Suddenly the door swings open, and Tina’s there with a bag on her shoulder, carrying a pair of shoes in her hands. “You can all go to hell,” she shouts. “I’m moving out.” She flails her hand out aggressively, pushing us out of her way. “Don’t bother trying to call me, because I won’t answer.”
“Tina, please don’t go. We can talk about this,” I beg.
She swings around, enraged. Her jaw is tight, and her lips are pursed shut. “He said you’d all try to split us up. I told him he was crazy, but obviously not. Because you all have come up with some imaginary bullshit. But the worst thing, is you betrayed me. I’ll never forgive you for that, Molly. You’re dead to me.”
“Tina, I forbid you to leave,” Dad says.
Tina laughs bitterly. “Forbid me? You forbid me? You’re not even my real dad.”
Dad stumbles backward a step, and his hand flies up to his chest. Mom gasps, and bursts into tears.
“Tina, don’t do this,” I plead. “It’s not too late. Please. He’s not a good guy. His parents aren’t good people.”
“Don’t tell me, you’ve investigated them too.”
“What do we have to do to prove to you, Preston is trouble? He’s not a good person. He doesn’t have your best interest at heart,” Mom says.
“And you do? Like him.” She flicks her head to Dad. “You’re not even my mother. You have no say in what I do. I’m old enough to leave, and guess what, I’m out of this hell hole.” She flees down the stairs eager to go to Preston.
Mom chases after her, refusing to give up. I have tears streaming down my cheeks, but I refuse to let her go like this. Dad is hot on our heels, running like his life depends on it. “We won’t give up on you, Tina. We’ll fight with everything we have to get you back,” he shouts to her retreating back.
She sticks up her middle finger, and runs out the front door to her car. She throws everything in the back, gets in, and takes off so fast she nearly hits the gate before it fully opens.
Mom, Dad, and I stand at the door. Mom and I are crying so hard our chests are heaving. Dad’s face says it all. He’s heartbroken. Tears well in his eyes. He grabs onto Mom and me, and brings us in for a tight embrace. I hear his muffled cries as he holds us.
It takes many moments of us embracing, before Mom breaks away to head back inside. Once there, we sit at the dining table. “What are we going to do?” I ask.
“I’m going to the police,” Dad says.
“I’m coming with you,” Mom says. “Stay here, Molly in case she comes back. We’ll go to the police department. See what our options are.”
“Okay.” I watch as Mom and Dad, holding hands, leave the house. It’s dark and a ridiculous hour of the night. But we can’t let her leave without fighting for her. I pick my phone up, and dial her number. It rings out. I dial again. It rings out. I dial for a third time, and it goes straight to voicemail.
I hate this feeling of being powerless to help. But most of all, I hate knowing Tina is on her way to Preston’s, where he’ll probably beat her. No one deserves that.
I dial Dylan’s number. I know it’s late, but I have to hear his voice. “Sweetheart, everything okay?” he asks in a sleepy voice.
I burst into tears. “She’s left. She’s gone to him.”
“Oh shit. I’m sorry. I’m coming over.”
“No, don’t. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you,” I say through the heavy tears.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Where are your parents?”
“They’ve gone to the police to see what they can do.” Zhen pushes his nose into my free hand to let me know he’s close.
“Ugh,” he grumbles. “I don’t think they can do anything. She’s gone freely.”
“He’s going to hurt her, Dylan. I can’t let that happen.”
“I know.” I hear the ding of the elevator. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, thank you,” I say before I hang up. Zhen’s by my side. He’s staying so close to me, aware I’m upset. “What are we going to do, boy?” I ask Zhen as I sit on the floor and hug him. I stay there, hugging Zhen until I hear Dylan’s car come up the driveway. He knocks, and I yell, “It’s open.”
He walks in, and sees me sitting on the floor, a trembling mess, hugging Zhen. “Come here,” he says and scoops me up. Zhen follows as Dylan takes me into the living room, and places me on his lap. He cradles me tight, gently running his hand down my back.
“I’m scared,” I admit.
“I know you are.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Let me take care of you, Molly. Let me help.” His offer isn’t hollow. I know Dylan wants to be here, and wants to be a huge part of my life. I love how passionate he is when he’s around me. It’s like I’m the only thing that matters to him.
“I feel like a part of me is gone.”
“You and Tina have always had such an intense bond, it’s natural to feel empty. Now we wait for your parents to return, and strategize how to deal with this. Okay?” He tilts my chin up with his finger, and kisses me softly.
“Okay,” I say.
He wipes away my tears with his thumbs and kisses my cheeks before bringing me in close to his body. I lay my head on his shoulder, and try not to think about what could be happening.
Before I know it, my eyes are drifting closed, and I fall into an uneasy sleep.
“Molly.” I feel a kiss before I even open my eyes. “Wake up, sweetheart. Your parents are back.”
I startle awake, and jump off Dylan’s lap. “I’m sorry,” I automatically say, not entirely sure what I’m sorry for. “What happened?” I ask Mom and Dad.
Mom sits in the arm chair, and Dad sits on the arm of it. “I’m afraid it’s not good news,” Mom starts. “The police are going to go and talk to her, make sure she wasn’t extorted or threatened into going, but she’s of legal age. They said she has a right to exercise her free will. When we told the police officer about his past, they said until something happens, they can’t do anything. If he broke the restraining order, then they could step in.”
“Did you ask if you could put a restraining order on him on Tina’s behalf?” I ask.
“If she was a minor, we could. But we can’t,” Dad replies.
My stomach knots as I pace back and forth. “So that’s it? We can’t do anything? We just have to wait until he puts her in the hospital before we do something?” I yell, too wound up and upset to be able to talk in a reasonable manner.
“We’ll get her back, Molly. We have to,” Mom says.
“Do you think she meant what she said?” I ask.
“I think she was angry, upset, and most likely manipulated. And I also think, once she calms down, she’ll see that we only did what we did because we care,” Dad says.
“Unless that thing gets in her head,” Mom says.
“I’ll ask Gemma to dig up as much as we can about him,” Dylan says.
Mom and Dad both give him a small smile. But none of this matters if he ends up hurting Tina.