New Girl In Town

Chapter 26

"Hey babe, ready to go?" Sweet Pea asked, popping his head into the bedroom.

"Yeah, I'll meet you outside in a second," I replied, pulling one of his t-shirts over my head as he did so. It's been two days since the incident, and today we were going back to my house to pack my things and officially move out. I was having conflicting feelings about everything that happened; obviously I was furious with my father for what he did, but I couldn't find it in myself to hate him. Despite all the shit he's put me through, he's my dad, and we've been through thick and thin together. Sweet Pea, however, had no problem hating the man he knew only as the one who hurt me. The past two days, all Sweet Pea has been able to talk about was how he would never let my dad touch me again. I couldn't tell if he was being serious, or if he was just spitting out empty threats.

I looked at myself in the mirror before exiting the small room and walking out the front door of the trailer. Today would be bittersweet; it would be nice to finally have my clothes and personal items again instead of wearing all of Sweet Peas things. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like wearing your boyfriend's hoodie, but I drowned in every article of clothing he owned. And although I'm happy to move in with the one person I truly love, the circumstances under which it had to happen were undesirable.

"Toni's grandpa is letting us borrow his truck so that we can get all your stuff in one trip," Sweet Pea said as I approached the unfamiliar pickup truck parked in front of the trailer.

"Well, that was nice of him," I responded with a small smile. Sweet Pea looked at me for a minute before stepping forward and pulling me into a hug. "Are you sure you want to come? If you don't feel comfortable going back there, I can get your stuff myself."

"No, I have to go," I sighed burying myself into his embrace. "I know where everything is and what I need to grab. Besides, I'll have to face what happened eventually, might as well get it over with." He nodded before sighing and letting me go. He walked over to the other side of the pick up, opened the door, and helped me get into the old truck. I was still incredibly sore, and I ached while doing even the most mundane tasks, so I couldn't stop the gasp of pain that slipped from my mouth as I pulled myself into the truck.

"Are you alright?" Sweet Pea asked worriedly, concern covering his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied through gritted teeth as the pain from my bruised ribs subsided. Sweet Pea looked unconvinced, but closed the door and ran around to the other side of the truck. He put the key in the ignition, and the truck's engine sputtered a few times before starting. Then, we backed out of the lot and left Sunnyside trailer park.

When we pulled into my driveway five minutes later, I felt my stomach drop. I know I said that I was fine coming here, but I was starting to think that I made a mistake. Maybe I should have let Sweet Pea take care of it. But that wouldn't have been fair for him.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Sweet Pea said as he turned off the car. I took a deep breath and hopped out of the car, wincing slightly at the hard contact I mad with the ground. I looked around and saw that my dad's truck was nowhere in sight. Thank God. I could face the house, but if my dad were here, I don't think I would have been able to handle it.

When we got into the house, I sharply sucked in air in shock from being back in this nightmare inducing place. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to block everything out, but my closed eyelids only left a blank canvas for my mind to paint the memories of that night. I quickly opened them and tried to regulate my breathing. I felt faint, and Sweet Pea must have noticed, because he quickly stepped in front of me, put his hands on my shoulders, and bent over slightly so that he could look me in the eyes.

"Hey, you're shaking," he stated softly with a nervous look. I hadn't noticed the trembles running through my body until he said that. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" I took a deep breath before nodding and reassuring him that I was fine. I would have to get over this eventually, and I couldn't let this place ruin me forever. He pulled me into a gentle hug and held me until I stopped shaking.