The Bad Boy Next Door Stole My Diary | Completed

Chapter 28: Phone Calls and Him

Duke's P.O.V
I regret everything I just did. I gave that jackass twenty-five thousand dollars to bail his scum bag of a father out of jail. But, I really can't regret it because I saved Kerry and I feel better knowing I still have her. The ride home was quiet. Kerry fell asleep in the back and Valentina stared out her window. I feel bad she had to be in that situation. She shouldn't have had to go through that.
After that whole kissing problem in her room and having our fight I thought that would be the end of our friendship. I purposely caused all of that. I didn't want her to be around me anymore because I didn't want her to get into a situation like this. But, Val makes me happy and she looked really hurt after what happened. And I let my stupid self crawl back to her to pull her into all of this trouble. She's probably wondering where I got the money from. As much as I want to tell her I can't and I made the guys promise too.
We pulled into the drive way and I parked the car, quickly getting myself and Kerry out of the car. I just wanted to go to bed and forget about all of this. As I began walking to my house I heard Valentina call my name. "Duke," she called out in a soft, shaky voice. I turned around to witness something I've never seen her do before. She closed her eyes and her whole body went limp, collapsing to the floor. I stared at her body on the ground terrified. "Val!" I shouted, waking Kerry up. Kerry slowly woke up and lifted her head off of my shoulder to look at Valentina on the floor. She began crying, screaming Val's name. I saw Vinnie in the bakery's window, he looked concerned as to why there was shouting. "Kerry, go get Vinnie," I said as I put her on the ground. She ran inside the bakery to retrieve Vinnie, crying.
I ran over to Valentina's body on the floor and fell to my knees. I put my arms under her head and body. "Val, wake up!" I continued to shout.
"Valentina!" Vinnie shouted as he stood in the doorway. He ran out with Kerry and picked Val up in his arms bridal style. Vinnie stared down at me and I looked back at him with a confused and scared look. "Call for an ambulance!" Vinnie demanded. I did as he said as he ran inside the bakery with Val. "Aunt Loretta! Uncle Tom! Get down here!" I heard Vinnie shout from inside the bakery.
As I called for an ambulance, Franklin and Carol came out of our house. "Duke, what's happening?" I heard my grandfather ask as I was on the phone.
"Val's hurt!" Kerry cried, not understanding what was happening. I did my best to keep myself calm as I spoke to whoever was on the other line. The ambulance came in under ten minutes to get Valentina.
I ran over to my grandparents with Kerry. "I'm going to go to the hospital. Take Kerry please," I said as I handed Kerry to Franklin.
"Duke, what happened?" Carol asked with a horror look on her face.
"I'll explain later. I have to go," I said as I ran to the car and got in. I watch as Mister and Misses Cruz went with Val in the ambulance. As I started the car the passenger's side door opened with Vinnie coming into my car. I shot my head in his direction. "What are you doing in here?" I asked a little pissed off.
"You're driving me to the hospital," Vinnie said like I didn't know this. Before I could resist Vinnie took out his police badge. "You can't go against the authorities," Vinnie said taking his job to his advantage.
I slammed my head on the steering wheel and groaned. I'm going to kill him and I don't care if attempts to arrest me. I am going to kill him. "Fine, whatever!" I shouted as I pulled out of the driveway. I took my phone out and began dialing Nicky's number. It was weird having a cop in my car not ticketing me for talking on the phone while driving. I put Nicky on speaker so we could both talk to her.
Nicky finally picked up. In the background I'm pretty sure I could make out the Ouran High School Host Club theme song. "Hello?" Nicky said sounding a little weirded out that I was calling her.
"Turn off Ouran High School and meet us at the hospital," I told Nicky not bothering to say hello.
She hesitated probably shocked that I knew what she was watching. "Why? What's wrong? Is Val alright?" Nicky asked with all of her questions.
"She passed out and now we're on our way to the hospital," Vinnie answered Nicky.
"Oh no, not again!" Nicky shouted on the other line. 'Not again'? This has happened before? "Alright, I'll call the others and tell them," Nicky said as she hung up.
"What does she mean, 'again?'" I asked Vinnie needing answers.
