Page 56 of Skid
“You’ll wake me before you start?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy. If that’s what you want,” I promised, wanting to get back to Kelly.
Lately, our connection had been frayed, and I knew what he wanted. I just didn’t want to do it while Kelly was awake.
“First thing, Grace,” he instructed and kissed my cheek before stepping aside.
I walked past him, and he rubbed my back, allowing his fingers to brush against my bottom as I left his room. All night, I tossed and turned, feeling like something was wrong, and when the sun started to peek through the window, I slowly crawled from bed, leaving Kelly sleeping. Walking out of my room, I closed the door and moved through the house to Daddy and Connie’s room.
He was asleep, so I walked to the bed, gently nudging him. He blinked his eyes open and smiled at me. “Good morning, my saving grace. Are you ready to take care of what I need?”
“Yes, Daddy,” I whispered and lifted the covers back.
He swung his feet to the floor and removed his sleep shorts. I slid onto the floor between his legs and did what he taught me to do when Daddy was stressed and needed relief. His hand was in my hair as he encouraged me. “That’s Daddy’s girl.”
I had no idea the door wasn’t closed. I was doing what I was taught a good wife would do for her husband when I heard a faint noise. Looking up, Daddy didn’t seem worried, and I wished it was already over. A minute later, I felt his hand grip deeper into my hair as he whispered, “Yes, baby. Here it comes. Take Daddy.”
When I was finished, I quickly brushed my teeth and slipped back into my room, finding Kelly on the bed, turned toward the wall. I slid in beside her and faced away from her, hoping she stayed asleep.
The front door opened and closed a little while later, and I heard Daddy’s truck crank up. He had a meeting, so Kelly and I would have the house to ourselves until after lunch. Kelly rolled over to face me, and her face was covered in tears.
“What’s wrong, Kelly?” I asked, and she sat up, pulling me into a hug.
“What he’s making you do is wrong,” she cried, and I pushed her back with confusion.
She told me what she saw, and I got scared, fearing Daddy’s deal to find me a husband would be in jeopardy. “He’s not making me do anything. He’s teaching me, just like your dad teaches you.”
“Grace, my dad doesn’t teach me anything like that. That’s abuse. That’s wrong,” she explained, but I shook my head.
“You’re mistaken. That’s how daddies show their love. That’s how they teach you to be a good wife and mother,” I rationalized, feeling like everything I knew was being threatened.
She took me by the hand, and for the next three hours, she told me about how wrong I was. She promised she would find someone to help, and when I couldn’t take the feelings of disgust and shame anymore, she held my hair while I threw up, fully understanding what Daddy had been doing to me for years.
The following week, with no help from my caseworker and Daddy and Connie denying everything, I took the money I’d saved from small jobs and the occasional birthday present, packed everything I could fit into my duffle bag and backpack, and left without a note or goodbye.
Kelly had found a place for me to go to help fix some of the things the Ringmans had lied about, and after four months, the group helped me find my way to Eddie.
I’d carried the guilt and shame of his actions around for years, and if Eddie was right, Dalton might be the one to break my chains and set me free. Now to find a way to tell him without either of us hating me.
