The Beautiful Ones

45- That's A Weak Defense

Alice’s POV

“Lance!” I screeched, chasing after him. I didn’t know exactly what happened because I wasn’t in hearing range, but I think that Lance found out about Zoey’s dad hitting her, because he looked really mad and then he just stomped away from Zoey and she looked mad too, so they obviously just had a fight about something and it had to of been something really serious because they never fight, they’re like the perfect siblings. “Lance, please stop walking so fast, I’m in heels.”

He spun around and then glared at me, which was very unnecessary, I think. We weren’t fighting so there was no reason for him to be glaring at me. “Did you know?” He asked me.

“Of course I knew.” I admitted.

“And you didn’t find this little fact important to tell me?” He wondered angrily.

“I know that it’s important and I get why you’re mad, but Zoey had a good reason for not telling you what happened so just hear her out.” I tried to reason with him, which I knew was almost pointless but I had to at least try.

“No,” He deadpanned. “I knew that he was a horrible person, but I didn’t think he was as horrible as that. I’m going to kill him.”

“You can’t do that, you stupid head, that’s why she didn’t want to tell you in the first place, because she knew that you’d do this.” I told him, trying to get him to calm down for Zoey’s sake. “Listen to me, Lance.”

“I can’t right now.” He grumbled.

“Well then calm down and then listen to me.” I pleaded, putting a hand on his shoulder to keep him from walking away from me, which would have been really bad. “Because Zoey needs you to understand.”

“Were you there?” Lance asked me, obviously calming down just a little bit.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. “No, I was already gone and trust me, I left that man a hefty amount of violent voicemails and your mom sure gave him hell for it too and he didn’t get off easy for what he did. In fact, because of that, Zoey made an agreement with Janet to take a year off if she goes to a university next year. They’re on better terms now.”

“That doesn’t mean that I can’t do anything about it.”

I nodded. “Yes, it does. Zoey doesn’t want you barging in and tearing apart your family even more, that’s what she told me and that’s why she didn’t tell you anything, because she’s afraid that if you interfere then she won’t have parents anymore. And honestly, being hit by a grown man doesn’t really hurt that bad, it was just the flying through the coffee table that was probably a bummer.”

“How the hell would you know?” Lance asked me with wide eyes.

“Oh, come on, Lance,” I snorted. “You really don’t think that my dad’s hit me before?”

“Wait, what?” He yelped incredulously. “You never told me that.”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t exactly come up in conversation, Lance. It was a long time ago and it’s really not a big deal so let’s just go eat now so you can talk to Zoey and tell her that you won’t intervene.”

“How long ago?” He asked me curiously

I shrugged again. “I dunno, like when I was thirteen, I think. He hit me a few times back then but when I turned fourteen or fifteen, he just stopped talking to me all together. Just an eternal cold shoulder, I guess. Seriously, let’s just go back to the pizza.” I pleaded softly, tugging on his hand. I really didn’t want to have this conversation with him because that history is in the past and it’s stuff that I just don’t want to even ever think about again.