Page 5 of Daddy's Doll

Hayden and Hudson seem to take cruel pleasure in teasing and smirking at Leila's discomfort. It pains me to see Leila pushed around, and I'm about to speak out when Frank grabs the sleeve of my jacket, gently pulling me back toward him, preventing me from making the situation worse. Dad isn’t here to protect me, and my psychotic cousins know that.

Frank, always striving to be the protector, touches me with good intentions, but it doesn't sit right. His touch sends shivers down my spine that feel like needles, and it's a stark contrast to how I felt with my dad. Just the memory of the way he touched me that night in his shed ignites a longing in me, making me yearn for more, while Frank's hands on me make me feel uneasy.

I try to pull away from Frank's grasp, and this time, he lets me go. He speaks in a low voice, warning me that getting involved in this situation might lead to Hayden and Hudson targeting me. Fear grips me for a moment, but then something inside me snaps. I break free from his hold, and I glance back at Leila, still caught in the middle of Hayden and Hudson who now fortunately seem to be arguing with one another instead of with her. Hayden's voice rises in frustration, punctuated by angry gestures. Hudson's expression remains stern, his words measured and calm.

My phone begins ringing again, but I don’t have the wherewithal to realize that it can’t be Frank calling me incessantly because he’s standing right in front of me. Without warning, Hayden abruptly scoops Leila off her feet and throws her over his shoulder. My eyes widen as I watch her helpless form, a pawn in their power struggle. Hudson, looking displeased, falls into step with them.

They march across the manicured lawn, the spectacle drawing the gaze of curious students who would never have enough nerve to say something to either of them. Just before they disappear from view, I notice Hudson's hand reaching out to grasp Leila's wrist as she hangs over her brother’s shoulder. His fingers slide down to intertwine with hers in a way that seems so unlike the bully I know him to be.

It’s only when they’re out of my line of vision that Frank’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “Aren’t you going to answer your phone?”

My phone.

I flip it over in my hand and my jaw nearly drops when I see the words “Parental Unit” flashing on my screen. I changed it from Dad with a green heart—his favorite color, a few weeks ago when I finally gave up on calling him and leaving him messages.

I glance around looking for him because now I know what that tingling feeling was. It’s definitely not going to be exciting. This is going to be terrible in more ways than I can count.

4

GRANT

As I finally make my way off the dirt road that leads back to my new home and pull onto a winding, narrow road that leads to civilization, the first thing I notice is the incessant pinging of my phone. It's been silent for months. I was in such a bad headspace when I left, trying to shove every emotion I had for Olivia down deep inside my chest where it could never hurt her. She was so upset with me when I left her at Hillcrest that I didn’t think she would try to contact me at all. Let alone hundreds of times. Now, as I reach the outskirts of a small town, it's as if my phone has come to life, each ping a reminder of the girl I left behind.

I pull over onto the shoulder and grab my phone from the bench seat. The screen is lit up with notifications, missed calls, and countless unread messages. The majority of them are from Olivia. Guilt and anger churn within me as I realize just how long I've ignored her attempts to reach out. It's been months since I last heard her voice, and I can only imagine the anger and hurt she must be feeling. The thought of her feeling abandoned by me twists a knife in my chest. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was influencing her interest in me because I couldn’t control myself around her. She would have been killed because of it if she hadn’t been in the shed with me that night. I truly believe that. I bang my fist on the dash, letting out only a fraction of the rage that consumes me. I chose wrong. I thought I was protecting Olivia, but I was hurting her instead.

I start with the voicemails, each one playing like a dagger to my hollow heart. My doll’s voice, once filled with warmth and affection, now carries a tone of resentment and anger. She tells me she doesn't need me anymore, that she wouldn't call me even if she were in trouble. In her last voicemail, there’s no trace of sadness, but instead, realization that she knows I’m not coming back for her. She tells me not to worry about her earlier messages because there are plenty of men who will gladly step up and take my place. The one I didn’t want with her. The words hit me like a fist to the face, and I'm torn between guilt for what I've done to her and the very real instinct to kill every motherfucker who’s spoken to her since I’ve been away. My fingers itch to bind her legs and arms with my rope and haul her home with me where she belongs. Anger simmers beneath the surface, fueled by my own longing for her. I've missed her so much, and now that I've finally allowed myself to admit it, the obsession that's been lurking takes over. I start my truck and pull back onto the road, my grip on the steering wheel tight. The cabin, the wilderness—it all fades into the background as my singular focus becomes reaching Hillcrest University. I’ll burn it down to nothing but ashes if I have to. My doll is coming home with me. No other outcome is acceptable.

I dial Olivia's number, my heart pounding in my chest. Each ring goes unanswered, and it's only a matter of time before her voicemail picks up. I grit my teeth and leave a message, my voice laced with a mix of frustration and desperation.

