Men of Love

Chapter 13

For lisili1

A/N: IT'S NOT LETTING ME UPDATE FOREVER WITH YOU AND NOW I'M UPSET WITH MYSELF BECAUSE I CAN'T UPDATE AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THE THIRD WEEK!!!! I'M SO SORRY GUYS!!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!

P.S. I got a snapchat if you want to be best friends on there. Just add me: nikkiesmiles16

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"Mitchie? Wake up." I turned on my back when my dad didn't stop shaking my shoulder. He had a big smile on his face.

"Hi daddy." I rubbed my eyes.

"Do you want to paint with me?" I immediately sat up in my tiny bed. I threw on some of my painting clothes and followed after my dad. My mom said I'm going to look like him once I get older. Dark hair and dark eyes. Wide smile with white teeth. I wanted to be tall like him too. He was almost six feet tall. I had some of my mother. I had her nose and her feminine build.

"Where are we going?" I didn't know if this meant I was still going to daycare tomorrow.

"We're going to my office. I have a big canvas that we can throw paint on." We went out back to my dad's 'office'. It was really a crappy shed that he and I built. Well, I gave him nails and sometimes I got to play with the hammer. I looked around at the paint pallets and the big canvas that was set against the wall. There was a white sheet on the ground to keep any stray paint from soaking into anything.

"Where are the paint brushes?" My dad dipped his finger in some purple paint and poked the tip of my nose. I giggled.

"We are the paint brushes!" I clapped happily. We spent hours throwing paint at that canvas. I was covered in different colors. I let out a big yawn. "Aw little bird." He lifted me into his strong arms.

"You're going to live forever right daddy?" He was walking me back to the house with his hand rubbing my back. I was yawning so big that my eyes were watering.

"Not every dad can live forever Mitch."

"But you're going to be one of them right?" He was washing the paint off my skin with a washcloth.

"I don't think so." My dad was always honest with me. I may have just turn six but I knew more than most my age. He helped me into my pajamas.

"Are you going to sell that painting?" He shook his head, cradling me into his arms. He set me in my bed.

"No. That's for me and you." He began tucking me in.

"You and I." I corrected his grammar. He chuckled. He gave me a kiss on the forehead before getting up to leave.

"Daddy?" He turned back around with a hum. "I don't want you to leave."

"I won't Mitchie. Not on purpose." He turned on my nightlight when I whimpered about the darkness. "Goodnight little bird."

"Goodnight daddy." I mumbled into my blanket. I cuddled up to my blanket tighter.

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I opened my eyes slowly, feeling my tears drag down my cheeks. That was the last night before we found out my dad was sick. I tried to keep that painting. It was the first one we sold. I let out a soft sob. I groaned when Kirstie yanked open the curtains.

"You have visitors." I tried curling further into the covers. She yanked them off. "Get up! I'm tired of you moping. It's been a week." I rolled out of bed. I ran my fingers through my hair. I walked into the kitchen with only my pajama bottoms on. I didn't care anymore really. I miss Scott. I looked up at my visitors.

"No! Get out!" I threw the nearest thing at where Xander and my mom were sitting. Xander stood up to comfort me. "Don't touch me you pig!"

"Mitch! Please calm down." Xander's arms wrapped behind me and I began screaming. I didn't want him touching me. "Mitch. Ow! Son of a-" I bit down on his arm enough to draw blood.

"Get out!" Kirstie was standing behind me, watching the whole scene with horror on her face. "I hate you! I hate both of you! Get out!" I was throwing anything that wasn't easily breakable at Xander. I fell to my knees as my sobs wracked my body. "Oh god...." I wiped Xander's blood from my lips.

"I'm sorry Mitch."

"You took advantage of me. And you did nothing!" I pointed at my mom. She covered her mouth with her hand. I did that. I made my mom go to the verge of crying. "Leave. Please. I can't do this." That's when I noticed handcuffs on Xander and my mom's hands. Then my eyes went to the police behind them.

"Your mother and her husband were placed under arrest." The girl officer was the one to approach me and help me to my feet. But the man was the one who was talking. They sat me down at the table across from my mom. I looked at Kirstie. She was waiting for me to say anything.

"It's okay."

"I'm going to go." She pointed to the front door before leaving. The female officer sat in the spot next to me.

"Mr. Michaels has admitted to sexual abuse." I looked at Xander in surprise. "He said it was the night your mother walked in on you two." I felt my face turn red with anger.

"You only admitted to one time?!" The officer held my hand when I tensed at the male officer pulling a chair up next to me.

"Was there more? When did it start?" My eyes were on my mom. She had believed this too. I was staring at my mom when I told the officers.

"It was my first day as a sophomore." My mom gasped loudly. I looked down at my lap. "I was fifteen."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. I could hear that she was crying.

"Because you were happy." She stopped talking completely. My eyes went towards Xander. He had his jaw clenched.

"Why didn't you come to the police?"

"Because there was no evidence. He'd throw me in the shower and rub my body raw." I took in a shaky breath. "He told me that they would think I was a troubled kid making excuses because my dad died and my mom works all the time."

"It's different for boys Mitch. We could have found out if he touched you in any way." I let my face drop in my hands while I began crying.

"I didn't know." I made sure all the tears were off my face before I looked back up. "Why are you even here? This isn't how it goes."

"With your mother's testimony....they're both going to prison Mitch."

"Good." I didn't want to be around them anymore. They ruined my life. My mom the most. You don't tell your kid that you never wanted them. You don't not believe them when you have the evidence on hand. They're both monsters.

"You're a whore." Xander was the one who spoke up. I covered my necklace with my hand. "Becoming a prostitute. I just nudged you into your natural instincts. Who knew you'd be fucking actors."

"I love Scott."

"But no one will love you."

"Get out!" I let myself break down after they all left. As selfish as it sounds, I wanted someone to comfort me. I don't think I've had anyone actually mean it since my dad left. "What am I suppose to do dad?" I spoke to nothing. That's when the doorbell rang. I cautiously opened it to find a mailman.

"Mitch Grassi?"

"Yeah?" He handed me one of the electronic sign pad thingies. I signed it but he still didn't give me the package.

"I got specific instructions to see ID before I give it over." I handed him my old student ID and I was given the box. I thanked the man and shook the box. Then I regretted it. It was written a thousand times that it was fragile.

"Okay." I couldn't recognize the writing but hopefully it was something that could cheer me up. I uncover the bubble wrap that was around the object. I closed my eyes at the sight. It was my dad's painting. The one of the Painted Bunting breaking out of the shell. It was the one that sat behind my desk when I was living at Scott's house. There was rolled up money in the box too.

"Hey Mitch." Kirstie came through the door.

"Here. Free money." I handed her the wad of cash. "I don't want his pity."