Authors Note- just a few things before we get headed intot he next chapter. First off, the language starts to get bad, and rough over the next couple of chapters, due to the stress we have put on the characters. Also there is some sexual tension, which is always nice hehe.So here is chapter 26, we hope you enjoy this chapter, please read and review! THANKS!
I'm walking in complete disbelief. I feel like I'm holding her up, holding her together for her son. But I know she's not going to be able to hold it in. She refuses to cry in front of him, she knows how bad the situation is. She hasn't told him, yet. He keeps on asking, and I don't have it in me to sit with her while she tells him. It's tearing me up inside. We get to her apartment, and soon or later she's going to have to tell him. He's coming to get him tonight. He couldn't wait, give them a few more days. I see the tears in Bryce's eyes, he's getting agitated, he knows something happened. I'm holding her hand still, she's squeezing it so tight, as if she lets go, she'll fall apart. I watch Bryce walk off, and I pull her back. She instantly pulls into me, I feel her warm tears against my shirt. I caress her back. I don't know what I"m supposed to do. I really don't. I thought that it would all work out. I was so wrong. I kiss her on her forehead. I never realized how short she really was.
"You have to tell him... "
She nods her head, still buried in my chest. I hold her tighter. I wish she could somehow transfer all her pain into me. By some sort of magical power. I'd give up my life for this woman. I grab both her hands, and force her to look at me.
"I'll be here. I promise."
I wipe away the tears, and force a little smile. She starts biting her bottom lip, suppressing the tears.
"Be here for what?"
I hear Bryce behind me and I look back at Abby. She shakes her head and we start heading toward the sofa.
"Bryce, sweetie, we need to talk to you."
I noticed she distinctly said we, not I. I watch Bryce uncomfortably head over to her. I sit behind her, she's facing Bryce.
"What? Are you two getting married or something?"
He tries to interject playfully to ease the tension. It doesn't work, I just keep a firm grip on Abby's hand.
"Mom, what's happening? What's wrong?"
I feel Abby begin to shake, I steady her with my other hand, putting it on her shoulders.
"Today . . . Today at court..."
Her voice is shaking, and Bryce is looking more terrified by the second.
"You're going to live . . . "
She can't get the words out. It's so hard for her to get them out.
"... with Richard . . . For a while . . . "
I close my eyes. I don't want to see the pain in Bryce's eyes. I just can't watch this boy I love so much feel so much pain.
"What . . . What if I don't want to?"
His voice is hollowed out, he's starring in front of him.
"There's nothing we can do about..."
I see the first tears come down from his eyes, and I feel Abby let go of my hand and reach for them. He moves away from her, scooting farther back into the couch.
"Bryce . . . "
He's shaking his head, muttering 'I don't want to go . . . You can't make me go' over and over. Abby keeps on getting closer to him, he keeps on trying to push her away. Finally she manages to get to him, and he collapses into her arms, his body shaking all over, sobs echoing through the apartment. And I'm paralyzed. I feel a sudden hate for this man, who would want to put anyone through this torture. I go on the other side of Bryce, and hold him and Abby. I'm holding Abby's hand, my other hand running up and down Bryce's back. There's nothing more that we can do except cry.
I hear a cell phone go off, and I assume it's mine. I head to look for it. But it's not mine, its Abby's. I look at her, and she nods her head to answer it.
"Hello?"
I wait for an answer. I get a brisk voice.
"Who the hell is this?"
I don't know for sure, but I have a good idea who it was.
"Abby's busy, what do you need?"
I hear him shout something over the phone, but I can't make out what it is.
"I need to pick Bryce up in an hour."
Abby had told me he was picking her up tonight.
"We barely got home a few minutes ago."
I'm trying to reason with him, buy the two of them time.
"He's my son. I want him back."
Why is he referring to his son as an object instead of the great, wonderful kid he is?
"Have you even thought of asking Bryce what he wants?"
I hated this man. I had never met him before in my life but I hated him.
"It doesn't matter what the hell he wants. This is for the best."
This man is the one person who shouldn't be a father. Ever.
"The best for whom? Him? Or your little socialite gatherings?"
I raised my voice a little, and I felt the phone being pulled away from me. She just shut it off.
"What did he want?"
I look at her. I can't tell her. But I have to.
"He's picking Bryce up in an hour."
She looks at me in disbelief. Bryce was standing in the doorway, and he runs off into his room, slamming the door. I look at her, and I start toward his room. She can't handle any of this anymore. I knock gently on the door, and walk in, finding Bryce lying on his bed, crying.
"Bryce . . . "
I sit down on his bed, and he buries his head deeper into his pillow. I lean down and give him a kiss on the head. I wish I could do more than comfort him, but I can't. He begins to sit up, and I move closer, giving him a hug.
