Aeviternal

20

4 times, kataleah had stopped to look out her living room window 4 times, he looked out quickly and sighed, pacing back and forth while his mind trailed away. kataleah watched his every movement with concern. "does mom know your alive" she spoke, her eyes falling down onto her feet, she knew the answer, she knew if her mother had known she would've killed her father once more. 

the silence was suffocating, she took in a deep breath before becoming overwhelmed with all the news swarming her at once. 

"i need answers!" kataleah screamed, her voice bouncing off her white walls, her father dabbed away sweat from his forehead anxiously "listen i need time okay? i need time to explain" her father spoke, a knot forming above his adam's apple. "we buried you" kataleah yelped "i haven't been able to sleep ever since" she closed her blinds and stepped closer to her father "why did you lie to us" tears cascaded down her cheeks "why would you do this to your family".

there was silence, the city roared outside as the father and the daughter stood in complete silence "get out!" she shoved him, he sighed and looked up before looking down onto his daughter "get out now!" she couldn't handle the heart break, she didn't know what was worse, thinking her father was dead or finding out he was alive, he gripped onto her arm and pushed her into his chest, the familiar aroma of her father made her collapse into his chest. she wanted to be happy, she wanted to jump from joy that she never really lost her father but the circumstances in which her father had put her in, left nothing but anger and an overwhelming sensation of sadness. 

"i needed to protect you guys, i am not a perfect man kataleah, i've done some bad things in my life, some bad things that have caught the attention of bad people" she couldn't understand her fathers words, how was the man who used to make her the worlds best Pb&j's before pre-school be chased by bad people, she sniffed and pushed herself out of his arms, her puffy eyes, those she got from the man standing in front of her, who she no longer recognized wrote lifeless. she reached for her phone quickly "please don't tell Robbie or your mom" he pleaded. "don't worry i'm not going to break their hearts like you broke mine, im gonna keep you protected but not here" she expressed coldly 

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kataleah had so many questions, the feelings hadn't settled but she knew this was dangerous and she needed to act fast "use this phone to contact me, only do it once i'm home, never expect a call from me, i will not be calling" kataleah slipped a burner phone across her marvel kitchen counter. "there's a black BMW downstairs, the drivers name is rico, he will take you to some property i have in the mountains, you don't move, you don't go outside, you dont speak to anybody, he will be bringing you everything you need" she paused "don't try contacting mom" her voice broke "she would never forgive you" his body felt heavy, he wanted to breakdown, he didn't understand how he was capable of doing this to his family. "how?" he questioned "how have you gotten so good at hiding?" kataleah sighed and wiped away tears from her cheeks "i've been running all my life" she poured herself a glass of wine and gulped it down.

"now its time for you to run for the best of yours" she spat, her cold sweaty hands running through her hair, she wanted to protect her father at all costs, god knows what she would do to protect him but he hurt her and she couldn't wrap her mind around it, she felt betrayed. her father held his gaze on her before walking out the door, the door slamming shut made her collapse onto her knees, she couldn't do anything else but scream. her life was never going to be normal, she was never gonna be at peace. 

"kata" kataleah stood up quickly, Jake stood by the hall, he held some grocery bags in his hand, she crumbled in front of him, he dropped the white bags on the floor and rushed to her side, he felt guilt shoot up his gut "i'm so sorry" he slipped her inside his arms, his chin pressing onto the top of her head while his hands brushed through his hair. "i love you, okay?" he hugged her tighter "i should've never allowed you to doubt that". a wave of relief hit kataleah while she stood in his arms and if there was any doubt if she really loved him this was her proof, the peace he could induce in her even in the middle of chaos was indescribable. 

"what about patricia?" she spoke, she shifted slightly, freeing herself from his grip even if she wanted to stay there her entire life. jake sighed and his eyes glazed over with tears, he wished the situation would have been different, he wished things had been different for a while. "we spoke" he began "shes hurt and i understand, but i cant go to a home thats not my own anymore or pretend like we will have a perfect family while i love you" he confessed, kataleah could feel guilt replace the peace, she felt exhausted, this day had been exhausting.

"ill always be there for my child, ill do anything for that child but i cannot live a lie, not anymore" he wrapped his arms around kataleah and kissed her forehead "i am happy but i cant lie either and say that the guilt doesnt eat me inside" kataleah confided "we did a terrible thing and ive been paying for it for years".  he hummed into her hair and held her closer, above all things kataleah and jake knew they were not bad people but the circumstances had pushed them to do terrible things in the name of love. 

"take me to bed" she sobbed, jake couldn't understand that her pain was much heavier tonight, the image of her perfect family crumbling beneath her, he wrapped his arms under her legs and carried her like a child to the bedroom, he laid her down on the comforters and slid her covers over her body, he hated seeing her like this, not being able to mend her pain, the amount of love he had in his chest for her that was not enough to heal her, it frustrated him. he kissed her forehead, he laid besides her and embraced her into his chest and maybe just maybe she could pass on her pain and it wouldn't hurt so much

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