Saving Him • editing/rewriting

thirty one-face down

"You still haven't told her have you?" Pam asked as she looked between myself him. He shook his head and she squeezed his shoulder supportively. "I'll give you two some space so you can tell her."

He nodded silently as he took me up to his bedroom.

Anxiety had started to eat away at my stomach and nerves as I sat down on his bed next to him. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Tom rooms deep breath and turned to face me, "What I'm about to tell you is going to really shock you. And I'm worried that you're going to end up like last time but-" He took my hand in his. "You deserve to know. You need to know."

I nodded, not knowing what to say. An awkward silence settled on us as he nervously tapped his foot on the floor.

"Okay," he started. "Well you know how Lola's got bad anxiety? She's gotten better over the years but it used to be pretty bad." I nodded. "The reason was because her dad had a tendency to...you know hit her." I gasped as he said this and my heart ached for her. How could anyone ever do such a horrible thing to such a sweet, gentle girl?

Tom gulped as he continued on, avoiding my eyes. "He's a major alcoholic and came home pissed off his face most nights. I'm the only one who knew about this since it was only us at first. We hadn't met Hunter or Lauren. So she used to stay over a lot. Her mum knew it was safer at mine and my mum agreed. But one day, her dad found out he banned her from seeing me.

"I tried to talk to her at school but she wouldn't even look at me. She'd just get up and walk away. Her panic attacks were getting worse as well. She started to have them during class and had to go home early most days. Eventually, she stopped coming to school altogether and I heard she got admitted into hospital. I thought it was for her anxiety, you know? I never realised that something happened.

"I went to see her at the hospital after I heard and found her mum crying prisoner her room. I asked her what happened and God, it was horrible. He nearly killed her, Katie. He didn't stop hitting her until she was out cold." I breathed in sharply as I fought the urge to cry because Tom started breaking out into sobs. I put an arm around him and held him tightly.

He breathed in deeply, "I refused to let her go back to that house with that psycho after hearing that. So when she was discharged, her mum sorted things out so she could stay with her grandparents. I told her mum that we should call the police on him and get his ass thrown into jail but we both knew that he was too powerful."

"So what happened?" I asked in a whisper.

"Luckily, he packed up and left after Lola ended up in hospital. I guess he wanted to escape any police questionings but her mum never dared to tell anyone what really happened, scared that he would do something worse to her." 

A cold chill went up my spine as realisation hit me, "Is he- Did he have anything to do with what happened tonight?" I asked. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in his hands, "Yes, that fucking dick came back and had the nerve to stalk her to her grandparents house and hit her." I could tell he was suppressing he urge to shout.

"But why? What does he want with her?" I asked, starting to feeling angry myself.

"He wants to know where you are." He said quietly and for a second, I thought I had misheard him. "He wants to know where you are, Katie. He's came to take you away."

I stood up from the bed in a rush, my breathing quickening and my heart racing. "Me? What the fuck does he want with me?" I asked, my voice shrill.

He looked up at me and he looked pained, "Because he's your dad too."

My world came crashing down as suddenly everything made sense. The other family my dad ran off to, his wife and daughter. That was Lola. I always knew he had another daughter but mum never told me her age. Did she even know about Lola? She must've.

I remembered how my dad always got drunk and said all those horrible things to me. But he had never ever hit me. This angered me because he hurt my friend, my sister. The fact was seemed strange to me the longer I thought about it, being related to the girl who you only ever thought was one of  your best friends. 

"Katie?" Tom stood up as well taking a step closer to me cautiously. "Are you okay?" 

My hands were balled into fists as I slammed the wall with it, "I hate him." I slammed my fist into the wall again. "I hate him!" I screamed as tears fell from my eyes and I slid down to he floor. All I could picture was Lola's kind  smile, all the times she helped me and was there for me and how this person who we called our father had hurt her in a way that was so awful it my heart break. How could he do this?

"You need to breathe." I heard Tom say as he put his hands on my shoulder. I suddenly felt an immense dizziness and felt light headed. I felt Tom shake me. "Katie, breathe!"

My brain registered that I was not, in fact, breathing and I took a massive gulp of air.

Tom slumped his head on my shoulder, "God, you scared me." He said. "I was worried something like this would happen. It was too much for you yo handle."

I shook my head, "It wasn't." I assured him while trying to get some air back into my lungs by breathing deeply. I just got so lost in my thoughts.

He eyed me carefully, "Are you okay? Do you want me to call your mum? Hunter? Anyone?" He asked.

I laughed, "Hunter would flip if he hears about my little breakdown."

As silence settled upon us, we sat there not quite sure what to talk about next. Thankfully, I was saved when the front doorbell rang.

Tom looked up, "Oh that must be your mum." He said. "Let's go down." I agreed as we both got up and went downstairs.

The doorbell kept ringing, the sound chiming throughout the house, nearly gave me a headache.

"Tom, could you please get the door for me? My hands are tied." I heard Pam call out from the kitchen. "And make it quick, that goddamn doorbell is driving me mad."

Tom rolled his eyes as he made his way towards the door and I followed close behind him. I was ready to launch myself into my mother's embrace once the door swung open but my smile was washed away replaced by a truly chilling sense of terror as I stared into the eyes of the person who I least expected to see.

"Hello Katie, sweetheart. I've finally come to get you." My father announced giving me a sickly sweet smile.

A/N

OHOH CLIFFHANGER

Comment what you thought of the chapter:)

Also, I'm going to Japan for the next 2-3 weeks! Yay! But I may not have much wifi so updates will be slower than usual...(I know. I suck) butttttt I will try and get another chapter up tomorrow so stay tuned!!

~Nina