“What the fuck is his name? And where the fuck is your mother? She took you away when your dad died and said she didn’t need the club anymore. Can’t say I ever cared for the woman, and I hated that I had no right to keep her from taking you with her,” he says, and I can tell that he’s trying to keep his anger in check but I can see that he’s struggling.
“His name is Vince Matthews, and my mom is probably kissing his ass right now,” I say and shake my head in disbelief and disgust at my own mother.
“What do you mean kissing his ass?” he asks not looking too happy.
“Well, I went to her the first time he hit me, and she told me to pretty much suck it up because he was good looking and had money. She said that I should be lucky that someone like him would want someone like me,” I state. I can’t help but let out a sob. I have held in these emotions for so long that I can’t keep them in anymore, maybe my body and mind know that I’m safe here. Whatever the reason, the emotions finally burst free.
I cover my mouth and my uncle brings me into his arms and hugs me tightly. I breath through the pain because this is what I need right now. I can’t remember the last time someone hugged me, which means it was probably my dad. Vince was never one for emotions or anything to do with feelings. He claimed he had a problem with affection, but I honestly don’t know what to believe from him.
He starts whispering things in my ear, telling me that I’m safe now and that I’m not going anywhere. Vince will never touch me again. I hold onto his promises like a lifeline.
I can’t help but feel relieved and safe. The last time I felt safe was with my dad and I forgot how great it feels.
I breathe in the scent of my uncle. He smells like tobacco and leather. It reminds me so much of my father that I can’t help but manage a small smile.
I’m pulled over to the couch and someone hands me tissues. I probably look worse than I did when I came in but I can’t bring myself to care.
I look at my uncle when he pulls back from our embrace and I give him a small smile.
“Thank you, uncle Bear. I didn’t know where else to go,” I say with my voice shaking.
“Sophie, you don’t have to thank me. We’re family. I called to check in on you many times, but your mother had always told me you were fine. It’s obvious that she lied to me because I called her just last week to ask about you,” he says with anger lacing his words.
I’m shocked to hear that he checked in on me when I have never heard anything about him from my mother.
“Yeah, she doesn’t seem to care what happens to me. She changed after my dad died, I guess, or maybe she was always this way because I don’t remember her being any different. I mean, she didn’t want me to go to school after high school because she had always planned for me to marry someone rich so that she would have it easy. Well, that didn’t stop her from trying to land her own rich guy. It wasn’t what I wanted. I never dated Vince for the money. I thought that he cared about me and honestly loved me,” I say as I break out in another sob.
“It’s okay, Sophie. You’re with family now. You will come home with Sasha and me. I just need to know what happened to make you leave so that I have all the facts,” he says in a serious voice.
I nod my head and try to settle down. I glance around at everyone staring at me with interest.
“Don’t mind them. They are family. There aren’t any secrets in this family, and it’s best that they all hear this once so that we can all protect you because I’m guessing that he’s going to come looking for you,” my uncle says and I nod my head agreeing with his observation.
I take a moment to gather myself and, after a deep breath, I finally have the courage to tell him, or them, everything.
“Well, I was dating Vince for a year and a half when he proposed. I said yes, of course. He seemed like the perfect guy. He treated me right until he slipped the ring on my finger.” I start playing with my finger. Now that it doesn’t have a ring, it feels a bit weird.
“After the first time he hit me, I knew that I couldn’t stay. I left, but he came for me and told me that he invested too much time in me to let me walk away. He said he was sorry and that it wouldn’t happen again, but when I went to my mother; well, you know what she said. So I stayed and then he hit me again. I started to make a plan. I needed to find a way to leave. If my mom wasn’t going to help me get away then I needed to do it for myself. So, I went digging through old stuff we had and hadn’t opened since we moved. I found old pictures of my mom and dad together before he died. I remembered that I had an uncle and hoped that you could help me. I took as much money as I could. I didn’t have much saved, but it was enough to get me here.
