Fighting For Us - Book 4

No Way

LENA POV

"There's no way! I'm not living here! I'm not staying or living in this gross city with you! I'm NOT!!!!!" Stefanie screams as tears run down her cheeks now.

"You seem to think you have a choice!!! This is what you seem to think, but you DON'T! YOU HAVE NO CHOICES anymore! Because you have proven you can't make good ones worth a shit!!"

"Stef." I say trying to calm her as she flashes me an annoyed look, but I don't care. This is not how she should be handling this, and I'm trying my best not to yank her out of the room.

"I'm not staying here! I have a life in California! What don't you get? Are you deaf?" Stefanie sobs even more.

"Not anymore. And you seem to think I care. I DON'T. You will be going to St. Raymonds, which I will drop you off and pick you up daily from because you aren't to be trusted at ALL. I will also randomly show up at your school to make sure you are behaving and pick you. No phone, no TV, no life, no nothing! You are also to attend the domestic violent group at my job as well."

"What?!! I am not doing any of that!! God, I hate you!! I hate all of you and my mother can fuck off!" She cries hysterically as she tries to move past me, but I move to block her way.

"Yeah keep it up, miss. Keep this shit up!" Stef moves towards the girl as I jump in the middle of them.

"We have an apartment of sleeping children who I am sure heard everything. Listen, we are going to talk about this calmly, not in a screaming way."

"She's the one who is always screaming and barking orders at people!" Stefanie shouts as I feel Stef begin to move closer to her but my hand stops her.

"I haven't even begun to bark orders at you YET!! NOT EVEN STARTED!"

"Stef!" I am beside myself. What the hell?

"You take your ass in that GOD DAMN BEDROOM before I literally grab you and throw you in there myself!! NOW GO!!" She screams with so much anger as Stefanie storms off.

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"What can I do Lena? Huh? What?" She asks me as I close my bedroom door.

"You have to calm the fuck down. You have to, Stefanie. Because I think, I think screaming at her is not going to solve anything anymore. Do you hear me? Huh? Are you calm enough to understand what I'm saying?" I sigh as I slide under the covers and remove my robe.

"Yes, Lena..."

"Okay. So you have got to find a new way to do this, love."

"Oh so, what? I let her walk all over me and you? Huh is that it?"

"No, I never said that. Ever. But she is very combative and so are you. I think you need to talk to her differently."

"Lena. Do you not hear how she speaks to me? Do you not? She's rude, she's defiant she's..."

"Stef...she knows."

"Knows what?" She looks at me confused.

"She knows about you and Tess."

"What about us?" She asks looking at me still confused.

"Stef, she found Tess' journal talking about your relationship together. I don't know what she knows but she knows enough." I say as her face almost turns white and she take a seat on the bed. 

"She, she told you this? Stefanie?"

"Yes. Earlier she did." I say now sitting beside her as we are quiet for a few moments.

"Shit. No wonder she's so goddamn angry with me. I mean I don't know what she read or...I mean she made comments in passing but I didn't think anything of them." She says rather nervously.

"Stef, I'm not saying that's the entire reason she's upset but what I am saying is I think maybe you need to talk to her.  I think maybe you should take her out, or take her to work and just talk. I know there's a high chance she will be angry but try it. Try not to yell and scream. Maybe approach her like you used to do."

"God, I don't even remember what that was like." She says looking to me with tears in her eyes.

"I know but she's still there baby. Deep inside Stefanie is still in there."

"I guess so," she whispers so softly my heart breaks as I pull the covers back and motion to her.

"Come here, baby."

She removes her shirt and sweatpants before snuggling in beside me. I pull her close, breathing in her sweet scent. "I got you, love. I know you are heart broken by all of  this."

She moves to bury her face in my neck as I lightly scratch over her bare back. I hear her sniffling softly, and I move to wrap her in my arms completely. As we lay here, skin on skin, I do my best to comfort Stef for I know that as much as she tries to take on the world, she still is human who needs support.

"I love you, Lena," she whispers as I feel her hot breath on the side of my neck she had just wet with her tears. Her hand moves to the side of  my face as she kisses on my cheek.

"I love you, too, Stef...so, so much. Let's sleep, okay?"

"MM..." she whimpers softly as I move so our bodies can fit together more snugly. My eyes soon grow heavy as I hear her soft, even breathing. I wasn't sure about anything in regards to Stefanie anymore. It felt like we were lost at sea without a paddle, and I hope with everything in me that somehow, we find our way back to shore.