Page 94 of Tough Love
I’m simultaneously mad at her for getting into such a situation, yet also a little saddened, because after all, don’t I know what it’s like to be controlled by Tristan? Why did it have to come to that before she could see how dangerous he was, though?
“We made her file for protection,” Dad says, confirming what Evan already told me. “He didn’t take to that very kindly either. Smashed up our fence and letterbox when he left after I refused to let him in.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”
“Because we were worried you’d take it on as yours, darling,” Mum says. “You blamed everything bad he did on yourself, turning it all around as though you caused him to target our family.”
True—I did.
“I’m not sixteen anymore though.”
“No, you’re not,” Dad says. “But you were also doing so well with your studies, making a fresh start, we didn’t want to rain on your parade. Besides—” He sighs. “—things went quiet and we made the mistake of assuming the order had done its job.”
“But he came back.”
Mum makes a little humming noise before she continues. “He turned up out of the blue, demanding access to Briar and Kath panicked. He’d broken into her car and stolen some of Briar’s things: a toy, his shoes he’d left in there. It unsettled Kath, knowing he was that obsessed with Briar.”
“I bet.” It unsettlesme.
“She thought he was following her again,” Dad says, “but she never actually saw him. Just had that creeping feeling that she was being watched.”
One I know all too well. I stand and cross over to my bedroom window, running my eye over the visible sections of fence as well as every dark corner and shady section of the compound. How long will this go on? How long will I have to fight this time before somebody sees the arsehole for what he is and locks him up for good?
“You still there, honey?” Mum asks gently.
“Yeah. I’m here.” Just lost in my head.
Kath dealt with Tristan’s influence on her own, without anybody who understood what it was like to talk to about it.
I should have been there. I should have given her a shoulder to cry on, a trusting ear.
“When did she last talk to you about it?” I ask.
“She phoned the Tuesday before her accident. Said she was looking at moving further north, finding somewhere new where he wouldn’t be likely to find her.”
“She was that worried, huh?”
“You of all people know what a real threat he is,” Dad says. “She would have done anything to keep that boy of hers safe.”
“Why didn’t you say anything about it after her accident?” Has he been watching us this whole time?
“Your father thought it was best if we didn’t overshadow Kath’s goodbye with his indiscretions. The ratbag stole enough of our lives from us; he wasn’t taking our final moments with Kath too.”
Mum pulls in a shaky breath as Dad takes over. “It was never far from my mind, Mimi. You might not have noticed, but I was watching, staying alert the whole time.”
“You could have given me a heads up when you left,” I grumble, slumping back on my bed.
“Why?” Dad asks. “It was as though her death brought about the end of him too.”
“But it hasn’t.”
“No,” he cedes. “Apparently not.”
“Why?” I whisper. “Why would he want to see Briar? I … I just don’t get it. He’s not the type to give a shit about his own kid. So why make such a big deal out of it?”
“Why did he do any of the things he did?” Mum asks.
To cause pain. To make others suffer.“You think he’d mess with Briar just to get at us?”