Leaving Home

Prologue

After my father had past away a few years ago due to a heart attack, my mother and I were dependent on each other. We were closer than we ever were before, after we both lost one the most important things in our lives. She was my rock and I was hers to keep our heads up and continue living. My mother kept the business my father owned and ran, and she was able to keep it going. I found happiness with my current boyfriend, River Nell, and my friends. With those people I had the hole in my heart of my deceased father, mended. 

At least until I had learned of something. Something that my mom had hid and kept from me. I never would have imagined anything as terrible as it. 

~FLASHBACK~

As we were sitting in the car, River held my hand and we were listening to some music that was playing on the radio. I didn't want to go inside and have to talk to my family for the rest of the night. It wasn't that I disliked my family, it was that they brought back memories of when my father was still alive. I wished that the family reunion wasn't even tonight at my mom's. Having it at the house for the first time since his passing, it was hard. When he was still alive, we held it every year at our house and he was so happy being with the entire family. Since he wasn't here to do that, I didn't want to go. 

I look to River and I's intertwined hands and I was holding back tears. He was humming along to the song that was playing. I gave his hand a squeeze and looked up to him with my eyes glistening, he stopped humming and he looked down to me. He searched my eyes and squeezed my hand back. 

"It will be alright, Celeste. Are you ready to head in?," he asked and gave me a reassuring smile. 

I smiled back weakly and nodded my head. I gave him a quick peck on the lips and let go of his hand. We both get out of the car and walked up to the porch of my house. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer beside him as I knock on the door. A few seconds later, my mother swings the door open. She looks to me and River. 

"I was wondering when the both of you were going to be here," she opens the door wider and motions us to come in, a smile immediately plastered on her face. We both walk in and we get greeted with hellos and smiles. River looks down from beside me and kisses me on the cheek. He gets hollered after by my cousins and he smiles at me before taking his arm from around my waist and goes to them. Knowing that they will whisk him away downstairs to play video games and drink beer, I walk over to the couch and chat with my aunt and her children. I look around the room and noticed my other family members chatting amongst themselves.

My heads snaps up when I hear the front door being knocked on. I looked around the room slowly and noticed that everybody that is meant to be here is. Who could that be? My mother goes to the door and opens it. I can see a big smile erupt on her face. She lets the person at the door in. They come in and look around the room and smile big. That person is a man, Cliff Saxe. A man, whom I can't stand within every fiber of my body. He is one of the most conniving, manipulating, and horrible people that I knew. Hatred was all that I thought of when I see him. How dare he show up at our family reunion! My face heats up and I feel the urge to get up, smack him, and tell him to get out. I become furious and angry. His gaze lands on me and he smirks. He turns and speaks to my mother, he gives her a grin and hugs her. I immediately know that he is up to something. Especially when he has his black-grey hair smoothed down and is wearing a suit, as if he was trying to impress somebody. My mother pulls away from him, grinning and walks off to the kitchen. I stand up from the couch and walk towards him.