Resilient

Chapter Twenty Eight

Stone's Point of View

We all demolish the food the waitress brought out. Finn wasn't lying when he said this was the best hamburger joint. I would die for one of these hamburgers. It almost made me forget the shitstorm that is my life right now. Of course, when I finally get the girl of my dreams, I find out my scumbag father is maybe a sex trafficker.

"Slow down, or you'll upset your stomach," Georgette warns, making me laugh.

"Okay mom," I tease. She rolls her eyes at me with a smile.

"I'm just looking out for you," she defends. I smile back at her.

"I know baby," I tell her and kiss her cheek. It feels amazing to finally be able to respond this way to her. To call her my baby, to kiss her. I've wanted this for so long. I dreamed about this, and the reality is, for once, better than any dream I've ever had.

"We do have to get going soon," Ellie tells us. "I have a big test to study for."

"Yeah, I have a monologue I need to memorize and perfect, myself," Eli adds.

"Yeah, we also need to start casting for the play," Georgette tells Eli.

"We can do that after winter break. It'll give us two weeks to fully think about what exactly we want for each roll," Eli suggests.

"I'm down with that. I really need to focus on this classwork," Georgette responds.

"And I have my daddy issues we need to work through," I add.

"Yeah, you still haven't fully explained that," Ellie says.

"Trust me, it would take all night to explain. The only thing is, I need to make sure Georgette is safe," I tell her.

"That's honorable of you," Eli commends me. I give him a small smile.

We pay for our meals and head back to the dorms. We drop Eli off first, and then Ellie drops me and Georgette off. She's going to go stay with Finn, to give us some privacy.

"I wish you didn't have to leave in the morning," Georgette tells me as we climb into her bed.

"I wish I didn't have to either. Trust me gorgeous, I would much rather stay here with you," I tell her, pulling her close to me.

She nuzzles into my neck and sighs. "This whole thing with your father is insane," she says.

I sigh. "I know. Why can't he just be a normal dad?" I say. I'm so beyond fucking frustrated with the situation. I just want to have a normal, well whatever normalcy we can get, relationship with Georgia. I wish we didn't have to worry about my stupid, asshole father.

"I'm glad you're here to keep me safe, and even when you go back home, I know you'll always make sure nothing happens to me," she tells me.

"If he touches a hair on your pretty head, I'll fucking make him wish he was dead Georgette. I will not let anything bad happen to you. You mean too much to me," I tell her. She kisses my neck.

"I've always felt bad that I could never exactly pinpoint when I fell in love with you. And the fact that I made you go through everything you went though. But, I love you more than anything Stone Keller. And, I'm glad we can share that now," she tells me.

"I've wanted this for so long. I've wanted to be able to hold you, without the pain of knowing you were with my best friend. I've wanted to be able to freely think the thoughts I have about you constantly, without feeling guilty. I've wanted to be able to call you my girlfriend for so long, and you have no idea how shitty I feel that my family drama is putting a dark cloud over something that makes me so over the moon happy," I confess.

"Stone, it's not your fault who your dad is. I know how badly you just want a normal father. And I'm so sorry he's not. But, don't let him steal this from you. We'll do whatever we have to do to make sure he ends up behind bars, but don't let him steal your happiness," she tells me.

I hold her just a smidge tighter. The thought of anything bad happening to this precious human being makes my heart want to explode. "I love you Georgia Rae Collins."

"I love you Stone Ryan Keller," she tells me.

She falls asleep very shortly after. I hear her small snores, and the sound is music to my ears. She's safe. She's not in the evil hands of my father being sold to the highest bidder. She's safe and sound, asleep in my arms. That fact is the only reason I'm able to fall asleep.

I dial Georgette's number, and wait for her to answer. It rings and rings, but she never picks up. Finally, I just hang up the phone. Is she ignoring my calls? My phone buzzes with a text from my father. It's a picture of Georgette, bound to a chair and gagged. She looks like she's been beaten pretty badly, and her clothes are ripped. My heart shatters, as I run to the door to go to her, but it disappears. I'm trapped, with no way to get to her. No way to save her. I hear a blood curdling scream fill the room.

"Stone help me please!" Georgette screams for me.

"Georgette!" I bang on the wall. Sobs are racking my body, and my knuckles are beginning to split open from the banging.

"Don't touch me!" She yells.

I keep banging, but nothing is happening. My hands are bloodied and bruised, and I fall to my knees, sobbing. All I hear is her screaming, and maniacal laughter from my father.

"You can't save her Stoney boy," my father says appearing in front of me.

I look up at him and lunge at him. Pinning him against the wall. "I'll die before I let you hurt her," I tell him through gritted teeth.

"Well then, you just might have to die son," he says.

I wake up with a start. My nightmare giving me a rush of adrenaline that's making my heart beat faster than normal. I'm sweating a little, and my face is wet from tears. I look over and see Georgette, still sound asleep, and cuddled into my side. She looks so beautiful. I roll over on my side, and place a small kiss on her forehead. She nuzzles into my chest, still asleep, and I hold her as tight as I can, without waking her.

This woman is my whole world, and I'll die before I let anything bad happen to her. I caress her hair softly, and rest my chin on the top of her head. I make a promise to her, and myself, that I will always keep her safe. No matter the cost.