Troubled Life

Chapter 4

It's 8:30pm and I just started walking downstairs towards the dining room. I know that supper won't be ready until 9pm, but I really needed to sit down at a table for the first time in a long time. I walk into the dining room only to find Ryan lying on the ground and Father standing to the side of him about ready to kick him again.

I was furious,"I said to leave!"I scream,"You didn't leave! You are going to step the hell away from my boyfriend and the hell away from me and this house or I will call the police!"

Father steps towards me away from Ryan just like I had hoped. "What did you just tell me to do?" He growls.

"You heard me Father! I said get out or I will call the police!" I say calmly then angrily,"I'm not afraid of you anymore Father! You hurt my boyfriend and if you do not get out I will end up hurting you, and calling the police! I mean it! GET OUT FATHER!"

He staggers backwards. Before he falls I catch him, "I don't want to hurt you Father, but you need to get some serious help, and stay the hell away from this house and Lilliana and me." I wish he wasn't like this sometimes. It makes me sad to see, my only father, hurting so much that he has to hurt other people to take his pain away.

He looks at me,"I'm sorry Erica, "I've never heard my Father apologize before,"I don't know why I have been acting like this. I'm sorry."

"I know Dad but I don't want to see you right now okay? When I'm ready I'll come home and talk to you. But for now I'm going to live here with Ryan." I look over towards Ryan and smile."Father, I just need to be with Ryan. I'm so sorry. I love you, Dad."

He just looks at me, then out of nowhere he hugs me.

"I'm glad you are okay. I was afraid you would die from that car crash, but turns out it only brought the two of you together again. I'm happy for you Erica, come home when you feel it's right."

"I will. See you later, Father." I say as he hugs me and walks out of the room.

I look at Ryan as soon as Father leaves,"You okay?"

"Yeah," he says getting up off the ground. "Just a little shaken up, that's all." he walks over to me and kisses me. "Supper will be ready in five minutes."

He starts walking off. "Wait! Ryan, I'm going to come with you! I don't want to be by myself right now."

He turned around,"Ok, I love you Erica," then we headed to the kitchen.

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Supper was ready earlier than it would've been if I wouldn't have helped. We sat down in the living room to eat our bbq chicken and turned on the tv,"How about Netflix?" Ryan asks.

"Sure, you choose what to watch." I answer.

He turned Netflix on and found the series Twilight. Then he came over to the couch with me and pulled me closer to him,"You were really brave today Erica. Standing up to your dad like that."

"Thanks Ryan. I couldn't let you get hurt." I say curling up on his arm.

"Um... Erica would you like to sleep with me in the other guest room?" Ryan asks me, he sounds embarrassed.

"I'd like to. After today I don't think I want to be by myself at night. Just because Father apologized doesn't mean he won't drink beer and return to his angry self for a bit." I say, blushing. I quickly pull him into a hug and kiss him. Then we sit down and enjoy a Twilight movie marathon.

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It's late, and somebody is inside the house. Ryan and I are up and walking through the house with flashlights, we find the light switch to turn on all the lights in the house on the floor near the kitchen. Ryan presses it, we hear something crash from in the dining room.

We run into the dining room,"Lilliana?" I exclaim,"What are you doing here?"

She looks at me and starts crying. I rush over to her,"Oh, Lilliana! What's wrong?"

Now she's crying even harder,"Only Grandpa is there. Grandma's gone!"

"What? When did that happen?" I ask, tears brimming at my eyes. Ryan stays near the door.

"Tonight she had a heart attack." Lilliana cries.

"OH Lilliana! It's going to be okay." I say hugging her tears rolling down my face, and my voice cracking when I said it's going to be okay.

Lilliana hugs me back,"I took the bus, I've got to go back now, but I came over to tell you. I miss you Erica. I'll see you later." Then Lilliana walks out of the house.

I sat on the ground to shocked that Lilliana just walked out on me. I started crying, Ryan walks over to me, pulls me up, and hugs me.

"Erica, come on let's go to sleep." He keeps his arm around me the whole way back up to the room."Night Erica, I love you. I'm sorry about your Grandma."

"It's okay," I say as I climb back into bed," I love you too."

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I wake up to the smell of eggs, toast, and bacon. I see that Ryan is sitting up in bed, "Who's cooking?" I ask.

"Silly! You didn't remember I still have two maids?" He laughed, jokingly.

"No I guess I didn't!" I laugh.

He gives me a hug and kisses me,"I will meet you down at the dining room table. Unless you want to eat up here and watch TV or talk?"

"Let's come up here."

" 'K, come on let's go grab our breakfast." We walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I see Mary in the kitchen, "Mary? Is that you?"

"Sure is Erica! How are you?" Mary exclaims.

"Good. I thought you left."

"No, I would never leave!"

"Good! I missed you!" I say as I give her a hug and she hands us our breakfast. Ryan and I go back upstairs and turn on the tv. The Vampire diaries turns on,"This is my favorite! Get over here!" We sit down and watch tv. I don't know when we fell asleep but I wake up to Ryan hugging me,"Hey Ryan. Let's go downtown."

He gets up, "Alright, let's go." We walk outside in the rain. We run to the car and drive downtown.

As we drive down the road I see something, a shadow. It moves through the trees,"Ryan?"

"Yeah?" I'm silent. He turns to look at me,"Erica? Is everything okay?"

"No."

"What's wrong?" Worry is etched along his face now.

"It's going to sound weird....." I start in.

"Tell me."

"Well...... I saw a shadow moving through the trees," I say looking at him.

He pulls over,"A shadow! What? When?" He is scared, I can tell by his face.

"Just a few minutes ago." Now I'm concerned, he looks afraid,"Ryan?"

"Huh? What.... I'm fine, just a little creeped out."

"I'm sure it was nothing. I was probably just imagining things." I touch his arm gently,"Come on let's get to town."