Vinnie took in a deep breath. "Valentina has passed out like this when she was younger. It's all because of her bone cancer. She had surgery done on her when she was thirteen. She was clean of the disease until she turned sixteen. Her cancer came back and she may need another operation," Vinnie answered, giving me all the information I could possibly need to know. So much was going through my head that I completely ignored Vinnie and didn't respond. We drove into the parking lot and got out of the car, running into the hospital to see Val's body being pushed through the hallways on the gurney.
"Duke. Vinnie," we heard people call from behind. We turned around to see the guys, Nicky, and Tony. Tony. I eyed Tony down, not forgetting how he treated Valentina. I looked at Nicky who was giving me a glare to control myself. "Is everything alright?" Matt asked as he ran over to us with the others. After explaining to them what happened we had to wait in the waiting room for four hours. Mister and Misses Cruz kept telling us to go home but we refused to. Tony and I got into a bit of an argument but Nicky stopped us before we could get into a fist fight, reminding us that there is a cop in the room which meant Vinnie had to sit in between me and Tony.
Matt fell asleep on Drake's shoulder, drooling. Drake didn't even notice since he was texting away on his phone. Nicky and Tony talked to each other about what happened between him and Valentina. Alex kept checking out each nurse that walked by earning a glare and a slap in the arm from Nicky. Vinnie was talking to his aunt and uncle but not for very long until the nurse came out. "Mister and Misses Cruz," a young nurse called as she came out. "Your granddaughter is awake. You can come and see her now," she said waiting for them to get up. She pointed to the room that Val was in and sat next to Vinnie to ask him some questions.
Forty-five minutes later Val's grandparents came out of the room with sad smiles. They walked over to the six of us. "You guys can go inside and talk to Valentina. She has something important she needs to tell you," Mrs. Cruz said adverting eye contact with all of us. We all looked at each other and got up to go to her Val's room.
When we walked in we saw Val hooked up to a machine with a needle in her arm. She was in a hospital gown, hair a little messy, looking miserable, tired, and weak. "Hey, Val," Nicky greeted as she opened the door.
Valentina's head looked in our direction as the six of us walked in. "Hi, guys," Val said weakly. She looked at Tony and lightly smiled at him.
The six of us stood in different parts of the room. Drake sat on the window sill, Nicky sat in a chair next to Val's bed, I sat on the edge of her bed, Tony and Alex stood at the foot of the bed and Drake stood next to Val on the other side of her bed. "How're you feeling?" I asked to start a conversation.
"Tired," was all Val had to say.
"So, uh, what happened?" Alex asked trying to break the silence in the room.
Val looked down at her hands. "I passed out. I forgot to to take my medicine in the afternoon and I haven't been feeling well lately," Val answered.
She hasn't been looking well. Valentina use to smile so much but now her smiles have become smaller or she doesn't smile at all. I've seen her looking shaky. The day when she slapped me in the face in the cafeteria and I chased after her, as she went to her locker to get her medicine she almost fell but she caught herself. Why didn't she tell any of us? "Why didn't you say something?" Drake asked asking my question.
Val looked at all of us directly in the eye. "I didn't want you guys worrying about me. I'm sorry," is all Val said. I could tell she had no energy to talk about anything.
"Your grandparents said that you had something to tell us," Tony said, reminding me that her grandparents came out with salad smiles. I'm afraid to hear what is to come of her.
Nicky grabbed Valentina's hand in her's. We all stared at Val waiting to hear what she had to tell us. We all shifted in our spots. Val looked at all of us and then made eye contact with me. She looked away and down at her hands, biting her bottom lip. "So, the reason why I passed out is because of my cancer. I'm getting weaker everyday and the medicine isn't helping as much as it use to," Val said still not looking at us. "The doctors want to perform another procedure on me. There's a fifty-fifty chance of me living. Either the procedure goes well or I end my painful life here," Val continued. The atmosphere in the room suddenly got heavy.
