After the Storm {Book 2}

Chapter 9: The Mistake

After the nurses and security were able to calm Alea down, we went back to the car.

She was silent the whole way back to her house. We arrived in her driveway. I stopped the car and looked at her. She was breathing quietly, her eyes focused on some spot in the car.

"Alea..you know if you ever wanna' talk to someone, I'm here."

She sniffed and nodded. "Thanks." She gathered her purse and got out.

I rolled down the window. "You need me to help you inside?"

"No, I'm ok." She walked towards her steps.

I made sure she got in OK and then I let out the breath I had been holding in.

I hope she wouldn't let this ruin her.

I headed back to my house and Cindy was still at her parents' house.

I missed Annah. Cindy had no right to take my child away from me. I wasn't going to be separated from my daughter just because of Cindy's bad attitude.

I walked back outside and angrily got back in my car. I started it up again and sped off to her parents' house.

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I arrived at their huge cottage that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and got out of my car. I ran up the steps and rung the doorbell.

I paced around the porch until her father appeared at the door and opened it. Once he saw me, the lines in his forehead scrunched up. "Oh, it's you."

"Is Cindy here?" I asked even though her car was in the driveway.

He grunted. "Yeah, she's here. The question is, why are you here?"

"I need to talk to her - in person."

"As far as I know, she tried talking to you before but you locked yourself in a room, boy."

"Mr. Pantierre, I can explain."

He eyed me and then decided to let me in. "She's in the living room with her mother."

I walked in the familiar house and heard the laughter of Janet, her mother. They both stopped laughing as soon as they saw me.

George, her father, took a seat next to Cindy.

"Cindy, can we talk?" I plead.

She turned her head towards her mother.

"Jason, I don't think she wants to talk right now. Similar to how she wanted to talk to you before?" Her mother questioned, with a sarcastic tone.

"Mrs. Pantierre, not to be rude or anything but I really don't think this is any of your business."

"Don't talk to my mother like that. What is wrong with you?" Cindy retorted.

"Well I wouldn't have to if you would talk for yourself."

"I am her mother. She is my daughter. That is what mothers do. Stand up for their children that they know are theirs." Her mother said, taking a shot at me.

"You're gonna' let her talk to me like that, Cindy?"

Cindy said nothing and looked away.

I nodded and threw my hands up. "Fine."

I stormed out of the house and into my car. I noticed Cindy standing in the doorway of the screen porch watching me back out. Her mother appeared next to her, saying something that made her walk away.