Kristel

 

I don’t know what to do. As I sit on my bed and stare out the window, all I can think about is Andre and the rest of the crew. The baby also comes to mind, and the sharp pain I felt earlier is gone. The fear of losing the baby, however, isn’t, and my hand periodically rests against my belly.

 

Please be okay, I think. Please, please be okay.

 

With thoughts of the baby come thoughts of Andre and the Black Knights. They have been more of a family to me than my own parents. They’ve never been overbearing, and they’ve always allowed me my independence without abandoning me. I’ve never felt as though I owed them anything or as though I had to do something for them. With my parents, I always feel obligated to do what they want because they’re always telling me what they’ve done to make my life better. With that hanging over my head, it just makes me want to separate myself from them even more.

 

As I look at the phone in my hands, Andre’s voice echoes in my head again and again:

 

Listen, your dad is fucking nuts, Kristel, you can’t go anywhere with him!

 

He’s right. My father is fucking nuts. As I push the cell phone under my pillow, he unlocks my door and pushes it open. My stomach drops, and I let go of the phone so I can sit up. I’ve always considered my father reasonable, but today he proved me wrong. When I see how banged up and bloody his fists are, my jaw goes slack. Why does it look like he’s been in a fight?

 

“Dad? What the hell happened?” I sit up more. “What did you do?”

 

“I gave your ‘boyfriend’ a piece of my mind.”

 

“What?! What the fuck? Why would you do that? What did he ever do to you?” My voice gets louder and louder, and before I know it I’m on my feet.

 

“HE VIOLATED MY LITTLE GIRL!”

 

My father’s explosion should have been enough to shut me up, but I’m terrified for Andre. Against any judgment I could possibly have in that moment, I brace myself and step toward him. “I amnot your little girl anymore, Dad! I am a grown-ass woman who can make her own damn choices! You have no right to treat me this way, and neither does Mom! The only reason I haven’t called the police is because youare the police! And from what I can tell, you’re one corrupt asshole who only wants to control me. You never wanted to help me! You’re just doing this to protect yourself!”

 

Silence dominates the room for many moments. I can see it in my father’s face. I’ve hurt him. “What?” I fold my arms across my chest and raise both eyebrows. “Got nothing to say?”

 

He swallows and looks away from me. His head shakes slowly back and forth. “I can’t believe you, Kristel. After everything your mother and I have done for you, you treat me like this. We brought you into this world. We raised you. We’re the reason you’re even here on this Earth. How can you talk to me like this?”

 

“Maybe you and Mom are responsible for giving me life, but you’re also responsible for treating me like an adult. I’m not a child anymore, Dad. I’m not even a teenager anymore. And you guys just don’t seem to get that. No matter where I go or what I do, you’re always there, right behind me or right beside me. How the fuck am I supposed to make it in this world if you guys want me to be dependent on you all the time?”

 

His jaw grows tight, and he shakes his head violently at me. “I am not having this conversation with you, young lady. The plane leaves in three hours, and you and your mother will be on it. Period!” He points at me with an index finger for emphasis. His shoulders roll back, and he sends a glare my way before he storms out of my room. The door closes with a horrible crash, and any pictures on my wall shiver. I stand there in stunned silence, and while I want to cry tears of anger, I hold them back. Now just isn’t the time.

 

“Fuck!” I know it’s childish, but I stomp one of my feet and pace over to my window. My arms fold across my chest; I feel anxious and alone. I feel helpless.

 

The door opens behind me, but I don’t turn to look.

 

“Kristel?” My mother’s irritating voice fills the room.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“I want to know what’s going on. What…” She sighs. “Whathappened to you?”

 

“Mom!” My fingers clench into fists as I turn around to face her. “You’re just as bad as he is! And I don’t want to talk about this. Andre didn’t do anything wrong, and he definitely didn’t deserve to have the shit beaten out of him by Dad!”

 

She holds her hands up. “Stop yelling. And just listen to me, Kristel.”

 

“Really? You want me to listen to you after what he did? After what you agreed to? I have a life here, Mom. College. A boyfriend. Friends. A foundation. And you’re just like him. You want to rip it all out from under me like it doesn’t even matter.”

 

“No… that’s not it at all. Those things do matter, but your safety matters more. That boy isn’t safe. He’s a criminal. Why can’t you see that?”

 

“He’s the father of my baby, and I’m not leaving him behind, Mom. I love him.”

 

She looks at me with a stunned expression. “You what?”

 

My lips press together. “You heard me.”

 

“Honey… how?” She steps closer to me with her arms open. “How could you let something like this happen? Why?”

