Spine of Steel

Chapter Four

4. Apologies

As I'm walking out of the kitchen, I feel a hand grasp my shoulder and I whirl around to face who it is. Alexander.

"What do you want?" I shove his hand away from my shoulder, not wanting to be near him, especially not now. A flash of hurt glazes over his eyes but it's gone in seconds.

"I wanted to apologize." Is he serious, right now?

I scoff. "What makes you think that I'll accept, huh?" I ask him. If he thinks that I will, he's  an idiot.

He sighs. "I know you won't but at least hear me out." I could. But should I? I contemplate the idea before sighing. "Go on."

"I'm sorry. I"m so, so sorry." I roll my eyes. I know, I shouldn't but what do you expect me to do? Hug him? Tell him that I forgive him? I don't say anything. I just listen.

"Dad was abusive. I know that but what I didn't know was that he would hurt you. I took all the beatings every single day just so I wouldn't have to see you get hurt. I was wrong. I never told you about it though because I didn't want to worry you. I got sick and tired of all the taunting and abuse, I decided to leave.  That's all I wanted to do. And when I saw the look in your eyes the state that you were in, I didn't want to anymore." His voice is deeper from when I last heard it. Obviously, it's been 10 years.

"You still left. Why? I just want to know why." My voice is merely a whisper.

"I wanted to get away from it all. I didn't think I would end up here." He chokes on his words as he motions to everything around him. A single tear falls from his eyes and he reaches up to wipe it away.

"I... I'm not asking you to forgive me but at least accept my apology." He says and I look down at the ground. Forgive...? That would take time. But accept his apology? I could do that. At least, try to.

"I'll accept your apology but don't expect me to forgive you any time soon. Time. That's all I need." I say and he smiles. I nod my head at him and turn around to walk away before hearing his voice.

"Thank you, L... Lexi." I didn't stop him from calling me that. I want to forgive him so bad. I wish I could just run to him and hug the living hell out of him but... I can't. He didn't have to leave but he made his choice literally a decade ago. I guess it'll just take time to get over it. Or maybe I never will. I walk back to my room in silence.

***

I wake up to the sound of a loud banging coming from outside my door. I groan as the door jerks open by a cheery looking Skylar.