This feels like the longest drive that I have ever been on. I woke up a few minutes ago and as the familiar buildings pass by I tell Xavier to take a left at the light.
I've been very anxious. So much that I haven't barely spoken a word. Even though Maddox doesn't know what is going on, he has been doing his best to distract me from my own mind.
" Park here." I say as we go down the familiar street.
Xavier parks a little ways away from the house so that they won't be spooked by the headlights. We all get out of the car and I look at all of them.
"I don't have a solid plan. My father is unpredictable and with his friend being with him it will make this harder. I can go in alone-"
"Absolutely not!"
"Fuck no."
"We're going with you Lai."
I let out a sigh. I knew that they would want to come, which made me feel better but at the same time I was scared. If my dad feels threatened and intimidated I'm not sure what he will do.
"First I need my grandma to be safe. I have to let her know that I am here somehow."
Walking up to the house. I hold out my hand, making them stop. I slowly make my way to the window before I crouch down and peek inside.
There on the couch is my father. He has a liquor bottle in hand as he converses with what I can only assume as his friend. It's hard to see him since he is on the recliner, facing away from the window.
Pricks.
Finally, grandma walks in with some tea. A sigh of relief leaves my lips before I take in her eyes that look absolutely terrified. I fully put my head into the window, which was risky but I needed her to know I am here for her. When she first sees me she is slightly startled, which was understandable.
I look like a peeping Tom.
I point towards her room before crouching back down and moving away from the window. Walking back to the guys, I look at Alec.
"Call 911, there is a restraining order against my father and he is breaking it."
He nods before walking a small ways away and he pulls out his phone.
I tell the rest of the guys that we were going to walk behind her house and enter through the back door. Hopefully, we can be in and out without being seen, and the cops can arrest him.
Sliding open the door, we all walk in and quietly head towards grandmas room. She sits on the edge of her bed with her face in her hands.
"Grandma, we need to go now." I whisper as I crouch down in front of her.
She quietly breaks down and I take her hands in mine. She looks in my eyes before nodding and she gets up.
"Where do you think you're going Eloise?"
I wince at my dad's voice before I fully turn around and face him at the door. The guys all look angry as they come face to face with Henry.
"What are all of you doing here?" he asks.
"I think it's best if you shut the fuck up and get out of our way." Quinn says taking a step towards my father.
He lets out a laugh before he sets his eyes on me.
"I'm doing nothing wrong boy. I am here to spend time with my mother."
Maddox quickly pulls me behind him as my father steps more into the room and the guys move in front of Henry to prevent him from going any further.
He lets out a laugh as he sees the gesture before pointing at me.
"Do you really want to protect a murderer? She killed her own mother, did you know that?"
No one says anything, making my dad smile.
"Eddy! Come back here, we have visitors."
Stumbling is heard down the hallway before a man stands at the doorway.
"And here I thought the night couldn't get any better."
Sirens blare close by, letting us know the police are close. My dad's eyes go wide as him and Eddy begin to make a run for it.
Maddox and Quinn quickly take off and run after them.
Rome and Xavier stay behind and we all walk out the front door where multiple cop cars and an ambulance are parked. Four cops begin running off as two come up to me and grandma. One quickly takes grandma to the ambulance to have her checked out while the other stays behind and questions me.
Rome and Xavier speak with another officer before I see Maddox and Quinn walking back with the cops. They both look angry and defeated before Maddox lays eyes on me. He quickly makes his way towards me before engulfing me in a hug.
"I'm sorry." he says.
I quickly hug him back before I feel grandma place a hand on me. I turn around and she pulls me into a hug. She sobs quietly in my shoulder as I tightly hold her.
"What now?" I ask.
" Well it was supposed to be a surprise for the next time I saw you.. but I got the house."
I quickly look at her and a smile takes over my face. On my last visit, grandma was finalizing the paperwork to sell the house to a lovely couple, the Johnson's. She has been trying to buy a house in South Carolina for a while now, where she met grandad.
"I was supposed to move out in two weeks, but with everything that has happened, I'd like to move out as quickly as I can. He won't be in jail for long when they catch him and knowing my son, he isn't happy. So, I think I will take a trip to South Carolina to make sure everything is in place for the house and if so, I will move in earlier than expected." she says with a small smile.
"How soon do you want to leave?"
"Now would be wonderful, but-"
"But nothing, let's find you a ticket." I say.
The cops soon leave after informing me that my dad and Eddy are officially on the run. They sent out a BOL, and are hoping to find them both soon.
Sitting on the steps, grandma and I find that there is a ticket to South Carolina on a plane that leaves in two hours. She quickly buys it, and I can see the immediate relief on her face.
" Help me pack? " she asks.
I nod and we begin to head inside. Grandma abruptly stops before turning around.
"It's nice to finally meet all of you." she says.
The guys quickly introduce themselves and grandma sets her eyes on Maddox before letting out a hum.
"You take care of my girl, understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
I let out a laugh and grandma does to. We begin to pack her things while the guys stand outside and wait. After we finish up, we take one last look and make sure we got everything.
