Torn

Chapter 4 - My Saving Grace

Chapter 4
My Saving Grace

A/N - Merry Early Christmas and Happy Holidays to my beautiful fans and friends! (: I hope you all have an amazing holiday. And please enjoy a picture of the gorgeous Flynn on the side (; Also, my Christmas short story is out called The Mistletoe Boy if any of you are interested!

“Willow!” I heard that stupid voice call after me as I walked out of his front door.

I didn't bother stopping. After all, I obviously had nothing to say to him. He knew that much. I didn't know what game he was playing at. What exactly did he want out of me?

“Willow! Wait, oof-” he was stopped mid-yell when he crashed right into me, sending me onto the grass expansion outside of his house. It was still drizzling slightly, the clouds hiding any hint of light the sun could spare. I kept my eyes closed, taking in a deep breath to stop myself from beating the crap out of him.

“I'm sorry,” he breathed, hovering over top of me. Both of his arms were on either side of my face, keeping his weight off of me. I looked up at him beneath my lashes and the look in his eyes was something I had never seen before.

I wasn't sure what it was, the way his eyes had seemed almost glazed over as they never strayed from my own. I felt like the breath he'd knocked out of me never returned, like my lungs couldn't function properly any longer. My heart started to pound the way I'd always read in books, when someone looked at you the way Flynn was looking at me just then.

“Willow,” he breathed, his gaze only momentarily dropping from my eyes to my lips, then back again. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, and it was confusing the hell out of me. I hated him, I was almost sure of this. But if this was so, why did that fluttery feeling those romance novels explained explode in my stomach?

This wasn't supposed to happen.

When I finally had regained a conscience, I pushed against his chest, sending him, surprisingly, next to me on the grass. I stood up quickly, brushing any dirt and grass from the butt of my jeans and didn't hesitate to escape as quickly as possible. I didn't want to talk about what had just happened, I didn't want to be asked anymore questions. I was done over-thinking everything and being stuck in these weird positions with my father and Flynn.

I just needed a break.

“Come back! Where are you going?” Flynn shouted after me, sounding like he was catching up to me.

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, the sounds of my shoes slapping against the wet pavement beneath me. I pulled my bag tighter against my shoulder, picking up the pace to the wretched house next door. It was the only time, I'm sure, that I was trying as hard as I could to get in the door of that house. Flynn sounded like he was gaining speed, but I beat him to it, slamming the door in his face without a second glance. I sunk against the door, breathing a momentary sigh of relief as my back hit the cool, thick door.

While I regained the breath I'd wasted running away from that annoying boy who lived next door, I heard those eerie, hard footsteps approaching me while my eyes were still closed. The senses I gained while living under the same roof as “Jack” were impeccable. I could sense him before he even got within five feet of me, his footsteps and coughs not hard to hear in the small house. My fingers subconsciously curled into the palms of my now sweaty hands, my body warning me of the fear that was about to approach me.

I had started calling my father “Jack” years ago, not ever enjoying the way the word 'Dad' spilled from my tongue. He was never a father figure, even while my mother was living with us. His drinking was less frequent, but still overpowering on his off days. When she left, it was like his downfall, his impending end to life. He didn't know how to function properly without her there to pick up after his messes. With my mother not around to do it, he relied on me...whether I liked it or not. The way he treated me like I was a speck of dirt on his shoe...there was no way I could call him 'Dad' like most little girls had done at my young age.