When I woke up to the sun shining and the birds chirping, I was convinced today would be the best day of my life. I would lay in bed with Holden all day, watching vulgar comedies to our hearts' delight. We would talk about anything and everything, both of us elated at our newfound engagement. Just as we were meant to go to bed for the night, he would pull me as close as he possibly could, whispering how he couldn't wait to marry me and calling me both "fiancée" and "missus" until we separated into similar dream worlds.
The best day of my life was shot to hell the second my dad walked into the building.
Holden's entire face has gone pale and I can feel his hand tightening around my arm. I know what he's thinking; Holden wants to get me away from this man as quick as he can. On the other hand, however, he wants to pound my father's face in until it's unrecognizable.
I'd be happy with him doing either, but for some reason I settle with a third option.
"I asked you how you found me," I repeat.
My dad glances between Holden and I, trying to assess the situation. He's always had the upper hand against me, and he's trying to judge if he can still maintain that upper hand now. He can't, but I decide to let him figure it out for himself. With how weird this situation is, I can't even focus on my lack of clothing or what Holden and I look like to my dad.
"You've been talking to your brother," he states. He makes it sound like it was an obvious answer, but I still don't know how he would've gotten the address. This is not only a private apartment, but also a private gym.
"How did he know where I was?" I force my voice to be strong.
"Lucas told him."
Taking a step back into Holden, I press a hand against my forehead. Holden wraps his arms around me, tightly, as if shielding me from my dad. I'm surprised he didn't try to move forward immediately at the mention of Luke, but I decide not to point it out and make him more mad.
"Luke didn't seem to know where Eli was when we spoke last," I spit, gritting my teeth. Even when he's not in my life, Luke always seems to be making things more difficult for me.
My dad shakes his head, taking one step toward me and I move back, causing Holden to stumble at my sudden movement.
"Eli found Luke last night," my dad shrugs. "Said he tracked him down after some boxing match or something."
Although I want to look at Holden, I know that wouldn't be a smart idea right now. My dad seems to be in a decent mood, which is something I don't want to shake. I'd rather everyone get out of this encounter unscathed. Panic shoots through me at the thought of Eli searching for Luke. There's no way something positive came from it.
"Is Luke still alive?"
My dad looks at me like I'm crazy, "Of course he is."
I nod, slightly relieved, "So what? Eli found Luke and made him say where I was? That doesn't make any sense."
"Your brother wanted me to talk to you," he explains. "Said he was worried you had gotten yourself into a dangerous situation."
Instinctively, I know Holden's going to move. My arms reach out immediately, wrapping tightly around him as a reminder to stay put. Holden half-heartedly struggles against me for a moment before finally relenting. Instead of moving back behind me, he shifts so he's slightly in front of me, fulfilling the role of a barrier between my father and I.
"I'm the safest I've ever been," I say quietly, keeping my grip on Holden to ensure he doesn't go anywhere.
"You were safest at home." I don't like my dad's tone; it's too demanding, too much a reminder of what I left behind in the first place.
YOU ARE READING
KNOCKOUT
Teen Fiction***SEQUEL to FIGHT*** The last word she said to him was "fight." And that's exactly what he did. Tatum and Holden seem to have faced more challenges than most. They've been through pretty much everything - abusive exes, terrible family members, dark...