" Do you want me to come with you for those two weeks? " I ask.
"I'll be fine dear, but you will come visit me when I get settled in. " she says.
I nod and she smiles.
"I want to give you something. " she says as she rummages through her nightstand.
She hands me a large envelope with my name written on it. I immediately recognize my grandfathers handwriting and I gently brush over it. Opening it, I see the large amount of money along with a necklace. My hands instantly grab the necklace and take it out.
The thin gold chain has a heart locket on it. As I open it, I see a picture of me and my mother. Tears fall down my eyes as I place the necklace close to my heart. I quickly put it on before I hand the money back to her.
" I can't accept the money grandma. " I say.
" Yes you will. Your grandfather made me promise to give this to you when the time was right. I would've given it to you when Ivy was born, but I didn't want you to think that I thought you couldn't provide for her. "
I pull her in for a hug before I close the envelope.
"Thank you."
She smiles at me and we get her bags. The guys put them in the trunk before we all pile into the car.
"Ready?" Xavier asks.
"South Carolina here I come." she replies.
After the short drive to the airport and a tearful goodbye, I get back in the SUV and realize how exhausted I am. I look at the guys and I know they are as well.
"I'll get us a hotel, no one is driving anymore tonight." I say.
Maddox pulls out his wallet and I quickly slap it away, telling him it was on me since they came all the way here for me and grandma. He sighs before putting it away, and with that I book three hotel rooms and give Xavier the address.
I decided on a nicer hotel, because the guys deserve it.
" Hi, reservation for Willow?" I say as we all pile inside the lobby.
"Enjoy your stay. " the lady handing me two cards.
" Level one is our bar, open 24/7. Dinner is over but we have a thing called "midnight snack" where we will have snacks and drinks for everyone."
We take the elevator to the 10th floor and we open it to see a fully equipped room with two large beds.
" I call this room. " Quinn says running inside and diving into the bed.
" Me too! " Xavier says.
I look at Rome and Alec before handing them a card. They look at me a bit shocked.
"There was no way I was going to have ya'll bunk with anyone. It's on the 11th floor, room 30K." I say with a smile.
Turning towards Maddox, he quickly wipes the grin off his face. Knowing I caught him, he gives me a dorky smile.
"I can bunk with Xavier-"
"No there's another room with two beds, now let's go." I say.
Rome and Quinn laugh and we all enter the elevator. The two head off and we go up one more level before stopping outside the room.
We head inside and I almost smack myself as I see the one bed.
"Well well, if you wanted to sleep with me all you had to do was ask."
I swat his arm before I place my things on the bed. Suddenly my stomach rumbles and Maddox laughs at me.
"Let's go see what the midnight snack is all about, I am hungry too." he says.
Heading back down, I spot all the snacks and drinks available.
" Holy shit. " I mumble.
Maddox laughs at me before we grab some boxes and grab a few snacks and drinks. Heading back to our room, I instantly dive into the food while Maddox turns on the tv and finds a movie.
We settled on a true crime documentary and eat in a comfortable silence.
" I'm glad you're here." I say looking at him.
" I'm glad I'm here too." he says smiling
" So I guess an explanation would be good now." I say with a sad laugh.
"Not if you don't want to. " he says.
With a sigh, I tell Maddox everything. How my mother died, my father blaming me, abusing me, everything up until now. By the time I am done, I am a sobbing mess while Maddox tightly holds onto me.
"He burned everything that was her. Her clothes, pictures, personal items. I had nothing until now.." I say opening the locket.
"She was beautiful, you look just like her. If only I would've known, I could've ran harder or looked harder...something, anything. I am sorry Adalaide." he says.
"It isn't your fault, please don't blame yourself for him getting away." I say.
"Most of my wounds didn't scar, but there are a few small ones here and there. On my thigh, it is the biggest scar. It was the last time he had hurt me before gram found out and she took me away from him."
"Your arm, that was him? "
I nod, looking down and rubbing over the tender cut. The stitches are out and it's still slowly healing. My bruises have gone from angry reds and purples to a soft green and yellow.
"I went to see him, it felt wrong at the time to leave without seeing him and I had hope that maybe he'd of changed a little...I was wrong."
" I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I- "
" You don't have to apologize Lai , I understand and thank you for sharing this with me. He will never hurt you again do you understand? "
I shrug before nodding.
" How do you just shrug it off? " he asks.
" It hurts badly knowing your father hates you and blames you for the death of your mother. But I know it isn't my fault, I know he's hurting and he's choosing drugs and alcohol to fill the hole in his heart that was my mother , that doesn't give him a right to hurt me , but I could either let it ruin my life like he ruined his , or I could grow from it , become stronger from it , and become a better parent to Ivy from it. "
Maddox looks at me for a moment before he hugs me. I find comfort in the hug, peace.
" I should've killed him." he says after a moment.
"It wouldn't anything that happened, besides you have a career to think about. "
He says nothing as I snuggle closer to him and close my eyes.
" Rest , I've got you. " he whispers.
Chapter 11!
Whewww
What do we think?
Maddox?
Henry?
Grams?
Edited :p