In Time

"Did you happen to leave a tap in my gift from my parents?" Rey questioned, leaning against the store counter as Punk stood up.

"I might have." Bob nodded, "You were so drunk at your party, I knew you'd never realise."

"Why didn't you just give it to me? From you?" Rey asked.

"Because I thought maybe it would have been nice to relate it with your mom and dad." Bob said, "I just wanted you to see them at that time. How excited they really were to meet you." He said as Rey smiled and nodded, "It all went South, I know that but… they always had good intentions."

"Yeah I know that now." Rey smiled, "It's not half bad actually, having a mom and dad." She nodded.

"Yeah?" Bob smiled.

"Yeah." Rey nodded, "And I got into college, Bob." She smiled excitedly.

"No kidding." Bob smiled, "For nursing?"

"Yeah." Rey smiled, "I start in October." Rey nodded, "I'm so nervous but… I'm actually putting myself first. I'm not doing anything for someone else." She said.

"I like this new Rey." Bob nodded.

"Me too." Rey smiled, "I just came from my mom's actually."

"Oh, yeah?" Bob smiled. No one was happier than him to see this working out. It was all he'd dreamed of.

"Yeah. We had dinner." Rey said, "I think her and my dad are still… you know." Rey nodded as Bob nodded with her.

"Oh, I knew that. Your mom moving back here is basically translation for, they'll be back together within a month." Bob said.

"You think?" Rey asked.

"Yeah. Easily." Bob said, "I know them too well."

"They had such a nice story. I feel bad for ruining it." Rey admitted, "I never knew my dad grew up rough either." She said.

"Oh, yeah. It was bad. They just lived across the street there. Their house was always empty because his dad would sell things for drugs. And I'm talking their TV, their couch, phones, everything. It was just an empty house."

"That's awful." Rey sighed as Bob nodded, "I feel bad for him, for what his ex is doing. She's using Lily like it's a game. Tormenting him with her. It's not fair." Rey shook her head. She was already getting very defensive over her mother and father.

"I know." Bob nodded, "Chrissy isn't exactly easy to deal with."

"No kidding." Rey scoffed, "She looks like a super model, though." Rey shook her head as Bob nodded.

"Well your dad does not too bad in that female department." Bob agreed.

"Yeah, ok." Rey rolled her eyes, "Too bad she's a bitch." Rey shook her head as Bob nodded.

"You just stay out of all of that business." Bob advised, "Concentrate on your mom and dad, your two little sisters." He said as Rey nodded.

"I wanna take them both out for a night-"

"You can't take them to clubs, Rey." Bob raised a brow.

"No, I know that. I mean, take them to the movies or something. Maybe then my mom and dad can go on a date or something." She nodded.

"When did you turn into cupid?" Bob asked.

"I just see how happy my mom gets when she talks about him. Same with my dad. They've both been unlucky in other relationships so… maybe that's a sign." Rey said as Bob nodded.

"Maybe so." Bob said, "It'd be good for you to spend some time with your sisters."

"I agree." Rey nodded, "I'm gonna be the cool big sister." She smirked.

"You are?" Bob smiled.

"Yeah." Rey smiled, "Watch this space, Bob." She nodded as Bob just smiled, "Oh, can I borrow twenty bucks? I don't get paid until next week and… girls gotta eat." She said as Bob just scoffed.

"By borrow you mean take and never give back?" Bob asked as Rey smiled, "You're lucky you're my favourite." He nodded, taking a twenty out and handing it over to her as she smiled.

"Thank you." Rey smiled to him, "I'll see you later." She said whilst leaving the store as he smiled.

It was so nice to see the little girl he'd watched grow up, finally put herself and her feelings first.

Rey got home after meeting Joanne for dinner and telling her the good news that she'd got accepted into college. She declined a celebratory wine as she was working the next morning and headed home with some ice-cream instead.

For the first time in her life, she felt supported, like her life was really full of love. She'd never felt like that as she spent so much time alone and trying to figure things out by herself. She loved this new feeling of security.

She got to her apartment and headed up the stairs, looking for her keys in her purse when she heard noise coming from her apartment door, looking over and seeing Zac standing, very much intoxicated and high as she rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Rey shook her head.

"Hey! There's my best girl." Zac smiled happily, "Hey." He smiled, wrapping a heavy arm around her as she pushed it off.

"Go away, Zac." Rey said, "I'm not interested in anything you have to say." She said.

"Oh, don't be like that." Zac shook his head as Rey opened up her apartment, opening up the door as Zac followed in behind.

"I mean it, please go away." Rey turned to him.

"What the hell… what happened to you?" Zac asked, "Huh? You used to be fun." He scoffed.

