Deca [h.s]

4

Valerie Colver

From what Tilly told me it was November 8th and the snow falling said it all. She also informed me that we were in Trenton New Jersey. After visiting New Jersey multiple times a year to see Grandpa, it was normal for it to snow around this time. I only got a peak of outside because whenever Tilly would open the flap snow would get in and H wasn't happy about it. I didn't want to get on his bad side, Tilly on the other hand would disobey her father and open the flap every chance she got.

I was six hours away from mom.

"Daddy. Can we please go near the fire?" Tilly sounded muffled from the amount of snot in her system. It felt like it was -50 degrees in here. I could also feel a cold coming up to me.

"Monkey, I have to work on something. I can't go with you right now." H said, his voice also sounding muffled. The three of us have been sharing a tent for the last 5 days and everyone was getting sick.

"What if I go with Uncle Niall? Or Uncle Lou or Li?" Tilly asked again. H brought his thumb and pointer finger up to the bridge of his nose and shook his head in frustration.

"Baby, we have to do grown up business. What did daddy say about that?" Tilly's posture sunk from his answer. She sighed in sadness.

"You always do grown up business and never have time for me." She muttered under her breath. She went to grab her dolls from off the floor and sat crisscross in the corner, all you could see was her back.

"Tilly." H called, his tone of voice full of regret.

Tilly stood up from her spot and stomped her way towards her father, the two in matching sweatshirts. H pushed her hair back behind her ears and grabbed the hair tie from his wrist, putting Tilly's hair into a pony tail. He ran his fingers through his own hair, probably stressed from all the work.

"Baby. You understand why I have to do what I have to do right?" Tilly pouted making H ask the question again. She replied with a quick yes, obviously annoyed at H.

"After we find a place to stay. I'll give you all the attention okay?" Tilly's lips curved up. It was obvious that she was fond of the idea.

"Is that okay with you monkey?" He asked, smiling himself. Their smiles were identical. "Is that okay monkey?" He asked again, tickling the life out of her. Her laugh even made me smile a bit.

"Yes! That's okay! Daddy let me go! Let me go!" Tilly cried, struggling from his tickles.

Once H was pleased with her answer, he obeyed and gave her a small peck on her forehead. Tilly brought her hand up to wiped it away. H took offense to it and began to attack her, only this time with kisses.

"What if I go near the fire with Val? Is that okay daddy?"

Both mine and H's eyes met. With my heart beating rapidly, I quickly turned my head to the other side of the tent where no one was.

I could feel H's eyes burning on me.

The tension was real.

"Yes." Was his only word.

I sat there like I was clueless and didn't hear a word he said. I didn't feel safe out there by myself and to be responsible for another person, that was asking for trouble.

"Val?" I looked up to see Tilly standing with her dolls in one arm and her free hand out for me to grab one.

I could still feel H's eyes still on me.

"Tilly. Take this." Tilly looked away from me for a spilt second. H gave her a small knife in which she stuck into her boot.

H wasn't afraid to hold eye contact. Every time he looked at me, I'd looked away and every time I looked at him he was already looking at me.

Tilly left the tent first, leaving me and H alone having an intense staring contest.

"Val, are you coming?" Tilly's voice came from outside the tent.

"I am." My voice came out raspy as it was my first time talking today.

I quickly looked down and made my way out of H's gaze. My wrist was pulled back before I could exit the tent.

"You better watch her. If there's a scratch, and I mean if I see a tiny ass scratch on her. I will kill you. I will pu-"

"Daddy, be nice." Tilly's hands worked their way up my wrist and released H's grip on them.

I didn't hesitate. The second my wrist got free, I left the tent and stood outside of it. I hated it here. It humiliating and I would rather be in a house with Vince.

Shit, at least I was with mom.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the men.

So many faces brought me trauma from the night before.

Tilly had barley moved an inch from the last time I saw her, there was no way she was getting out of snow without my help.

"T-Tilly, do you need my help?" I was shivering, we were in no shape for this.

Tilly's purple lips quivered as she spoke. "Y-Yes p-please."

Holding her hand wouldn't do anything. The only thing I could do was carry her, but was that my place?

I barley know the girl and I knew H would be mad.

"I-I-um-I don't know what to do..." My voice faded in embarrassment.

"Daddy carries me. You can do that."

"I-Is that okay if I carry you?"

"It's okay Val."

I looked around to see if H was looking. The tent we were in was closed shut, which made me fall in relief.

It was worth a try to carry her, plus she already had her arms out for me.

I placed my hands underneath her armpits and lifted her up on my hip. She took me by surprise when she snuggled up onto me and leaned her head into the crook of my neck.

"Are you okay?" I haven't carried a kid in forever.

"I'm okay Val." I jumped a little to place her better on my chest. I followed the line of shoveled snow, immediately putting my head down when the men glanced at me. As we made our way to the fire, the men sitting down got up and huddled around us like everyone else did.

I quickly set Tilly down next to me and rubbed my hands together towards the fire, Tilly following my lead.

"Copy cat aren't you?" I asked, making the both of us laugh. As much as I wanted to play along, she was too cute to lie to.

It almost felt wrong.

"I-" a hard thump from Tilly's body cut her off.

"Get off of her!"

The males hands were now around Tilly's wrist, the amount of pressure he put on her tiny wrist made them turn white.