Words 1676
EMERY.
"Okay..." I mumble, adjusting myself in my seat. I now feel immense pain in my gut because of how nervous I am. "You know Chris?"
He perks up, his brows lifting. He nods. "Well... I'm only going to tell you half of it so you better be fucking listening." I say, avoiding the story, and he nods.
"I'm listening."
"Um..." I bite the inside of my lip and stir my now melted drink. "So, you know how Tailey and I go to parties, right?" He nods, "well, um... uh- she introduced me to Chris." I pause, taking a breath in. I'm telling him at my time, my pace. "And he is what you call a drug dealer, so..." I huff out a laugh, "he offered me some free 'samples'" I use air quotes. "And he ended up threatening me to pay for it and I didn't have the money so now I fuck him for payment. You're turn." I say quickly, letting out a breath.
Cole stares at me for a second and I feel my heart beat rapidly against my rib cage. Fuck, what if he didn't understand what I said? What if I have to repeat myself? I'm not fucking saying it again! He begins to shake his head and look out the front window. "That's not okay." He mumbles, "that's not okay at all..."
I roll my eyes, "well, that's how it is. Now what happened to you and Lilly?" I quickly cover my mouth. Damn it, I shouldn't have said her name. Fuck!
He doesn't even seem to be listening to me, "Emery, you can't do that." His voice seems to raise in volume. He shakes his head as he looks at me. Wow, thanks for telling me what to fucking do, dad. "Is there a limit to this 'fuck contract?'" I can see the concern in his eyes, but his tone is harsh. I wish I could take all of my words back. Fuck! What was I thinking telling him?
"It's not a fuck contract." I roll my eyes, looking away from his sympathy. "I just have four more times and then it's paid. I was supposed to go to his trailer tonight, but I... I couldn't do it." Fuck, I should just stop talking, but I know he won't stop nagging me if I do.
"Emery, that's prostitution. You can't do that."
"Why don't you stop telling me what I can and can't do! Fuck!" I shout, hitting my palm onto the steering wheel.
"So, when I walked in on you..."
"Yeah, okay? Yeah." I'm getting frustrated, but there's no going back. I should tell him the whole thing so he quits yapping about it like he is. "When you left us in the room, he made me finish with him, after I told him I didn't want to. That's when I started to realize how terrible I feel about this and that's why I don't want to go to his trailer tonight."
"That's rape, Emery. Fuck." He leans his head back on his seat, letting out a huge breath. "Even if you were conscious and understood what was going on, you didn't want it. That isn't okay. I think we should go to the police."
"Fuck no! Cole, you have no fucking idea what I've went through to make sure my parents didn't know. Okay, I'm trying my fucking hardest to keep it together. It's three more times and then it's over."
"Really?" He leans up in his seat, and I can tell he's getting ready to fight with me about it. "You really think that son of a bitch is going to keep his promise?"
"Cole, just shut the fuck up. I didn't tell you for you to yell at me." I roll my eyes.
"Then why did you tell me? What did you expect me to do?" Cole asks aggressively and I feel my throat close and tears form in my eyes.
"I don't know, Cole! Maybe some comfort! I didn't want to fucking do this in the first place, so don't yell at me for something I already fucking hate." My voice cracks multiple times through my quick words, and by the end of my sentence I'm sobbing. "I didn't fucking want this, okay?" I repeat, "I don't know how to fix it."
Cole sighs, his hand resting on my shoulder. "Hey, don't cry, okay? I'm sorry."
"How am I supposed to get out of this?" I say, trying to stop my river of tears.
"You should go to the police."
"I don't want my parents knowing." I say, shaking my head. Cole sighs, shrugging his shoulders.
"Don't you want him to leave you alone?" He questions and I sigh.
"Yeah..." I gulp, my breath shaking as I take a breath.
"Then we'll figure something out. We'll figure out a way to get him to leave you alone." Cole nods as he thinks, "you only see him at parties, right? He doesn't go to our school, does he?"