"Stay strong . . . For me and your mom . . . We'll do everything to get you back. We love you. You know that."
I knew he didn't believe me. He just looked at me, his eyes telling me nothing but pain.
"I want to stay here... With you and mom . . . I don't wanna go with Richard."
I nod my head. I know, I want the exact same thing.
"But you can't . . . And it's going to be hard . . . But we'll pull through, okay?"
He's fighting back tears, and I hug him again.
"I love you . . . "
I truly loved this kid, no matter what happened, he would always be special to me.
"I love you, too."
I held him for a second, and then I needed to pull away. He needed to pack.
I walked out of his room, and found Abby on the sofa. She was empty, hollow. I sat down next to her, and she didn't move.
"I can't believe this is happening."
She said it so emotionless. I grab her hand, playing with her fingers.
"We'll get everything together, I'll help you. We'll get him back."
She started to nod her head. I heard the doorbell ring, and the apartment froze. It physically froze. I turned to Bryce's door, and he walked out, a bag in tow. His eyes were puffy and red. Abby got up and headed toward him, engulfing him in a hug.
I headed for the door, since that was my command. I opened the door and the image of Satan himself stood there. I opened the door wider, and he gave me this dirty look. He wasn't walking in, just giving Abby and Bryce this look that said 'come on idiot, let's go'. I wanted to kill him. I looked back at them and I noticed Bryce had frozen, moving farther away from Abby, toward the back of the room. He was stiff, cold, heartless toward the whole situation. This would stay with him forever. I knew it. I lived through it before, maybe not the same exact thing, but close enough to know his pain.
"Bryce, sweetie, you need to go with your dad."
Abby was trying to be strong. Her authority was completely washed away with the tears.
"But my dad's here, with you."
I saw him looking straight at me. I didn't know what I was supposed to say, or do for that matter. In other circumstances I would have rejoiced. Right now, I just gave him a slight, unnoticeable smile.
"Bryce, now."
He screamed from the door, obviously pissed off at these latest comments.
I saw Bryce look at him, giving him this look of hate and condemnation.
"Don't get smart with me."
He rolled his eyes.
"Screw you, Richard."
I saw Richard get more angry by the minute. I nodded my head at Bryce, and he headed to Abby, giving her one last hug and kiss. He then headed straight to me, doing the same. I didn't want to let him go. It was so hard. He finally let go, rushing right past Richard, down the stairs. I walk to shut the door. He looks at me.
"Keep the hell away from my son."
I shut the door straight in his face. I lock the door, and turn toward Abby. The world is in complete silence and stillness.
I'm walking in complete disbelief. I feel like I'm holding her up, holding her together for her son. But I know she's not going to be able to hold it in. She refuses to cry in front of him, she knows how bad the situation is. She hasn't told him, yet. He keeps on asking, and I don't have it in me to sit with her while she tells him. It's tearing me up inside. We get to her apartment, and soon or later she's going to have to tell him. He's coming to get him tonight. He couldn't wait, give them a few more days. I see the tears in Bryce's eyes, he's getting agitated, he knows something happened. I'm holding her hand still, she's squeezing it so tight, as if she lets go, she'll fall apart. I watch Bryce walk off, and I pull her back. She instantly pulls into me, I feel her warm tears against my shirt. I caress her back. I don't know what I"m supposed to do. I really don't. I thought that it would all work out. I was so wrong. I kiss her on her forehead. I never realized how short she really was.
"You have to tell him... "
She nods her head, still buried in my chest. I hold her tighter. I wish she could somehow transfer all her pain into me. By some sort of magical power. I'd give up my life for this woman. I grab both her hands, and force her to look at me.
"I'll be here. I promise."
I wipe away the tears, and force a little smile. She starts biting her bottom lip, suppressing the tears.
"Be here for what?"
I hear Bryce behind me and I look back at Abby. She shakes her head and we start heading toward the sofa.
"Bryce, sweetie, we need to talk to you."
I noticed she distinctly said we, not I. I watch Bryce uncomfortably head over to her. I sit behind her, she's facing Bryce.
"What? Are you two getting married or something?"
He tries to interject playfully to ease the tension. It doesn't work, I just keep a firm grip on Abby's hand.
"Mom, what's happening? What's wrong?"
I feel Abby begin to shake, I steady her with my other hand, putting it on her shoulders.
"Today . . . Today at court..."
Her voice is shaking, and Bryce is looking more terrified by the second.
"You're going to live . . . "
She can't get the words out. It's so hard for her to get them out.
"... with Richard . . . For a while . . . "
I close my eyes. I don't want to see the pain in Bryce's eyes. I just can't watch this boy I love so much feel so much pain.
"What . . . What if I don't want to?"
His voice is hollowed out, he's starring in front of him.
"There's nothing we can do about..."