 

I step away from her and shake my head. “Dad just beat the shit out of a man who didn’t deserve it. I don’t hear you asking him these things.”

 

“You have no proof."

 

“Didn’t you see his hands? His face? It’s so obvious I’d know even if I was blind. Now get the hell out of my room.”

 

She stares at me and swallows, and her whole face falls. Maybe I should feel sorry for her, but the only thing I feel right now is anger that she’s backing Dad instead of me. She can put a stop to this, but from what I can see, she won’t.

 

“I’m serious, Mom. Just go. I don’t want you in here anymore than I want him in here.”

 

“Okay. Fine.” Her face is normally so full of life, but now all I see is a void. She clasps her hands in front of herself, turns away, and walks out the door. She shuts it behind her, and I want to scream when I hear the deadbolt fall into place as she locks the door.

 

I need to call Andre back, but the phone won’t stop ringing, and it’s been an hour since my father was in here. That means in another hour he will come back and probably force me to get into a car with him and my mother. The very thought of it makes my stomach roll, and I feel like I’m about to vomit all over my floor. As if the stress of Andre isn’t enough, I also have the baby to worry about. I haven’t told them about what happened when I tried to open the window, and I don’t intend to. They’ll just rush me to the hospital, and then I won’t stand a chance of finding a way out of this.

 

“Hello?” On the eleventh ring, just before I know when the voicemail will hit, Andre answers.

 

“Thank god.” I speak in a low whisper so my parents won’t hear me. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

 

He’s trying to play it tough. I know him by now. “Andre, I saw my dad’s hands and his face. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you two got into it. How did he catch you? What… why did he beat on you?"

 

“Kristel, there’s no time for this, okay?"

 

“No! You need to tell me what the hell is going on, Andre, and you need to do it right now. My parents are dragging me onto a plane in less than two hours and I don’t know what to do or where to go.”

 

There is a very short pause. “There’s no time. But I am safe, I am okay, and I have a plan. You just need to trust me. Can you do that? Can you trust me, Kristel?”

 

There’s a pit of dread gnawing in my stomach, but I nod even though he can’t see me. “Yes. I want to punch you in the face right now for getting yourself into this much trouble, but I trust you.”

 

When he laughs, warmth pours into my belly. I grip the phone tighter. “Please tell me you’re not going to let them drag me off to the east coast.”

 

“No way in hell is that happening. But I need to go, okay? I’ll see you soon.”

 

That pit of dread grows deeper and heavier when he hangs up. I have no idea what he’s about to do, but I have a feeling that it won’t be subtle and it won’t be gentle. That’s just not Andre’s style. “Damn it, don’t do anything stupid, you idiot,” I whisper with my eyes closed. “Don’t do anything stupid…”

 

“Damn right you won’t do anything stupid.” I gasp and jerk my head up. My mother stands in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Who were you talking to just now?”

 

“I was talking to myself. No one else in here but me.”

 

My mother frowns at me, but doesn’t inquire further. “We’re leaving now, so come on.”

 

My mother has never been great at being assertive, but I get up anyway and tuck the phone into a back pocket when she looks toward the door. Andre’s words repeat themselves in my head over and over again. I have to trust him. Silent, I gather my purse and a few personal items before I leave my room and move down the stairs. My chin is high, and I refuse to give either parent the satisfaction of knowing how much I hate them for this. The only reason I haven’t reported them to the police is standing outside by the car: my father. He has bags packed and in the trunk, and his arms are folded across his chest as though he’s the hero of the hour. To me, he’s the backstabbing antagonist, and all I want to do is run; but where would I go?

 

I should do it anyway.

 

As we get closer to the car, I suddenly bolt toward the park across from my parent’s house. On the other side of the park is the police station, and if there’s any chance I can make my father look bad, I’ll take it.

 

“Hey!” My father yells at me, and I can hear his footsteps behind me. He’s closing in fast.

 

When I know I won’t make it to the station, I whirl around to face him. “Get away from me! I hate you!” I sound like a moody teenager, but there is real fear in my voice. Real hurt.

 

“Kristel, that’s enough! We’re going!” He grabs my upper arm in a bone crushing grip. I don’t even have a chance to retaliate as he uses his strength against me and literally drags me to the car. My fists fly at every opportunity, but he swats them away as my mother opens the back door of the car. I can’t believe this is happening.

 

The door slams shut, and I hear a loudclick as my mother sets the child locks. Now I can’t open the doors, but neither can they. In this moment, I want to strangle them both and leave them for dead.