I looked away from Val. To know that she has a fifty percent chance of living worries me. I want the procedure to go well. I want to continue being with her. I want to continue seeing her beautiful smile and hear her sarcastic comments towards me and the others. I want to go to prom with her and graduate with her next year. There's so much I want to do with her that I'm beginning to feel selfish. But, if she doesn't take the procedure, she won't have to suffer anymore. She'll be in a better place with her parents.
"Are you going to have the doctors perform the procedure on you?" Matt asked, stuttering on some words.
Val looked up at him and smiled. She slowly nodded her head. "I want this procedure to happen. I want to be able to continue doing everything with you guys. I don't want to give up now," Val said weakly. "If my parents were still here they would want me to have the procedure." Hearing Valentina say that made me feel a little happier. But, I'm worried for her sake and my own. I want her to continue living because she wants to. I want her to continue living because I'm happier when I'm around her.
"We'll be there for you, Val," Nicky said as she hugged her. We said our goodbyes and got up to leave.
Before I left the room Val called for me. "Duke, can you stay here for a minute?" She asked very quietly. I turned around and nodded, making my way to the chair that Nicky was sitting on. I sat down and looked at Val who looked serious. "W-where did you get the twenty-five thousand dollars from?" She asked slowly.
Valentina grabbed my hand, staring at me with sad eyes. I don't know if I should tell her or not. Will she think of me differently? Can I trust her to not tell anyone? I promised her that I wouldn't keep secrets from her anymore. "I won it," I answered. Val stared at me with a blank face. "In a street fight," I finished.
Val's expression changed from blank to shock in a second. "You...fight for...money?" Val slowly asked. I nodded my head. I nodded in a bit of shame. I shouldn't be proud for what I do: fighting for money. "Why?" Valentina asked. "Why do you do it?"
    I stared at her beautiful brown orbs. Her eyes were probably the only part of her still showing life and fulfillment. I grabbed her hand in mine. There's no point in hiding the secret from her anymore. "Listen, I'm not proud that I do it. I did it incase Dylan did do something to put my family in danger just to get his dad out of jail. And he did. He almost took Kerry away from me," I explained. Val's look had a mix of understanding and sadness. "I'm not ready for him to be released. I want him to rot in there until I'm old enough to live on my own."
    I'm scared to see what's going to happen when he comes back. He has every right to take me and Kerry back from my grandparents. And I don't want to leave them. They've filled in the roles of my parents perfectly. I don't want to move away from Val, Nicky, and the guys. Dylan lives far from where I live. I'll need to transfer schools. Dylan and his father will torture me and Kerry in every way possible. Knowing Dylan's father, he'll find a way to bother Valentina, Nicky, and the guys. Before I could get up from my seat, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around my neck. Valentina shoved her face into the crook of my neck. I hesitated before I wrapped my arms around her body. "I know you're scared, Duke," Val said. "But, you shouldn't. You have us. Me, Nicky, the other three morons, my grandparents, your grandparents, Vinnie, even Tony," Val said as she moved her head away from neck. She faced me with teary eyes and a small smile. "We're all here for you and we're not going to let Dylan and your step-father hurt you and Kerry."
    I hugged Val again before I got up to leave. "Thank you...chica," I said. I hesitated to kiss but I still did. She didn't refuse it. I want her to stay.
                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Three days have passed ever since Valentina emitted into the the hospital and I had my encounter with Dylan. We've all been taking turns to visit Valentina in the hospital. Matt, Kerry, and I are going today to see her. Val is getting her surgery in two days. We're hoping those two days won't be her last. The doctors said that this will be the hardest procedure to do and it's a rare case if someone comes out alive from it. Normally people don't take it the doctors said. But, Val wants it because she believe the doctors will be able to do it. If she believes that they can do it then I have no choice but to believe that they can do it.
    I was sitting on my front porch waiting for Matt to come and get me. My phone began ringing in my pocket. As I took it out there was no caller ID, just a cell number. Probably just a stupid spam call. "Hello?" I picked up.
    "Duke, it's so good to talk to you again after our last phone call," an oh so familiar voice said on the other line. The voice of a smoker, a drinker, and a killer.
    "Marlin," I said knowing it was my step-father. "Dylan said you would call me in two weeks. Why are you calling now?" I asked with a bit of attitude in my voice.
