The Boy Who Couldn't Save Me

Chapter 6: The Traitorous Waitress

they say going back to your roots is supposed to bring the comforts that you had when you were little, but the truth is, i never had that.
when someone knows how to break you, they will use every bit of power they have to do so and they will make you feel powerless as it happens...
i met a superhero that day and even though he was modest and carried self-hatred on his shoulders, he jumped into that building and rescued me before it all came tumbling down...

We still never spoke about that letter because of course the night Zack promised he would, he disappeared again. If Kenedie had one shred of decency, she would tell him to come home to his family. Instead, she was over there filling his head with whatever he thought he wanted to hear and was confusing him about how he really felt.
Weeks had passed and Jake was only growing bigger but Zack would rather look into the green eyes of some waitress rather than his own son's.
The sun has been beaming down every day and the plant pots I got for my birthday were just going to waste so I decided that either this week or next, I would go to my old greenhouse at my dad's to see what things I could salvage. I would hold Nathan to his word about me being able to plant as much as I wanted in the backyard.
My head was pounding and I was more tired than ever because by the way things were going, I was a single mother. Zack was never here and when he was, he was either passed out drunk or trying to avoid eye contact with me.
"Bailie, please get some sleep," my mom begged me as I was just about to ready to let my head fall onto my plate of bacon and eggs.
"I can't," I told her. "Jake needs his next bottle soon."
"I can take care of him."
"No, you've been doing that a lot lately. You're doing too much for me."
"Don't be ridiculous," she shook her head. "I love taking care of him."
I looked at Zack as he entered the room and Dina looked pissed off at him.
"Oh, don't start, mom," he snapped at her as he went to the fridge for a cola.
"You need to get a grip of yourself, Zack," she told him with her arms folded.
"What's your problem?"
That question caused Dina's eyes to widen and I felt the fire burning through her veins.
"What's my problem? How about the fact that you've been a total stranger these past couple of weeks when you were fine for months before that. You can't be mad at anybody for what happened. Bailie was raped and Frankie supported her, you should be grateful that you have such a good friend."
"Friend?" Zack laughed.
"Stop!" Dina yelled and Zack's face changed and then she took a deep breath and went back to her calm voice. "Now, I don't know what the hell is going on with you but you better get yourself together because this family is going through enough without dealing with your childish temper tantrums as well. You wanna act like a child, you can go crying to that waitress because I ain't got time for it."
I was glad someone finally put Zack in his place and it was about time. His haunting eyes looked back at her and he looked lost for words. I never seen Dina get so angry before, I didn't know she had it in her.
"I'm going to work," Zack quietly said before looking at me. He then turned to walk out of the house and Dina took a big deep breath.
"I seriously don't know what his problem is," she exhaled, putting her hands on her head.
I looked at my mom who looked surprised.
"Thank you, Dina," I quietly said and then there was a knock at the door. Nathan must have answered it because Cody walked in and followed him to the kitchen.
"Hi, sorry to disturb your breakfast, guys."
"What is it? Is it about Sadie?" Dina asked but Cody shook his head.
"No," he answered, turning to look at me. "Bailie, a date has been set for your father's court case."
A small thud dropped in my stomach.
"Okay," I said with a shaky voice.
"It's for September 13th."
"That soon?" my mom asked.
"Yeah, he's pissed off a lot of people," Cody answered her and then turned back to me. "You need to get a lawyer to fight your side."
"Why? It's the truth and you've got my mom's statement to back it up."
"That doesn't matter. If Hunter pleads the fifth, you don't have a witness and your mom's abuse happened almost two decades ago. If he has a good lawyer, your case could fall apart without one."
"Okay, yeah I'll call around today."
"Cody," Dina said and he turned his eyes towards her. "Please, you must have heard something. Why can no one find her? Why won't she come back?"
"These things take time," he spoke softly. "Don't give up hope. Everyone is doing their best to find her and I promise you, we will."
"You can't promise that. You don't know if you'll find her," Nathan said.
"I will," Cody persisted. "I will stop at nothing to find your daughter, Nate."
Nathan's eyes twinkled before he looked away. It was killing him not knowing where his daughter was. They were always so close and he loved her so much. I hated seeing him like this.
If I had a superpower today, I would sacrifice everything I am for him to have his daughter back. I missed her too.
She would have loved Jake and she and Zack were so close that maybe she'd be able to get through to him and make him see how much of an idiot he's being. Although, if she wasn't gone, maybe he wouldn't have been as angry.