Thanks so much for all the reviews, faves and follows. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story as you have been. I do now understand the American grade system but thanks for all the offers to help teach me it.

Chapter 3
Ana POV

Finally we made it to Seattle. After a long car ride and a plane ride we've finally made it home. Now all that was left was the car ride home and luckily it was night so not many people would see me arrive at Ray's house today. I can't say that I'm not glad to be back in Seattle; I always loved it here. It was my first real home with Ray.

As we all piled into the car Ray had meet us outside of the airport, all I could think was; what about school? Will I ever be able to go back home? And what about mom, what'll happen to her if I have to stay here. While watching the fading lights from the window I began to drift off. It could all wait till tomorrow.

Blinking my bleary eyes clear I looked around the room I was in. The walls were a pastel blue and the bed was too comfy. With a start, I jolted awake only to have the revelations of the past day to wash over me. I'm in Seattle, in Ray's house. Looking at the bedside clock I see that its 6 am which, makes sense seeing as we left the airport at 11 pm. Groggily, I got up and began to make my way out the room and down the stairs, belatedly realising that I was in my childhood bedroom. Nothing major had been changed in it except that now it was much more suited for a high schooler, it was much more mature.

When I reached the kitchen I saw Ray sat at the counter nursing a cup of coffee. "Daddy, what are you doing up this early?" I asked with genuine concern. Whenever Daddy stayed over in Savanah he would be asleep till at least 8 am.

"I haven't actually been to sleep yet. You know how being a defence attorney can be." He explained.

I had forgotten all about his weird hours and how much work he usually had to postpone to come and visit me. Apparently, he could read the guilt written on my face as he then went on to say, "It was actually nothing important, Honey. I really needed to speak with you anyway." I moved into the kitchen, sat at the breakfast bar and gestured for him to continue.

"We need to talk about placing you in a nearby school," He began and when he realised I wasn't going to interrupt him he continued, "So I pulled some strings and got you a placement at the only school willing to take on a new student so far into the semester. You'll be starting the day on Monday at Seattle Prep, the same school as our neighbour's two youngest children."

I sat looking at him and then when he gestured for me to reply I said, "Can't I start sooner?"

"Annie, you need time to adjust and get used to the feel of this house and Seattle once more."

"But Daddy, I need some normalcy right now, and nothing says tedious like school. Besides I don't want to fall behind and it'd be a really boring week with nothing to do. At least if I go to school my mind will remain occupied." I tried and succeeded at reasoning.

"I never thought about it like that but if need be I could probably get you in for maybe today but tomorrow at the latest."

Rejuvenated at the thought of getting some form of routine I walked over to the fridge and pulled out some eggs and cheese. "How about some omelettes for breakfast?" I asked knowing how much of a sucker Ray was for not just my omelettes but my cooking in general – if he asked I would cook him anything, he is my hero, my father, and the one who paid for my summer cooking classes. And the wide smile which graced his face let me know just how much he wanted this omelette.

After a quick breakfast, in which I ate one omelette and Ray ate two I found out that I had to wait until tomorrow to be able to go to school. I got up, placed the dishes into the sink and turned to ask Ray where I could find the library and some clothes to change into. From that moment I knew he had something up his sleeves, something sure to cheer me up and make today durable. He smirked and ascended the stairs with me following closely behind. When he started towards my room I asked him, "Why are we going in here?"

He first went towards the door to the closet, opened it and gestured for me to go in. Inside the closet was full of various outfits all in my size, all from high end stores like Neiman Marcus. Agog, I squealed and leaped into my Daddy's arms.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I said while kissing his cheeks repeatedly. He then turned with me still in his arms and left the closet. Knowing that though I'm petite – tiny for someone my age – Ii could still hurt him, I slipped from his arms.

"Ready for you next surprise?" he asked seemingly just as eager for it as I was.

