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

Chapter 28

Tim POV: 

Last night was unbearable... Now I remember why I never drank and talked. Secrets just flow right out of me whenever I'm drunk, even if unprompted. I should've bit my tongue, or ran out of the room, or jumped off the balcony... anything except what I did. She cried for most of the night. We went to our separate beds, but I could still hear her sniffling for hours. I wish I had just shut my damn mouth. 

"Tim?" She calls out from the passenger seat. I glance over at her, seeing her looking down at her lap. "Can I drive?" She asks, catching me off guard. I shrug, before pulling over in a church parking lot. We switch places, and she quickly pulls back on the road, seeming to know exactly where she wants to go. I watch her carefully, before starting to recognize some of the streets. I feel my chest grow heavier the closer we get. She brings the car to a stop right outside of a small house with a  short gravel drive. A lamp is on in the window, while the garage rests wide open. "It looks exactly the same." She lets out, while I feel extremely anxious. My tongue feels like it's gone numb, ruling out my ability to speak. I simply breathe, and try not to lose my sanity looking at the small brick house that's haunted me for years. "Who lives there now?" She asks, while I clear my throat. 

"Horace." I answer, hearing her sigh. My step-father never left this damn place, which is half of the reason I've been avoiding it. She taps the steering wheel a couple times, before slipping out of the car. She walks confidently toward the door, while I scramble to grab her. By the time I reach an arms length of her, she's on the front porch with a finger on the doorbell. I panic, looking back at the truck, and wondering if we have enough time to run. I hear the lock on the door click, making me shut my eyes. I turn around to see him standing there, and oxygen tube running under his nose while he walks with a cane. I clench my fists, terror still flooding me, despite the fact that he looks nothing like the man who used to hit me relentlessly. 

"How can I help you?" His voice rasps, the decades of chain smoking cigarettes finally catching up to him. Faith looks toward me, like I'm going to answer. I know I'm definitely not going to say a word. 

"Hi Mr Smith, I was wondering if you'd have a chance to talk?" She asks, making me feel even more sick to my stomach. I glare down at her, while feeling feverish. He narrows his eyes at her, before opening the door wide for us to come inside. He leads us into the living room, which looks exactly the same. I remember waking up on the carpet in this room, after receiving a knock out punch to the jaw. I was out for three hours... I believe that was for sneaking out. 

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asks, sitting down in a chair perpendicular to the couch Faith is now setting up on. He grabs a beer off the inn table, making my skin crawl. He looks up at me while he drinks, before placing his beer back on the table. "Sit down, Son." He orders, while I try to ignore the shaking in my bones. I set myself down beside Faith, placing my hands between my knees to stop their trembling.

"Tim and I were driving through town, and going through the events in our past." She briefly explains, before taking a deep breath. "What exactly was your relationship to my father?" She asks, winding me. I force myself to breathe, feeling lightheaded from once again breathing the air inside this house. He takes a larger swig from his beer, before coughing. 

"Your father and I weren't exactly friends, if that's what you're asking." He answers in a low growl. She shakes her head slowly, before opening her mouth to speak. "He liked to spread the rumor that I was an abusive, impoverished drunk." He slurs while interrupting her. "Ain't that right, Sam?" He asks, making me cringe. Nobody calls me Sam anymore... 

"Was there a reason for it?" She asks, making my stomach churn. He looks at me before swallowing hard. He coughs once more, before motioning toward a picture on the wall. Faith stands up and pulls it down, looking at it closer.