Scarred

Chapter 16

*TRIGGER WARNING*

Charlotte had been sulking in her bed for an hour. She refused to move. She was disconsolate, ashamed, crushed, heartbroken. The only person she was desperate to see was Anthony, yet she didn't want to see him at all. The confusion made it worse.

Jenna came downstairs to tell her supper was ready, but she chucked a pillow at her. Jenna shrieked and escaped upstairs. Remorse struck her heart through the gloom; Jenna didn't mean any harm.

Charlotte fiddled with her phone. She debated whether it would be worth it to text him or if her attempts would go unnoticed or, worse, ignored. She typed in the tirade she had been building. She wrote an apology and an explanation and what she was thinking about. She asked what he was doing and if he missed her as much as she missed him. She asked if he regretted it.

Then she deleted it all.

Her father strolled through the door and she hid her phone under her pillow, embarrassed by her weakness.

Despite her earlier guilt with Jenna, she tried to chuck a pillow at him, but he caught it and sat next to her.

He remained silent while she buried her face in her other pillow.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

"Kid, you've been down here all night and you made Jenna cry. Something's up."

"All I did was chuck a pillow at her."

"You will apologize later." He patted the back of her calf. In a softer tone he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Repetitive much?"

"Charlotte," he warned.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Did Anthony break up with you?"

She clicked her tongue. "Perhaps."

"Your mom always warned me of this. She used to tell me that when this happened to leave it to her to deal with you. She said that all I would do was upset you more. . . . Since she isn't here though, it looks like you're stuck with me."

She groaned into her pillow.

"Do you want ice cream? Do you want to stay home tomorrow? Do you want me to get a shotgun?"

"No."

"To which one?"

"All of them."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"I sincerely want with all my heart," she took a deep breath for effect, "for you to go away and leave me alone."

"I'll go away, but I promise I'm coming back."

She groaned again when he ruffled her hair. The bed shifted as he stood up, but Charlotte didn't budge until she heard his footsteps fade on the stairs. He didn't close the door.

****

Her father stayed true to his word but brought Julie along with him when he returned. Charlotte grabbed the closest pillow and chucked it at him again, but he caught it. Again.

Julie sat down aside her and placed a hand on her back. "Charlotte? Are you okay?"

"No."

"Will you sit up?"

Charlotte had come to the decision that she didn't care about her father's current relationship. In fact, she rather approved of it. She even went as far to like Julie, so she listened, raising herself from the bed and sitting beside her, although she refused to remove the pillow from her face.