Lessons In love (Waterloo road)

32

"Your dad was a jerk. An absolute jerk. He was vile to me before I got pregnant. He made out I was a monster. Well I'm not. Your father broke me. He was abusive."

Sophie frowned. She was confused. "He was abusive? What did he do to you?" She asked.

"Kicked me. Punched me. Forced me into sex. You name it, he did it," her mum said.

Sophie knew she was lying. Her dad wasn't like that. And she wasn't going to let it go on. She sighed. "I know my dad. And I know he's not like that," she told her.

"And you know him so well. He walked away from you remember. He left you. So you clearly don't know him as well as you thought you do," Claire said.

Sophie rolled her eyes. She looked to her. "I know him a lot better than you. And the girl he's been seeing knows him all too well. So don't sit there and badmouth my dad. I came for answers about why he left. And all you've done is badmouth him," she said.

"You want to know why he left you? He didn't want you. I didn't want you. But yet I kept you. I should have walked away too. Left you alone."

Sophie looked to her. "You can think that. Guess what. I have a mum who loves me. I have a little sister who I won't ever let anyone hurt. You... you're gonna be left to rot," she said as she grabbed her coat and walked off.

Claire grabbed her and smirked. "You know, you're a vile little bitch. And you're going to suffer. Your dad will soon get bored of you. And he will leave. You deserve to be alone."

***

Max and Madison were in the car. Madison looked to him. "If we don't find her, I will kill you with my bare hands," she said.

"We're going to find her. I know Sophie. And I know we are going to find her," Max said.

"I hope so. She's my little girl. And I just can't lose her. Evie can't lose her," Madison mumbled. She knew how she loved Sophie as if she had given birth to her.

Max smiled. "She loves you too. You're the best mum that girl will ever have. I just hope that the vile bitch who gave birth to her hasn't filled her head with crap," he said.

***

Sophie was sitting in a cafe. She was trying to get her head around everything that had gone on. Her mum. And how she had said Max was abusive.

Sophie knew how he wasn't always the best dad. But he wouldn't ever be abusive. She needed to know why she would say that.

"Sophie?"

Sophie turned to see Madison there. She stood up and threw herself into Madison's arms. "I'm sorry," she sobbed.

"It's okay. Let's get you home. Your dad is in the car," Madison told her as she held her close.

***

It was a few days later when Sophie heard a knock at the door. Madison was fetching Evie and Max was working. She opened the door and saw Tom. "Hi."

"Hey. I heard you were back."

Sophie looked to him. She pulled him close and kissed him. Not realising how her trip to London was far from over.