Hiding Place || Tori Kelly

1 Peter 5:7

a week later

12:30 PM

"Everything okay, Ri?" Allwyn Kelly asked, seeing his daughter push her food around her plate. Tori glanced up from her salad and shrugged. "You're quiet," he observed.

"I'm always quiet, daddy," she replied with a small smile. Through it though, Allwyn could tell something was really bothering his daughter.

"Ri, you know you can tell me anything," the concerned father reminded. Tori nodded and dropped her fork onto the paper plate.

"How do you feel about having grandkids?" Tori asked, catching her father off guard. Allwyn ran his hand over his bald head with a deep sigh to follow.

"I mean, you're always gonna be my little girl, so the thought of you being pregnant scares and excites me at the same time. My feelings aside, I think you'd make amazing mother. I see the way you are with Addison. A natural," Allwyn honestly answered. Only a small surge of confidence ran through Tori's veins. And that is saying a lot since she took everything her father said to heart at all times. Sadly though, when it came to a baby, there really wasn't anything anyone could say to change or ease her mind. "Why? Are you..." Allwyn asked, trailing off. Tori slowly shook her head and picked up her fork.

"Uh... no. No. We aren't even trying. Not yet," she replied. Allwyn leaned against the table and stared into his daughters heart.

"Ri, pace yourself. You just came off of a huge music tour and huge press tour and you guys just got married good. Kids can come later. Take breather," Allwyn advised. Tori bit her lip and got up from her family home kitchen table.

"I should probably go grab my bag. Momma said she left it in my room," Tori excused. She watched her father nod and jogged down to her old bedroom. Upon sight the memories and emotions from her adolescence flooded back. Quickly, Tori shut her bedroom door and dropped onto her old bed. Warm tears rushed down her cheeks as her feelings of depression and anxiety came rushing back. She hadn't felt this alone in so long and the old Tori was starting to set back in. Her hiding place was becoming her Hell.

Fifteen minutes later, the singer slowly rolled out of the bed and grabbed the duffel bag off of the floor. She started to pack up some last minute music stuff that she already had in her home studio but couldn't transport to Dallas. "Ri! I'm heading out to pick up mom! Lock up when you leave!" Allwyn announced over the intercom. Silently, Tori nodded and heard the front door announce that it was open and then beep to signify that it was shut. With a start, Tori finished packing and scurried out of the huge empty house to her smaller, cozier abode.

1:18 PM

The sun beamed through Tori's bedroom window, as she sat in her bed, headphones in, reading a book. She was trying to focus on her trip, since she literally was hours away from leaving for Dallas. "Babe!" She softly heard over her music. Reluctantly, she pulled the buds out of her ears and placed her index finger in between her pages.

"Yeah?" She replied as her husband forcefully came into the room and shut the door. Tori watched André sit next to her on the bed with a kool-aid smile. "What's up?" Tori suspiciously asked, suppressing her smile. André placed his arm over her bare legs and leaned on them, running his hand gently back and forth against her thigh.

"You know it been a week," André tried to seduce. Tori used her book to slide his hand off her leg and nodded.

"Yes sir, it has been," she replied.

"And I won't see you for a week," André continued. Tori nodded but allowed him to continue rubbing her leg this time.

"No sir, you won't,"