Pure Chance: How One Person's Love Makes A Difference (Purity Collection)

Chapter Four: I Can't Breathe

Chapter Four: I Can't Breathe *Warning* Violence in this chapter

Ash's POV

I literally couldn't breathe. I was holding my breath, anticipating the moment when he would pounce from the car and race toward me. Even if he didn't see me, the thud the bike and I made when we toppled over (roughly, I might add) probably got his attention.

Maybe he was partially deaf...?

I stayed in the same spot on the ground, listening. In the dark, I could see that Cassidy had one foot out the door, dangling, while the rest of her was still in the car. I could hear their conversation since it was so quiet and her door was open. He must have been talking to her. Not me.

"You don't get to leave yet. What do you think you're doing? I haven't dismissed you. We need to talk."

"I'm sorry. I thought you would have wanted to go straight inside."

"No. I do not. I want to know why you didn't have the groceries packed in the car and ready to go by the time I came back."

"I didn't get the chance to check out. I didn't get them."

"What do you mean you didn't get the groceries? How could you have been so slow and selfish?"

"I was shopping as fast as I could. But everything was strewn on the floor. I never got the chance to pick it up or pay for anything aft-."

"Well excuse me if I failed to see anything else except for my daughter groping the opposite sex. How many times have I told you not to drag attention to yourself? Time and time again, you disappoint me."

"It wasn't my fault. The two buggies hit each other by acid-"

I heard a slap, and I cringed. That would leave a bruise.

"You listen to me and you listen to me now. You will not speak to me or your mother this way. We provide the best possible care for you and you still disobey our wishes. How long is it going to take to get that through your stupid head? You will never learn. The next time you speak that way, or I find you with some boy, you'll get way more than that little tap. Go to your room. You will have no dinner since you failed to do the one thing we left the house for. Your mother and I will enjoy dinner and you will go to the store in the morning. Do you understand me, you ungrateful brat?"

I heard silence as they disembarked and walked to the front door. I watched as Cassidy quietly unlocked it, allowing her father to go in first. I noticed her face as she stared at the ground. Her cheek was swollen 3 times the normal size and red as an apple. Her green eyes remained strong, though; she was fighting through the pain. She stepped inside and I blew out a breath.

The guilt remained.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *The Next Day*

I figured I would skip school and head to the grocery store again since I knew Cassidy would be there. I needed to apologize to her personally. I never meant for any of this to happen.

I pulled my car into the parking lot. I decided to wait in the car to rest my legs some more. It hurt like hell when I first got up. Apparently, being trapped under a motorcycle isn't good for you.

While I waited, I pulled my hoodie over my eyes, resting them. As predicted I didn't get any sleep last night. I worried all night, and at 3a.m. I gave up and started sketching. I drew her a wicked bouquet of roses so she could keep it, knowing she couldn't explain a real vase of flowers to her dad.