontrollably fast in my chest, my cheeks hot. "Mum?"

She scrambled to the kitchen doorway quickly, putting her hand on my shoulders, and smiling sweetly at me. "I'm okay. It was just an accident."

"What happened?" I whispered, looking her over as carefully as I could. "Are you sure you're okay?" I barely uttered, glancing back at my father who stood by the mini bar pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"Yes, yes, Valerie." She shook her head quickly. "Of course. I just tripped. See, I'm okay. Why don't you go help your sister and yourself pack bags for the weekend and you can go have a sleepover at the Malfoy's house, alright?"

"You can't take my kids from me too, Claudia." My father didn't turn around, but his words had the same harsh tone as if he was staring daggers straight at my mother. "You stay there, Valerie. You don't have to go anyway."