Page 32 of Ivy's Venom

“You’ve been shutting us out since you got home, we let you because we know life has been tough. But you need to talk to us kiddo, we love you.”

Dad is always the one that comes for these I love you talks, always trying to get me to open up, and my heart wrenches for him because they never work. I can’t open up to him, I can’t tell him what my actual fucking problems are, and at the end of the day, if he knew the real me with all my fucking issues… would he love me still?

“Sorry,” I nod and avoid his eyes. “After what happened at that school and how I got kicked out, I’ve been ashamed.”

“Why did that happen? Why would you let a teacher take advantage of you?”

“He didn’t.” I finally look at him because my next words are the truth. “I took advantage of him, Dad.”

“Do you have a problem with sex?”

“What?” My heart picks up again. “No!”

“You can’t have sex with married men, Ivy. You shouldn’t be having sex at all, I was your age once and I understand all too well, but you cannot have sex with married men.”

How do I explain that my need for sex stems from the man who took advantage of me for two years? How do I tell him that I have come to need the release sex gives me to forget the man that used it to harm me?

“I liked him, Dad.” I shrug. “I now realize it was wrong.”

“You're lucky your mother didn’t kill him.” He gives me a look, his green eyes twinkling with mirth.

“She’d be in jail.” I grin.

“You’d be surprised with what she can get away with.” He winks.

“Because of our money?”

“Because of how smart she is, just like you, baby girl.” He taps my nose. “Now liven up because the holidays are here and I need help with Saxon.”

“Dad,” I groan, “Saxon needs a therapist.”

“So did your Uncle Emmett but he turned out fine.” He fluffs my hair and gets up. “Mom is back tomorrow, let’s try and have a family chat.”

“Okay.”

Family chat is the code name for nuclear war.

The family chat did happen, the next day which just so happened to be Christmas Eve, and it needed to happen because we were having every family member in this house for the night.

“All I’m saying is that if we’re allowed to bone teachers, do I have to have a good reason?” We’re sitting at the kitchen table and Saxon is looking to be murdered.

“What’s boned?” Dahlia asks and I drop my head to the table with a groan.

“Saxon,” my mother’s calm voice makes me still, “I am not above killing a child if it means I get some peace. Are we clear?”

The room is quiet and I slowly lift my head to look around the table. Dad has his hand over his mouth but his eyes are dancing with humour, Dahlia looks pale with her chin hitting the wooden surface, and Saxon looks like he may pass out.

Mother leans across the table to get further into his face, “I’m not going to hear about this shit anymore, right? Because it makes me feel like I need to beat someone to a pulp.”

Saxon nods and she pats him roughly on the cheek, “perfect.”

She’s the only one that can reel him in and Dad lets her because Saxon can be a bit much.

“So, no one is allowed to bone any teachers!” Dahlia claps, “got it!”

My family is fucking strange but it can be amusing.

“Ivy,” Mother turns to me. “Tell me, how’s school going?”

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