Page 20 of In the Light of Day

And maybe she has.

I've never seen someone stand up to my mother like the sheriff and Ace did today. The person who should have welcomed me home berated me while two strangers kept me safe.

We drive for several minutes, my ears still ringing from all the yelling when I can feel the panic start to creep in. My movements jerky as I look at Ace.

“I didn't run away with—”

“I know you didn't, you don’t have to explain,” he says, as he reaches over and intertwines our fingers, resting our joined hands on the centre console. Always tight enough to know he's here with me, but loose enough so I can pull away if I need to.

“Hey, darlin'?”

“Yeah,” I reply with watery eyes and a sniffly nose. Trying to keep a brave face despite my entire life falling apart.

“Your mums a bitch.”

The laugh that escapes me is anything but ladylike. A half snort, half uncontrollable cough, but the smile on my face is genuine.

This man can make me smile. On my darkest days, a stranger seems to know me better than my family ever tried to.

He's special.

“I know, Ace. I know.”

Chapter 16 - Nova

Mama Hold Me - Joe Jordan?

The lights in the small town flicker to life as dusk settles across the sky. We’ve spent most of the day travelling to and from my parent's house and the range of emotions going through me have me feeling exhausted. We drive through the few blocks of the town centre and I see the sheriff’s office pass by as we continue driving. Looking to Ace for clarification, he shrugs his shoulders, only offering “The sheriff told me to follow him,” as my only explanation.

Fear starts to set in as it’s been only thirty six hours since I escaped, and once again I find myself sitting in an almost stranger's car, with no idea of the destination.

“Ace,” I whisper, my voice laced with panic.

We’re driving down a quiet residential street when the brake lights of the sheriff's vehicle illuminate our faces in a haunting red glow.

We’re slowing down.

Pulling into the driveway of a house, I'm greeted by the comforting sight of Martha standing on the front porch, the soft glimmer of fairy lights twinkling all around her. She rushes down the steps of the old Victorian Villa, flinging open the picket fence gate that surrounds their front yard.

Giving the sheriff a quick kiss, she moves toward Ace's truck, not slowing as I open the door to see what her haste is about.

“Seth told me what happened. You are wanted Nova, god you arewanted. You might not feel it yet but you are loved.”

She muffles the words into my head holding me so tightly I can barely breathe. I've never felt more overcome with love than I have right now. In the short time I've known Martha she has shown me more genuine kindness and compassion than I think I've ever experienced. All of her affection after the tirade of hate my mother has just given me is too much, and for what feels like the millionth time in the past several hours I crumble into her embrace.

“Why won't she love me?” I wail into her shoulder. All I ever wanted was to be loved. Like the way families are in movies, or in the few books I was allowed to read outside of the classics growing up. I just wanted someone to see value in me and not criticise every decision I made.

I have no clue why she thinks I ran away with my uncle. Like I would ever break up a family, let alone with someone like him. It took time for me to understand why I went with him to begin with. Combined with what I now understand was an obsession he had with me. I never invited or wanted his attention like that but it was also the only positive attention I got.

Up until now.

I’m starting to realise that my family was the problem and as much as I'd like to blame everything on my mother, my father also enabled her. My sister, I can't believe had anything to do with it though. She always made it clear that she never liked him. I don't even know how to contact her to see if she's been brainwashed or if I can salvage some sort of family. Was she there at the house and just didn't want to come see me?

Do I even care anymore?

Martha gently strokes my back, never letting her arms fall from holding me. Opening my eyes I can see the night sky has fallen, the only light coming from their house and it sends a shiver down my spine.

“Let’s go inside. I have dinner warming in the oven and your bedroom is all ready for you.”

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