Stark's Daughter

Chapter 33

    {first person} (Stephanie)

The next morning, I woke up to Marc's heartbeat. It's soothing. I lean my head up and watch him as he rests peacefully. I lay my head back down on his chest and think about last night.

"Hey, sweet pea." Dad said through the door.

My heart began pounding, as my eyes widened. I start tapping Marc, repeatedly. Not waking up, panic rises with in me.

"Honey, I know you're mad with me for not being here yesterday, but please say I can come in." Dad says.

Not knowing what to do, I shake Marc, violently. He wakes in a stir, while I cover his mouth. I bring my finger up to my mouth, indicating for him to stay quiet.

"Hello?" Dad calls through the door.

"Dad, for gosh sake, just give me a minute!" I yell back.

Marc and I stand up, swiftly and quietly putting our clothes back on. Although, it's kinda hard for me. My thighs are killing me. Marc dashes over to me, helping me put my pants back on. He looks, almost, worried.

Seeing how he has all his  clothes back on, I hold his shoulders and tell him hide behind the door. I would say get under the bed, but even I, can't get under the bed.

I put my shirt back on and place another blanket on top of the bloodstained one. It's hard for me to even walk, the pain is excruciating.

I walk to the door and slowly open it. Dad stands, then hugs me, tightly.

"I'm sorry I missed yesterday." He apologized.

I backed up into my room, while he stood outside the door.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." I talked fast, hoping he'd leave.

I begin to shut the door, but he refuses to let me. His hands stops the door from closing. I'm dreading for him to leave, so I can sit down and be relieved from soreness.

"Dad, can you..just go, please?" I ask.

"Stephanie, are you okay? Why are you acting like this?" He asks.

"I'm fine, dad, okay? Jeez. Please, just go." I say, trying, once again, to close the door.

And once again, he doesn't let me close the door. Instead, he walks into the room and looks down to the, one of many, rose petals.

"What's this?" Dad leaned down and picked up a rose petal and showed it to me.

"It was a gift from Marc. And he didn't show up for my birthday either, so I ripped up the entire bouquet. I was so furious. The love of my life didn't show up to my own birthday, can you believe that? Now, you were just leaving?" I explain.

I watch as Dad becomes closer and closer to seeing behind the door.

"Yeah...and that's why he's behind the door, right?" Dad asks, inching the door away from Marc.

"Marc? When'd you get here?" I ask.

"Stephanie, stop." Dad demanded.

"I'll talk with you in a minute, Demarcus." He showed Demarcus out, while I sat on the end of the bed.

As the door closed, Dad crossed his arms at me.

"Care to explain?" He asks.

"Dad..." I sigh.

"Stephanie, tell me you two didn't.." He started, but I knew the rest of that sentence.

I leaned down, putting my hands over my face. I rubbed my forehead, trying to find the words to say.

"Why? Why? Why, Stephanie? You're only sixteen!" Dad yelled.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I-" I started, but couldn't finish.

"No. I go off for a day! One day! And you go off and have sex! What the hell is the matter with you?" Dad yelled, again.

"I fucked up, I know! You don't have to yell at me! I'm already in pain!" I yell, accidentally letting it slip.

"Oh...my... What the hell got into you??" He keeps yelling, which scares me.

"I can't help it, Dad! I'm in love with him!" I yell.

"Yeah, well, you can forget it." He says.

"Forget what?" I ask.

"Him. I don't want you to see him anymore." Dad says.

My world dropped, instantly. My heart shattered into a million pieces. It feels as if I've been kicked in the gut. All the breath was knocked out of me.

"But-Dad! You can't....you can't do that! It's not fair!" I yell, with tears in my eyes.

"Stephanie, I don't want you dating him anymore. Did he make you have sex with him?" Dad's words were straight-forward.

"Goodness, Dad! No, he didn't make me. I chose to!" I yell.

"Oh, gods." Dad rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I chose to!" I yell.

He looks to me in full blown anger. As if he could kill me right now.

"Please, at the very least, tell me... Did you use protection?" He asked, blankly staring at me.

I closed my eyes for a moment. Yup, I'm dead. I'm dead. This is how it ends. I opened my eyes to Dad, still staring at me, waiting for a simple answer.

"N..no.." I sighed, throwing my head back into my hands.

Lifting my head back up, Dad was pacing the room.

"You're not really going to make me stop seeing him, are you?" I ask.

"I don't know, Stephanie. I don't know if I can trust you two together. I don't even know how many times you two have done it." Dad says, angrily.

"That was my first time." I sigh.

"Oh," he began talking to himself, "my daughter...my daughter...lost her virginity on her sixteenth birthday. And to a gods son."

He stopped at the door, ready to open it.

"Dad, please. I need Marc. I love him." I pleaded him.

Without another word, Dad opened the door and left the room.

Good talk. Good talk.