A hundred feet away from Abby's house, they noticed that her fathers car was parked in the driveway and the lights were turned on in the kitchen. "Someone is home." Steven said, worried now what that would mean for her.
Taking her hand in his, Steven asked, "will you be all right?"
"Yes, I need to get out of here if you don't mind." She pulled her hand away and opened the car door.
Steven was worried for her, the expression on her face told him all he needed to know. "Call me as soon as you can." He told her as she was exiting his car.
He watched her enter her house through the back door and then he pulled to the side of the curb, turned off the front lights on his car and waited. Steven was growing anxious by the minute and he lit a cigarette to relieve his nerves.
Abby walked into her house, her stomach had turned to knots as she stepped inside and shut the door.
"Where the hell were you all day!" Her father bellowed. "I called you many times and you didn't even have the decency to answer your fucken phone!"
Abby froze in her steps when she witnessed her father walking towards her. "I....Im...I'm sorry, the volume must have been turned off."
Her father pushed her and she fell backwards. "Who do you think you are?" He spat, and kicked her hard on the ribs. "This is my castle and I'm in charge here and you know your curfew!"
Ignoring the stabbing pain, Abby slowly lifted herself to her feet, "Father please, I'm sorry I lost track of time."
With his huge body, he rammed her up against the wall, Abby could smell the alcohol on his breath and her heart raced with fear.
"You bitch," he seethed, and grabbed her boobs in the palm of his hands and twisted them, closing his eyes, his heavy breathing turned harsh as he roughly caressed her.
Abby wanted to vomit, he was hurting her mentally and physically. Placing her hands on his shoulders she pushed him off her and tried to run, but he grabbed her by her hair and threw her across the room.
She went flying across the kitchen and smashed against the wall. Slowly she slipped to the floor in severe pain. Her father waddled to where she lay crying and dropped to the floor next to her.
"You think your fake tears will save you?" He growled, "I know deep down you want this!" He slipped his hands between her legs, "all whores enjoy this!"
"Father stop!" She cried, and with all her might she pushed him off her and stood to her feet. "If you ever touch me again in that way I will call the police and you will go to jail!"
Abby could see the anger building in her fathers eyes, as he tried to get up but failed, and fear gripped her. She found this opportunity to run to her room, but her fathers hand snaked out and wrapped around her ankle.
"Bitch where do you think you're going!"
Abby fell on the ceramic tiled floor with a thud, and shooting pain consumed her. "Please stop!" She cried, "leave me alone!"
She kicked him with her left foot and shot to her feet again, and dashed up the stairs as fast as her feet could take her. When she entered her room she closed and locked the door and burst into uncontrollable tears.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" She screamed, and threw her body on the bed and cried hysterically.
*************
Steven waited and waited, but she never called him and he was tempted to call her, but he wanted to wait a little bit longer just in case her parents were lecturing her. He felt horrible that he brought her home late and hated himself for it.
As the minutes ticked by Steven's stomach twisted in knots and he couldn't wait any longer, so he reached for his iPhone and dialed her number, but it went straight to voicemail. Expelling a sigh, he texted her and when she didn't answer that too, he called her again and again.
**************
Not able to speak to anyone least of all Steven who she knew would have a fit should he detect something was wrong, Abby didn't answer Steven's calls or texts.
Terrified that her mother will come home and find out what had happened, Abby tried to gather her scattering thoughts and think of something to tell her mother if she suspected something went wrong. One never knew what a drunk man can say or do.
The iPhone kept ringing and ringing until Abby finally decided to answer the call, "Hello?"
"What happened?" Steven sounded anxious, "I was about to pound on your door to rescue you!"
"I'm sorry, I forgot to call you and went straight to take a shower and didn't hear the phone." She lied, "and now I have a headache and need to rest."
Steven was quite on the other end of the line, trying to understand what she was telling him. Nothing made sense to him, but he chose to leave it alone for tonight, and talk about it tomorrow.
"Fine go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning," Steven told her. "Love you."
"Love you too." Abby said, before she ended the call.
Something was not right, and Steven would have to get it out of her tomorrow, he thought, as he started the engine and headed home.
When Steven reached his house and he showered and got in bed, he texted Abby.
{ thinking of you.}
But he never received an answer. Closing his eyes, Steven forced himself to sleep.
*************
Waking up early, Steven dressed quickly and left the house. He got into his car and called Abby right away. "Talk to me." He told her when she finally answered her phone.
"I don't know what you want to know." She lied again.
"What happened yesterday?"
"Nothing, I got a lecture from my father and then I went to my room."
"I'm outside come out!" Steven told her.
"Give me a few minutes please."
Steven waited patiently for more than ten minutes, but when Abby finally came to his car, she didn't look too happy to see him. When she got inside the car Abby didn't even speak to him until a few minutes later when he asked her if she had a good night sleep.
"No I couldn't sleep." She told him truthfully.
Steven took her hand in his and squeezed it, "I missed you."
Abby didn't answer, she was still wounded mentally and physically from the ordeal the night before. Steven knew something was amiss, but didn't say anything yet.
When they drove into the school parking lot, Steven parked and then got out of his car, he walked around to the other side and opened the door for Abby. He then grabbed her backpack and threw it over his shoulder and when Abby got out of the car he slammed the door shut.
