I Will Listen

IV

Chapter Four

Lily's POV

As I walk into the main room, my head is buried in a notebook as I scrawl a singular word on the corner of my paper.

What?

Looking up at Jason, it's easy to see the confused look on his face as he points to the door.

I soon understand that my note is irrelevant. As I look over to the door where Jason is pointing, my hand falls to my side and my jaw drops with it. I notice my breath get a little shaky and the air moves around me when Jason unknowingly steps closer.

It's my father, standing there with the same predator-esque look on his face that he had after every one of those nights.

Those nights that I would end up crumpled on the floor of my bedroom, indecent to the outside world. Those nights where he would come into my room to yell about how I'm a worthless piece of shit. Even the nights where he would use me. Both literally and mentally. The nights he would break me in so many different ways. Those nights.

I get pulled out of my thoughts when he speaks. His voice is low, only talking to me. Making sure I stay quiet. He wanted to make sure I heard the malice dripping from his words. "Come here, honey. I need to talk to you."

Nodding my head slowly I glance at Jason and his expression is hard. Almost like he wants to stop me. He looks protective in a way.

It makes me question myself. Should I go? Definitely not, but I also know that if I don't things will be much worse.

Jason gives me a small nod and says, "I'll see ya later, Lily." He smiles gently and I think to myself, if he's not worried, then everything will be fine.

As I walk out of the small room, I slyly drop a note in front of the door frame.

The whole time we walk through the building, I do my best to make sure my father is in front of me. There's no saying what would happen if I was in front of him on the stairs. The uneasy feeling in my stomach is only getting worse with each step down the last flight of steps and into the parking lot.

I try to keep calm, but it's hard. I have no clue how he found me. We have to be at least an hour away from the house.

The nerves that I thought were bad just amplified as we made it to his beat up Jeep. That car was more important to him than anything and everyone. Great to know that there's one thing that wasn't different even when mom was here.

With shaky hands, I open the passenger seat and shrink as far away from him as I can in the small seat.

After I buckle, I let my thoughts wander to what could have been. Should have. 

College was my escape. I worked my ass off to get into this school. To get away from this nightmare. This is supposed to be over. I am supposed to be finding help. Supposed to finally get a chance at a good life. Maybe even great.

I was supposed to get away.

Almost like he knew what I was thinking, he speaks up, "You know... You can't get away that easily. You can't just walk your little ass away from issues that you cause and expect it to go away like that." His last word is harsh and he sends his fist into the horn. The loud blare makes me jump a little.

I just nod and squeeze my eyes shut, willing him to start driving. Willing him to make this fast.

"Damn it, just say something!" He growls and the engine turns over. As he starts to drive, he says, "I thought of one way a mute could be pretty useful..." With those words and the slick, perverted tone in his voice, I feel all my muscles tense.

Then I feel his big, sweaty hand drop onto my thigh.

I feel my hands shake. Hear my breath hitch, and devolve into short pants.

I can smell him. That is the worst part, I can smell the alcohol on his breath from the passenger seat.

That moment is the exact moment that I realized that this is going to be worse than I expected. He's done things like this before. Touched me like this. And every time I was silent, reverting into not talking at all. It never helped anyways.

His hand felt unbelievably heavy on my leg. And that heavy feeling didn't lift the whole drive to his house.

Jason's POV

As soon as Lily left with her father, the off feeling that I was already feeling got ten times worse. She looked like she didn't want to leave.

I didn't want her to leave. 

Her dad just seemed... like an asshole. I mean come on. He didn't even shut the door on his way out. Sighing to myself, I walk over to the door and close it. When I do, there's a soft crackling sound under my feet.

It's a piece of paper. Picking it up I unfold it and whisper the words that are written.

To Jason. I'm sorry. I will hopefully see you later.

I don't realize that I was squeezing the paper in my hand until I felt my fingernails start to dig into my palm.

I knew I didn't want her to go. Her dad just gave me a bad mojo vibe. But that's her business. I didn't have any right to tell her not to go.

As I turn the paper around in my hands I contemplate what they mean.

Damn it. Why the hell would she say sorry?

I slam the not on the table after I realize that she might not have left yet. I could ask her to stay, tell her I need help organizing the room. I haul ass downstairs and fly through the last door into the parking lot.

I'm met with no sign of Lily when I finally get outside though.

Anger starts to bubble slightly in my stomach and I run a frustrated hand through my hair. Pushing the light brown curls back against my head, only for them to pop back into place.

"Shit! I hope she's okay..." I startle myself when the words come out of my mouth. I barely know this girl. Hell I only talked to her for an hour.

I start walking back up to my room, shaking my head and thinking about why I felt so upset about this girl's father.