Proving A Point

Chapter Nine

Dunn Dunn dunnn! Well that was certainly something wasn't it?! How are y'all liking the story so far? Liking it? Loving it? Let me know :) remember to be nice with your opinions because I've been writing my butt off to please you guys! Love y'all <3
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"Umm I think my dad is here?" He answered but it came off as more of question. His face was etched with shock as well. No way did he expect to see me out of all people.

"Your dad is Rick?" I asked gasping once the realization settled in, how I missed the obvious similarities in resemblance is beyond me.

"Yeahhhhh." He dragged on in a duh tone with his eyebrows knitted together. He shot me a glance that said 'are you gonna make me stand out here all day?'

"Of course, please come in." I stepped out of his way and he took a few steps inside. I shut the door and started walking towards the kitchen and stopped once I realized he wasn't moving.

"Are you coming?" I asked and he sighed loudly clearly not wanting to be here.

"Yeah." Was all he said and stared walking towards me.

"Rick, there's someone here for you." Ricks head shot up at the sound of my voice saying his name.

"Ahh Dakota you made it." His voice was grateful but his eyes kept shooting down to his bloody lip, worry and concern filled his face but he said nothing.

"Let me get you something to clean that up." I excused myself to get him a wet warm rag and quickly made my way back into the dining room. I reached my hand out with the rag laying in my palm.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?" He snapped and looked up at me with a questioning look, making me gasp at his tone.

"Clean your lip, it's bleeding." I answered matter of factly.

"Oh I didn't even know. Thanks." He mumbled and took the rag and wiped his mouth. I didn't say anything else I just made his plate and sat it in front of him and sat back down and started to finish my food.

"I was just talking to Erika here and told her that we need her back down at the firm. She did an internship over the summer and we haven't had anyone with her talent in at least twenty years." Rick started to brag on me.

"Back down at the firm? You worked there?" Dakota asked disbelief filling his voice as he looked at me in shock.

"I did." I answered with a quick nod.

"She managed to get all the paperwork back on track, came in early and stayed late no job too big, no task impossible for Miss Erika here." Rick continued to brag on me which made me blush awkwardly. I was a perfectionist to say the very least and I also needed the distraction from being alone at home with Steve so like cheer I threw myself into the internship which made Steve look even better to his boss which worked out in my favor.

"That's my girl." Steve winked at me making my skin crawl. I picked up my glass of water and took a sip letting the cool liquid slide down my throat before I sat the cup down.

"Is this the chick you've been fucking behind moms back?" Dakota spat, his eyes narrowed into slits anger was swimming through his veins and sealing out of his pores. I choked on my drink when I tried to swallow it I ended up spitting most of it out in the process.

"Excuse me?!" I gasped in shock, Steve who was just beaming at me now shooting me daggers.

"Dakota!" His dad shooting him the same look that Steve was shooting me.

"What? It's true isn't it? You've clearly got a hard on for the chick with the way you're ranting and raving about her abilities." Dakota asked gesturing between me and his father meanwhile my heart rate sky rocketed and felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.

"No it's not true! I would never cheat on your mother!" Rick stood up, his chair scraping across the floor no doubt leaving scuff marks behind.

"Then how do you explain how much you want to kiss this chicks ass then? How come you're never home? You're gone all hours of the night "at work!" Dakota spoke venomously towards his dad. Steve gave me a look so that I knew I was in deep shit, even though I did nothing wrong here, I would be the one to pay for it.

"I've been putting together a presentation to share with the board on a partnership. I want to share the business 50/50 with someone so I can be home with my family! You show zero interest in taking on the company any time soon or even at all. That's why I've been working so late Dakota. I would never do anything to jeopardize my family." Rick spoke with sadness in his voice as he looked at his son who's eyes filled with regret before he too stood up and threw his napkin on his plate.

"Whatever." Dakota bolted out of the room and slammed the front door letting the windows rattle.

"Steve, Erika I am so sorry for my sons behavior. I'm sorry he ruined tonights meeting I wanted it to go perfectly. Steve it's not set in stone yet but it's in the works that I am working on making you my business partner. You work so hard, you've remained loyal to the company even after you've had a rough couple of years, you've earned it." Rick beamed up at Steve who perked up instantly.

"Oh Rick! Wow that's incredible I'm so honored!" Steve jumped up and grabbed Ricks hand shaking it obnoxiously.

"It's my pleasure. We will be ironing out details very soon. Now I'm sorry to cut this short but I've got to go find my son. Erika it was nice seeing you again, thank you for dinner it was lovely. Steve I'll see you tomorrow at work. Y'all have a good night." Rick excused himself and just like that I was alone. With Steve, who was now seething.

"What in the hell was that?! You embarrassed me!" Steve shouted making me jump out of my skin.

"Steve I swear I had nothing to do with that! It's not true, you know that!" I defended myself, my voice shaking in fear.

"You slept with him didn't you? You little slut! That's why he's making me his partner because you've been whoring around?" He roared even louder than before. He closed the distance between us and yanked me closer to him. I gasped once he closed his hand tightly around my wrist.

"I-I-I did-nt! I sswearrr!" I stuttered wincing in pain, he just squeezed harder.

"I don't believe this! Now I'm getting special privileges because you are a whore!" He lifted his other hand and bawled it up in a fist and in one swift motion with all of his force it collided with my face. I grabbed my eye right where his hand just hit. Tears brimmed my eyes and started to fall down my face. Normally I would never let him see me cry but this was too much.

"Steve I swear! I'm being honest! You have to believe me." I begged and cried hoping he would believe me, but he didn't. He lifted his hand and backhanded me across the face, my mouth filled with blood as the sores from yesterday reopened.

"I don't HAVE to do anything! You should be ashamed of yourself! You're going to pay for that!" He angrily spat through clenched teeth shoving me away from him sending me backwards into the wall, my back slammed against the window seal making the air in my lungs escape me causing me to gasp for air.

"Please Steve, I swear to God! I'm a virgin. I put that on my dads grave!" I cried as more and more tears streamed down my face.

"Don't bring him into this! Your precious daddy isn't here to defend you from this shit!" Steve mocked at the mention of my father, something so disrespectful yet typical of him to do. He grabbed both of my forearms and squeezed them so hard I would have cried out but I was broken inside. I stared at him blankly while the tears dried on my face.

"If you ever embarrass me like that again, I'll kill you. Clean this shit up." He spat venomously and shoved me to the ground with all his might and then walked away. I picked myself up off the floor trying to ignore the screaming pains in my legs, back, wrists, arms and face. I quickly cleaned the kitchen throwing away the food and putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I went upstairs to my room and went into my bathroom. I flicked on the light and once I was alone I stared at myself in the mirror and I broke down. A deep sob poured out of my lungs. My eye was now black, my lip was busted, the wound from yesterday was wider and blood was slowly oozing out and running down my cheek. I had bruises forming on one of my wrists and both of my forearms.

I slumped to the floor and fell apart. Tears followed by even more tears poured out of my eyes. I cried until darkness started to take over and I welcomed it happily to mentally escape this pain.