Left Unexplained

Chapter 18~

"Who is here?"

My muscles reacted by trying to slam the door closed, but he jammed his foot in between.

"I said, who's here, Grace?"

"No one, dad," I spat back. The hair on the back of my neck stood and my knees quivered when he pushed me out of the way and barged in.

I yelped and attempted to grab at him, but knew that if he hit me even once, I'd go flying.

'He can't go in there,' I panicked as he went into the dining room.

I scurried right behind and found him at the entrance.

Mom's eyes were wide and her fork was frozen halfway across on its path to her mouth.

Hanna looked calm,  as though she didn't know him.

"Good evening, mister Murray," she greeted with a smile.

'She knows him. Then why is she not scared?!'

"Uh, you are?" he knew exactly who she was. I knew by how he shot me a you-are-dead-later glare, and how he tried to hide his snarl.

"Hanna Morgan. Will you be joining us for dinner?" she replied politely.

'What the hell is she doing?!'

And then I realised it.

Dad and Hanna had never officially met. She was never supposed to know him, and vice versa. Yet, dad knew her and broke our friendship, something which she wasn't supposed to know about.

Hanna knew it, but was pretending to not know his hatred towards her.

Mom looked alarm as she watched him slowly cross over to the other side of the table, the only empty seat left was next to her.

He looked over the bowl of potatoes and platter of steaks. "Plate," he muttered.

I was back with a plate in no time. So far, everything was calm and hopefully, if we did as he asked and stayed as calm as Hanna, nothing would blow up. Hopefully.

He was oblivious to Hanna's subtle, fearful gulps and slight shivering. He had no idea she knew about his attempt at messing up her life.

Dinner went by silently, and extremely uncomfortably for mom and me.

I took Hanna to the living room and we pulled out a movie, dad joining us as well. He sat on the armchair while we shared the couch. Mom cleared the dining table and went to her room, and I noticed his eyes following her in.

He grunted and stalked after her, eyes steely and dangerous.

'That can't be good,' I dreaded.

"Shit! Give that back!" mom shrieked and Hanna and I jumped at its suddenness. He was in the room.

"Where'd you get it?" he growled. The door was shut, slightly muffling their voices.

"None of your damn business! Now give it back!"

"When I ask you something, you answer! Who gave you this?" he boomed.

"I bought it! Okay? I did, it's mine!"

"Bullshit! You don't have the damn cash to pay for this!"

Something crashed and I heard it shatter.

"You fucking bast-" the crack of skin against skin echoed, and a body thudded to the ground. I flinched and Hanna got up, horrified.

I grabbed her hand and shook my head slowly, telling her not to go there. God only knows what she would see in there.