Back to You (Sequel to Take Me Away From Here)

Chapter 16

Faith POV:

I dig through my makeup drawer, searching desperately for my bronzer. I glance across the counter, wondering if I already dug it out. I guess not, so I continue to dig through the drawer. I have forty minutes until I need to be downtown, meaning I should've left five minutes ago. 

"Ugh!" I let out, feeling like it's grown legs and taken off for a vacation. "Where the hell..." I mumble, before the bathroom door launches open. I jump, watching Tim march in the door. His chest is breaking out into hives, while he struggles to conceal whatever emotion that's consuming him. Immediately, I sense that emotion might be anger... 

"I swear, that son of a bitch..." He starts, sounding completely out of breath. I stare, unsure what I'm supposed to do or say. "Faith, I'm going to kill him... I'm..." He continues, taking a moment to catch his breath. 

"Alright, what's going on?" I ask gently. Something about my gentle tone sets him off. 

"That bastard snuck into her room... he..." He says, before sounding like he might burst into tears. "Oh my god..." He releases, still leaving me completely clueless. I glance in the mirror, deciding the bronzer really isn't that big of a deal. I grab my bracelet off the counter, sliding it on, while starting toward the door. 

"Tim, this will have to wait until I get home later. I'm running super late to--" I start, before he grabs firmly onto my arm. The motion is alarming, making my head go right back to the times he's hit me. 

"Faith, he's molesting them." He spits out, making me turn around. I stare at him, trying to translate what he's saying. He surely can't be talking about our girls, so it's got to be something else. 

"What... What are you..." I stumble around my words, feeling unable to speak. He takes a deep breath, his hives growing even more apparent. 

"Gracie told me that he snuck in her room, thinking she was asleep. She said she didn't tell you, because she didn't want you to think that it was your fault." He continues, making my stomach drop. I feel myself grow winded, before shaking my head. "Faith, I know she's telling the truth." He says to my immediate denial. Numbness coats my limbs, while my thoughts skip like a broken record. 

"I was sleeping beside her that night... I would've known if he..." I continue, seeing a pained expression cross his face. He bites his lip nervously, wincing slightly. 

"It wasn't your father..." He release, striking me like a bullet. I stare, my mind not even considering the fact that it couldn't have been him. "She said Weston's done it a few times, normally when he's drunk... She said that he hasn't done it since I moved in, which is why she felt safe telling me." He explains, while I feel a massive pit in my stomach. 

"No... That's..." I continue to deny, unable to breathe. 

"Faith, he's out... tonight... I don't care how happy he makes you, I will not have that son of a bitch a mile within my kids." Tim asserts, his anger making him shake. I stare, still not processing exactly what he's telling me. "I told you... I told you that I'd never let our girls go through what that bastard put you through... and then..." He starts to ramble, before I notice tears hanging in his eyes. "Faith, I told you... I promised... I was supposed to keep them safe from people like that..." He continues, sounding like he's struggling to breathe. I wrap my arms around him, feeling him shake in my arms. He clings tightly onto me, before I hear him sniffle. "I was supposed to protect them..." He releases, while I'm still in shock. 

I hear the front door slam, which makes me wince. He was supposed to get home early from work today... Tim looks toward the bathroom door, before glancing down at me, his anger flooding back. He storms toward the door, completely forgetting crutches. He surprisingly walks fairly well, even hiding his limp. I follow after him, knowing that he'd really kill someone who hurts our daughters. 

"Tim..." I call, reaching out to pull him back, but he's moving too fast. He rushes down the stairs, where Weston stands in the kitchen, setting down his bag and keys. Tim rushes toward him before he can even turn around. He shoves Weston, causing Weston to look at him like he's insane. 

"What the hell is his issue?" Weston remarks toward me, while I feel my chest start to pound. Tim pulls back his fist, landing a solid punch against his jaw. The sound is loud, shocking me a little. 

"Tim!" I shout, as Weston hits the ground, not expecting a hit of that magnitude. Weston manages to stand up, while Tim looks back at me. He looks around the room for a moment, as if to check if the girls are standing nearby. He turns back toward Weston, before pulling back another fist. I rush up to him, tugging his un-cocked arm. "Stop it!" I scream, causing him to hesitate. He turns toward me, while Weston leans against the counter touching the sight of the punch, which is now swelling with a nasty bruise. "Weston, I need you to get your stuff and leave." I state, trying to keep the violence at a minimum. My anger hasn't sunk in yet, and that's probably a blessing for him. Weston narrows his eyes at me, before shifting toward Tim. 

"What is this about?" He asks, sounding angry. Tim tenses up, biting his tongue so hard I'm sure it's bleeding. 

"I just want you out, alright?" I assert, seeing him nod, before placing his tongue against the corner of his mouth. He slowly makes his way toward the stairs, while I feel my chest throb. I look down at my hand, seeing my fingertips turning white with how tightly I'm grabbing onto Tim's arm. Tim stares toward the stairs, listening closely to make sure that he's not doing anything else. 

"Should've let me kill him..." Tim lets out under his breath, making me roll my eyes. I release his arm, for some reason feeling like we're fine now. I walk over to the couch, sitting down and putting my head in my hands. Tim watches me, slowly staggering over, his limp returning. He stops abruptly, as we hear a small, muffled shriek. He and I lock eyes, my blood running cold. He sprints upstairs, before I follow behind him. Another shriek comes from Gracie's room, causing us to burst in. 

He has her backed against the wall, his hands tightly around her throat, as she tries to pry his fingers away. Tim doesn't miss a beat, and takes a swing at him from behind, knocking him out cold. Gracie places her hands over her throat, wheezing as she tries to restore air into her lungs. I rush toward her, wrapping my arms around her tightly as her wheezes turn to sobs. She grips tightly onto me, before I realize that her sobs aren't the only sounds I'm hearing. 

I look over, before seeing Weston on top of Tim, bashing his fist down repeatedly into Tim's head. I release Gracie, starting toward them, before the loudest punch I've ever heard sounds out. I jump, before watching Weston fall beside Tim. Tim continues to punch him, a surprising amount of blood appearing, before my shock starts to fade. I place my hand on Tim's back, causing him to hold his fist from another hit. He pants, before shaking out his fist. When he stands, I notice a bruise on his jaw, and another over his eye, but nothing more. He glances up at Gracie, who's standing by the door and trembling. He walks over and wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly, while I stare down at Weston. I can't tell if he's breathing... 

"I'm so sorry..." Tim lets out quietly to Gracie, while she whimpers. That's when the gravity of the situation strikes... 

"We need... we need to call an ambulance..." I stutter, although I wish I could just leave him to die. Tim turns toward me, and nods, knowing that we'll be in a lot more trouble if we don't. My ears start to ring, as I try to breathe through this moment. I jump when I feel someone touch my arm. I turn to see Tim, just turning off the phone. He must've already called during the time I spent trying to keep calm. His hands are cold, like they've been run under cold water. 

"Are you okay?" He asks softly, while Gracie sits on the bed, breathing slowly. I nod, although I know it's a lie. On the inside, I'm freaking out. "Faith..." He releases in a whisper, stepping closer to me. I feel like I could burst into tears, and that's not what Gracie needs right now. "Are you--" He begins to repeat. 

"Tim, stop." I whisper back, before stepping into the hall. He leaves me alone, allowing me a moment to catch my breath.