    Marlin laughed on the other end of the line. "Awe, are you not happy to get a phone call from me? You know, you hurt my when you never bothered to pay me a visit or at least call me," Marlin said trying to play around with me.
    "Why should I visit the man who killed my mom? You deserve nothing from me," I snapped back.
    There was complete silence. "Enjoy your last few days of freedom from me. I'll be back in four days to take you and Kerry back. Start packing your bags and say your 'goodbyes' to your friends because you're moving back in with me and Dylan," Marlin said as he hung up. Everything went silent around me. No. Four days? I have four days left until my freedom is taken away from me? This can't be happening! I threw my phone on the ground out of frustration and let out a yell, causing my grandmother to run out to me. She hugged me and I cried into her shoulder. This can't be happening...
Valentina's P.O.V
    Today's the day: the day I get the procedure. I'm scared to be honest. I want this to work. I know it's a big risk that I'm taking but if it means most likely being able to stay alive and stay with everyone, I'll take that chance. Everyone was in my hospital room wishing my luck. Duke was silent, not saying a word to me. What happened? I couldn't have done anything. Alex and Drake came the day after Duke and Matt's visit and they didn't tell me anything. When Matt and Duke came Duke was silent throughout the visit, making short conversations.
    "Are you ready, dude?" Nicky asked as she held my hand. She smiled at me, her black and purple hair falling in her face. My grandparent were able to get her dad to perform the operation on me since this is his hospital and he does these kinds of procedures.
    I nodded my head smiled. "Yep, I am," I said as I looked around at everyone.
    My eyes landed on Matt. He looked more worried than everyone else in the room. He looked more worried than I was. I looked at Drake and motioned my eyes towards Matt. Drake looked at Matt with a concerned look. "Dude, why do you look like you're ready to shit your pants?" Drake asked as he slapped Matt's back.
    Matt flinched as Drake's hand collided with his back. Matt looked like he was ready to pass out. He made eye contact with me and ran over to my bed, throwing himself on me to hug me. "I don't want you to leave us, Val!" Matt cried. Although Matt has a tough guy appearance, he's a soft teddy bear on the inside. "Stay strong through the procedure! You'll make it!" Matt said.
    "Awe, Matt!" I said as I rubbed his back. I looked at Tony and Alex for help.
    The two of them rolled their eyes and walked over to Matt, grabbing him by his shoulders. "Dude, don't make her more worried than she already is," Tony said as he prayed Matt off of me.
    "We won't leave the hospital, Val," Gramma said. She looked up at Gramps and then up at Mr. Benson.
Mr. Benson nodded and clapped his hands together. "Are you ready, Valentina?" Nicky's day asked.
I gave one more glance to everyone and looked at Mr. Benson. I nodded at him. Duke walked over to me and rubbed my forehand with his giant hand. I gave him a weird look. He didn't look...comfortable. Something was bothering him. "Good luck, chica," Duke said with a slight smile. I grabbed his hand in mine and smiled.
Mr. Benson and some nurses rolled the bed that I was on away from the guys and my grandparents. They put me in the operation room and onto another bed. My operation wasn't for another fifteen minutes, so Mr. Benson sat down and spoke with me for a while. "You do know the chances of living after this operation, right?" Mr. Benson asked with a small smile. I've known this man ever since I met Nicky. Mister and Misses Benson were my second family.
I nodded and put a sad smile on. "Yes, and I know I'll come out of this operation to know that I still have time to live and be with Nicky and the others," I said trying to be positive.
Mr. Benson smiled at me. "Its good to know that you believe in us, Valentina," Mr. Benson said as he started up one of the machines. He snapped his fingers for a nurse to come over. "We're going to give you anesthesia now," Mr. Benson said as a nurse put the mask over my face. "You''all be fine," is the last thing I heard Mr. Benson say before I fell asleep.
