Pull The Trigger

Chapter 4. 15 missed calls and 23 missed text messages.

Maria Rodrigues, Grace's mom^
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Chapter 4

Grace

As I get home, still laughing from the boys' jokes, I realize I'm not alone. The hairs on my neck automatically stand on end when I walk in and lock the door. I feel like the peace in my home is disturbed.

"Why are you late?" I hear my father growl from behind me. A shiver runs down my spine.

As I turn around slowly, I see the man that ran away on us so long ago. Gabriel Walker.

"Why are you here?" I say back at him without thinking. Like a broken dam, a rush of emotions crashes over me; anger, confusion, sadness, stress, doubt, fear.

Suddenly I hear a bang and a crash and I'm on the floor. My head is throbbing from hitting it against the wall as I fell.

I look up to see my dad seething in rage his face turning red. "What the FUCK did you just say to me you ungrateful little brat?!"

I lower my head and whisper something under my breath before trying to get back up. Before I can get up by my self, I'm pulled up, almost flying up in the air and a shooting pain runs up my arm as my biological father tightens his grip on my arm.

I have no doubt that there will be a nasty bruise there tomorrow, so I should probably wear a long sleeve shirt or maybe just a sweater.

"Speak louder bitch!"

"I said nothing." I'm shivering slightly as he lets go of my arm and sits back down onto the recliner.

"Go get me a beer. And then go to your room I don't want to see your disgusting face!"

I do as he says without another word every leaving my mouth. As I get into my pink room, I lightly close the door and climb into bed.

Tears start pouring down my face as I lay my head down to rest on my pillow. I thought he was gone. Why did he have to come back?

I want to call my mom but if he hears me trying to warn her that he's here, he will take away my phone and probably beat me up for going behind his back.

I'm silently crying and shaking until I finally cry myself to sleep.

~•~

I wake up to the sound of a crash and sirens. What was that?

I turn around and look at my bejewelled alarm clock. 6:47 pm.

"Oh shit, I fell asleep!" I quickly get up and remake my bed then I make my way down the stairs to see what's going on.

When I'm halfway down I see my dad get tasered by a policeman then handcuffed. I look around the living room and see everything in a mess.

I notice my mom and my older sister Violet, holding each other as my mom cries on her shoulder. Jake, my little brother is right behind my mom clinging tight onto her thigh.

Mom looks a little dazed and her eyes are a bit puffy but she's as beautiful as ever. Half Portuguese and half Italian is a strong combination that gave her an intelligent mind, a huge heart, and curves that made men stop in place to look at her walk by.

Violet is looking away from the scene in front of her and I know she is trying not to cry. My sister looks like me, but better with her light but gorgeously bright blue eyes and voluminous dark hair.

When Jake sees me, the little 6 year old runs towards me and jumps into my arms. "Who was that bad man? He was yelling at mommy and at the policeman." He asks me in a hoarse voice. He probably strained it while screaming or crying.

Jake was only 6 but he was actually very smart and he had a pretty extensive vocabulary for his age.

Although he didn't share the same father as Violet and I, he had the famous blue eyes we all got from our mother.

We never told him that we didn't have the same dad and he was too young to ask before, but I had a feeling that we might have to tell him.

I hug him as tight as I can without breaking his delicate bones and whisper into his neck, deciding now was the time to tell him. "That was my dad." No time like the present right?

He looks at me confused. "That's not daddy! Daddy is at work!"

I sigh trying to find the words to explain this to him. "Jakey, you know how people never think we look alike?" He nods his head as I continue. "Well, it's because we have the same mommy but not the same daddy."

He slowly nods his head as he asks me a question that breaks my heart. "Does that mean you're not my real sister?"

I hug him again and say, "Buddy, of course I'm your real sister and I'll always love you with all of my heart no matter what, you understand?"

He nods into my shoulder as I continue walking down the stairs to hug my mother.

"What happened?" I whisper to my mom as I rearrange Jake to be on my other hip.

"The neighbour heard a crash and screaming then decided to call the cops after she didn't hear anything else." She takes Jake from my arms and I take the opportunity to hug my sister who has been sniffling for a while now.

"When the police got here, at the same time as we did, they knocked on the door and noticed that Gabe was completely drunk. They asked him about the yelling and the loud noises and your father got defensive and aggressive. He threatened one of the cops, saying he was going to hurt the cop if they didn't leave, but he got arrested shortly after. That's when you came down. I'm glad the neighbor called because when you weren't answering your phone I got worried."

I look down at my phone and notice 15 missed calls and 23 missed text messages. Most calls and texts are from my mom and Violet, some even from Izabella, but when I scroll down a little more through my notifications I see one from an unknown number.

Unknown number
Hey, it's Nick. I got ur # from ur friend if u don't mind. I just wanted to see if u got home ok?
Received. 5:34pm

I feel my cheeks heat up a little as I text back. I don't know why this simple text makes my toes tingle but the way it seems that he actually might care about me, makes me blush even harder.

Me
Heyy. Ya, I got home ok thx for asking. And no I don't mind lol

Sent. 6:58pm

I quickly put Nick into my contacts then head to the kitchen to start making dinner.

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If it wasn't clear, Grace and Violet share Gabe as a dad, who left when they were young. Maria met another man, Jake's father, and married him.