Just One Kiss, Please Daddy

Chapter 14

Livia’s POV

After Tyler brought me home, it was hell.

He yelled at me for hours. Only when I locked myself in my bedroom did he stop. I didn’t come out until the morning, when I knew that he won’t be there anymore, waiting to hurt me.

I didn’t get a wink of sleep, and yet here I am, all dressed up to go to school.

Slinging my backpack, I head out of my room, check the hallway for any signs of Tyler, and finally make my way down the stairs.

I can smell food from the kitchen, which means Mom is home.

As quiet as a mouse, I head to find her, only to see that she’s not alone in the kitchen.

Sitting at the breakfast table already smoking is none other than David. He’s watching my mom flip the bacon on the pan, his beady little eyes reminding me that of a pig’s. His gaze sharpens when he sees me, surveying me up and down.

“You off to school?” David asks me, shedding his cigarette ash against the window.

I just nod. Guess no breakfast for me since he’s going to be here watching my very move like a hawk. “I’m off to school now, yes.”

I’m about to leave the kitchen when David suddenly gets up and grabs my arm. “Not so fast. I heard what you and your friend did to Tyler yesterday. You think that would go unpunished?”

“David,” Mom starts to say as a feeble attempt to make him stop.

But he just shrugs her off, not taking his eyes off me. “You’re not leaving this house. Go and get changed.”

“What?” I splutter, dropping my backpack to the floor. “I need to go to school! We have a quiz today—”

“Blah, blah,” he interjects, rolling his eyes. “That’s not going to help you in the long run, is it? You need to have a job. You need to contribute something to this household. Going to school gets you nowhere—you need to start working.”

I don’t know where I got the courage. Maybe I just had enough of it after so long. Maybe he finally crossed a line. Because the only reason I’m so serious at school is because I want to put myself in a place where my mom and I can be free from him.

“I don’t have a job,” I say, snatching my arm from him. “I don’t need to find one. Leave me alone!”

His taunting demeanor suddenly sharpens into straight aggression. “Oh, you’re not going anywhere! Learning disrespect from your little friend, are you? I will teach it back to you!”

With that, he snatches me by the hair and drags me along the hallway. I scratch at his hand, trying to pry his fingers off me. He grips me tighter, pushing me along until I end up in the garage.

Then, he pushes me off, letting me land on the concrete floor. I brace my arms in front of me, breaking the fall. I whip around and try to escape through the door, but he catches me by the collar of my shirt.

“David,” Mom says again, but it’s useless. It’s always been useless. “She needs to go to school!”

“No, she doesn’t.” David laughs and dumps dirty rugs and a bucket full of soapy water into my arms. “She’s going to make herself useful. Clean the car and the entire garage. Don’t get out of here until everything is spotless.”

With that, he gets out and closes the door behind him, leaving me no choice but to do as he says.

***

By the time I finished cleaning, I have no clue what time it is. All I know is that I’m tired, hungry, and close to passing out.

I try the door, but it won’t budge. “David! I’m done, let me out!”

But it’s Tyler who opens the door. He surveys the garage, smirking. “You outdid yourself, Livia. Maybe you can do my room tomorrow.”

I say nothing. I’m too weak to retort. My hands are raw from scrubbing. I just want to lay down.

I’m about to head up to my room when all of a sudden, I hear the home phone ringing.

Strange. That never happened before.

Tyler’s eyes go wide with confusion. He rushes to the kitchen to answer it, but David intercepts him and snatches him by the back of the neck.

“Hey, what did I tell you about answering s**t?” David barks, then he motions me to come forward. “Hey, you! Answer the phone and if they ask about me, tell them I moved!”

It must be one of his shady contacts yet again. It’s worrying that they know our home number. I don’t move.

“Go ahead and do it!” he yells at me, pushing me towards the phone.

The ringing grinds to a halt when I pick up the phone. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Livia, is that you?”

My heart drops.

It’s Ford.

Suddenly, I can’t speak. My hand goes slack around the phone.

It’s only been a day, but it feels so long. I almost want to cry just hearing his voice.

He called our home phone.

That means he cares.

He cares about me.

The tears brimming my eyes makes it hard for me to speak.

“Livia, if that’s you… I just want to know why you didn’t show up at school.” The warmth and worry in his phone makes me almost dizzy. “I want to know why you just disappeared—”

“What’s taking you so long?” David demands. “Did you rat me out?”

Before I can say anything, David marches over to me and snatches the phone out of my grasp. “Who the f**k is this?”

“No,” I squeak. “David, that’s for me—”

“I’m Ford,” I hear him say. “Are you Livia’s father?”

David frowns. “Yeah? Did she do something stupid? ”

Silence. Silence on the other line. I thought it’s done. I thought it’s over. I thought Ford just hung up hearing the aggression from David.

But then, the sound of a car pulling up outside fills the kitchen.

Followed by Ford’s calm voice saying, “I’m outside. I need to talk to your daughter.”