Chapter Five
I ran my hand over the back of my head and checked for blood. Luckily, there wasn't any, but the man insisted on checking it out anyway. I hadn't even seen his face yet and he was prying through my hair, looking for a laceration that he indirectly gave me. I felt a bit disoriented and my vision was a little blurry. This man was talking to me in a familiar voice, but I was so concentraited on where Bethany was, I hadn't even thought of who he could be.
"It looks alright, now. You'll probably have quite a bruise later, though." The unknown figure walked in front of me and as I realized who he was, I took a step back. "Hey Maddie. How've you been?"
"Danny?" He had looked almost exactly how he did the last time I saw him with the exception of the stubble polluting his gorgeous face. His dirty blonde hair was still rugged, giving him that disheveled look he always possesed. "I haven't heard from you in years."
"I know," His brown eyes searched me, head to toe, as if I was on display. "And those years have treated you well, Maddie." I let out a snort as I gawked at him. He really hasn't changed. But what could you expect from a snake like him? They shed their skin every so often, but the disgusting creature still lives within them.
"I'd say the same to you, Danny, but then I'd be lying." I crossed my arms and slouched in my stance. There was just something in the air today that was bringing out my inner bitch. For the first time since she took off, I'm glad Bethany wasn't near. I didn't want her around my past. The only things she knows are the things that happened after she was born and I hope to keep it that way.
"You know, you still have that dry, bitter sense of humor you did when I kicked you out." His words were a slap in the face. I didn't show it, though. If I stayed strong and showed nothing but animosity towards him, he'd eventually understand that I never needed him. He crept closer to me so he could spill those taunting words of his right into my ears. "I've always loved that about you." You could practically smell the sarcasm radiating off of him.
"How's Tracey?" With just my index finger, I pushed him away from my face. He stumbled back and laughed at me.
"Gone. Went back to Mr. Darrel after awhile." I bit my lip, trying to prevent myself from laughing in his face. "That's okay, I'm screwing a pretty little hostess nowadays."
"You're a pig."
"Looks like you've had your fair share of whoring around too," He pointed his dirty fingers to the little girl running towards me with a container of bread crumbs. "I heard you call her Young. She Peter's?" I pulled Bethany into me and held her against my body. Her curious eyes watched Danny as he waved to her with the biggest, fakest smile painted on his face. I knew I taught her well when she spun around to burry her face into my abdomen and wrapped her fingers into my jean pockets.
"We don't talk about Peter." I had to recognize her as Peter's cchild in some way, and giving her his last name seemed like the right thing to do. This was the first time someone questioned me about it, though. I covered her little ears and shielded her from the people and things she didn't need to be associated with. It's sad that I think she shouldn't be associated with her own father.
"Oh, what he doesn't know that," She looked up at me and all I could see was Peter. The pout in her lips, the specks of gold in her orbs, the freckles scatter across her nose. They all screamed that she was Peter's daughter. "That's great, Maddie. That's just great. You know, I always knew you were a dumb, lying, irresponsible tramp." I took Bethany's hand in mine as tight as I possibly could and started to walk back to our cart, swiftly. I rotated my torso so I could shout to him as we left.
