Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 I can't let my dad control me

Ever have nights where you just lie in your bed, begging for sleep to take you? Time seems to pass, but the more tired you get, the more restless you seem.

Well tonight is one of those nights.

My conscience keeps haunting me, telling me that I just took a life.

But I keep arguing back that he deserved it. He got what as coming to him.

But that doesn't satisfy my conscience, and when I finally do fall asleep, I am terrorized by nightmares.

"The tables are turned, how does it feel?"

The cold voice of my dad echos through the darkness. I am chained to the wall, bloodied and beaten.

When I do finally look up I meet the dark eyes of my dad. In his hand is a handgun, which he slowly points at me.

"You are the one in the cell, bound by chains. How does it feel to be on the other end of the pistol? How does it feel to look Death in the eyes?" He scoffs.

"D-dad plea-"

"Don't call me that! I am not your father! You got what is coming to you."

He clicks the safety off, and my life is sealed.

"See you in Hell, slut."

I choked screams rips from my lungs as I jolt awake. The sound of the gun going off seems to boom in my ears, and I hug my knees tightly to my shivering body.

It was just a dream.

It was just a dream.

The door opens, and in steps Ace. I'm emotionally naked in front of him; I don't care to hide the emotions worn on my face.

He kneels down at the side of my bed, looking up at me with anxious eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"Just a nightmare." I whisper. Nightmares weren't anything knew to me, however that doesn't mean they are less scary.

They seem so real each time, and every time they are more violent than the last one.

"I just want this to all be over. The nightmares, the guilt, the depression, the shame....I'm just so sick of it all, I just want it all to be over." I sob. "I'm just so tired."

Ace doesn't say anything, instead, all he does is wrap a comforting arm around my waist, and pulls me in. Sometimes all one needs is the comforting support of others, rather than words.

Sometimes the embrace of a warm hug speaks louder than words.

Sometimes actions speak louder than words.

And as I let Ace hold me in his arms, I let all the pain, the sorrow, the guilt, and the shame, stain the shirt that Ace is wearing.

"Thank you." I whisper.

Ace hesitates for a moment, before speaking. "For what?"

"For standing through the good, the bad, and the ugly with me. Thank you for taking care of me, who is nothing more than a girl who happens to be broke-"

Ace cuts me off.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. You are not broken. You are a strong woman who has made it out of one hell of a tough life. Life isn't easy, but you only grew stronger from your struggles. You are a strong young woman who doesn't know how valuable she is yet." Ace says.

I feel my face reddening and my heart rate speed up.

Have I died and gone to heaven?

Is this just a dream? Did a guy really just say that to me?

"T-thank you." I reply, feeling a bit shy.

No man had ever said such things to me before. But are his words true? Can I actually believe him? I want to, I really want to....maybe I could learn to trust him? If he wanted to hurt me, surely he would have by now.

I could never trust men.

But maybe it's time to change.

I'm a bit afraid, as it's out of my comfort zone, but I can't just live in fear all my life. I can't let my dad control me from the grave.

"That means a lot to me to hear that." I mumble quietly into his shirt.

Even though I can't see Ace's face, I know he's smiling.

I soon relax in Ace's arms and feel my body give out due to exhaustion, and I find myself dozing off. Everything seems so calm now. Everything seems so still.

So peaceful.

I feel fingers gently stroke my hair before I let the arms of sleep take hold of me.

And for the first time in a long time, nightmares do not haunt my dreams.

* * *

Katelin's POV:

I sit up in my bed the next morning, yawning and stretching. Everything is quiet.

Too quiet.

Ace is usually up in the kitchen by now, eating his life away on God knows what.

But instead, he is not there.

I check his bedroom.

He is not there.

My curiosity grows, and I creep towards the room Dakota is staying in. The door is slightly cracked open, and peering in, I see two bundles in bed.

I'm going to be an Aunt sooner than I thought! I think while giggling.

I tippy-toe over to the side of the bed to get a better look.

And what I see melts my heart.

They're so cute!

Dakota has her head gently resting on Ace's shoulder, while her small hand lies draped across his rising chest. Ace's other arm is sprawled out across the bed, limply hanging off the age.

I. Need. My. Camera. STAT!

I rush out of the room, only to return moments later panting for my life. With my camera in hand, I quietly make my way over to the bed once more. I start taking pictures, thoroughly savoring the moment. I can't wait to frame these and show them to their kids.

Wait...their kids??

Too soon?

As I'm finishing up taking pictures, sleeping beauty awakes. She opens one eye, then the other. She peers at me through her sleepy gaze, before settling with an angry glare.

"Really Katelin? Again?" Dakota groans in annoyance.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for savoring moments like these. C'mon Dakota, you should know this by now." I reply, winking at her.

"Get out-"

"Nuh uh, no can do." I say, cutting her off, "Now, will you two-"

"Get out, or I will strip in front of you!" Dakota exclaims.

For a moment we just stare at each other in silence. "Alright, alright, you could have just told me to get out!" I exclaim.