I didn't know what was happening. Old memories were playing in my mind. Ones from when my parents were still here to the night of my birthday. There were memories of me, Tony, and Nicky when we were younger. And then memories of when I first met the four morons. The times when Duke and I had our arguments. When I hung out with each moron individually. My encounter with Jason in the hallway and how Duke stood up for me. Gramma having a stroke. Being locked up on the roof by Madison and Duke risking his life by jumping from the gym roof to the school roof. Matt and Drake's fights over video games. Alex and Duke asking me and Nicky to prom. The three morons hiding me from Duke. Nicky and I breaking into Duke's room. Me, Alex, and the three freshmen being kidnapped by Dylan. Witnessing Duke in pain at the old dance studio. Vinnie living with me now. If it wasn't for the four morons, I wouldn't have had these memories. And I'm happy that I made them.
After what felt like a ten minute nap, I slowly opened my eyes. "Drake! She's waking up!" I heard Nicky shout. "Mrs. Cruz! Mr. Cruz!" I heard her shout outside the door.
"Val," Drake called out calmly. I opened my eyes to reveal Drake's face. "Val! You're awake!" Drake shouted.
I heard a loud thud from the other side of the room. I tilted my head to the left to see Matt on top of Alex. Because that's a sight that you want to see after you wake up from surgery. Wait! I'm awake! I made it through the operation. "Ow! Get your fat ass off of me!" Alex whined as his arms and legs were sprawled out on the floor.
Matt stepped on Alex causing him to yelp. Matt ran over to me ready to hug me but Drake joked him back by grabbing his shirt. "Val! You made it through! Where's Duke?" Matt asked like a hyper child.
The door slammed open to reveal Nicky, my grandparents, Vinnie, Tony and Duke. "Valentina!" My grandparents cried as they came over to me and hugged me.
I giggled a little. "I'm alright guys," I said as I hugged them.
Vinnie came over to hug me. "You made it through kiddo," Vinnie said as he ruffled my hair.
Vinnie got shoved away from me. "Move outta the way! Best friends coming through!" Nicky said as her and Tony shoved Vinnie away to hug me. "I knew my dad could do it!" Nicky said as she looked up at Mr. Benson.
"Well, you did threaten to kill me if I didn't help Val so I really had no choice except not to screw up at all," Mr. Benson said with a smile.
Duke walked over to me with a smile and a face of relief. "Hey, chica. How're you feeling?" Duke asked.
"I'm feeling good. How long have I been asleep for?" I asked looking up at Gramps.
"A full twenty four hours," Gramps answered.
My eyes widened. "Wow, thats the most I've been able to sleep ever since I started working," I said laughing a little.
"You're going to stay here for two nights until you recover. Then you'll be able to go back home," Mr. Benson said as he put a clipboard away. I smiled at him and nodded.
After an hour of talking everyone left except for Duke. "So, why did you look upset before?" I asked still concerned about his whole attitude change before.
Duke stared down at me, biting his lip. He created a small smile. "Just worried about you," Duke answered. That's probably not the case but I'm too tired to ask and to start any drama. I'll find out soon. "I'll let you rest. I'll see you here tomorrow?" Duke asked.
"Well it's not like I have anywhere to go," I said chuckling.
Duke laughed. "Right. Later, chica," Duke said as he left my room.
I feel something wet fall on my cheek. I touch my check and notice that I'm crying a little. "I made it through," I said as I sat in my bed.
My two nights were up and I was allowed to leave the hospital. Gramma brought me a fresh pair of clothes for me to change into. As I walked out into the waiting room I saw Gramma and Gramps talking to the nurse at the desk and Vinnie trying to flirt with another nurse. I pray every night now that Vinnie will find someone and move out of my house because it's been a living hell with him. I see Duke by the desk also on his phone. I walk over to him and watch him as he adverts his eyes from his phone to look up at me. He puts his phone down and walks over to me and hugs me. "Woah, whats with the whole attitude change?" I jokingly ask remembering how he was a little moody the day of my procedure.
    He steps back with a big goofy smile. Yep he's a moron. "You don't look all scary anymore," Duke said trying to pick on me.
I narrow my eyes at him. "It's good that we're in a hospital still because I'm this close to knocking you out," I said not in the mood to be picked on. I'm still sore from the surgery and I need some real food and not hospital food. I also haven't been outside in a few days so I'm going to look like a vampire stepping out into the light for the first time.
