A broken promise

chapter 15

"I don't know what to dad" Elijah said to his dad who had come back because Lydia had forgotten her purse, now both men sat with a drink in the living room.
"You could show her she needs guards" Matthew suggested. He loved Avery, he really did but her behaviour was unacceptable and he wasn't going to allow it to continue. He knew Elijah would never do anything on purpose to ruin their relationship, especially after Jess.

Avery never told him about the abuse and he never saw it happen but that didn't stop Elijah from blaming himself.

He grew much more protective after that and Matthew knew Elijah would never do more than raise his voice.

Something had to be done.

"What are you going to do" Elijah asked picking up on his dad's look.

"What if we get the guards to scare her" Mathew suggested.

"Absolutely not. I will not put my daughter through that shit. She's acting like a brat but she's been through so much and I'm not about to add more trauma" Elijah spoke as he slammed his glass down.
"It's not happening"
Mathew nodded but he was already scheming.
He understood Elijahs reasons but Avery was taking him for granted. Matthew hated how she spoke to Elijah. Especially when she mentioned about him not being there for 15 years.
She had no idea the lengths Elijah went too. She needed to be put in her place.

Meanwhile.

Avery decided to go downstairs. She had enough of her room and stupidly she decided to try sneak out.

She walked downstairs and saw Matthew and Elijah in the living room. Her eyes went straight to their glasses making her gulp.
She hated alcohol and the memories that came with it.
"You're grounded Avery so don't even think about going out" Elijah shouted so she could hear him. He had heard her come downstairs and when their was no movement he knew she was still in the hallway, metres from the door.

She didn't dare ignore him, he had been drinking and she still wasn't aware of what kind of man he was after a few drinks.
She presumed he had a few drinks but the reality was he hadn't even had one.

"Actually Avery can you come here" Matthew called as she was about to head back upstairs
She reluctantly went to the living room. She stood, frozen to the spot in the door way.
"Elijah why don't you leave " Matthew said but Elijah refused.
He knew his dad wouldn't hurt her on purpose but he didn't want his dad saying something that would hurt her emotianally.
"Fine" his dad rolled his eyes and then turned to Avery who was eyeing the glasses, Elijah still had half left whereas his dad didn't have any.
"I think I'm good, I'm going to go back to my room" Avery mumbled, she didn't exactly trust her voice but she was succeeding in hiding her fear.

"No you are going to listen" Matthew spoke and pointed to the sofa across from them.
"Can I listen standing" she asked wanting to be as close to the door as possible.

She was afraid of what they might do. She hadn't seen Elijah drunk up until now..he wasn't drunk but she just presumed he was. She had been around alcohol with her friends when Nathan's brother and his friends joined them but this was different. This was 2 fully grown men who had alcohol in their system.
Nothing ever good came of that.

"Your behaviour is unacceptable, Elijah has done everything he can for you and you are treating him like crap. The guards are there to make sure you don't get hurt and they will remain watching you until the threat is dealt with" Matthew spoke with a cold tone, something he had never done with Avery but she needed to be told.
"We are just going around in circles now. You treat Elijah like shit then he tells you to stop but you don't listen. You continue to ignore him. Even now you just tried to sneak out"  Matthew continued.
Avery didn't know what to say, she wanted to argue but there was alcohol.
"I'm sorry that I don't like being treated like a prisoner" she spoke up and Elijah who had his eyes focused on Avery up until now looked down. He felt awful, he didn't want her to feel like a prisoner.

Matthew saw this upset Elijah and stood up. "Dad" Elijah said with uncertainty but Matthew walked towards Avery who had a cold look but in reality she was freaking out, she just didn't let it show.

"I know you're aware of what Elijah does" Matthew said and Avery nodded.
"Dad stop" Elijah wouldn't let his little girl be exposed to this world any more than she was.
"No Elijah" Matthew said but Elijah wasn't having it.
"I don't want you talking about that"
Matthew rolled his eyes then turned back to Avery.
"Well here is the thing, if Elijah wanted to treat you like a prisoner, I'm pretty sure he would be more mafia like"
Avery gulped and Elijah saw the flicker of fear but it vanished as soon as it came. "Enough. Avery go to your room" Elijah ordered. This was a tone Avery couldn't ignore.

"Also Avery I believe state prisons lock people up in cells" Matthew said as Avery left. She turned back around at this and Matthew continued "they are not allowed to go off the premises either, they eat at set times and the prison guards aren't that friendly"

"Avery go to your room" Elijah said again not wanting her in hearing range for the conversation with his dad. She nodded and left.

Matthew wasn't backing down as his son glared at him.
"What the fuck was that for" Elijah asked.
"I'm sorry Elijah, I don't regret it, she needed telling.  You can't tell me it doesn't effect you when she says stuff like that" Matthew said.
"Of course it bothers me but she's my little girl, I can't have her hating me"
"Well personally I don't think this is a psychological thing, I think she's just being difficult" Mathew said, they had spoken previously about it being physchologicsl and probably something to do with Garrows but Matthew didn't exactly believe that.

And it was true. It wasn't phycological for Avery , she just didn't like it. She believed she could protect herself and she hated that the guards would watch her every move.

"I don't care dad, she's my little girl. I need to protect her not scare her"