Hold Me Close (Edited Version)

Chapter 22

I stuffed the envelope's contents back in the envelope and shoved all of it into my pocket so could race up to my room. I closed and locked my door for privacy before I pulled out my phone and called Ryan. A few rings later he picked up with his cheery greeting. "Hello, angel. What's up?" he said.

"Ryan? I have to talk to you," I said, skipping my own greeting in favor of the emergency.

Ryan sobered when he heard the panic in my voice."Okay? Do you want to talk now?" he asked.

"No, I don't want to talk at my house. Can I meet you somewhere?" I asked urgently. 

"I guess. Does the park work?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll meet you there in five minutes," I told him. I hung up and grabbed my shoes. Then I hurried out of the house as quickly as I could. I all but ran to the park and fidgeted nervously by a bench until I saw Ryan turn the corner at the end of the block and head my way. He looked concerned as he came up to me.

"What's up? You sounded really upset on the phone," he said.

"Ryan, she was talking about my dad," I said. "Look what I found."

As I pulled out the envelope, I uncrumpled paper and handed it to him. Ryan took it and pulled out the list of dates and savings. He looked it over carefully and when he looked up, his eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. "If this is true, what do you think she plans to do to your dad?" he asked. "Just dating him again won't give her access to any of this."

"I don't know," I said. "I don't want to think she'd hurt him, but knowing my mom, she'll do anything to get what she wants. I'm afraid to say she might kill him, but it's true. I have to do something, I can't let her go through with this."

Ryan frowned at me, clearly disagreeing with my intended course of action. "What can you do about it? It's not like you can just tell her to get lost," he said.

I thought hard for a minute, knowing he was right. "I can start by telling my dad," I suggested. Then I wilted some. "Unfortunately, I'd need a miracle to make him believe me."

"Did something happen?" Ryan asked.

"Just a stupid fight. He thinks I'm just being immature for hating my mom, but he hasn't listened to anything I have to say about her." I sighed, knowing my dad would never listen to any negative things I had to say about my mom. "He'll probably just shut me out again if I try to say anything..."

"Why don't we try the police or something?" Ryan suggested. The station was just down the road, we could walk there if we wanted. However, I still shook my head.

"We don't have any proof other than my mom's past, and that's not enough to get her arrested. We need proof for what's happening now," I said.

Ryan frowned and bit the inside of his cheek. Then he looked at me again. "Is it really that bad to talk to your dad?" he asked.

I sighed. "It's worth a shot, I guess."

*******

"What? Now, you're just making things up. That's the most outlandish thing I've ever heard," my dad said. "Why would your mother want to do that?"

"Because she wants your money! I swear, I saw her talking to some guy and he said that someone had a bunch of money in savings. Then I found this," I pulled out the envelope from the bank, "in your office."

He snatched the envelope away from me. "Don't go touching things that don't belong to you," he said. 

I threw up my hands in frustration. "But it proves it! She's trying to get you out of the way so she can get your money!" I told him.