Page 14 of Caged in Flames

Chapter Seven

Summer before Sophomore Year:

I use my key to let myself into the house. We've been here for over a decade, and I still can't bring myself to call it home. Rich has always been good to me, but it doesn't stop me from thinking this could all come crashing down.

Speaking of crash...the sound of another one of mother's fits is coming from the dining room. Guess she and Richard are having another fight. It's not like it's new, but they aren't normally so open about it.

"This is your fault. Do something about it." Her screeching could be in a horror film.

"What would you have me do, Regina? I don't control the scholarships at Blisshaven. It's completely out of my control." Rich sounds uninterested.

The sound of something else breaking has me walking towards the room. If they know I'm home or can hear them, they might chill the fuck out. "Fucking fix it, Richard. Get a lawyer. I will not have my son attend the same school as that…miscreant."

I stop my steps. What is she talking about? Instead of approaching them, I duck over to the side of the stairs. Hidden in the shadows, I listen for what has her so worked up.

Rich huffs out a long breath. "Honestly, Regina, you've got to be kidding me. Diana earned her scholarship to Blisshaven on her own. Cheryl and I haven't spoken in years, and I know you don't want me to reach out to talk to her about it, so let's move on." He sounds exasperated.

"I can't move on, asshole. Charlie will have to go to school with her. How is it fair that she gets the same education we spend top dollar on, for free?" She's so materialistic and it frustrates me that she uses me as an excuse to get her way. I have no clue how anyone can be around her, let alone be married to her.

"I'm not getting involved in this, Regina. Leave them be." His footsteps echo down the hall, so I start making my way to my room. I'm not interested in seeing either of them right now.

Her next words sound whiny, like she's about to begin fake crying now that her anger hasn't gotten her what she wanted. "Fuck you, Richard. You never would have left them for me if I hadn't gotten pregnant. You wanted me to be your office whore. Then after you left them, you talked about them all the damn time. All that stress, and I lost the baby. It's your fault."

What the fuck?

"That isn't fair, Regina. I left them behind to start a family with you. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child you're carrying, but I have only ever wanted to be a father. Maybe I should reach out to Cheryl. Maybe it's time to bring Diana into this family. Her and Charlie are in the same grade, they can help each other."

He doesn't even say it with malice. It's spoken with genuine interest, as if he's been waiting to broach the subject for years.

My mind can't process this information. My mother lost Richard's kid. I had a sibling. He wants Diana to be a part of this fucked up mess they call a family? Every thought rushes through my head until it's spinning and I have to lean against the wall to keep still and hidden from view.

"I swear to you, Richard. If you even mention that again, I will leave you.”

He scoffs at her.

I don’t like that. Not because of their relationship. Rich deserves to get away from the toxicity he married into. But I don’t like the idea of leaving him. Of him leaving me and what that could mean.

Regina doesn’t like it either. Her voice sounds even more manipulative now. “And I will make sure Cheryl and Diana learn all about what you left them for. How you chose a new family over them. Pathetic."

I can hear Richard leave the room, and the sound of shattering glass lets me know mom isn't finished with her tantrum.

Shock is still coursing through my system. I almost had a sibling. I wouldn’t have been alone. Why would Richard want Diana around now?

My fists clench at my sides. Of course, he would want Diana. He probably wants his old life back. Why would he want my mom? Why would he want me?

That’s why my mom lost the baby. That’s what she said.

Rich wanted to go back. My mom feared what that meant for her. She lost the baby.

Now Diana is coming to Blisshaven? I don't fucking think so.

Now:

The sound of my mother's ringtone wakes me up. What the fuck does she want now? I groan and hit ignore.

After hunting down Nix yesterday, I played video games with the guys before coming back to my room and crashing. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and think about how angry she looked when I talked about her dad.

I don’t know why I tried to defend Richard. He’s dug his own hole with his daughter, but deep down I feel that I owe him.

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