Page 48 of Free-Falling
“Don’t do that. Don’t pretend to care now! You knew, didn’t you? You knew about her hitting me. About her trying to form me into the perfect belle. There’s no way you didn’t know. Watching Jagger talk about knowing his sibling and forgetting him made me realize that I forgot daddy, I forgot what it feels like to have a father, You weren’t there for me to comfort me when she hit me! When she hurt me so bad that I would remain in my room for days. You never once came back when I cried out for you! You don’t fucking care about me!” I whisper-shout.
“Watch your tone, little girl. One, slow the fuck down. What are you talking about? Who hit you? The nanny? I have never let anyone put their damn hands on you. I shielded you. You’re my goddamn baby girl, my one and only daughter. I would never let anyone touch you. What are you saying?” His voice is taking on the sharp tone he has when one needs to recognize who the hell they’re talking to.
“Mom,” I cry out. “She said you both were doing this to strengthen me. To make me a Bishops. A proper gir—.”
“Wait. Hold the fuck up. Your mother hit you? She put her hands on you? When?” He asks. I know this tone too.
“I—.” I hesitate. Something is wrong. Why is my father reacting like this? I don’t understand.
“WHEN!”My father’s voice booms in my ear scaring the hell out of me.
“More than once. I— daddy… I thought, I thought.”
“You thought what? That I would condone shit like that? On myFUCKINGchild? I may be a shitty father, that I know for sure, and I’m sorry, Ainslee. Fuck, I’m sorry for failing you. For being distant and letting my baby sister’s death and this life take who I am, but that doesn’t mean I would ever let anyone harm you. All I’ve ever done is protect you, but it seems I lack in that department too.”
I don’t know what to say because I’m at a crossroads. This isn’t the tone that I expected. I’m genuinely confused. My father is still on the phone so I hear his heavy footfall then a door open. “Get the fuck up!” He yells. “You put your hands on our fucking kid, Tasha?”
“What?” My mother who must’ve been sleeping, says.
“Ainslee, I’ll call you back. Come see me when you’re back here. We need a face to face. You know better than to call me and confront me. I taught you to look people in the eye you have an issue with and tell it like it is, even me. But someone was instilling fear in you at the same time. I’ll fix that. I love you, bye.” My father hangs up.
I stare at my phone. Blinking repeatedly. Did my father just tell me he loved me? What? I drop the phone and walk back to join Jagger in the tub. He’s still sitting in there with his chin tilted towards the ceiling. “Ready to be in here with me now?” He asks.
I walk to the tub and climb in. I sink into the water, submerging my entire body up unto my neck. I stare at the disappearing suds. “I, I called my dad just now. I don’t know if it’s what you said about Jamie or about my heart, but you made me realize that I forgot him. I don’t remember having a father so I wanted to get it off my chest.”
“Did you?” He asks.
“Yes.” I answer but my voice breaks which prompts Jagger to sit up and look at me.
His Whiskey-brown eyes gaze my way. His facial expression transforms into a murderous one. “What the fuck did he say to you? I don’t give a fuck who your father is, I will put him in his place. I don’t care.”
This makes me cry harder. I sit up, covering my face. Shit, I need to stop crying so damned much. “He, he, oh God Jagger, he loves me.” I say, and this halts Jagger in his mission to pull me in his arms.
“What?” He asks softly. “What did you say, baby?”
“He loves me. He told me he loves me, and he didn’t know about my mother. He, he wants me to go to him when we go back.”
“Oh, pretty baby.” Jagger tsks and pulls me into his lap. “Fuck, I’m so glad I don’t have to kill your dad.”
His sideways comment causes me to stop crying. I laugh instead and end up with hiccups. Jagger pulls my hands away from my face and he peers up at me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Ainslee. What would I do without you, huh?”
With those words, Jagger kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. I straddle him properly, positioning myself where he could easily slip in. I grind my body on him, letting him know that I’m ready and I want this. Jagger groans and pulls his delectable mouth away from mine. He chuckles, shaking his head. He grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger. He stares at me for a second not saying a word then he talks. “You think I forgot about how I want you, baby. Don’t let all this sappy shit fool you all right? I want my pussy how I want it. You don’t get to fuck me today, I fuck you. When I’m good and ready. You hear me?”
I bite my lip, nodding. I love the way Jagger talks to me it makes me wetter and I’m even more turned on. “Yeah, I hear you.”
“Good. When do I want you, Ainslee?” He repeats his question.
I groan. “When you’re good and ready.” I breathlessly repeat.
“One more time for me, honey. When do I fuck you?”
“When you’re good and ready.”
“Who?” He asks.
“Jagger Hanlon.”
“Again.” He roughly repeats, his hand sliding down to my clit. We both moan at the same when his fingertip connects.
