Taylor and Arielle had gone to the backyard to talk, and he had just given her the news that Christopher's dad was in town. He told her exactly what Kate had told him, and she was now completely freaking out. He was trying to calm her down but was unsuccessful. She kept pacing back and forth nervously, and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
Natalie came outside to see how things were going and noticed Taylor was having problems talking to her. She told him to go inside and wait for Ashley to show up and looked over at Arielle. " I know you're scared, but you need to tell us what he did to you, Arielle. We need to know what he is capable of doing."
Arielle looked at her with tears in her eyes. " It's... I saw him... cheating on my mom. I saw him with another woman." She sobbed. " I told him I was going to tell her what I saw, and he... he beat me up. He threatened to... to hurt Christopher even."
" He's not going to hurt him, Arielle. We won't let him." Natalie hugged her, seeing how scared she was. " It's okay. I promise."
" No, it's not. You don't understand, Natalie. He's... he is mad as hell at my mom for leaving him. He will hurt us."
" If he lays one hand on either of you, we will go to the police. Now just calm down and try to relax. He has no idea where you are even at."
" You don't know him as we do. He will find us, and he... he will hurt my mom." Arielle looked at her. " I may be mad as hell at her for lying to me, but if he hurt her..."
" He won't," Natalie told her. " She is going by the hospital and then coming here. You need to tell her what you walked in on and what he did to you. She deserves to know."
" No! I can't tell her, Natalie! He will hurt Christopher if I do, and me too." She screamed. " You don't understand. There... there is more to it than you think."
" Then tell me, Arielle. What happened between you two? Why are you freaking out so much when it can all be settled with a restraining order?"
" Because it can't be. I... he didn't just beat the crap out of me! He... I... I could be pregnant, Natalie!"
Kate had heard the screaming and had just stepped outside as Arielle announced that. She looked at her in surprise. " What... did you just say that... you're pregnant?"
" I don't know if I am, but I could be. He was drunk when I caught him with another woman, and he... he scared her off... and that's when he did it." She told them. " I still can't believe he did that to me. I was... am so ashamed."
" It's not your fault, Arielle. He is just a sick bastard who needs to go to jail." Natalie gave her another hug. " Listen, I know this is a difficult situation with learning who your real dad is and meeting him for the first time. I'm certainly not very thrilled with everything. But I do want to be your friend. And as your friend, I want to help you."
Arielle hugged Natalie back. " Thank you. But I can't tell her, and I can't tell my dad. There is no way."
Kate gave her a serious look. " You need to tell them, sweetie. They deserve to know what is going on with you."
" And what's that?" Taylor came back outside, with Ashley right beside him.
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Christopher was laying in the hospital bed, trying to read a book that his mom just brought him. But his mind kept racing with thoughts of his sister Arielle. He understood what his mom had just told them the other day, but he was still confused about it. He didn't understand why she kept it a secret.
He finally set the book down after a while, giving up on it for the moment. Turning the tv on, he was flipping the channels when he heard a voice that he recognized, someone who was screaming at a nurse outside the door. Cringing at the thought of his dad finding him, he got out of bed and ran into the bathroom to hide.