Duke took a couple of steps back with a weary smile. He let out a nervous chuckle. "What I meant to say was that you're-uh, how do I put this without you ripping my head off?" Duke asked himself. I rolled my eyes and lightly punched him in the arm.
"Can I get a nurse or a doctor please?" A man called out. I looked over Duke's shoulder towards the entrance to see what was happening. There was a man with a boy around my age. I couldn't make out their faces. The boy had glass in his hand with blood dripping onto the floor.
Nurses rushed passed me and Duke to the man and his son. "What's going on?" Duke asked as he turned around. The father and son soon had everyone in the waiting room concerned. I continued to stare at the father. When he looked up he locked eyes with me. Piercing, blue eyes. Like the man who killed my parents. "Dad? Dylan?" Duke questioned as he ran over.
Duke left me standing there, lost, confused. Those eyes are the same eyes that I saw at the hospital the day of parents' death. No, this can't be the man who killed my parents in a car accident. Can it?
"My mom died the same day as your parents. My step-father came home drunk and he had gotten into a car accident and killed my mom," I remember Duke saying as he was telling me about his family.
I thought back to the day after my parents death, when I was in the kitchen watching the news with my grandparents. "Here in Clayton, Delaware, a murder has just been committed. Thirty-nine year old Marlin Richards, who had just gotten into a car accident, killing a married couple due to being drunk, just shot his wife dead, in front of his children. Neighbors said they heard gun shootings from the house next door and Marlin's step-son called the police for help. Marlin was suppose to be in custody when he was at the hospital, but he managed to escape before he could be brought to the station. Police have him in handcuffs now and are sending his two step-children and his son to an orphanage. The orphanage is in Florida and the two ten year olds sons and seven month old daughter are being sent there."
I stood there in silence. Duke's step-dad is the man who killed my parents. I ran that sentence in my head over a hundred times. Dylan looked up at me, with a look of pain and a cry of help. "Dylan what happened?" Duke asked as he pushed through the nurses.
I watch as Marlin's grip around Dylan's shoulders tightened, making him wince in pain. Dylan had a bruise on his cheek and a scratch on his neck. He was hunched over in pain, too."I, uh, got into a fight. With, uh, some kids from-school," Dylan coughed out.
Marlin continued to stare at me. Those eyes are forever haunt me. Knowing that the man who killed my parents and Duke's mom is out of jail makes me feel sick to my stomach. Duke walked away from Dylan to come over to me. I continued to stare at Marlin with wide eyes and a look of terror as he smirked at me. I thought I would never see those eyes again and seven years later, they're back. "Hey, I guess I'm going to have to stay here. You can-hey! Val!" Duke shouted at me.
Before he could finish his sentence I ran out of the waiting room and into the bathroom. I locked myself in a stall and bent over, coughing up everything into the toilet. I couldn't even concentrate on me throwing up. This man is back. He recognized me. He's back to make Duke and Kerry's life miserable. He hurt Dylan. I know Dylan didn't get beat up. The way Marlin grabbed his shoulder. He didn't want Duke or the nurses to know that he hurt Dylan. After all of the horrible things Dylan did to us to get Marlin out of jail, he turns around and hurts Dylan. I need to do something. Vinnie's still here. There's police here. As much as I don't like Dylan I don't want to see him hurt, too.
I run out of the bathroom to Vinnie. "Vinnie!" I shout as I run to him causing everyone to look at me. Duke, Dylan, and Marlin looked up at me along with my grandparents.
"What's up kiddo-"
"Marlin hurt Dylan!" I shouted causing me to get stares. I didn't care.
"Val?" Duke called out in a questioning tone.
I turned around to face Duke. The security guards looked prepared if anything happened, along with Vinnie. "Duke, don't be stupid! Who would beat Dylan up? He's the one everyone fears at his school! Marlin hurt him," I shouted. "Your step-father is also the drunk man who killed my parents!" I blurted out. Vinnie looked at me and ran to his bag to grab his work laptop out. He put it on the desk and began typing away.
Gramma and Gramps looked at me in fear. "Dylan," Duke called out. "Did he really hurt you?"
