The time to go back home came fast at the Lightman Group and Gillian was ready to come back at her place. Actually, she'd prefer to go anywhere but her house, her empty house that she was scared wouldn't be this blank.
Cal has been waiting for her to come into his office, telling him that she was leaving, but his door remained closed. He decided to see if she was already gone, but the lights in her office were still on. As if she knew he was thinking of her, the shape of Foster appeared on the doorway. She didn't notice him, or maybe she did but just ignored him.
"Goodnight love. See you tomorrow." He spoke and she turned around to see him staring.
"Goodnight Cal." She said with a hint of a smile, a fake smile, a polite one, the one you make when someone is kind to you.
He watched her walking away, wondering if it was right to just let her go. His head was full of questions. Why was she so scared? Why couldn't she tell him what was going on? They always used to share anything, even the most dumb things, what was so different now? How did she procure those bruises? Why was she about to say 'Emily'? Why was she feeling giulty looking at him? Why was she crying? His head hurt for all the thinking, so he decided to drive home. Maybe tomorrow would have been better. Maybe she just needed space.
He opened the door of his house, throwing himself on the sofa.
"Emily!" He got no answer. "Emily, come down here!" Still nothing. He figured out that maybe she was still not at home. He got up and went into the kitchen with the idea of a glass of scotch, and found a note on the fridge. It was from his daughter.
Dad, me and Rick are going to a party and may come a little late. I promise I'll make it for a decent hour, as you say. Mom knows already everything and is okay with that, so be fine with it too. Love ya.
He sighed and rolled his eyes. He really wanted to see what 'a decent hour' was for her. He opened the fridge and took the bottle he was looking for previously, and poured the fluid in a glass.
Around eleven, he was lying on the couch, watching some TV, when he heard the door open.
"You better not take the excuse 'mom is fine with it' so often Em." He joked turning around to face her. Surprise all over her.
"Oh, I thought you weren't home.." She said closing the door behind her and hung up her coat on the clothes hangers.
"Where should I be?" He askedconfused.
"At Gillian's." He raised an eyebrow.
"Why should I be at Gillian's house?"
"Coming back home we did come past her place, I saw a man ringing her bell and then she opened the door and let him in. It was dark, I thought it was you." Cal freezed at her words. He studied his daughter face and figured out she was telling the truth. A man? At her house? This late? He had to admit he felt a little jealous. Wait, what if she was scared so much of him? What if he was the reasons of her bruises?
"Dad, are you here?" Emily said, bringing him back to reality.
"What darlin'?" She looked at his father for a minute, trying to study him like he does, then smiled.
"You're jealous, aren't you?" He looked at her for a minute, amusement on her features, then spoke.
"Go to sleep, school's tomorrow."
"You know that you're deflecting, right?" He gave her a do not argue with this look and she gave up.
"Okay, fine." She said walking up to the stairs and stopped when she was almost at the second floor, facing his dad once again. "I'm sure he's just a friend." She added, kinda as if she wanted to comfort her father, and then run into her bedroom.
Cal stood silent for something that felt like an eternity. He felt jealous and scared for her at the same time. What could he do? Maybe he was just daydreaming and that man was for real just a friend, someone that he shouldn't worry about. But even if it was, why did she let him stay with her and couldn't say anything to her best friend? He wanted so bad to go to her, to see if she was okay, but didn't want to be disrespectful or nosey. Maybe she truly needed her space...but damn, why with that man and not him?
He went to bed, but couldn't close his eyes.
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Meanwhile, Gillian was sitting on her couch with a blanket that covered her body. The TV was on, but she wasn't paying any attention. Suddenly the bell rang and she gasped. She swallowed hard and slowly got up. The person at her door was being always more insistent. She opened the door and, when she saw that man again, she got chills.
"Hey Gill. How are you today darling?" He said with a petty smile. How much she hated hearing 'Gill' from his mouth. She just recoiled without saying a word. He followed her in, closing the door behind. "You happy to see me again?" His lips curving to the right side.
"What do you still want from me?" Her voice was broke and low, barely a whisper.
"You, of course." He spoke kissing her neck abruptly, launching brutally her on the wall. The impac of her back with the cement pretty hurt and she could already see the bruises appear. She could feel his teeth biting her hardly at every rough kiss and his enjoyment irritating laugh. His hands were tightening heavily her wrists to the wall, so damn strongly that she couldn't feel her blood reaching her hands in her veins. He let one of his hand let go her arm and started unbuttoming her blouse, leaving her with just her bra. Some tears fell down on her cheks and he noticed them. That petty smile was back on his face. Before she could realize it, he slapped her on the face. She felt on the ground hitting her cheekbone on the corner of a furniture. She put one hand on the wound anf felt some blood.
"You're adorable when you cry." He said sinking to her level on the ground, putting his hands on her neck, making sure she was facing him. "Let's see how adorable you can be." His hands were always more narrow.
"Stop...please..." He just waited until she couldn't stand it anymore, making her going crazy, and just then he let go. For the rest of the night, all she could remember, were his heavy hands all over her, her body hurting from all the punches or from being throwed on the floor like trash. The memory of him abusing her was stuck in her mind and didn't want to leave her. She truly needed help.