"You're at the same place as before?" he questioned with worry.

"Yes. Call me right when you pull up and I'll come out," I whispered, trying to think of a plan. "Come now." My voice shook as I struggled to get the last words out.

"I'll be there." He hung up.

I hung up the phone and clutched it to my chest. I couldn't believe that he found me. I thought that I was free of him for good.

A few minutes later, there was a light knock at the door.

I sat on the edge of the tub and kicked it with my boot. "Go away," I screamed. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Avery," Caleb said softly. "It's me. Can we talk?"

There was no reason for me to talk to him. After seeing my dad and hearing that he knew Aunt Pam, it became very clear to me that he was dealing drugs. That would be the only thing connecting them.

"There is nothing to talk about. You don't know shit about me and I want to keep it that way. Go away," I growled.

It was silent for a few minutes before I heard noise outside the door again. It sounded as if someone had fallen against the door.

"You listen here you, selfish little girl," my father hissed. "Your mother is going to die and you won't even go and see her. What kind of a person does that make you? You're no better than me." He laughed. "That's why no one will ever love you and you will never know what love is,” he sang his voice teasing and hateful.

The tear stopped and suddenly I felt like exploding.  How did he know what I was capable of when I didn't even know myself?

"Go to hell!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I screamed so loud that it hurt. It took everything in me not to cover my ears from myself. "You are wrong."

I heard laughter on the other side of the door that made my blood boil. "You are still that stupid little girl. I thought that you grew out of that stage." He slammed his fist into the door and then fiercely turned at the knob. "Stupid little-"

I lost it. Something inside of me took over and I ran over to the door and yanked it open, body shaking and heart pounding in my chest.

My father stood there unsteady on his feet as he glared up at me with shock in his beady eyes. "I'm not that same girl," I said bravely. "I'm all grown now and I'm not going to take your crap anymore."

He stumbled into the wall while reaching out for my coat. His hand missed and he nearly fell to the ground. His eyes burned into me as he pursed his thin lips, the graying hair covering most of his mouth. "You get back here. I drove a long way to get your ass," he hissed.

"Go to hell," I shouted, as I brushed past his drunken body. I was getting out of there. I had to.

I ran past Caleb as he attempted to grab my hand. "No Caleb."

Caleb shook his head and wiped something off his nose. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was drugged up. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't know."

I threw my arms up in the air and then reached for my purse. I hated Caleb for this. I hated him for bringing hell back into my life. "I'm out-"

"Stop!" My father cut me off as he reached for my purse. "You're not going anywhere." He yanked me by my purse so that I was in his reach, then he reached for my hair and yanked me down to the ground.

A screech escaped my parted lips as my head bounced off the table leg, sending a wave of pain throughout my head.

I could see Caleb behind my dad as he attempted to reach for his arm to pull him away, but my dad shook him off and came at me anyways.

Before I knew it, his hand was around my throat and squeezing. "Let go," I whined, fighting for breath. "Stop-"

We all froze as the door to the house swung open to Jace standing there. The look on his face was fierce as he looked down at me on the ground and then to my dad that still had his hand on my throat. His strong jaw clenched as he stepped into the house.

My heart pounded at the sight of him.

"Let go," Jace demanded. "I won't hesitate to fucking kill you, you piece of shit."

My dad looked up at him as if was just his imagination. Then a smirk crossed his twisted face. "Screw off. It's none of your business." He pushed me further into the floor as he began to dig his nails into my neck.

I desperately grabbed at his hands attempting to pry them from my neck.

"You piece of..." Jace's words trailed off as he gripped my father's neck, placing him in a headlock. "Let go or I will snap your fucking neck."

My dad’s grip on my neck loosened, but then suddenly his fist connected with my right eye as a smirk crossed his face. I winced back in pain and covered my face as I watched Jace tackle him to the ground and hold him down by his neck.

Everything around me blurred as Jace's arm continued to swing never letting up on my father.

Caleb attempted to stop Jace, but not even that would get Jace to stop.

"Stop," Caleb shouted. "You're killing him."

I shot up from the ground and that's when I noticed all of the blood that surrounded them. Looking at it made me feel dizzy. Then panic set in. I couldn't let Jace kill him. "Jace," I shouted.

As soon as the word came out, he froze. He dropped his arm to his side and looked up at Caleb. "You idiot. I should kick your ass for letting her get hurt."

Caleb stood there in shock as he watched Jace get back to his feet. Not another word was spoken between them as Jace brushed past Caleb and stood before me.

His handsome face looked pained as he reached for my hand and helped me to my feet. He slowly reached out his hand and delicately caressed my swollen face, as he looked me in the eye. His green eyes were strained and full of hurt.

"I promised to never let you get hurt," he whispered. "I failed you and I'm sorry."

My heart beat rapidly in my chest as his fingertips softly touched my face and trailed down to my lips. The touch of his skin made me feel safe and all that I wanted to do was curl up in his arms and get lost.

"It's my fault," I whispered. I threw my arms around his waist and buried myself in his firm chest. The smell of him was so familiar and calming. Being that close to him made me realize what I had been missing all along. Why had I been so stupid?

He squeezed me close to his chest and tenderly pressed his lips to the top of my head. "I will never let him hurt you again." Jace promised.