Circles - Post Malone

Fifty Seven

"Just look at you," her father says as he slides into his chair and then holds up his wrists for the guard to undo his handcuffs. "You look just like your mother...but your dark hair and height you get from me," he says. Leaning forward on the table. "Who is this? A boyfriend?" he says turning to look at Austin. He gets no response other than Austin's steely glare. "I should give you a speech about looking after my daughter and keeping her safe. But if she is anything like me, which she is, then she does not need protecting. Us Harts are cut from the same cloth - we stand up for ourselves," he says.

Austin tightens his grip on Dahlia's hand. She knows it's taking all he has to not punch her father in the face. Part of her wishes he fucking would - she would enjoy it. "And you? Who are you? A girlfriend...a skittish one at that. Look at how you are grabbing the table edge. Do I scare you," he says licking his lips. "Stop that," Dahlia says. Her glare falters a little when her father flicks his eyes back to her. He smiles at her, it looks more like a snarl than anything else.

"Why? Can't a father ask about who these people are who have chosen to hang out with his daughter? How do I know they are good for you? Treating you right?" he says. Now Dahlia wants to punch him in the face. "You don't get to know that. You don't get to even know their names. Ignore them," she says. Her father watches her for a moment then lets his head fall back as he lets out a loud laugh. Dahlia waits patiently while he gets ahold of himself.

"You always had a self-centered mouth on you. But I don't blame you. Your mother always made out as if the world revolved around you. She made you think that. She put that in your head -"

"I did not come here to talk about my mother," Dahlia cuts him off, the way he grinds his teeth tells her that the simple act of cutting him off has annoyed him greatly. He closes his eyes and looks like he is counting to ten. Then he pops his eyes open and smiles/snarls at Dahlia. "Ok, then let us talk about why you are here. I will go first...don't cut me off again though," he says pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket smoothing it down on the table in front of him. Then clears his throat.

"Let me start by saying that I love you. That is what you want to hear, right?" he says then waits for a response from Dahlia. When he gets nothing he sniffs and then continues. "Being in prison has been very hard on me. You don't know how hard it is to get used to having no freedom, Dahlia. It took me so long just to fall asleep without tossing and turning for hours. But I persevered and pushed through...like you I will always fight - go down swinging, hey?" he stops and raises his brows waiting for an answer. Dahlia keeps her face cold and hard like marble. His words have her insides turning but she will never give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Anyway...you and I both know what happened with your mother was a mistake. I was, if we are being truthful, I was bated into. I never meant to kill her, she forced my hand. I know what happened upset you. But I am a changed man. I have paid my debt to society," he finishes and then leans back on his chair with his smirk proud.

Dahlia can't move. Frozen by his words. Not one to ever consider anyone else he does not wait for her, instead, he sighs and leans forward again. "We both know I would never intentionally hurt your mother. Every time I hit her it was an accident, I was drunk and did not know what I was doing. The night she died was just another fight...you and your big mouth pushed me over the edge," he says. "I was trying to protect her," Dahlia can't hold her tongue. Her father's face breaks into a smile - he is proud that he has rattled her. Austin's grip on her hand is so tight that it's causing her hand to cramp.

"But you didn't did you. You did not protect her at all," he says, his voice dripping in pleasure. He is enjoying inflicting pain. She remembers her mother once mentioning to her friend that her father was a narcissist. But Dahlia is holding all the cards here. Not him. She leans forward and smiles at him. "You need my forgiveness...it's what is standing between you and that freedom you so desperately crave. I want you to beg me for it. Ask me nicely and say please," she says. She has to restrain herself from laughing when she sees his demeanor crumble slightly. She knows him having to ask her for that will make him feel powerless. He does not like that.

He stills his face and grips the table edge, his knuckles white. His smile is replaced with that nasty snarl. He does not want her forgiveness but she knows he will ask. "Please," he says through gritted teeth, "forgive me. I would like to repair our relationship. If you don't want to forgive me for me then at least do it for yourself so that you can move on with your life," he says. Dahlia stands, and Austin and Gina follow suit. Dahlia looks down at her father and smiles at him, it's a fake smile.

"I don't forgive you because I don't want to forgive you. I will forget you though. You have no bearing on my life and I hope you die in here."

"I am your father, you can't change that no matter what you say."

"No. I am my mother's child. You picked on her because you thought she was weak and that makes you a coward. But she was strong and stood up to you. She never backed down, she was not scared of you and neither am I. I belong to my mother and she would be very proud of who I turned out to be."

"But you love me, that's something you can't change."

"I don't. I never loved you. I hated you, I have always hated you," she says then turns and walks out with her back straight, shoulders squared and her head held high. She does not look back no matter how loudly her father calls for her to turn around. She makes it out of the prison before she crumbles into Orlando and Paris' open arms.

Later that night she tries to detach herself carefully from Austin's side. It does not work though he wakes up immediately, "where are you going?" he asks in a whisper. Dahlia rolls her eyes but motions for him to follow her. She takes her laptop and then climbs out onto the ledge. Austin right behind her. "What are you doing?" he asks cuddling up to her. "I am not going to that parole board. But I am going to send them a letter. I want them to know who my mother was...she deserves to have her say," Dahlia says. Austin reaches into her shirt and pulls out her locket, opening it and looking at her mothers picture.

"You were right today, baby. She would be very proud of you...just like I am."