“Olivia, it's me. I know I messed up, okay? But I need to see you, to explain. Just... please answer your phone,” I tell her, sighing before I end the call. It was one phone call, and she could be in class, but my entire body is tight with tension, wondering why she didn’t immediately pick up. Hillcrest men are not patient, and I’m no exception. I’ve seen Ethan kick the bedroom door in if Isabella locks it and taunts him by not opening it quickly enough, and I’m realizing that I’m quite literally at his delusional level of obsession at this moment.

The road stretches out before me, and I stop looking at the speedometer because, at this point, I wouldn’t stop even if I saw flashing lights. I’m determined to reach Hillcrest as fast as I can. What if she’s been hurt, and Landon is too preoccupied with his twin to notice or give a fuck? What if she trusted the wrong person, and they hurt her because she felt like she didn’t have anyone to count on?

She didn’t, you fucker. She counted on you, and you let her down.

—

I arrive at Hillcrest University, and a heavy sense of dread settles in my chest like a lead weight. This place holds memories both bitter and sweet. I used to be the coach of the Hillcrest hockey team, guiding young athletes toward their goals, before my world came crashing down when my wife attempted to murder our entire family. If I’m honest with myself, I wouldn’t have been able to continue to work here much longer regardless of what she did. It was too much temptation with Olivia on campus, and I was finding it harder and harder to keep my hands to myself. She was beginning to act out, challenge me, and instead of taking it in stride like I did with my other daughters, I had the overwhelming urge to punish her, dominate her, make her bend to my will.

As I walk through campus, lost in my singular mission to find Olivia, Donovan, the assistant coach who stepped up to replace me, attempts to flag me down and strike up a conversation. I don’t have time for this shit. I can feel my entire body buzzing with adrenaline. My mind is laser-focused on one thing and one thing only.

I rudely brush past him, not caring about social niceties. Every second counts. I continue to call Olivia's phone over and over, desperation creeping into my chest, welling up in my throat, and it feels like I might choke. Like a lifeline, the phone crackles like someone has answered. At nearly the same exact time, I see a flash of her bright blonde hair in the distance, a sight that simultaneously stirs longing and jealousy within me. She's speaking to some guy who looks to be around her age, and the sight makes my blood boil. I'm ready to storm over there and beat the shit out of him and scoop her up in my arms.

But then I hear her voice, and it’s cold and distant. "I have nothing to say to you," she says, and the words hit me like a punch to the gut. She hangs up before I can respond, and a surge of anger courses through me. I can't let my emotions get the best of me now. I need a plan, a way to approach her without jeopardizing my plan. There are too many people around to get away with dragging her away, and I can already tell by her attitude that she’s not going to go quietly.

I watch as she tucks her phone away, her face showing every emotion she’s feeling right now. She’s angry, but she’s still sad, which means I still have a chance to repair the damage I’ve done. The guy she's with tries to offer her some comfort, but I see the look on his face. He’s full of shit, whatever he’s saying to her. I can't help but feel the rage of jealousy clawing at my chest at the sight of another man attempting to get close to her. But I notice something, something that soothes the green monster inside me, if only just a little bit. Olivia doesn't lean into him, doesn't seek his embrace like she did with me. She doesn't seem as at ease with this fucker, and she certainly doesn’t look at him the way she did me.

My thoughts churn with a mix of emotions, from possessiveness to anger. I can't help but wonder if she allowed him to kiss her, to hold her in his arms while I was out in the woods, just to spite me. I know it's my fault that I abandoned her and ignored her, but now I'm ready to claim her, and despite the walls she has up, there’s not a thing she can do to change the outcome.

I watch them from afar until I see them go separate ways, and my doll heads into one of the academic buildings, presumably to go to her class. I pull out my phone and head toward Landon’s dorm. He probably pays little attention to Olivia’s schedule, but I’m sure Sophia will have the information I need to catch Olivia by herself.

Maybe I’ll have a little fun with her before her fate is sealed.

5

OLIVIA

Imake my way across the hallowed grounds of Hillcrest, the weight of sadness and anger mingling together and tugging at my every step. I hadn’t prepared myself for what I would do if Dad ever contacted me again or more importantly, how I would feel hearing his voice again. I'm dressed in my ice-skating attire, my skates slung casually over my shoulder. I don't compete in figure skating; I do it for fun, for the solace it brings. The high ponytail in my hair, held together by a light blue bow, bobs with each step. Instantly, the memories of the way he touched me, held me, kissed me flood my mind. For a moment, I was that brokenhearted girl he’d dropped off and ignored without a second thought, but I quickly recovered and let the anger overtake me. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to resist him. I can't help but feel betrayed by his silence, his refusal to answer any of my calls, and the best thing for me to do is just ignore him before he leaves me completely gutted again.

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