"I'm still fun. Just not with you." Rey said, "You're drunk and you should go home."

"You're my home." Zac frowned, "Come on, we've… we've known each other for so long."

"Yeah well it was different back then." Rey said, "I'm growing up, Zac. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"You're getting boring." `Zac nodded, "If… If that's what having parents does to you then hey, I don't want them." He slurred, falling over a little.

"Please go." Rey waited by the door.

"Why should I?" Zac spat, walking closer to her as she looked up.

"Your drunk and high and… not fit to talk to me right now. If you have a problem, come back to me when your sober, which I know never happens but-"

"Why you pretending to be someone you're not?" Zac asked her curiously as Rey looked at him, "Huh?" He playing with her hair as she pushed his hand away, "You're not worth anything." He shook his head, "You're cheap and you're… you're unloved." He nodded as Rey glared at him, "Normally girls so tragic don't look as good as you do." He admitted, "I miss that ass." He whistled, reaching down to her grab her as she shoved him away.

"Stop it." Rey warned.

"Or what, Rey?" Zac spat, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back against the back of the door, "You think your dad has scared me off? I'm always gonna be here-"

"I want you to stay away from me." Rey shook her head. She wasn't scared of him but she didn't want the trouble of him. The trouble of his drugs, his debts, his chaotic life. She didn't want any of it.

"Come on, I thought me and you were gonna work this out." Zac nodded.

"No, we were never going to work this out. You… You lied and you stole things from me." Rey said, "I don't that in my life anymore. I'm doing things to better myself. I'm going to college. I'm-"

"You're kidding." Zac laughed, "Really? You? Going to college?" He chuckled as Rey looked at him, "I'll agree, you are kinda smart, but… you don't exactly fit the college criteria otherwise." He said, "You actually have to be a pretty decent person to go and fit in there-"

"Fuck you." Rey spat, "You're just jealous."

"Of you going to college? I can assure you I'm not." Zac laughed, "I thought we'd get a place together, me and you."

"Well you thought wrong." Rey spat, trying to push him away but he kept his grip on her shoulders tightly.

"I'm always gonna be here, baby. You know that. You can go to college, you can find your mommy and daddy all you want. You're never gonna escape who you were."

"You're acting like I was some sort of serial killer." Rey shook her head.

"Well I wouldn't put it past you." Zac shook his head, "You are a psycho bitch." He nodded.

"Don't piss me off then." Rey warned, "And stay away from me."

"Well that's not gonna happen." Zac smirked just as there was a knock at the door.

"Rey." Punk knocked at the door, "You home?"

Rey was about to yell out when Zac put his hand over her mouth and dragged her away from the door, keeping his hand covering her mouth as Rey tried to fight against him.

"Just shut up." Zac whispered to her, not wanting to face her father again.

"Rey." Punk knocked again as Rey kept calm, staying silent whilst Zac kept a hold on her, listening as her father walked away from the apartment door.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rey spat once he let her go.

"What? I don't want my head kicked in." Zac said calmly.

"You need to leave and never come back here." Rey warned him, "If you ever cared about me in any way, then you'll just do what I say." Rey nodded sincerely as Zac looked across at her.

"You think I came over here just to chat with you?" Zac laughed, backing her up against the wall as she looked at him, "Come on, just like old times." He smiled kissing her cheek as Rey slapped him, "Yeah, I know you like it rough." He smirked, grabbing her around the throat and touching her body as Rey tried to push him off.

"Please stop it." Rey begged.

"What? You loved this before." Zac chuckled, turning her around and pushing her face first against the wall, grabbing her jeans and trying to push them down, holding her face against the wall when the apartment door burst open.

He immediately backed up as Punk looked over. He could see by the way Rey was standing that something terrible was going on, and he was glad that he decided to walk back to the apartment and enter.

"You're dead." Punk nodded calmly as Rey turned around, watching as Punk grabbed Zac, throwing him against the wall and punching him repeatedly as Rey looked on in horror, "I told you to stay away." He hissed, throwing Zac out of the apartment, kicking him over to the stairs before crouching down.

"Alright alright." Zac moaned in pain.

"You come here again, you go anywhere near her, you put your hands on her… I will kill you." Punk nodded, kicking him as he stumbled down a few stairs before crawling away and running off.

He shook his head angrily, walking back into the apartment and turning to Rey who was stood still in the same spot.

"Hey, are you ok?" Punk asked her softly as she shook her head, bursting into tears as he sighed. He'd never saw her cry before and it hurt so much, "Hey, come here." Punk nodded as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him as he placed his hand on her back, hugging her tightly, "You're ok." He nodded, "You're gonna be ok." He sighed as she cried. He was so glad he came back and entered when he did.