To Capture a Heart ✔️

Chapter 39

I get home at the same time as Louis and dad. He looked hungover, but he was functioning enough. As soon as we get into the house, Louis runs up the stairs an into his bedroom. I would have followed him, but I was thirsty and my bottled water was empty.

After having a drink, I turn to see dad watching me from the entrance to the kitchen. When I try to walk past him, I feel his hand wrap around my wrist. My body stiffens and I immediately freeze, my breath catching in my throat.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" He whispers, venomously. I try to twist my wrist out of his grasp, but he tightens his grip on me.

"What?"

"Do you think I don't notice that you're never home? You can't easily fool me, Kaylee." He spits, pushing me back slightly. I lose my balance and stumble, my back hitting the counter behind me.

"I was at my friend's house-"

"Shut your fucking mouth." Every time dad loses his temper, it's never this bad. Only on mum does he act out like this, but never with me. Yes, he's put his hands on me but it was always just a spontaneous slap. It was never like this. "Remember, you're your mother's daughter. She was a fucking whore, and so are you."

My stomach drops. I feel my mind spinning out of control and my heart starts to race. Where is this going? I needed to get out of this situation before it escalates. I needed to escape from his wrath, I didn't want anything bad to happen to me.

"Dad-"

"I know you're spending time with that fucking boy, and I won't allow it!" He takes a step towards me and I try to back up but the counter was behind me. "If you think I'm going to let you run around like a little whore, then you are severely mistaken, young lady!" His hand slams on the counter and I flinch away from him.

"I'm not running around with him-"

"I said-" His hand turns into a fist and collides with the side of my face. "-shut the fuck up!"

I stagger to the side, clutching my face as I keel over in pain. A straggled sob leaves my throat and my other hand shakily covers my face.

I hate him and yet, I can't stop loving him.

When I look up at him, his eyes are wide, like he couldn't believe what he had just done. The worst thing is... he didn't even have to be drunk to hit me. He didn't need to have no control of his actions to hit me. This was just him. It was him and he wasn't influenced by anything else.

My cheeks a soaked in tears and my eyesight is blurry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit him back. I wanted to stand up and shout, Give me back my childhood, you fuck!

Dad turns around, rushing out of the kitchen and out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I stay stuck in the position i'm in for another minute, my feet stuck to the floor. My hand is still on my cheek and tears are flowing freely out of my eyes.

When I finally make it up the stairs, I instantly go to Louis' room. When I walk in, I see him curled on the bed, his body shaking from crying. I sit next to him, hugging him to my body. Louis rests his head in my lap, his sobs racking through his body. I hold him tighter, resting my chin on his head. My tears fall onto his hair and we both stay like this. Holding each other, being a shoulder to cry on.

"We'll get through this." I whisper into his hair. "I promise you, we'll get through this."

***

Just as I'm about to drift off to sleep, I hear a knock on the window. Shit. Every now and then, Ferris would sneak in to my room at night and we'd cuddle until he had to go. In all the commotion of the day, I had completely forgotten.