Contractually Ever After

Chapter 16 - Home Truths.

We start clearing the food away, and both start to speak at the same time.

"I'm sorry, please."

I let Wade speak.

"What the hell was all that about ?"

he asks, both of us carrying dishes into the kitchen.

I huff, hoping this wasn't going to happen.

"He wasn't always this bad, I think it started when I was born a girl."

I laugh, busing myself scraping plates.

"I think the final nail in the coffin was Nate declaring he was going to Cambridge to do law and not take over dad's construction firm. Heaven forbid he handed it to me."

Wade lets me finish, and his curiosity is peaked.

"Does he get like that often ?"

"It got gradually worse at 13, when Nate left."

I add, no fear in sharing the truth now.

"Ava, has he ever...?"

Wade trails off.

"Hit me ?"

I finished the sentence off. Wade nods, his head slightly pulled back as if ready to lean away from the facts he knows are coming.

I dryly chuckle.

"You'd think a man who can act like that in front of good friends would refrain from hitting his daughter. God,that was the easy part. The worse part was coming home, with a bottle of coke and being called 'A fat bitch.' or cheesychips after a night out and being a 'Greedy Pig'.

But then I'd go jogging or come home from the gym and I'd recieve 'No man's going to want you as a wife, your losing your arse.' that's what I struggled with."

Wade shakes his head and then his eyes widen.

"Your medication, I asked my mum what they were, their blood pressure and anxiety tablets, is that why?"

I put the plate I was scraping down and face Wade.

"it's not a pretty story, Wade. I'll tell you, but once you know there's no not knowing and you'll never look at my father the same way again, let alone be able to play golf with the man."

I tell him, trying to adopt his way of being able to turn off emotions.

"Avs, I'm here to share your burden, I promise I'll always protect you."

I smile up at him,holding onto his waist, and I kiss his cheek.

"I remember you telling me that when I was nine."

He gazes into my eyes and returns my smile.

"One of your brothers friends pushed you off your bike, and I cleaned up your knees."

I lift onto my tiptoes and kiss him briefly.

"Ava, you need to tell me what happened."

He holds my hand and walks us into the living room, whistling for Reaper.

We're sat on the sofa, my legs are crossed, and I'm facing Wade with Reaper lying in between us.

"Why do you need those tablets, Ava?"

Wade asks softly again, determined to find out the cause.

"I had been to a sixth form party, with penny in the end of August, not long before my 18th birthday."

I feel like I've been transported back to that time, the memory so vivid in my head. I continue.

" I came home at the time I said I'd be home, but the lights were out. I let myself in, and my dad is sat staring at the door. He starts yelling insults at me calling me a cheap w***e, I'll be useless to him and that I need to learn my place as a woman. He put his hands on my shoulders and started shaking me, yelling at me, I tried to take a step back to get away from him, but he stepped with me and shook me some more, I don't think he knew the hallway alcove was behind me and well...he..."

I start to struggle, Wade rubs circles over my hands with his thumb, silently offering support.

"He kept shaking, and he split my head open."

I finish.

"He took you to hospital then ?"

Wade adds.

"not exactly, he left me sat on the floor, with a tea towel and next thing I know some woman is at the house, pouring whiskey onto my head, stitching me up and dad sends me to bed. That's when the anxiety attacks started, but every time dad took me to see your mum, my blood pressure would be high, and that's how I'm on the tablets."

That's it, now he knows it all.

"My mum said there was no incident on record to what started the anxiety. Now I know why. But one more question: Where was your mum?"

Wade enquires.

"She had gone away to Edinburgh for the weekend with your mum. She was none the wiser when she came home, I'm not sure if she knows now. After that night, I told him that Penny and I had coursework we were doing together, and I stayed over at your parents' house until Mum was back and my head wasn't as visable."

I answer.

"Penny knew ? Penny knew, and she didn't tell me. I could have protected you."

Wade fumes and stands in frustration. Reaper moves onto the other end of the sofa huffing in disgust of being disturbed.

"It wasn't her story to share Wade and what would you have done, the last time I saw you I was 12/14, then you just dropped off the face of the earth."

"I was home 4 days after mum came back from her trip, I thought I was mistaken when I saw you with black eyes, leaving the house."

It's funny how he saw me,but I never saw him. I take a deep breath and tell him.

"No, that was me, a stitched up scalp, 2 black eyes, that lasted for weeks, and he covered it up saying I must have fallen in a 'drunken black out.' After that, my mum thought it would be best if I was pulled out of finishing my A-Levels, so I didn't end up off the rails. I wanted to work with endangered animals, I'd nearly be finishing Univerisity now."

I realise I was mourning my stolen dreams. Wade kneels infront of me, kissing my hands.

"Thank you, for trusting me with this. He'll never hurt you again, not another finger."

Maybe he was right all along, maybe he will always protect me.