Daddy Issues (18+)

Chapter 6 • A Cat's Cutting Board

"What?" I asked, trying to act as if I didn't know what he was talking about. "That... bruise!" He trailed off, my stomach flipped upside down and tangled into knots. I felt nauseous and gross. Disgusted as I looked down at the bruise I caused myself. My face burned red, "I-I," I stammered out.

"How did you get it?" He asked and I looked up at him, wide eyed with my gaping lips. His eyes still settled on my bruise, that worsened by the hours and days. I placed my other arm on top of my bruised arm, covering it. He sent me a glare and questioned, "who gave it to you?" My eyes widened more than I knew they could.

"What.. ?" I quietly asked, "what do you mean, who?" I furrowed my eyebrows and lowered my eyes to the floor. "No one did this to me. I fell, that's all," I said in hopes of him believing me. He lifted his eyes to me, "it doesn't look like just falling could cause that." I swallowed the huge lump in my dry throat and croaked out, "well that's what happened-," I interrupted myself and cleared my throat, "so I don't know what else to tell you."

He fixated back onto my arm, which was still covered and questioned, "okay, then what about those scratches or cuts.. or-or whatever those are on your arm?" I bowed my head down, just wanting to go home now.

First my mom and now Stephen were asking about these? Fuck, who's next? Strangers on the street, my dad? I lifted my head up with an excuse in mind, "my cat scratched me." It was a lie, but so was everything else, one more couldn't hurt, right? He looked down and shook his head with his tongue running across his teeth, as he had a sarcastic, lazily grin on his lips.

His face fell flustered and repeated, "a cat?" I nodded and his eyes avoided mine, as he sighed and went to open his mouth, my phone began ringing, interrupting him from whatever he was about to say. Which made me ecstatic that this awkward conversation was put on pause.

I whispered, "sorry," and took my phone out of my side purse. It was my mom, I answered, "hello?" Stephen turned towards the window and I almost sighed in relief. It was so uncomfortable now, that at this point I had been praying that somehow I'd wake up and realize I had been dreaming this entire time. But before this dream could end, slurs interrupted my thoughts.

"Janie!" Screams jumped out of my phone from both my mother and Pamela. I looked down and closed my eyes, as a sigh left my lips.

They went through their whole bottle of wine, didn't they? And now it's kicking in, huh? "Where are you?" She asked and I could practically smell her breath through the phone at the moment, yuck. "Uh, I'm-," I trailed off, biting my lip.

"I'm with Sammy like I said, remember?" I said, mumbling a bit.

"Oh right, how is she?" She asked. "Sammy's great mom," I said, seeing out of the corner of my eye, Stephen's back now towards the glass as he stared at me, with his muscular arms crossed over his chest.

"Let me talk to her!" She enthusiastically said. I sat forward more and tightly shut my eyes. Oh no, this isn't good. "Sammy's.." I nervously trailed off.

"In the bathroom," I said staring at Stephen out of the corner of my eye. Hearing drunken laughs from the other side of the phone, I said, "well, I'm going to be coming home, so I'll see you soon, okay?" I hung up, not bothering to hear anymore. As I realized why she called, because the wine or honestly whatever they drank was getting to her head.. well more like her lips.

"I-I," I stuttered out, as I put my phone into my purse with a sigh, I met his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have to go," I stood up. He followed my abrupt actions and walked up to me, leaving his arms in the same crossed position.

"Oh, alright. Well do you want a ride home?" He questioned and I shook my head, letting my eyes meet the floor below me.

"Oh you don't have to, thank y-," he cut me off. "No, I want to. I don't mind," he said, letting his arms falling to his side.