"Love and Pain." ~~~~~~A LEGACIES STORY

Chapter 21: The Break Up

"Alexa. Hey." Hope wakes me up from my sleep. "Your dad wants to talk to you."

After getting dressed, I walk to the basement. My dad looks horrible when I see him. He has black eyes and a bloody nose. He tries to give me a small smile.

"Dad?! Dad, what happened?"

He spits some blood out of his mouth. "Why don't you ask your little girlfriend? She payed me a visit this morning."

"What? No. I was with Hope. Besides she wouldn't do something like this."

"Oh, but she did." He laughs a little before almost passing. I catch him and laying him on the mattress. "Alexa, you're my daughter. That's why I'm going to tell you this. Break up with your girlfriend. Something horrible is coming, Alexa, and she will only cause trouble."

He suddenly starts to wince. His back arches as he starts to pant for breath. "Dad? Dad what's happening?"

My dad shakes his head. Something about the way he does it tells me that it hurts him. "I can't say. If I say, then I could die. All I can say is that sometimes when I say things... that isn't really me. I need you to get out of here, Alexa." He buries his face into the wall.

My mind is spinning. My head starts to hurt. "No." My dad quickly turns back around.

"I said get out!" His voice throws me off. I quickly get off of the ground and run up to Hope's room. She is doing her homework and flashes me a huge smile.

"Hey babe."

"Don't." I slam the door behind me causing Hope to jump.

"What's going on, Alexa?"

Hope tries to stop me from pacing. She grabs the hand that was running through my hair and tries to calm my breathing. "Hey. Hey. Talk to me."

For a moment, I start to trust her, but that moment is short lived. "No! Don't do that."

Hope doesn't jump back when I push her. She just stands there. "Tell me what is happening, Alexa."

"You hurt my dad!" My pacing continues.

"What? No." Hope has a shocked look on her. She looks at me begging me to believe her with her eyes. "I would never do that."

"He had bruises all over him. He had a black eye. My dad was hurt Hope and you did it. How can I even look at you right now?"

She looks hurt by what I said. Her eyes continue searching me for some sort of emotion other then anger and hurt. She isn't going to find any. I'm angry and hurt at the same time.

Hope doesn't say anything. She walks slowly towards me. "Don't come any closer, Hope."

She continues walking towards me. "I mean it, Hope!" When I try to walk past her, she catches me. Her eyes look desperate as she places her hands to my face.

"Just trust me." We both slowly close our eyes. Hope's breathing is smooth and calm while mine is wild and fast.

She shows me what's in her mind. My dad and Hope are in the basement talking.

"Your daughter was amazing, Will. She handled the pain really good." Hope smiles a little at my dad. "I'm sorry that this is the first time you've met me. I should've came sooner."

My dad stays quiet. He eyes Hope. "I don't like you."

Hope's smile fades. "Excuse me?"

My dad stands up, his chain clinking. Hope stands up too with an eyebrow raised. "You are the one thing standing in the way of me completing my task."