Page 70 of Wrecked
How quickly Nate has become everything to me. The thought of a life without him is incomprehensible, like I would no longer be able to breathe or function. My eyes line with tears, and I wave my hands in front of my face, trying to dry them before they ruin my makeup.
It’s okay. Whatever it was, he worked through it. After that week, things went right back to normal between us. In fact, things were even better. Nate has been attentive, more loving, more…everything. There isn’t a day he doesn’t remind me of how much he loves me. Almost like he needs to ingrain those words into my head so that I’ll never forget them. I’ve never felt so truly loved and cared for in my life. He is the reason for all of my happy days. All of the love I feel.
I know we are young, but I’ve never been more sure aboutanything. Nate will never hurt me. He loves me as much as I love him. Our love isn’t this fleeting thing. It’s not a high school dream. I know this now at sixteen, and I’ll prove it at thirty. I know I sound delusional, but our love was born from the ashes. Risen up against shared trauma. Trauma that has embedded our souls together for life. A love like this isn’t normal. It’s rare, and it’s beautiful, and it’s forever.
Satisfied with both my thoughts on our relationship and my appearance, I grab my cheap bottle of drug mart perfume and give myself a little spritz. One last look in front of my floor-length mirror and I am walking down the stairs, trying not to trip in these unreasonably high heels.
My dad is drinking a beer in the kitchen as I pass through to grab my car keys. He looks me over and smirks.
“You look like a high-end prostitute.”
I ignore him and reach for my keys, desperate to escape before things escalate. The man that used to treat me decently is no longer there. Or maybe this was always him, and I just had Katie as a buffer. He was never really affectionate, but he wasn’t always this cruel. Now? His eyes are soulless. His smile, unnerving. The way he looks at me makes my skin crawl. It’s a way you should never look at your daughter.
It only increases my suspicion that I’m not his. We don’t resemble each other at all. We don’t share any of the same passions or hobbies. We definitely don’t share the same affection for alcohol. But it goes beyond that…
A few years ago, something happened between him and my mom, and things changed in our household. Things changed in the way he treated me. The way he looked at me. It was like he no longer saw me as his daughter, his blood. Maybe he doesn’t…because maybeI’m not.
Regardless, he raised me as his daughter. You would think that he would set some boundaries he’d be unable to cross. But rather than look at me like a daughter, he looks at me with whatappears to be desire. I get goosebumps just thinking about it, and not the good kind.
He’s the only father I’ve ever known, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good one. It doesn’t mean I have to love him. Because I don’t. I hate him. I hate the way he hurts me. I hate the way he makes me uncomfortable. I hate the way I’m afraid of him.
“Did you hear me, girl? I said you look like a slutty fuckin’ prostitute.”
“Thanks dad,” I mumble, walking toward the front door. I almost make it, but he snatches my wrist, spinning me around. His grip is so hard that it’s going to leave a bruise. The more I try to pull away, the tighter he holds on. I gasp at the intense pain. It feels like he’s going to pop my veins.
“You can’t hide behind that boy forever, Ellison. He’s gonna get tired of you, and then you’re gonna pay for what happened to my car.” He looks down my body, slowly, suggestively. “Yeah…you’re gonna pay,” he finishes, licking his bottom lip.
“Remove your hands from my daughter, Chris.” My mom’s voice has me jumping out of my skin. I didn’t hear her walk into the room. The way she says “my daughter” has me on high alert. My dad’s eyes narrow, and he looks like he is ready to lunge at her.
“I’d reconsider what you’re contemplating,” she says smugly. “You know the consequences if anything happens to me. Ormygirls,” she states vaguely. He clearly gets the message though, because he releases my wrist, shoving my arm back toward my body.
“Have a nice time, Ellie.” She doesn’t take her eyes off my dad, challenging him to look away. He finally does, and I scurry past them, out the front door.
That was…odd.
I get into my old beat-up Chevy and head toward Nate’s house. Despite what just happened in there, I can’t help the hugesmile transforming my face. This is going to be the best night of my life, and I can’t wait to get it started.
I pullinto Nate’s driveway, suddenly nervous about our evening. What if I don’t look nice enough? Nate is the hottest guy at our school. I’m…just me.
My dad’s ugly words filter back through my brain. Do I really look cheap? Like I’m trying too hard? Am I going to embarrass him?
My hands are sweating as I grip my steering wheel. The engine is turned off, and I’m already parked, but I’m frozen in place. Unable to let go.
I get the feeling tonight is going to be life-changing, and for the first time, I am not sure that is a good thing. Chills creep up the back of my neck in warning. I have a bad feeling, and I don’t know where it’s coming from.
I need to get it together. This is Nate. He is going to make sure this night is as amazing and magical as I imagined. He bought me this dress specifically to wear tonight. He’s going to love it. He’s going to tell me I’m beautiful, just like he always does.
I take a deep breath and release my hold on the steering wheel. Opening my car door, I step out onto the cement.
I instantly trip on the pavement.
These god-awful heels are going to be the death of me. Maybe that’s where this ominous feeling is coming from. Maybe I’m going to face-plant in front of everyone at the dance.
I finally make it to the door, claiming victory over these damn shoes. People dance in their bare feet, right? How long before I can take these suckers off?
I lift my hand to ring the doorbell, but the door pulls open before I get a chance. Emmy stands on the other side looking atme with so much sadness in her eyes I just want to wrap her in my arms.
What did Nathaniel do now? I swear, I hate that man more and more by the second.
