Page 6 of Left In The Dark

I wash my body and hair, not taking any longer than I need to before getting out to dry myself off. A loud voice has my heart pounding as I’m tugging on my clothes. It’s a man. Anger boils inside me and I yank the door open, balling my fists at my sides when I see my dad arguing with my mom.

“What are you doing here?” I shout.

He looks my way, skin yellowing and eyes glossy. Unbelievable. The prick showed up here drunk. “I asked you a question.” My voice grows louder.

Tilting his head, he squints his eyes, and then they widen. “Logan?”

“You’ve still not given me an answer. You don’t live here anymore, remember?”

“You came back home. I guess that lawyer thing didn’t work out after all, huh? Not at all surprised.”

My hackles rise. “Are you losing your hearing? Get the fuck out.”

His jaw tightens. “I’m not going anywhere. This is still my house.”

“Bullshit it is. I had to send Mom money the last two months while you were too busy wasting yours away.” Luckily I had plenty of money saved from all the summers and weekends I worked at the bookstore down the road from campus. I was saving for a new car but that’ll have to wait now, along with many other plans I had. The ones that hadn’t been changed altogether, that is.

“What money? You don’t have any money.”

“Leave now or I’ll drag your ass out the door myself,” I seeth.

He laughs, spitting on the ground between us. “Boy, you ain’t gonna do nothing. You’ve always been weak. Weak and useless.”

Face burning with anger, I rush forward and grab him by his arms. He tries to swing at me, losing balance and nearly falling on his ass. Holding on to him, I shove him toward the door, and he pushes against me, increasing my pumping adrenaline. The punch I deliver to his nose prevents his hands from getting too close to me again. Stumbling back, he grabs onto the wall, and I open the door, shoving him hard past the threshold.

He falls to the ground this time, glaring up at me, and before he can get another word in, I slam the door shut. The lock clicks in place at the twist of my fingers, and my gaze meets my mom’s fearful eyes. “I’m changing the locks tomorrow. Lock the deadbolt in the meantime.”

“He could have hurt you,” she mutters, looking me over like you would a child who fell off his bike.

I lift her face with my hands, tugging at her nose the way she did when I was younger. “I’m fine, and everything else will be too. You’ll see. You don’t need him. You never did.”

She nods and I release her face, stepping back. “I think we both should get some rest now. I have a feeling we’ve got a long week ahead of us.”

She chuckles, her sounds lightening the mood a little. “Yeah, way longer than you realize, but you’re right, it’ll all be okay again soon. You being back has proven that so far.” She places a kiss on my cheek. “In case you end up napping past my bedtime the way you used to, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night,” I say, returning to my room while she remains in the living room.

I climb under the covers, and once I hear the chain of the deadbolt rattle on the door, I settle more against the bed and let sleep take me.

Everything’s shaking around me and a hand is pressing down on my shoulder. When I open my eyes, Jimmy’s looking down at me, plopping down on the edge of the bed. “How dare you not tell me you’re here.”

Rubbing my eyes, I let out an annoyed sound with my throat. “I was tired and planned to call after a nap.” I groan when I glance at the time on the clock on the wall, folding my arms behind my head. “Which you ruined by the way. Thanks for that.”

“Anytime.” He winks. “And you can sleep after I buy you a drink at Stanley’s.”

“One drink?” I cock a brow.

His head tilts from side to side. “And maybe one or two shots.”

“Absolutely not. I’m not getting wasted my first day back. I have too much shit to get done tomorrow.”

“Look, come out with me and I’ll come by to help with whatever it is you need tomorrow.”

“You mean it?” I slowly sit up, resting my hands around my body on the mattress.

“Yup, and I’ll be buying whatever you want tonight. I missed your twenty-first birthday, so this is my way of making up for it.”

“Damn straight you will.” I shove at his shoulder.