I stared at Dylan as he contemplated on telling the truth or not. He stared at me and nodded. He shoved Marlin's hands off of his shoulders and walked towards Vinnie and the nurse Vinnie was talking to. Dylan looked hesitant to tell Vinnie and the nurse the truth. "M-my father beat me up before. He threw a beer bottle at my hand," Dylan said as he raised his bleeding hand with glass stuck in it. "He punched me and hit me and belated me with a baseball bat. I don't know how she knows, but blondie's right," Dylan said as he looked back at Marlin and Duke.
Duke looked at me with guilt and looked back at Marlin. "You were the one who killed Valentina's parents?" Duke asked out of disgust.
Marlin let out a weary chuckle. "I don't even know her," Marlin lied.
"Mr. Richards, you were in this news report seven years ago claiming that you were drunk and got into a car accident with a married couple, left the hospital when you were about to be arrested and he went home and killed your wife in front of your two step children and son," Vinnie informed as he read the news report. "And I was there at the hospital when the police were ready to arrest you and you made a run for it."
"I swear it wasn't me! I don't remember that," Marlin said stuttering a little, knowing that he was lying to himself.
"Mr. Richards, you also didn't pay your taxes three times, did illegal drug trading, abused your first family, and you were caught in a robbery. Mr. Richards, with those crimes and this crime you just committed, you abusing your child, I have no other choice but to send you to jail again," Vinnie said as he grabbed his handcuffs. The two security guards grabbed Marlin and put him to the round. The four of them fought, trying to get Marlin to cooperate. As they fought him to the ground, Marlin didn't break eye contact with me.
I looked over at Dylan who was getting treated by a nurse. He looked over at me and mouthed a 'thank you' to me. I gave a small smile in return and looked at Duke who looked like he was ready to pass out. "Dylan," Vinnie said. The two security guards took Marlin out of the hospital. "How do you feel about moving in with Duke and Kerry?" Vinnie asked.
"What?" The two step-brothers asked like Vinnie was insane. "You think I want to live with him?" Dylan asked out of disgust.
"Well, would you rather move back to Florida and live in an orphanage or live in a house here in Delaware with your family?" Vinnie asked trying to convince him to move in with the Taylor's.
Dylan and Duke made eye contact with each other. The atmosphere in the waiting room got heavy all of a sudden. "Whatever, just get this glass out of my hand," Dylan said avoiding eye contact with any of us.
Vinnie closed his laptop with a smirk. "Great, I'll see you at your new house with some papers. For now, I have to go file a report," Vinnie said as he ruffled my hair and left the hospital.
I looked up at Duke who still looked confused with everything. I felt bad for him. So much has just happened to him. His father was released, he found his father is the one who killed my parents, his father abused Dylan and is being sent back to jail, and Dylan is moving in with him. "Duke, are you-"
"Valentina, I had no idea that Marlin was the one who killed your parents and I'm so sorry I understand if you don't-"
"Duke!" I shouted trying to make him shut up. He was talking at seventy-five miles per hour. "I'm not mad at you. It wasn't your fault and you had nothing to do with it," I said as I hugged him. He rubbed my head as I hugged him. "I'm just wondering how you're going to handle living with Dylan," I said laughing into his stomach.
"Yeah, thats going to be a challenge," Duke said with a sigh.
"These people better make good food because I've been living on pizza and take out ever since I moved into one of my teammate's house," Dylan said as he came back with a bandaged hand.
Duke rolled his eyes. "Just be grateful that you're being fed. You'll be lucky if I don't throw your food out," Duke commented.
Dylan closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip. "Whatever, dumbass," Dylan said trying to insult Duke. "Blondie," Dylan called me. I narrowed my eyes at him, not liking the nickname. "How did you know that he did hurt me?" Dylan asked, looking curious.
"You just looked in pain when your dad grabbed your shoulders and it seemed like you forced out the lie and he made you lie," I said with a shrug. Dylan nodded and walked away. After today I think I'm going to need a few more extra nights in the hospital after this whole event. I'm going to have to prepare myself for the constant yelling and fighting I'm going to hear next door. Dylan is most likely transferring to our school now so Alex is going to have a new guy to fight with. I'm not ready for this new change. Not at all...