Devil Or Angel?

Chapter 16

LUKES POV

"I feel horrible." Mrs. Stafford whispers for the billionth time.

Everyone is sitting in the kitchen. We've already had dinner and Alyssa won't come downstairs. She won't answer the phone and she won't open the door. When we listen at the door we can't hear a thing.

Mrs. Stafford makes the same face Alyssa makes just before she's going to start crying. Mr. Stafford puts his arm around his wife. "It's going to be okay."

"Dammit, I wish we never gave her up." She whispers.

"I do too." Mr. Stafford whispers. "But if we hadn't, she wouldn't have met Lauren, or Kendall, or Luke, or any of his friends. She would be a totally different person. I don't know about you, but I love our daughter for who she is."

"So do I. I just...wish I was there for everything." She looks down at her hands. "I missed it all. First day of school. Her period. Her prom. Her first boyfriend. Graduation. Both of them. Her first time. Everything."

"You can't change the past." Mr. Stafford whispers.

"I just got her back and she already hates me." She buries her face in her hands and her shoulders shake as she cries.

Nobody says a word. Madison hugs her mother.

I run my fingers roughly through my hair. "I'm gonna try again." I say quietly. I wander upstairs. I knock on Alyssa's door. "Please open the door." I beg. Nothing. No response. Not even a rustle. "At least give me a sign your alive." I hear her sniffle. Great. She's crying. "Please let me in."

A piece of paper slides under the door. I pick it up and unfold it.

I'll let you in at bedtime.

I sigh quietly and go back downstairs.

"Anything?" Aunt Nova asks. I sigh.

"She said she would let me in at bedtime." I hand her the note.

"You know..." Kendall hesitates. Everyone looks at her. "I mean, I know this isn't a very great idea but I know how to get her out."

"How?" Mrs. Stafford asks.

"Well she's got a temper and when you guys first met there was never anyone better at pissing her off than you, Luke. If you piss her off she'll open the door to fight back." Everyone is quiet for a second.

"While I hate the idea of you being rude to my daughter, I know that whatever you'll say you won't mean. I know you truly love her. I say we give it a shot."

I take a deep breath. "I hate this, but I guess we should try."

Everyone goes upstairs with me. I hesitate and take a deep breath, and bang on the door. "Alyssa, this is bullshit. Open the fucking door." Nothing.

"Tell her she deserves everything her Mom ever did." Kendall whispers.

"She'll hate me forever." I mutter. Nobody says a word. I shake my head. "Let's do this my way." Everyone sighs but nobody protests. I rest my forehead on the door. "Alyssa." I sigh. "Please baby, open the door." Not a peep. "I can't stand it. I know you're in there crying. We're getting married. It's my job to take care of you. Please? Come out. I just wanna hold you." I hear footsteps when I pause but she's trying to be as quiet as possible. I rest my palm against the door. "I know your upset, but why can't you be upset with me? Let me in." I whisper. The door opens, her hand shoots out and grabs my shirt. She yanks me in and slams the door and locks it before anyone has a chance to say a word. She doesn't even look at me, she just walks to her bed. "Alyssa?" I ask gently.

She looks up at me. She looks so upset. She takes a deep breath.

"All my life I've been stuck with that crazy bitch. Everything was finally going right since I was five years old. Everything was perfect and of course she had to ruin it. I just feel like I'm never-" her voice cracks and tears start falling down her cheeks. "I feel like I'm never going to get rid of her."

Slowly, I walk over to her and pull her in my arms. "And then I finally get my Mom back and...and that crazy bitch goes and ruins it. Luke, they must hate me, I mean, I was raised by that bitch. They probably think I'm just like her."

I'm quiet for a long time. "They don't think you're just like her. They know you're not."

"I just feel like I blew it with them. I'm so scared to leave this room because I don't want to be told to leave. I don't want to lose them. I just got them."

She starts crying, harder than I've ever seen her cry before. I feel my throat tighten. I pull her into my arms and let her sob into my shirt. I just hold her. "I'm so scared." She chokes out.

"Baby, they're not going anywhere."

"Y-y-you don't k-know t-that!" She hiccups.

"I think you should talk to your Mother."

Her eyes widen. "I can't. We should just go."

"No. Talk to your Mother. I'm begging you."

"I don't want her to see me like this." She whispers.

"She changed your diapers. She's seen you cry. She's seen you puke. She's changed your sheets when you peed the bed. She taught you how to use the toilet. I promise you she wants to be in here."

"I want to be with you."

"I know baby, but you need to be with her. Please just talk to her."

She clings to me for a long time. "Not in front of everyone." she whispers.

"Okay. I'm going to go get her. Please don't lock me out." I give her a long kiss on the forehead and walk out of the room. Everyone went back downstairs. "Why are you not with her?" Mr. Stafford asks.

"It's not me she needs." I whisper.

"It's me she wants, but she needs her Mother. And that's not the bitch that got a well-deserved beating. That's you."

Mrs. Stafford nods hesitantly and stands up. She disappears. I sigh and sit down.

"What are those wet spots?" Uncle Ryan asks.

"Alyssa's tears."

We sit around for two hours before Mrs. Stafford comes back, but Alyssa is with her. She doesn't say a word, she just sits down next to me and buries her face in my shoulder.

"I love you." She whispers.

"I love you too." I put my arm around her.

The end. Time for a sequel!