After learning the truth of who she was and what had happened to her, I only felt guilt. She’d been victimized twice because of me in a roundabout way. Once because I hadn’t raised my daughter better and so she’d taken part in this horrendous act, and again because Susan had gone after her because of my obsession with her color hair.
The funny thing is, I never was more fascinated in a sexual way with her hair until her. Before, it was just a sweet reminder of a past that I’d cherished. On her, it’s one of the things I like most. Along with her breasts, her ass. Who am I kidding? I love everything about her. Now where the hell is she? I should’ve guessed she’d run. And her running the way she did proves all I need to know about her.
In the end, there was only one place I could think for her to be. The old lady who rented the room out to her remembered me from the day I helped her move out. She was more than happy to let me in after telling me how sick my friend looked when she showed up.
I made my way to her room in the dark, not wanting to alert her that I was there, not yet. It was early still, but not too early for some to be in bed. She was asleep on her side on the old shabby bed in the dark room, but I didn’t think twice of toeing off my shoes and joining her, pulling her back into my arms as I breathed a sigh of relief.
I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t found her. She must be exhausted because she didn’t even stir when I wrapped my arms around her, and it wasn’t long before I too dropped off to sleep. I’m exhausted myself after rushing back here then driving around town looking for her.
In the morning, she woke up startled to see me there, and before she could ask me anything, I pulled her face to mine and kissed her. “What’re you doing here? When did you get back? I thought you were gone until the end of the week?”
I cupped her precious face in my hands and tried not to see the scared teenager she’d been.
The story that had been told to me was both horrendous and cruel, and it was going to take a while for me to erase those pictures from memory. “I love you.” I saw the light come into her eyes and die just as quickly.
“There’s something I need to tell you, something….”
“You do? Did you speak to Darla-Sue?” She didn’t even try to explain away her actions, just told me the whole thing from beginning to end, even up unto the part where Darla-Sue confronted her yesterday.
She didn’t sugarcoat it, didn’t try to minimize her part in all this, and her words just solidified for me what I already knew. “I’m sorry they were so cruel to you. I promise to make it up to you. Now come, I wanna fuck you but not in this dump; let’s go home.”
MR. JARVIS
“S top fidgeting; you’ll be fine.” We’d just got out of the shower after spending hours in bed making up for the almost whole day we’d been apart. While she was getting dressed, I’d called and asked Darla to come over. I still had it left in me to give her one more chance; I don’t know, I guess it’s the dad in me, but I wanted to see if my child had any redeeming qualities left.
I know what I saw on the camera, the fact that she had no remorse, but maybe in front of me, when faced with the truth, she’d cave and show the human side I hope she still has. “Don’t forget, you stay up here until I call for you; I don’t want you getting upset again; that throwing up thing can’t be good.”
She’d been sick twice since I brought her home, once immediately after the car ride here and then again after a quick nap. I was sure she’d made herself sick with worry even though she claims it had started before Darla showed up at the house.
I barely made it downstairs before the doorbell rang. I opened the door to greet my daughter and got a shock. “Look, dad, isn’t it great? Mom can finally walk again.” My ex stood there with the help of a walker, but she was standing all the same.
The doctors had given her a thirty percent chance, but I guess the odds were in her favor. “First, your key.” I may have been startled for a second, but I didn’t forget why she was here, and it looked like I was going to get two for one.