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I shouldn’t have snapped at him earlier, I know he’s feeling the strain of all this. I gotta take faith in the fact that mine and Leia’s plan is working and hope that wherever that answer we need is, ain’t too far away.
“Remember what we agreed on.” Caleb smiles at me as his knuckles brush over my bruised face.
“I tripped and fell.” I smile back at him, before opening the car door and getting out. It’s a relief to be free of him, I feel like I can breathe again, but I know that it won’t last for long, not once I’ve spoken to my father and told him the truth.
I let myself in, searching around the kitchen, then the living room for Mom and Karina, before I build up the confidence to open the door to my father’s office. I know he’ll be in there, it’s where he always is on a Sunday afternoon, and it's a relief when I figure we’re gonna be alone in the house for what I have to say.
“Sweetheart, what a nice surprise.” He looks up from his laptop screen and smiles like he’s pleased to see me.
“Where are Mom and Karina?” I ask, unable to even think about how Mom’s going to react to my news.
“They’re trying out that new spa, near Billing. Everyone’s been raving about it, and you know your mother, she doesn't like to miss out. They only just left, I’m afraid they won’t be back for a while.”
“That’s good because we need to talk.” My hands start shaking so I shove them into the back pockets of my jeans, out of sight.
“It sounds serious, you better sit down.” Dad looks at me oddly, and I wonder why he isn’t mentioning the obvious bruises on my face.
“I’d rather stay standing.” I swallow my fear and prepare to tell him why I’m here.
“I need a divorce. I need to get out of this marriage, not next week, or tomorrow, but today.” I blurt out the words and close my eyes, praying he isn’t gonna fight me on this.
“Darling, you know that’s not possible.” He shakes his head, looking ashamed of himself. He knows what all this is costing me, it’s why he’s been avoiding me. But now I’m standing in front of him and making sure he sees it.
“It has to be. I need you to call whoever thinks this hell I’m living is acceptable, and tell them that I’m your daughter and that you love me too much to watch me suffer.” My voice breaks and my tears start to flow.
“Sweetheart.” He stands up from his desk and comes toward me, wrapping me up in his arms and comforting me the way he used to when I was a child. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
“It is! It’s just that fuckin’ simple, Dad.” I know first-hand now that I speak the truth, I’ve known I’m pregnant for less than an hour and already I know there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my child.
“How about you tellmethose words? How about, for once, you putmebefore all the power these people give you,” I beg him.
“You know why, Leia, I’m in too deep. I’ve made mistakes and—”
“Well, I’m in deep too now. I’m in so deep that I can’t see the fucking surface, and I’m done sinking. I have to fight my way back to the top, because I’m pregnant, and thankfully, it isn’t by my abusive husband.” I let him have it, uncensored, and watch the shock and horror creep onto his face.
“You’re what?” He looks disappointed in me as he puts some space between us and steps back behind his desk.
“I’m pregnant, and Wade Carson’s the father.”
“Holy shit, Leia.” Dad slumps back into his chair and shakes his head in disbelief.
“How?”
“Well, I could go into detail, but I’ll spare you that.” I look back at him sarcastically.
“This is going to be okay, Leia. You can pretend Caleb’s the father, he never has to know the child’s not his. You haven’t told Carson yet, have you?” He stares up at me with a whole fresh panic on his face.
“I just found out myself, me and Caleb had a fight, he pushed me down the stairs, and this is what he did to me when he thought the baby was his. Can you imagine…?”
“Wait, if you just found out, how did he know—”
“Because I told him I was pregnant a week ago, I lied to him, because I was trying to protect myself from the things he was doing to me. And it turns out it wasn’t a lie.” I let him know how bad things have been.
“He’s not gonna find out, he never has to know. Hecan’tknow, Leia. You take this to your fucking grave!” He looks angry as he points his finger across his desk at me, ignoring everything I’ve been trying to tell him.
“No.” I shake my head, “I was prepared to do this for you when it was just me in danger, but it’s not just me anymore. I have to get out. I have to leave him and I will do it with, or without, your help. If you won’t help me, I’ll go to Wade and you can consider this as your heads up.”
“You can’t, Leia!” He slams his hand on the desk and growls.