I see the first tears come down from his eyes, and I feel Abby let go of my hand and reach for them. He moves away from her, scooting farther back into the couch.
"Bryce . . . "
He's shaking his head, muttering 'I don't want to go . . . You can't make me go' over and over. Abby keeps on getting closer to him, he keeps on trying to push her away. Finally she manages to get to him, and he collapses into her arms, his body shaking all over, sobs echoing through the apartment. And I'm paralyzed. I feel a sudden hate for this man, who would want to put anyone through this torture. I go on the other side of Bryce, and hold him and Abby. I'm holding Abby's hand, my other hand running up and down Bryce's back. There's nothing more that we can do except cry.
I hear a cell phone go off, and I assume it's mine. I head to look for it. But it's not mine, its Abby's. I look at her, and she nods her head to answer it.
"Hello?"
I wait for an answer. I get a brisk voice.
"Who the hell is this?"
I don't know for sure, but I have a good idea who it was.
"Abby's busy, what do you need?"
I hear him shout something over the phone, but I can't make out what it is.
"I need to pick Bryce up in an hour."
Abby had told me he was picking her up tonight.
"We barely got home a few minutes ago."
I'm trying to reason with him, buy the two of them time.
"He's my son. I want him back."
Why is he referring to his son as an object instead of the great, wonderful kid he is?
"Have you even thought of asking Bryce what he wants?"
I hated this man. I had never met him before in my life but I hated him.
"It doesn't matter what the hell he wants. This is for the best."
This man is the one person who shouldn't be a father. Ever.
"The best for whom? Him? Or your little socialite gatherings?"
I raised my voice a little, and I felt the phone being pulled away from me. She just shut it off.
"What did he want?"
I look at her. I can't tell her. But I have to.
"He's picking Bryce up in an hour."
She looks at me in disbelief. Bryce was standing in the doorway, and he runs off into his room, slamming the door. I look at her, and I start toward his room. She can't handle any of this anymore. I knock gently on the door, and walk in, finding Bryce lying on his bed, crying.
"Bryce . . . "
I sit down on his bed, and he buries his head deeper into his pillow. I lean down and give him a kiss on the head. I wish I could do more than comfort him, but I can't. He begins to sit up, and I move closer, giving him a hug.
"Stay strong . . . For me and your mom . . . We'll do everything to get you back. We love you. You know that."
I knew he didn't believe me. He just looked at me, his eyes telling me nothing but pain.
"I want to stay here... With you and mom . . . I don't wanna go with Richard."
I nod my head. I know, I want the exact same thing.
"But you can't . . . And it's going to be hard . . . But we'll pull through, okay?"
He's fighting back tears, and I hug him again.
"I love you . . . "
I truly loved this kid, no matter what happened, he would always be special to me.
"I love you, too."
I held him for a second, and then I needed to pull away. He needed to pack.
I walked out of his room, and found Abby on the sofa. She was empty, hollow. I sat down next to her, and she didn't move.
"I can't believe this is happening."
She said it so emotionless. I grab her hand, playing with her fingers.
"We'll get everything together, I'll help you. We'll get him back."
She started to nod her head. I heard the doorbell ring, and the apartment froze. It physically froze. I turned to Bryce's door, and he walked out, a bag in tow. His eyes were puffy and red. Abby got up and headed toward him, engulfing him in a hug.
I headed for the door, since that was my command. I opened the door and the image of Satan himself stood there. I opened the door wider, and he gave me this dirty look. He wasn't walking in, just giving Abby and Bryce this look that said 'come on idiot, let's go'. I wanted to kill him. I looked back at them and I noticed Bryce had frozen, moving farther away from Abby, toward the back of the room. He was stiff, cold, heartless toward the whole situation. This would stay with him forever. I knew it. I lived through it before, maybe not the same exact thing, but close enough to know his pain.
"Bryce, sweetie, you need to go with your dad."
Abby was trying to be strong. Her authority was completely washed away with the tears.
"But my dad's here, with you."
I saw him looking straight at me. I didn't know what I was supposed to say, or do for that matter. In other circumstances I would have rejoiced. Right now, I just gave him a slight, unnoticeable smile.
"Bryce, now."
He screamed from the door, obviously pissed off at these latest comments.
I saw Bryce look at him, giving him this look of hate and condemnation.
"Don't get smart with me."
He rolled his eyes.
"Screw you, Richard."
I saw Richard get more angry by the minute. I nodded my head at Bryce, and he headed to Abby, giving her one last hug and kiss. He then headed straight to me, doing the same. I didn't want to let him go. It was so hard. He finally let go, rushing right past Richard, down the stairs. I walk to shut the door. He looks at me.
"Keep the hell away from my son."
I shut the door straight in his face. I lock the door, and turn toward Abby. The world is in complete silence and stillness.