Chapter 24: Chapter 24
"I'll be back and I'll be a better mother" Natasha sobbed and tears spewed out of Horus' eyes, "Mom" he cried as he went to hug her but she held him at arm's length. "I'm not worthy to be called that. I have never performed my duties as a mother. Instead of me to be there for you after your dad left, I...I resorted to alcohol" she burst into tears.
Seth hugged her and her tears increased, "You were the one I hurt the most". He let go of her and gently wiped her tears with his thumb. "Don't blame yourself for that bastard's stupidity. You tried your best and you just couldn't bear it alone" he said and she sniffled, "I wish you were right. I really wish you were right...but I did not try at all. Your dad left and I started drinking. It was no different from your dad running away" she said as she caressed his face.
He took her hand and gave it a little squeeze, "If you know you did not try at all, do your best to get better and come back to us" he said and more tears spewed out of her eyes, "How did you become so wise?" she cried and he hugged her.
"Bye!" Horus said as he waved at Natasha who was already in the truck. Brittany and Seth waved too then Horus looked at Seth, "Who's gonna be cooking from now on?" he asked and Seth sighed, "Well, there was a time I helped Zack get a girl to go to prom with and he said he would repay me back. So this is the time to use that!" "Stop monologuing" Brittany said as she hit the back of his head.
Seth looked at Horus and ruffled his hair, "Zack will be delivering food for us till mom comes back" he said and there were stars in Horus' eyes, "I love Zack's cooking!" "Yeah me too!" Seth smiled and looked at Brittany who was busy staring at their house.
Horus pretended that his hand was a phone, "Oh hi Sarah! You need me now? But I'm busy with my big brother...it can't wait? Then I'll be on my way now!" he said and kept his hand down, "Sarah needs me. Probably I'll have my first kiss" he said and Seth's eyes widened, "Kiddo, you are six!" "Bye!" Horus waved as he ran. "Just be careful!" Seth called out.
Seth looked at Brittany again then he went to her and put his arm around her shoulders, "What are you thinking about?" he asked and she leaned more into him. "I don't know...probably that your house needs a little renovation and---" "You've done enough Brittany. The house is fine! It might be ugly on the outside but inside is home" he said as he placed her hand on his chest. She raised a brow, "Is that a line in a movie?" she asked and he held her hand and dragged her towards the house, "Come have a look" he said and they entered the house.
Seth was right. Inside was home. There was a little, cute, midnight blue, soft rug in the middle of the living room, under the circular glass table. The sofas were arranged in a circular pattern and there was a table beside the one of the sofas. Brittany felt like something was supposed to be on the table. A vase...maybe?
There was a window in the living room and Brittany could see the kitchen from where she was standing. "It's comfortable...I guess" she said and Seth hugged her, "Horus and I are not complaining. You don't have to stress yourself. I'm free of my demons so now we can date and date and date till we get tired...which will be never" he said and kissed her neck.
She looked at him, "How do you know we won't get tired?" she asked and he smirked, "Because we just started..." then he slowly kissed her. His hands went to her face while her hands went to his waist. They pulled each other closer till there was no space left. But they kept on pulling each other closer till Brittany fell on the couch and Seth climbed on top of her.
His tongue swirled on hers and he softly bit her tongue. She moaned and he smirked. His hand slowly moved down to the ribbon on her red blouse and he gently loosened it, without taking his lips off hers. His hand glided over the three first buttons on her blouse and he slowly unbuttoned it. He was going to take his time and enjoy her. He pulled his blue shirt over his head and threw it to somewhere in the living room. Finding the shirt could be later. But Brittany had to be now!
She sucked in a breath as Seth's lips touched her collar bone. All her buttons were no longer in their holes. She bit his neck and a moan escaped his mouth. That was a first. She was always the one doing the moaning.
As his lips and teeth went further down her body, she continued biting and sucking on his neck. She was doing it to suppress her moans. Seth abruptly raised his head and looked at her. Red face, unbuttoned shirt, with her black lace bra showing, hickeys left along her collar bone to the swell of her breast. Damn! That was a sight!
Seth also had his fair share of hickeys on his neck and the small of his back. He touched one on his neck and smirked at her, "Very kinky princess. But today is about you. So no more sucking and biting on my neck...else I'll have to punish you" he whispered huskily and kissed her. This time with aggression, lust and more passion.
