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"Sarah, look, you're gonna be okay. Okay, baby? Just breathe, relax. Everything's good. My guy's good. He's gonna take care of you."
"John B, take care of my girl. Sarah! You're a fighter, girl! Hold on! Hold on!"
"I'll take care of you, we're gonna get you to the doctor okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. Hey Sar just hang on okay. Everything's gonna be fine."
"When I go in it's going to cause a lot of bleeding. It may kill her or it may not kill her."
"Delilah Covey!" my voice echos throughout the history classroom as my head jolts up from it's resting spot on the wooden desk I'm sat in. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, making eye contact with JJ, who just shrugs.
"You are needed in the office, your mother is waiting." Mr. Sunn clears his throat as I blink several times in response. Why is my mom here?
"Now miss Covey, we don't have all day to sit and stare blankly." he deadpans and I immediately scramble to grab my backpack and my laptop, shoving it into the back pocket. I glance behind me and mouth 'I explain later' to the three of them before heading out of the door.
The office isn't too far from the history classroom so I arrive in a matter of seconds, my mother tapping her foot anxiously at the entrance of the room. "Oh thank god you are alright." she sighs in relief, pulling me into her chest.
She smells slightly of lilacs and vanilla and my mind wanders back to when she used to rock me to sleep as a child when Char and I would have nightmares.
"Mom what are you doing here? Did something happen?" I pull away for a second, searching her eyes for any clue as to what is going on.
"I'll explain everything in time. Do you have everything that you need from here?" she completely deflects my question but not wanting to argue with her, I nod. "Okay well let's get going, we're meeting someone for dinner."
"Mom what-" I start to ask but she shushes me, shaking her head, mouthing 'not here'. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
We hurriedly exit Kildare, making a beeline straight to her AUDI and I catch myself looking down at my phone just as a message pops up.
'Be careful li, call if you need anything. I mean anything at all. Promise? - Jay'
'I promise. - Li'
"Okay now can you please tell me what the hell is going on mom? Why are you taking me out of school in such a rush to meet someone for dinner? It's still the morning!" I say as soon as we get into the car, buckling our seat belts. "In time Delilah. Alora is meeting us at The Grove in 6 hours, so we need to get going."
Alora.... Where do I know that name? Then it clicks and my mind goes spiraling into the memory from a few nights ago.
"Yes, all because of you and your damn actions. She went back to the mainland to talk to Alora." he practically spits and I feel my head spin. "Who the fuck is Alora?"
He stays silent for a second before taking another step in my direction. "That's none of your fucking business Delilah Sage Covey! We don't need to go digging into my past right now!"
"Your past? Dad who is Alora!?" my voice comes out more as a shout and he just snaps, "She's my daughter okay?! There, you happy you bitch?!"
"Mom what does my half sister have to do with this?" she tries to withhold her composure as we round the corner, stopping at a red light. "How do you know about that?"
"While you were off on the mainland, dad almost strangled me to death, accusing me of killing Charlotte and ruining your marriage. He needs a shit load of therapy if you know what I mean." I sigh, my mother's eyes widening, worry coating her corneas.
"Delilah, why didn't you call for me to help you? I could have done something to help you."
"I'm okay now, just a few bumps and bruises here and there. JJ and Kie got me out before he could do anything else. I haven't seen him since. He's done worse and gotten away with it, you and I both know that." A shiver erupts down my spine as the memory of last summer resurfaces, one I've buried deep in my subconscious.
I had just come home from work and I was exhausted so I didn't even remember to check to see if his car was parked in front of the garage. That was my first mistake. I don't remember much from the encounter but I remember his face. He wasn't the same dad that pushed us on the swings anymore, that part of him was gone and it wasn't coming back. He broke six of my ribs that night, two puncturing my right lung . It felt like I was drowning and I was rushed into emergency surgery. My mom knew about it because she was the one who drove me to the hospital.
"He's never going to touch you again, you hear me! We are going to put his ass in jail for good." my mother's hands start to turn white from gripping the steering wheel too tight. "Mom, he's the sheriff. There is no way that that's going to happen, not if he has any say in it."
"You underestimate my ability to get shit done for the people I love, Deliah. Now we're here so just take a deep breath and follow me, " she looks at me, really looks at me, reaching over the console to squeeze my hand before getting out of the car.
"Here's a dress to change into, we are meeting her, her fiancé Keaton, and her younger sister Ophelia" she hands me a black dress I am almost certain it's too small but I go along with it, taking it from her grasp. Two sisters. Two whole people I have missed having in my life because my father is a stubborn asshole who had a whole 'nother family and kept them a secret.
I walk to the restroom slipping the dress on in the powder room, attempting to zip it up by myself but I am at odds. "Oh for fucks sake, just zip dammit" I curse, tugging at the zipper once more before groaning, collapsing onto the fainting couch.
"Need a hand?" A voice asks from behind me and I turn around, making eye contact with a girl around my age, curls protruding in layers from her head. "If you could that would be amazing. I have a dinner to get to and this isn't helping me get there on time. I'm already late."
She freezes as the words exit my mouth, her hands still on the zipper of my dress. "Oh my god you're her."
"I'm sorry, I'm who?" my eyebrows scrunch up in confusion as I ask. "You're the daughter. I can't believe I didn't realize sooner. I mean she didn't mention that you were pregnant so how was I supposed to know?" she rambles on, zipping up my dress with ease before she walks toward the door, her red heels clicking on the tile floor.
"What are you going on about? I don't even know-" I stop mid-sentence, looking into her eyes and my father's stare back. "Oh my god, Ophelia?"
✧✧ dun dun dun... don't worry I will update soon I promise but for now this is what you guys get. Now I really enjoyed writing this chapter and am really loving the next one coming up but you guys are going to have to wait for that one. I hope you guys enjoyed reading the chapter and go and appreciate this autumn weather. Till next time, au revoir!
