Love Costs

•Dad•

Haileys pov
Just like I thought, he called me the next night and I told him we'd be able to meet after school on Monday. I was nervous and even a little reluctant but I just wanted to get it over with. I hadn't told Isaac yet and I wasn't planning to until afterwards.

The break felt short but that was because I was waiting for Isaac to come home most of the time. We had school in the morning but I was actually kind of ready to go back anyways.

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"Hey, how you feeling" Rory asked when I got in the car "uh I don't know" "nervous" she asked "yea actually. It's different than just talking to him over the phone" "yea. I mean don't get me wrong I'm so happy to come with you but are you sure you don't want to take Isaac" "yea I don't want anything to happen and if my dad tries to do anything we can just leave" "okay" "and thank you by the way for coming with me" "Hailey of course I'd come. I do remember your dad, and before everything he was a pretty nice guy" "yea".

"So is Isaac coming today" she asked "yea. For the most part he's all healed it's just some bruising and his shoulder and wrists" "okay good".

"Hey babe" I said to Isaac when he walked up to my locker "hey" "you feeling better" "yea, pretty good actually" "good" "so I was thinking we go out to eat after school" "uh I'd love to but I have a thing with Rory" "a thing" "uh yea we're doing something with her family" "oh okay" "I'm sorry" "don't worry about it we can do something later" "okay cool" "yea but I'll see you at lunch or something" "yea" he said kissing me before we went our opposite ways.

After cheer we had study hall so me and Rory just decided to leave.

"That's him isn't it" Rory asked. We had been at the park for a while after grabbing some food "fuck, yea it is" "are you okay" "I think so just give me a minute" "okay".

A couple minutes later we got out and went over to him. When he recognized us, he stared and it kind of made me uncomfortable. Rory stood back a little bit as I walked up to him.

"Hailey oh my god" he said stepping towards me almost about to hug me "please don't touch me" I said quickly "uh how are you" "I'm okay" "thank you for coming to see me, I missed you" "uh so is this is it. Are we done after this" I asked but he completely ignored it "so how's school, you're a senior right" "yea" "wow you just grew up to be so beautiful" "uh thanks" "well how is school, do you uh have a boyfriend" "I do and schools fine" "that's good" "uh how are you" "I'm doing alright. I have a girlfriend I wish you could meet her" "oh" "maybe next time" "uh there won't be a next time you know that "maybe we can work something out" "I don't think we can. You're not allowed to see me" "anyways uh, you brought Rory" "oh yea I did" I said as he waved to her and she hesitantly waved back before walking over to us.

"Hi Mr. Anderson" she said as she stood next to me "hi Rory how are you" "good" "you do cheer" he said gesturing to her school sweater that read 'Sterling High Cheer Squad' "oh yea. We both do actually, Hailey is the captain" "are you, that's good" "yea thanks" I said "it's nice to see you both are still such good friends" he said "yea but it was nice seeing you again but uh we do have to go" she said to him "oh already" "yea we have something to do" "oh okay, well uh thank you for seeing me really" "yea" I said before me and Rory went back to the car.

"Are you okay" she asked "uh I think so" "did he say anything about leaving you alone" "nope he totally ignored it" "what else did he say" "that I should meet his girlfriend" "oh" "yea he just asked questions but I don't know, talking to him felt like I was being interrogated not just having a conversation. I hated it" "I'm sorry Hailey" "it's fine I just really hope he follows through" "me too".
"We don't actually have anything to do right" I asked "no, your mom texted me" "oh okay".

"Hey guys" I said going inside the house "hey, how was it" "it was uh okay. I felt sort of uncomfortable" I said joining them in the kitchen and sitting on the counter "he didn't do anything did he" mom asked "no not really I just don't know if he's gonna follow through" "did you ask him" "yea but he ignored it. It was like he thought we were gonna do this again. He told me I should meet his girlfriend" "you told him you weren't right" "yea I did" "okay" "I'm sorry mom" I said looking down at my fidgeting fingers "for what" "I know you want to forget about him and everything that happened and clearly I'm not making any of that easier. I'm the reason he keeps calling so I'm sorry" "none of this is your fault hon. I'm sorry he calls you so much and how hard this is for you" "yea. Uh I'm gonna go upstairs" "okay be down for dinner" "okay. Thank you both for everything" I said hugging them before I went upstairs.

He didn't even remind me of the dad I lost. He looked like he did drugs and still drank. How would he expect me to forgive him if he isn't changing. I just never understood why he got that bad. One day he just started drinking and then he never stopped. Mom and him had been fighting for a while, yelling in their room as if I couldn't hear them. Every time she would threaten a divorce he would hit her. It wasn't too much, just like a slap in the face or he'd push her into something. After they fought they would fuck and I heard that too. It wasn't pleasant either. Mom would scream and he would yell at her to shut up and I could hear the bed moving or them up against the door or the walls. I sat on the stairs crying because for a while I didn't know what they were doing but when I figured it out it just sounded like he was hurting her, and he was. Usually I would make it up the stairs before they came out but one time he saw me. I ran up the stairs faster than I ever have and jumped in my bed and hid under the covers. He came in my room and I was shaking for fear of him hurting me like he did mom. This was the one and only time he's ever touched me and I never ever told anyone. He had pulled the covers off of me and I was wearing shorts.
He said if he ever caught me on those stairs again eavesdropping on them he would have some fun with me as he moved my shorts and underwear over and rubbed his finger up and down my privates as I started crying. He stayed there for more than a minute but I was frozen. He laughed as he got up and walked away. Now I wasn't stupid, I knew his fun meant the shit he did to mom and I knew that wasn't fun and that he shouldn't do it to me. After he touched me I showered and I knew no one would come up to check because mom was probably laying on the ground by now and he already did what he had to do.
Until he did that, he never took any of his anger out on me and other than the drinking he was relatively good to me.
After that night I never sat on the stairs again and I kept a good distance from him. I never told mom and with everything she had going on she never noticed my change in attitude. I think to this day she still thinks I don't know about the fucking but I do and we don't talk about it. All she thinks I know is the hitting or the last day. The last day was bad.
She came home from work and showed him divorce papers. He said they weren't getting a divorce and when he reached for the papers she snatched them away and told him she already talked with a lawyer. She told him about the hitting and the drinking and that's when he lashed out.
He hit her in the face again and again and again and again and again. He threw her around the kitchen like a rag doll before pushing her up against the fridge. He told her we weren't going anywhere and that we were his then he dragged her, by her neck, to their room but not before telling me to go upstairs.
I stayed at the top of the stairs and just like I thought, he fucked her again and they screamed and yelled.