Without waiting Abby was already a few feet ahead of him and by now he knew something was desperately wrong. He caught up to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and she stiffened and cried out in pain.
"What?" Steven asked, concerned laced in his voice, "what is it?
"Nothing," she lied, trying to hide the pain he inflicted on her by touching her where there were bruises from the night before, her body was bruised and in pain underneath her clothes, but she wasn't about to tell him that.
The short walk to the school doors, Steven was confused, he pulled the door open and stepped aside for Abby to enter and when they reached the locker, Steven placed her back pack on the floor and pulled Abby into his arms.
Abby winced with pain and Steven immediately let her go, finally realizing the truth. "You're in pain!"
Abby didn't answer, her eyes lowered to her feet.
"Why didn't you say something, why did you keep this from me!" His voice was hoarse and demanding.
"I didn't know how to tell you."
"How bad are you hurt!"
"I'll be fine!" She told him, and raised her tearful gaze up at him, "I'm a survivor."
"Jesus Abby," Steven inhaled sharply, "how long has this been going on?"
Her heart pounded against her chest, she should never have admitted anything to him, "Please, I don't want to talk about it!" Grabbing her backpack, Abby hurriedly walked away and headed straight to her class.
Steven stared after her in disbelief, he was dumbfounded by what he had just learned and mad at himself knowing that he couldn't do a damn thing to fix this.
"Hey Steven where's Abby?" Claire who appeared out of nowhere chirped.
"I need to ask you something," Steven said, his eyes piercing into hers, "how long has Abby's father been abusive to her?"
At first Claire didn't understand and she thought he was asking about the incest, "What do you mean?"
"We went to Botanic Gardens yesterday and I took her home late," Steven explained, "she hasn't been herself this morning and when I touched her she was in pain, she has bruises on her body!"
"Oh no," Claire said, "Bastard!"
"Has her father been abusive?"
Tears welled in her eyes, "I'm not at liberty to say."
Grabbing her by the shoulders Steven's stormy eyes bore into hers, "Tell me!" He demanded hoarsely, "I need to know!"
A tear glided down her face, "The physical abuse is the least of it," she explained."
"Jesus!" Steven raked his fingers through his hair, "what else is going on in Abby's home!"
"If I tell you, you must not tell Abby I said anything she will kill me!" Claire warned.
Time stood still, and Steven held his breath knowing he won't like what he was about to hear.
"Her father is an alcoholic and he sexually ...."
"What!" Steven yelled, "I'm going to kill him!"
Banging his fist against the locker, Steven dented the metal, and Claire was frightened and took a step back.
"No please," Claire begged, "you can't tell anyone least of all Abby that I told you, she will never speak to me again!"
Releasing a harsh sigh, Steven tried to calm down, "Has her father......"
Claire shook her head, "No but it's only a matter of time before he does."
Closing his eyes, Steven swore under his breath, "I can not let anything happen to her, if her father lays a another finger on her I will strangle him!"
"Please Steven, say nothing." Claire pleaded, "Abby is a strong girl and she can defend herself, in time she will confess to you, so please don't say anything to her!"
"Does that have anything to do with her appearance?"
Claire nodded, "Her true beauty attracts too much negative attention and Abby doesn't like that, she doesn't have a vain bone in her body. She feels safer when she dresses the way she does."
"Does Jeff know?"
Claire shook her head, "No, Abby's was ashamed to tell him, I'm the only one she has trusted this with, if Jeff found out he would have called the police I'm sure of it, he is very protective of Abby."
"Does her mother know!"
"Abby will never tell her mother," Claire confided. "Her mother won't be able to handle such a thing, and Abby adores her mother."
"Excuse me," the security lady yelled from down the hall, "have you not heard the second bell ring, do you want detention?"
"I'm sorry I must go, and please do not speak a word of this Abby!" Claire said, before she hurried down the hall to her class.
Steven was not able to concentrate, what Claire had just confessed to him shook up his world. What kind of a father touches his daughter inappropriately? Not even alcoholics do that!
He leaned against the locker and closed his eyes, his heart hammered against his chest, and he knew that if he didn't try to calm himself he would hunt her father down and kill him.
"Looks like you need to see your counselor," the security lady told Steven, "come on now, follow me."
Steven opened his eyes and collected his books that lay by his feet. He followed the security lady to the counselors office not caring that he was in trouble. His mind was still on Abby, and how he was going to rescue her from her father.
"This here boy was hanging around in the hallway and not getting to class!" The security lady told the counselor, and then she left the office and went to check the bathrooms.
"Sit down." Mr. Brown said calmly. "What is your problem, why are you not in class, don't you know there is less than a month of school left, you desire to go to Princeton do you not, so why would you play around with your future?"
Steven had no answer for Mr. Brown, all he could think of is how much physical and mental pain Abby was in.
"I will let this be a warning to you," Mr. Brown said, "do not mess with your future, you will live to regret it!"
Steven stood to his feet and walked towards the door.
"Do you understand what I have said?" Mr. Brown asked, "will you obey the school rules?"
"Yes." Steven threw over his shoulders, as he exited and headed to his class.
***********
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