Untouchable

Chapter 19: Confounded

Warning: Adult themes and violence. Mention of physical and sexual assault.

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Chapter Nineteen: Confounded

Before I knew it, he'd gotten up from his chair and threw his fist through the closest wall.

After he removed his arm from the giant hole in the wall, Dad ran into the kitchen ready with his gun in hand.

"What the hell is going on? Cate? Will?" He frantically looked back and forth between us.

I twisted my fingers in my lap. "I just told Will."

Will leaned his head on the wall just above the fist shaped hole, his back to me. His shoulders rose and fell erratically.

Dad lowered his gun, his face immediately stark white. "Oh."

All in all, it went much better than planned. Will put only one hole in the wall, not two. And he hadn't said much other than strings of unintelligible swear words. I think any sailor would have been proud.

I watched as Will's shoulders rose and fell, too quickly at first and then more slowly. He kept his hands braced against the wall with his forehead resting between, like he was too tired to move.

I was exhausted.

I jumped in my seat, my adrenaline spiking, as Will punched another hole in the wall, directly adjacent to the first. It was like two hollow eyes staring back at me. Nothing was behind them, only darkness.

So much for only one hole.

I wonder if Jack knows how to fix drywall?

Dad walked forward placing himself between Will and I, like he thought anything more than the wall was in danger. I was kinda jealous of Will. I should have thought of damaging a few household items, or structures… it would have probably helped. Now it was too late. Breaking something would only steal his thunder. Darn.

"Dad, sit down. He's not going to hurt me."

Dad gave me a skeptical look and appeased me by sitting in the chair next to me, but still between us.

I rested my head in my hand, tired. Too many problems, too much emotion, too many times I had to spill my guts about my screwed up life. I had to live it. Wasn't that enough?

Will turned around haltingly. I couldn't help but notice the tear tracks down his cheeks. He sniffled and roughly wiped his face.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered.

I waited until he sat down next to me, opposite of my dad, and gently took my hand in his. "I don't know." I shrugged. "Have a baby? Do my best?"

He tried to smile but didn't succeed. "Yeah."

Dad cleared his throat, calling our attention to him. Awkwardly rubbing his neck, he said, "Everything okay now?"

I glanced covertly at Will. He nodded succinctly, closing his eyes. I quietly smiled at Dad to show my assent.

"Then I'm going to head back to bed. You need to as well, Catey. Long day today and you have that appointment in the morning."

"I will, in a second."

He stood up, scraping his chair across the linoleum floor, but stopped at the doorway. "Uh, Cate? Do you need me to take you?" He looked like he didn't know whether he should ask or not.

I shook my head. "Ali said she'd take me."

"Okay then," he replied. "Goodnight."

We mumbled our goodnights and waited until we heard Dad's door click shut.