Unchained

Chapter Sixteen

"... Too hard on her..."

"No, she's been fine for the past few weeks. Why would everything be too hard on her?"

"Well, all this change... And ever since you let Ryker escape, it's been hard..."

"Wait, I let Ryker escape? He's your dog too! Since when is this my fault?"

"Well, since you're always with him, isn't it your responsibility-"

"You have a responsibility too! Don't just say this is all my fault! You're in this too!"

"I know that, so maybe you could focus on helping your daughter other than worrying about your dog?"

"He's not just my dog, he's our dog!"

"Then why did you let him get away?"

"There you go again. I didn't let him get away. Besides, it was your turn to take him out!"

"I'm sorry if I'm not placing him number one in my life!"

"And I'm sorry if I can't live up to your perfect standards!"

"Let's not talk about that and worry about Avaley! She's what's important right now!"

"Oh, and I'm not? All you care about is your little daughter, making sure she's perfect to show off?"

"I do not show her off!"

"Oh, and like you don't want to show her off to that little man you've been seeing?"

"I... What? What man? I don't know - "

"I've read the emails."

"Why... You said they would be private, that you wouldn't... I..."

"This is grounds for divorce."

"I've already got a lawyer."

I slowly opened my eyes, my ears fully aware of what I was hearing. My parents were arguing, and I'd never heard it this loud or this angry. As terrified as I was, I realized I was curled up on the couch in the living room, across from the TV. And Ryker was not laying at my feet, licking them occasionally to make me laugh. But he wasn't there, and then I remembered what had happened.

Running from school. At the hospital. Finding David. And then... that beautiful woman, and that random explosion, and... Here?

I sat up, brushing blankets off and sitting up, a wave of dizziness passing above me. There was a water bottle next to the couch and my hands swooped down and picked it up, gulping its cold, creamy sensation down my sore and burning throat. As my parents continued arguing, I looked at the clock to see the time. It was almost eight o'clock. At night. How long had I been out? What was happening, anyway...

"Avaley?" my mom asked, walking in. She clutched her bathrobe around her, dabbing a tissue at her puffy eyes. My dad frowned from behind her, then grabbed his keys and slammed the garage door behind him. 

"What happened?" I asked, scratching my head.

"You were found in the bathroom at school, honey," my mom said. "I was so worried... I thought... Maybe... This time for real, you were gone."

Instinctively, my hand reached up and ran across the scar from the knife underneath my shirt, and tears brimmed in my eyes.

"...Luckily, a young man happened to find you and take you to the hospital," she breathed out, leaning against the wall.