Bouncing up and down on the spot I nodded, he then pointed me in the direction of the furthest corner in this humongous room. And there it sat, my own miniature library. I went up close to it and ran my hand over the book spines. Shelf after shelf of my favourite novels, the classics such as Jane Eyre alongside some of my loved dystopian books like the severely underrated Slated trilogy.

Slowly I turned around to face him once more, "I love it all, so, so, so much! I love that you took so much time and effort to get this all sorted for me, it really means a lot." I said teary eyed. I ran over to him and gave him a bone crushing hug.

"You deserve it Annie." He said with so much love in his voice, "Now I'll leave you to your books, I can see you practically shaking with desperation to look over them all." He chuckled as he left the room.

I quickly ran over to the closet and looked through all the beautiful garments. At last I chose a pair of three quarter yoga pants and a baggy sweater from Neiman Marcus. I carried them to the bathroom and ran a warm shower, using the toiletries my Father placed in here. As fast as a bullet, once I finished showering I found myself in front of my mini library once again. Giggling and giddy with the rush of having dominion over so many books I pulled out, reverently, my trusty Tess of the d'Urbervilles copy and collapsed onto my bed, willing to waste the day away happily.

Christian POV

Drunk again on a school night, wow. I quietly and stealthily – well as much as a stumbling drunk guy can - began to creep my way back into the house. As I neared the driveway, I looked across when I heard the noise of a car door slam. Ray was finally coming back and by the looks of it he was bringing something back with him. In his arms was a great big bundle. I was pondering the bindles origins when it moved. Ray was not carrying something, he was carrying someone. Whoever it is must be a small child judging by its size. That must have been the reason he was out for the past two days.

The child was probably a lot less of a trouble than I have always been. I wonder who it is. Since Ana and the ex- Mrs Steele left no one has come over to Ray's. That doesn't mean he was celibate, never looking at another women, just that he never let them shadow his doorstep. Only men went to his house like Dad for official reasons like comparing opinions and notes on various cases – they were both attorneys - and all those men yesterday who were probably re-decorating.

Having spent enough time dawdling in the driveway I ran the last few metres and climbed the tree to get to my room. Once in my room I dug around under my bed for a bottle of Vodka after realising that I wasn't as drunk as I hoped.

After finishing off what was left in the bottle I was numb enough to turn my mind off. I collapsed on my bed, turned to my side and searched for a few hours of sleep, its 2 am, I should be able to sleep at least for a few hours.

AAARRRGGGHHH! It burns. OW! The searing pain lands in the middle of my back again, as I literally feel my skin burn away. "Ow!" I cried out after what feels like hours of this torture and instantly, I regret it. The ramifications of disrupting his peace received within torturing me, were too much for my puny body to brunt. Kick after kick, blow after blow landed fiercely into side or on my stomach. The pain it overwhelmed me. From the side I could hear my Mother moaning, crying as she begged him to stop hurting me.

When the pain became too much to handle I felt the blackness begin to overtake me; mind and body. When I felt the pain start to fade, it all at once began again. The blistering, sweltering pain hit me all over my chest. I swung my arm at the monster hurting me.

I heard the pained cry of my father which jarred me awake. Sweaty and exhausted I realised that I had a night terror. And that it caused me to hit my father. I shot up over to him, and knew that it had happened again. I had a nightmare, which caused me to scream, awoke my father who in a worried frenzy came to hopelessly wake me up and me – who mistakes his loving hand for one who wishes me harm strike him.

I looked at the bruise beginning to form and both with my eyes and my words pleaded for him to forgive me. I was distraught and with no real knowledge of what I should do, I grabbed some clothes and ran. Out the house and away from it all. Even his calls from behind didn't deter me from what I wanted to do so I made my way over to the local gym to change and shower. From there I made my way to the park to spend my day nursing various cans of beer.I could spend one day away from school and I would. I'd waste today away before I make my way home, trying to weaken both the fear and utter self-disgust which had taken root in me.

Hope you enjoyed it! xx