Cliché with a player

Chapter 13 - He protected me

My dad and Mrs. Taylor are arguing at the door — he is arguing, she tries to calmly explain why he can't enter and why I don't want to see him. I am still hiding behind Matt's body; as soon as he saw my dad he stepped in front of me as if to shield me.

I can't let them handle him alone. They've done enough for me.

"Dad?" I step forward and look my father in the eye. "What are you doing here?"

At first he looks surprised to even see me, although he quickly changes attitude.

"I came for you. Laken, take your things and come with me. You will not be spending another minute with these people. They had no right to take you." His tone is harsh, disrespectful and degrading. I hate it.

"No, dad."

It's the first time I stood up for myself and it took me more courage than I care to admit. I look at Matt, who glances at me proudly before turning back towards front door, and I look at Mrs. Taylor, the woman protecting me with her love, and Wylan, the boy who comforted me though he didn't even know me, and I just can't let them down. If I go with my dad now, I'll let him take control from which I won't escape.

"What?! What do you mean no?! I did not ask."

"I know. The decision is still mine though."

"You choose to stay with them over your own father. Where did I go wrong with you?"

He unsuccessfully tries to squeeze past Matt's mom, until he just pushes past her. Matt and Wylan step forward and, after gazing at their mother and making sure she's alright, block my dad from getting to me.

"Move!" My dad demands.

"No, you will not get to her, she clearly doesn't wish to speak to you." Matt says calmly but firmly.

"Laken, your mother already took Andrew from us, your own brother, don't let her separate us too." His eyes are glistening with pleading, anyone would believe him. But I know this man and I know better. I know it's just an act.

"Dad, please go away. I don't want you here. You hurt mom." At the end my voice is so thin it almost breaks. I don't even know if he heard me.

"She lied to you, Laken. I never hurt her, I love her. She did this to herself to make me look bad. She is greedy and selfish and just wants the money I work so hard for. She wants to break our family. Don't let her."

"No, stop saying these things!" I beg him.

"You need to hear the truth." My dad pushes Matt away and roughly grabs me by the hand.

"I know the truth. You're hurting me, dad."

"Get out." Mrs. Taylor demands.

My eyes fill up with tears that are now falling down my cheeks like waterfalls. I am crying again, which I don't want. Taylors don't need to see this, I don't want them to.

My chest hurts, I can't breathe from crying so hard, I can't seem to inhale. I feel like I'm going to collapse.

Sudden the pressure on my hand disappears, along with my dad. My eyelids stay closed because I don't want to see what happened. I couldn't take any more bad news.

"Get your hands of me!" My dad yells.

That's when I muster up all the courage left and focus it all on opening my eyes. And because of what I see, I instantly want to forgive Matt Taylor.

Matt is carrying my dad, by the collar of his shirt, out of the house. He throws him on the pavement and my dad stumbles a few steps back.

"Come again one more time and try to take her away, and I swear I'll kill you."

Matt slams the door, locking then automatically.

Mrs. Taylor takes me in her arms, hugging me like the world might shatter if she isn't careful enough. Like it's her fault for any of this to happen.

"I'm so sorry, honey."

That's when I completely break down to sobs and fall on the ground, with her arms still around me.

"Everything is just falling apart." My voice is barely anything more than a whisper.

I feel so worthless all the time. My dad clearly doesn't love me, he resents me that I am not a boy and has always tried to make a son out of a daughter. He was tougher on me, if Andrew made mistakes he wasn't pleased but still didn't react. With me, on the other hand, he never left any room for mistakes. When I was little, if I would colour outside the lines, he took my colouring book and replaced it with another one, and I would have to start all over again. He taught me to be overly competitive. I guess it has to do with the fact that I'm the older child.
My mom is trapped in a golden cage and Andrew rarely even talks to me. I miss him so much, we used to do everything together when we were kids but now we have only this rare moments when we are okay.
And I know I shouldn't, but I feel as though something is wrong with me. When Matt said he only kissed me out of pity, my confidence went downhill — not that I had many. I felt worthless because of a boy, who can't keep it in his pants.

But he just threw my dad out for my sake, he protected me.

I don't get that boy. One minute he is nice and seems to care about me, only to find him angry and annoyed the next. It's hard to tell if he cares about me or not. I know that evening he just wanted sex and thought I wouldn't complicate things, though the almost-kiss at the hospital seemed so real. And the night he brought Austin back...Maybe it was good we got interrupted before I would do something stupid.

"Oh, Laken, no it's not," She says, trying to calm me.

I am so ashamed but I still can't stop crying. It feels like finally something has opened and it'll help me feel better if I let it all out.

For awhile everything is quiet.

"I'm going to get you some water." Mrs. Taylor says and leaves the room.

"Laken." His voice is gentle when he crouches beside me. "Look at me."

I still stare in the carpet and wooden floor, everything around me is kind of blurry, like an echo. Matt's fingers turn my face towards his, and with him this close I can't think properly.

"You know you're not worthless, right?"

How does he know what I am thinking about? He always knows. How, for the love of all that is good and pure?!

I push his hand away. His eyes darken, as though I've hurt him. Well, he hurt me to, besides, he basically said he doesn't want anything to do with me.

"Hearing you say this is kind of ironic, don't you think? Or are you just saying it out of pity?" I cock my head to the side.

Mrs. Taylor returns with a glass of water, which I more than gladly drink in one sip. She takes it from my hand and strokes me on my back.

"Why don't you go rest for a bit. You don't need to go to school on Monday if you won't feel like it."

I smile thankfully at her, although I will go to school, I can't afford to miss class in high school if it's not necessary.

"I'll help her." Wylan offers, at which Matt tenses and steps in front of him.

"No need, I'll do it."

"It's really okay..."

"Wylan, back off." Matt's tone is warning, so his brother takes a step back with his arms in the air.

"Laken, are you at least one tiny bit of good?" Wylan asks me and I nod. I can't seem to do much more.

Matt helps me get up on my feet and then swoops me in his arms.

"Matt! Put me down!"

"Laken..."

"No, I can walk just fine and you will not treat me like that."

He does in fact stop and is gazing at me intensely, until he gives up and puts me down.

"Thank you, though."

After he closes the doors to the room I am currently staying at — I can't call it my room since it isn't — I stare out of the window for a half an hour before I fall asleep.