Even If It Kills Us (On hold)

Chapter Nineteen

Ember stood in the mirror, combing through her hair. Her mind was stuck on returning to school tomorrow. People looked at her differently now. Although she shouldn't care what others thought of her, she didn't think that she could put up with stares, the rude comments and questions from other students.

She couldn't believe that her father was planning to send her and Justin to school with security. She didn't find it necessary but she understood that her father just wanted to protect them.

"Ember, come downstairs for a minute." Xavier called.

Ember sighed, putting her comb down and tightening her robe before she traveled down stairs to the living room where her father and mother had been sitting.

"Yes?" Ember asked with a slight attitude. Her father had been treating her horribly for the past few weeks and she was over it.

"Come sit." Sahara says.

Ember sat on the sofa next to her mother. She looked back and forth between the two of them with a look of confusion.

"Ember, your father and I have made the decision to homeschool you and Justin." Sahara says.

"Why we can't just go to school? Do I even have a say in this?" Ember asked.

Sahara opened her mouth to speak but X immediately cut her off, "No, you don't. Our decision is final. It's for your safety. Damien is getting homeschooled too."

"This is my senior year. If I'm homeschooled I won't be able to walk at graduation or attend field trips..."

"We'll have enough of those through the year." X says.

"Yeah for your business trips. That's not fair."

X studied Ember for a moment. She had really been testing him lately. The everyday disobedience was getting out of hand.

"Life isn't fair, Ember. Like your father said, we're doing this for your protection." Sahara added.

"I'm not getting homeschooled."

After those words left her mouth, X stood to his feet, hovering over Ember. He tightly grabbed her arm, forcing her to stand up and look him in the eye, "You're going to do what we tell you to do. It's not about what you want to do. I've been letting things slide for the past week but I'm sick of you disobeying me and your mother. If you can't abide by our rules then pack your shit and get the fuck out because I refuse to let someone continue to disrespect me in my own house."

"X..." Sahara says as she tugged at his shirt but he didn't listen.

Ember's eyes begin to water as she looked up at her father. The look in his eyes were murderous. It was as if he hated her. Her own father.

"I'm sorry." Ember's tears fell. She didn't know what she had done to receive this type of treatment from her father.

"Go to your room." X demanded. He let her go and pushed her towards the stairs.

Instead Ember turned to him, wanting to ask one last question, "Why do you hate me so much?"

He still hasn't apologized for hitting her and he continuously punished her for no reason. X had always been loving to Ember, telling her that she was his favorite daughter even though she was his only daughter.

X chuckled, "I can't trust you. You're a betrayer and a disgrace to this family."

Those words stung Ember's heart. She loved both of her parents equally but she was a daddy's girl. He could easily hurt her feelings and didn't realize it. A lump filled Ember's throat and her tears fell as she went back upstairs to her room. She closed and locked the door, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, letting all of her emotions out.