74. An evil man.
1314 Words
"Get up, what are you doing on the floor?" He yelled at her.
Drake knelt beside her. He grabbed her hand.
" Again?" He admonished her.
" You can't stomp off, you can't run, you can't crawl!" He yelled at her angrily.
Stella turned her head away. Both men who looked the same, only one was older were yelling at her now.
One was angry that she was hurt. The other calling her horrible names.
" This must be schizophrenia, two voices in my head." She said quietly.
She rolled over and scooted to the doorway. Cash came thundering in, hearing those men yelling at her.
He kicked the door open and pushed Drake and his dad away from her.
He picked her up and carried her out of there. He sat on the sofa and spoke to her quietly.
" Did they hurt you?" He kissed her head.
" No I did that all by myself." She admitted.
Sam ran in, followed by Storm. then Ash.
Cash said," Go get her pills, in her purse."
Ash nodded. He grabbed her purse, Sam got some water. Storm massaged her leg.
Cash, wonderful Cash. He held her, protected her. He cuddled her close holding tight.
She hid in his big embrace.
" I love you my big guy." She said in a breath.
He took two pills out of her purse, then shook one more out. He gave her three pills. She took the water from Sam and caressed his finger as he gave it to her.
Hall saw these boys of his all swarmed around Stella.
He yelled. "Get away from her, she's poisoning you all, she's like a witch or something!"
Drake said something that gave them all pause," No dad. She not the poison, she's the cure."
Together all four brothers said,"Dad?"
Hall looked at Drake.
" He is right. I am his father. I made a mistake. I ...I'm so sorry." He said putting his hands up.
" No, he's not a mistake."said the only girl in the room.
" He's my sweet Drake, never a mistake. You can say that I am this or I am that, but the truth is...I am love.
That's all, nothing more. Just love. I can't let you make me feel bad about that either.
They get it, they all know me, all of your sons know me.
So please, tell these boys of yours the truth. Tell them why you are pushing me away. Tell them Hall!" She yelled.
He opened his mouth, then shut it.
" Choose boys, Stella Miller, or your loving father, Hall Palmer." He said, giving them an ultimatum.
" Daddy, no!" said Ash.
" That's not fair. Stella is good for our family." He felt torn.
Storm sat next to her and shook his curley hair. "I choose you Stella."
Cash didn't bugde, he held her tight. " You." He told her.
Sam looked at his father, he looked at Stella. She smiled at him.
" Go Sam, he needs you." She gave him permission.
Drake hung back, thinking what he said did not matter anyway.
" Stella, apologize to him, he will change his mind about you." He said. "It's just pride."
Stella sat up. She moved away from all of them.
" Okay, give me and Hall a moment please." She said.
" It's okay, just wait outside." She said.
One by one they left her alone with their father.
" I'm sorry Hall, maybe...we got off on the wrong foot here, let me extend an olive branch." She limped towards him putting out her hand.
The pain medicine kicked in, she was feeling very brave.
" Leave us alone, I need all my boys with me now, my wife is dying, please...can you just leave us.
Go back to where you belong, your big expensive mansion, or wherever you live."
He had tears on his eyes.
" They are not your little play toys." He added.
" They are my sons, mine!" He yelled.
" Okay." She said softly and limped out to the patio, hugging herself. She put her knees to her chest and began to rock.
She would leave them alone here. If they wanted to see her someplace else, they could find her.
Hall went outside to yell at her some more.
"You are actually f*cking them all, all at once or like switching off, how does it work you slut?"
She covered her ears.
" I can't do this, I can't. I won't let you tell me how horrible I am.
I won't. I will go crazy. Please...I gave you what you wanted. Please Hall. Take them away from me, take them all.
I will have no one. I never did before so I will figure something out. Please I can't hear any of this. I wont."
He watched her shrink down as he yelled above her.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Ash.
" Daddy, don't do that. I love her. She is a good person, don't talk to her like that, please daddy." He was crying.
He hugged Stella to him.
" I have you my sweet girl. I have you. I'm not leaving, don't listen to him. I am here." He kissed her face, he wiped her tears.
Hall sneered, "I thought you were gay son, what a surprise!"
Ash stood up and punched his father right in the face.
Hall pulled back his fist and hit Ash back. He kicked Ash and beat him good. He kicked him when he fell on the ground. Stella jumped over him to protect him.
He kicked her too. She hugged Ash and would not let go absorbing the blows.
Hall finally realized what he was doing. He had been a blind rage.
He stumbled back.
Drake ran in. He saw her crumpled on the floor. Ash's nose was broken, bleeding.
Stella was still holding onto him.
Drake tried to pull her off. She wouldn't let go.
Ash said,"It's okay, it's Drake, you can let me go now."
She let go. Drake took her to the bed and felt her body for wounds.
She shook her head. "Go to Ash, not me. He was really hurt. I'm okay." She assured him, though she felt horrible. She lied that Hall didn't hurt her.
Drake took Ash to the hospital. Cash took his daddy home, forcing him to leave.
Sam and Storm stayed with Stella. " No, your daddy needs...needs you. You both go to him. I'm okay. Hall needs a doctor too. Please. I will be fine."
They nodded and did as she asked.
Stella lay there frozen. The pain pills she took earlier masked the horrible pain.
She hugged a pillow and cried.
" Evil man, what an evil, evil man to kick a woman. Damn evil man." was all she said over and over.
Drake returned a few hours later.
" Well his nose is broken, I guess we will all be able to tell Ash and Storm apart now." He said.
She sat there very still.
" Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Look, you better go check on your daddy. He, he needs you." She said.
He grabbed his jacket. "Ok, you sure?" He asked.
" Yes, please. Hey... I will meet you at the airport tomorrow then. Like we planned right?" She asked him, trying to breath.
" Okay, I will meet you there." He said. He was affraid that his dad might come back if he didn't go to him to show his family aliegence.
Stella waited for him to leave. She limped over to the bath tub and filled it with cold water. She took off her dress and slid into the frigid water.
She was shivering. She tried not to think about anything. She just kept saying. " He's an evil man."
- Writer
