"You just met this boy and you already seem to think you know everything about him." My dad retorted distastefully.
"Speak for yourself." I countered in a sneer. "I've known him far longer than any of you but it's funny how he knows and understands me more than my own family does."
"He's filth." He spat.
The anger bolted inside of me, shooting upright and before I could even stop myself, I let the words spill from my mouth. "You think you're so much better than everyone else but newsflash dad, you're not!"
A slap echoed around the house and I gasped, feeling my left cheek burning from the sudden actions that came from my raging father. Looking up at him, tears of hurt engulfed my eyes, blurring my vision. Cupping my cheek, I took a step back.
"Kelsey—"
"Don't." I hissed.
"Kelsey..."
"Don't come near me." I whimpered, not being able to process the fact that my own father laid a hand on me.
"Don't touch me!" Jerking from the touch of her father's hand on her shoulder, Kelsey turned to face him, having not realized she was crying.
"I'm sorry, I'm..." Looking around the room, she tucked her hair behind her ear, wondering how she got here.
She swore she'd never let anything get between them, and now here she was, back to where it all started.
The sneaking, the lying, the pain, and the wishful thinking that she could survive the brutality that her life had thrown upon her since birth.
Kelsey grew up being told that what she said was viewed by others in scrutiny and that she was a young lady and they were to abide by the rules of her elders. She was told to keep her opinions to herself and bite her tongue when things didn't go her way. She was thankful for the life she was given, but at times, she felt suffocated as if someone held her by the neck and refused to let her breathe.
"I'm going to go upstairs," she muttered, rolling her suitcase over to the stairs before carrying it up the rest of the way.
Stepping to run after her, Maria stopped James from doing so, shaking her head, "just let her be, honey."
"She needs us," he countered quietly, his eyes glancing up at the stairs Kelsey had just disappeared from.
"Kelsey needs time to process this," Maria whispered, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, "she expected to be back with Justin, and being here is a setback. She's been through hell James just let her get settled in first."
"I told you that son of a bitch would ruin our daughter," he hissed in disapproval, "he's been dangerous from the start to not only her but himself. He's a time ticking bomb, Maria, and it was only a matter of time before he blew up and took everyone down with him."
"James-"
"He almost killed himself. What if Kelsey would have been in that house with him?" he inquired sharply.
She immediately shook her head, "he would never hurt her."
"How do you know that? You seem to think you have him mapped out sweetheart, but really, no one knows him but our own daughter, and look at how that turned out."
Looking up towards the stairs in fear that Kelsey would come down and overhear their conversation, she grabbed onto her husband's arm before pulling him further down the hallway. "He's in trouble, James."
---
Everything has changed. Nothing is the same. Nothing will ever be the same.
It all continuously flowed in and out of her canals as Kelsey stood in the middle of her decrepit bedroom, wondering how she went from the innocent little girl hidden from the world's cruelty to being thrusted upon it at first glance.
Chapter 1: "He wouldn't leave me."
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