"I di--you know what? Never-mind." Dakota says, giving up.

"I wouldn't mind seeing that." Ace says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"And this is where I leave. Uhm...bye?" I reply, backing out of the room quickly before I heard things that would cause me to need therapy in the future.

* * *

Dakota's POV:

I turn around and glare at Ace for saying something like that. I cross my arms over my chest and give him a stern look.

"Alright, I'm going!" Ace exclaims before booking it out of there.

They are such dorks! I think to myself.

I feel so refreshed this morning. Last night I got the best sleep of my life, well, once I actually did fall asleep of course. I didn't wake up once in the night. I don't think I've felt that safe since....actually I don't think I've ever felt that safe.

Who knew that a guy, let alone some rough gang could be so.....dare I say.... sweet?

He treats me nice....

He treats me like...

....like the queen I am.

I furrow my eyebrows as that phrase rings over and over through my head repeatedly. It sounds so...familiar....I've heard it somewhere before. I search my mind for the origin of the phrase, until finally, a flashback echoes through my mind.

There's a woman....she has dark skin and hair and she's wearing a waitress uniform.

That's....that's Shontell!

"Find any to your liking?" Shontell asks me, and I'm now standing beside her.

"I don't know, Shontell. What if they're all the same?" I say sadly.

A moment of silence passes before Shontell speaks once more. "They're not. And one day you'll find a man who will treat you like the queen-"

"I know," I say, cutting her off, "Like the queen I am."

"Very good! Now let me hear you say it again!" She says in an encouraging tone.

"One day I will find a man who will treat me like the queen I am." I reply back reluctantly.

The memory fades away, and I'm left standing there in my room angry at myself that I had so easily forgotten about Shontell.

I dash out into the kitchen, where Katelin is cooking bacon. Ace sits at the table twirling his fork around with his fingers.

"Hurry up with that bacon!" Ace grumbles.

Katelin rolls her eyes and mumbles something along the lines of, 'Men and their meats.'

"I need to find Shontell!" I suddenly burst out.

"Who is Shontell?" Ace asks, raising an eyebrow.

"My really good friend I worked with at the restaurant. She's probably so worried about me." I say.

I'm such a horrible friend!

"Don't worry, my men can find her. We can find pretty much everyone." Ace says reassuringly. "I've already sent my computer geek a message."

"T-thank you." I say quietly.

Ace just hums in response, before looking at me. I can tell he hes something to tell me.

"Dakota...I have a question for you. How would you like to go to school? You'd only have a half of a year left. Of course, you'd have to take online courses for quite some time to catch up, as I'd imagine you missed a lot of school?" Ace asks.

My eyes widen.

Going back to school?

I have attended school before, I managed to complete everything up till my sophomore year in high-school, but I dropped out due to the physical abuse showing on my body.

"I-I uhm completed my sophomore year...but then I dropped out do to the...a-abuse." I tell him.

The thought of having a somewhat normal life entices me, and I find myself being tempted to just give it a try.

I've always wanted to be independent, I don't want to have to be dependent on anyone because what if that person turns their back on you? What if that person leaves you, or dies, or becomes sick? Then what?

"I-I guess I could give it a try..." I tell Ace. "When would my first day be?"

"Would tomorrow work for you?" He asks with a skeptical look on his face.

Tomorrow? That soon?

I feel nervous already, but I'm sure it will all be fine?

"N-no that's okay. That'll work..." I reply.

"Great! If anyone ever bothers you, let me know." Ace says sternly.

I nod in response.

I then decide to sit down across from Ace at the kitchen table, and once I do sit down, I notice he's staring at me.....again. He doesn't even try to hide his stares, he just stares at my face with those rather....nice eyes of his. I cough awkwardly, hoping to get him out of his daze, but it doesn't help.

So I decide to clear my throat, and ask him a question. "Sooo what are you up to today?" I ask him.

"Eh, just meetings. Very. Boring. Meetings." He replies.

"Oh. For what?" I ask.

"Eh, just gang-related stuff." He replies vaguely.

"Oh..."

Suddenly the strong smell of bacon hits my nose and my stomach growls like a beast.

"Hurry up with that bacon!" I say to Katelin.

Katelin rolls her eyes, and gives a sassy bow and says sarcastically, "Yes, your majesty."

Katelin and I dink around the house for the rest of the day, and like Ace said, he was gone all day for some apparently boring meetings. I didn't realize Ace had a heated swimming pool, so my day was spent swimming with Drew, who only joined because of his giant yellow rubber ducky floatie that he is oddly obsessed with.

Then again...Drew is a little on the goofy side...okay, maybe a lot on the goofy side, so I'm not surprised.

But as night covers the sky with its blanket of darkness, I lie in bed feeling nervous about the coming school days.

High-school can be brutal and stressful. Do I really need extra stress in my life?

I can do this. I've been through tougher things in life, you got this. Just don't be a doormat, don't let people prey on you.

And with those thoughts, I doze off.

It's time to turn a new leaf and not just act strong, but be strong, also.