Needing 13 - Johnny Kavanagh

MOST ARDENTLY

TARA

Dad was back in Ballylaggin.

How did I find out?

It started with the doorbell ringing. I'd just finished packing my sports bag, expecting a quiet afternoon. Mam was at work, Darren was off God knows where, Joey was at the garage, Shannon with Conrad, Tadhg at training, and Ollie and Sean were with Nanny. I wasn't expecting anyone. I barely had time to process it when I opened the door, and suddenly a brass knuckle was flying at my face, fast as a bullet.

The impact sent me staggering back, and I felt a sharp crack as my head hit the corner of the coffee table in the living room. Dazed and struggling to focus, I looked up—and there he was, looming over me like a nightmare that had clawed its way into reality.

My father.

Teddy Lynch.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I demanded, forcing myself to sit up, though the room spun and my ears rang like mad. I could feel the warmth of blood trickling down the back of my neck, sticking to my hair as it dripped onto my shoulder.

He sneered down at me, his lip curling with contempt. "I got released today," he said, his voice dripping with a sick kind of satisfaction. "Aren't ya glad to see me, baby girl?"

Before I could even make sense of his words, his massive hand shot out and clamped around my throat. He lifted me like I weighed nothing, slamming me against the nearest wall so hard I saw stars. I gasped, trying to claw his hand away, but his grip was like iron.

"What did I tell you about that fella?" he growled, bringing his brass-knuckled fist down across my face. The blow snapped my head to the side, and a sharp, metallic taste flooded my mouth as blood dripped down my chin. "I told you to stay away from him, didn't I?"

"B-Broke up," I managed to choke out, barely able to get the words past his tightening grip. "W-We broke up last week. I-I'm not even talking to him anymore."

"Everyone saw you whoring yourself like a bitch in heat on the match on Saturday," he hissed, his whiskey-soaked breath so strong it nearly made me gag. His eyes were wild, like he'd gone completely mad, and I knew there was no reasoning with him.

"W-We're friends," I said, tears stinging my eyes as I tried to get him to understand, even though I knew it wouldn't matter. "I-I swear, Dad. W-We're just friends."

"I don't believe ya, ya little cunt," he snarled, his hand clenching tighter around my neck as he drove his fist into my stomach, over and over. Black spots began to cloud my vision, and it felt like the walls were closing in, the air squeezing out of my lungs.

"You love him, don't ya? Is that it?"

"So what if I do?" I spat, the blood and the words spilling out together. "You've never had a problem with Joey or Shannon being with who they want, so why is it different for me? Why can't you just leave me alone, let me be happy? What did I ever do to you?"

He leaned in close, his face twisted with pure hatred, and reached behind his back, pulling out a gun. He pressed it hard against my temple, and I could feel the cold steel burning into my skin. "Listen to me and listen well, 'cause I won't say it twice. I'll chain ya to this house and burn it down with you in it before I let you near him again, d'you hear me? If I find out you're even looking at him, I'll burn this house to the ground, I don't care who's inside."

With that, he finally released me, and I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, my whole body aching. He kicked me in the side, hard enough to make me curl up and clutch my ribs, as he spat, "Consider yourself warned," before he stormed out, slamming the door behind him with a hollow, echoing bang.