Dancing With The Devil (part two)

Chapter 33: Heart

Astrid was well aware that there was no-where she could go. She couldn't exactly just walk out the house. As much as her father didn't need her, he still wanted her... she could see that now. It wasn't to bring about anything or to use Astrid for some evil plan, he just wanted his daughter, it was as simple as that.

Astrid didn't want what her father had to offer. Of course she didn't. There was no way that Astrid could ever want to stay here, yet, she found herself not wanting to leave. The reason for that wasn't far away, in fact, as she wondered about the house, and turned a corner stood in front of her.

The answer stood tall and surprisingly confidently in front of her. In their previous interaction Astrid hadn't been able to get a good look at her, but seeing her properly, she noticed that she didn't have the same graceful aspect to her. Her hair was tied back messily with stray baby-hairs flying every which way. She was wearing a simple pair of black jeans and a grey hoodie.

Astrid smiled softly at the woman in front of her and approached her.

"Astrid." The other woman smiled and fiddled with her fingers.

"Amelie," she responded, "I'm sorry about before."

She chuckled, "It's fine. I'm sorry your plan didn't work."

They sauntered over to a small staircase and sat down next to each other on the bottom step.

"How long has Dominic been working for my father?"

"Years," she stated, "they met at a pub in Dublin. Dominic's father new Lucas, but died before Dominic was born. He was raised by his mum perfectly, but he met Lucas and was changed completely. He was only eighteen when Lucas completely tore his life apart."

"You can tell that my father's had a lifetime of influence on him. He's a tenacious, egotistical, self obsessed asshole."

Amelie chuckled.

"Why was my father  in Dublin."

"He was looking for someone like him," she said, "it would have been about fifteen to twenty years ago. You would have only been about-"

"Fourteen," Astrid said suddenly, "I would have been fourteen. I bet it was nineteen ninety seven, some time after summer."

"What happened in nineteen ninety seven?"

"He killed my mother that summer."

There was a slightly peaceful yet slightly uncomfortable silenced that followed that declaration. It was filled with the faint noise of Amelie taking out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from her back pocket.

"You don't mind?" She said.

"Go ahead." Astrid smiled before offering her hand, silently requesting for a cigarette for herself. Upon receiving one, she lit it and continued, "I saw what my dad did to you all, those years ago. I'm sorry."

"It was nothing."

"Compared to what?" she chipped in, noticing a small flicker of fear in her step-mother's eyes. Amelie didn't answer she just let out a puff of smoke and turned away from Astrid, who jotted her head sideways and knotted her brows together, "Compared to what?"

"Compared to the night you visited." she whispered. Astrid stood up quickly in response, only for Amelie to grab her arm, "don't, it's fine. It was an accident."

Astrid chuckled and turned to look at the vulnerable woman in front, "I don't think it was."

Astrid yanked her hand away from Amelie's

"I can't do anything about it."

"Why the hell not?" Astrid said, wide-eyed.

"Cause, he'll kill me," She took another puff of the cigarette, "and I'm not gonna die because of a bit of abuse."