I shake my head, "mm-no, but sometimes we meet at the back of the gym." I explain, wiping my nose on my black shirt.
He takes a deep breath and I can tell he's thinking hard about this. I can also tell by his chest lifting quickly that he's also nervous. "You could just... stop replying to his texts."
"No, he... he threatens me if I do that. I can't do that." I lean my head on the steering wheel and Cole sighs again. I'm stressing him out!
"What if... what if we ask the cops to not tell your parents?" He questions and I can't help but smile softly at how innocent he is.
"No, it takes a lot to get someone sent to jail, my parents would definitely know." Learned from experience. Fuck, that was the worst day of my life. I loved Robby and mom had to call the cops on him. Such a fucking bitch.
Cole takes a deep breath for what seems like the thousandth time. "Has he ever been to your home?"
I shake my head, "he doesn't know where I live."
Cole nods, "okay... don't go to anymore parties and at school stick with me, okay?" He leans his elbow on the console, leaning closer to me. "Please." He adds and I nod my head.
"So... don't go to his house tomorrow?"
"Fuck no. You're staying with me." He nods, "and please think about calling the police on him, okay?" He sounds so calm and I'm beginning to love his new tone of voice.
"'Kay." I whisper. Fuck...
◉‿◉
TESSA.
"Auden! Don't shout." I scold my boy as I wipe down the kitchen island. He's been screaming every time he gets into a gun fight with one of those video game people. I think he's playing fork knife?
"Fuck, that was close!" Hardin yells at the TV and I roll my eyes at his insensitivity. I'd rather Auden not hear him cuss! But I'll give him credit, he has definitely gotten better.
I giggle at the memory of Hardin promising me he won't curse as much anymore. The first time I was pregnant he promised me this, and although it was difficult to stand by, he succeeded— For the most part.
"Hardin..." I warn as if I was his mother. He raises his eyebrows at me, assuming I'm calling his name because I need something. I just give him a soft smirk and disappear behind the small arch way joining the living room and the kitchen.
Hardin feels better now. He always recovers quickly, at least when I'm around. After the shower, I began dinner, and he sat on the couch watching Auden. I told him to text Emery a couple more times, maybe even call her but he told me to give her a little more time.
I don't understand how he could ever think he's a terrible dad or a bad influence. Yes, he has done some fucked-up shit in the past, but he's better now. If anything, that proves that he's a good father because he's changing for them; he's changing into a better person.
I look up at the clock hanging above the sink and take a deep breath in. "Hardin, I think it's time to call Emery. It's 8:30." I call into the living room.
He doesn't say anything and I begin to wonder if he even heard me. Soon I see him emerge from behind the wall arch, phone in hand. "Auden, turn down the TV, bud." He calls to Auden, and suddenly the sound of shooting guns gets quieter. "Do you want to talk to her?"
"No, you do it." I sigh, "she doesn't want to talk to me." He rubs my arm before scrolling through his phone. It begins to ring and I hold my breath. "What if she doesn't answer?"
"Then we'll call back." He explains, "it didn't go straight to voicemail meaning she is getting it."
After a few more seconds of ringing, I lean my head on his shoulder. My voice sounds whiny, but at this point, I don't care. "What if she doesn't come home?"
I feel Hardin's free hand pat my hair, his other holding his phone. "She will, Tess. She always does."
"But I really hurt her feelings and I didn't mean to." I mutter, the ringing suddenly stopping. I look over at his screen to find him tapping on her contact again. damn it, I thought she picked up!
"I know." He coos, his hand combing through my hair, messing up my curls. But I couldn't care less. "Just give her some more time. It's only 8:30. She usually comes home after midnight."
"Okay, but I'm staying up for her again. I don't want her coming home to a quiet, dark house."
He nods, "okay."
◉‿◉
𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎
This was one of my favorite chapters to write. This really describes Cole's character and I absolutely LOVE his character.
Chapter twenty eight: Dec. 14, 2020