Gabriella lives a beyond perfect life with her mom, her sister and her boyfriend of two years. She's finally at a place in her life where she is happy. Nothing has, and nothing will go wrong.
However, after finding out some devastating news, Gabrie...
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The voice on the other end of the phone was sinister and slow. Despite the voice being rather different to what I had remembered, it was all too familiar and I was scared to ask who it was.
"Who is this?" I asked into the phone as my heart fell through my chest. I already guessed who it was, but I needed confirmation or to be wrong. I would much rather be wrong.
"You know who it is, Gabby," I hadn't even realised that I had stopped breathing and I couldn't utter another breath or word. "It's your father, Matthew." I played with the hem of my shirt to distract myself, but it was no use.
"How did you get my number?" My voice came out shaky as I felt vomit crawl up my throat. Knowing that it was my father on the other end was making my body tense and I couldn't move.
"I found your mother," the four words escaped his lips as his voice sounded deep and rough. I felt myself begin to speak, but nothing came out. "I'm actually on my way to see her now, in Oak Springs, Florida."
I didn't even know where my mother was staying, but the certainty in his voice told me that he knew exactly where. Oak springs was a place we used to visit for family vacations, it was the only time I remembered being happy before my father ended up in prison.
I never thought my father would think to go back there, especially to find my mother. His words pierced my ears every time he spoke as if felt tears prick at my eyes.
"What do you want?" My voice was dry and quiet when I spoke. If there was some way to keep him away from my mother, then I was going to do whatever I could.
"How's Kylie?" He asked, changing the subject and making my skin crawl. Kylie wasn't born yet when my father left, so just hearing him say her name made me want to kill him. I wanted to hurt him for everything he had done to my mother.
I wouldn't let him hurt her again.
"What do you want?" I repeated, attempting to make my voice sound a little more stern, but it failed. I attempted to keep my breathing steady to stop myself from having a panic attack.
I heard him sigh on the other end of the line as I dug my fingernails into my palms. "Meet me in Oak Springs, at Café Florence." I knew where that was seeing as that's where we used to go almost every day when we visited.
It was also a continued tradition, but without my father, and knowing that he would be there made me want to scream. He would destroy any good memories I had from the place before he went.
I swallowed hard before agreeing to his terms. "But, if I meet you, you have to stay away from mom," I demanded with a much louder voice this time..
"Meet in two days time, at noon," he replied with a with a deep chuckle before hanging up, not actually answering my initial request for him to stay away from her.
I let my breathing go again and soon enough I was having a full on panic attack. I continued to breath heavily as I felt my body falling apart. Knowing I would have to come into contact with my father again was making my stomach twist inside out.