He bit her lip roughly that he swore he tasted blood. He tongue kept in going inside and outside of her mouth. He bit her tongue and she let out a small yelp. Her hands went to his hair and she started running her fingers through it. She had always loved his hair. Like how was it so nice to the touch.
As they kept on exploring each other's mouths, Brittany felt a warm hand going up her throat. Dad? she thought. The hand gripped her throat gently and the memories flooded back in; Scott squeezing her throat with the glass particles on his hands, the glass shrouds digging into the veins on her neck, the mad expression on his face as he choked her.
She wanted to scream but Seth's lips were still on hers. Her hands went to his chest as she tried to push him away. Seth gave her throat a little squeeze and she couldn't breath. Dad please stop, she said in her head but the squeezing increased.
She removed her lips from Seth's own and looked away. He tried to kiss her again but then he saw the tears in her eyes, "Please stop" she cried. "Brittany?" he said and pulled her up. She buried her hands in her face and cried, "Please stop it".
~~~~~~~
"Brittany, are you okay?" Seth asked for the umpteenth time and Brittany nodded and gripped the wheel but he held her hand, "Are you sure you're okay?"he asked and she looked at him, "I'm okay so just let it go!" she said coldly and he nodded, "Sure. Call me when you're better" he said and got out of the car then she drove off.
He watched her as she drove off. She had helped him but he had not done anything big for her yet. This was his chance. A chance to fix her like she had fixed him.
~~~~~~~
"Hey Lisa" Brittany waved as she entered the kitchen and took an apple. "You're eating healthy?" Lisa shockingly asked and Brittany took a bite out of the apple. Lisa gasped and looked outside the window, clear sky, not a single dark cloud and pigs were not flying. "Is the world coming to an end but it's not showing any signs?" Lisa asked and Brittany smiled and shook her head then she left the kitchen.
She went to her room and sat at her vanity then she tilted her head and looked at the base of her neck. The faint cut marks stared back to her. She ran her finger over the marks and remembered her dad's face when he was choking her.
They're not supposed to be there, they're not supposed to be there, they're not supposed to be there, she repeated in her head as she took her concealer. Without looking for the brush or foam, she put it on her hand and slapped it against her neck, splashing some on her blouse and chin, in the process.
She rubbed it around her neck but she was still seeing the cut marks. She grabbed the bottle again and pressed the semi-liquid on her neck, not minding if it soiled her blouse. It's not supposed to be there, she said in her head when she still saw the cut marks then she saw her father's figure behind her, his hands were around her throat and he was squeezing it.
Tears were streaming down her face as she continued rubbing her neck roughly. She grazed herself with her nails so many times then she started hearing the laughter of the children at the children's home.
"Stop it, stop it please" she begged as she closed her ears then she screamed, "Stop!" Lisa ran into her room and saw her on the floor, "Brittany!" she shouted and hugged her. "It's not real! It's not real!" Lisa cried and Brittany calmed down then she cried in Lisa's arms.
~~~~~~~
"Mr. Copper, it's happening again. We should take Brittany for therapy" Lisa said and Scott crossed his legs. After the incident, Brittany had had many nightmares about that night. She was labelled a freak at the children's home because she would just wake up and scream. Brittany had refused to go for therapy. She just wanted to see her dad.
Scott thought for a while, it was his fault. He was the cause of his daughter's nightmares. "After her final exams, I'll take her for therapy" "Mr. Copper, why don't you take her for therapy now?" Why didn't he want to take her for therapy? Because I want to get to know her before she goes away, he thought and looked at Lisa, "She's about to write her final exams. It could affect her---"
"Mr. Copper!" Lisa yelled "This is your daughter's health we're talking about! Place your priorities right!" "She is my daughter! Not yours, you're just a maid who has been with her since she was a baby. Know. Your. Place!" he said and walked out of his study.
Scott walked past Brittany's room and saw that it was slightly open. He peeped inside and saw Brittany sleeping peacefully. He smiled and rested on the doorframe. How would his relationship with his daughter have been if that night did not occur? He sighed and closed the door then he left.
Brittany opened her eyes, everywhere was dark. "Hello?" she said and looked around. The last thing she remembered was that she slept off on her bed. "Gotta be on my guard" she said as she moved around.
Suddenly, something appeared. More like someone appeared. It was her but with long brown curls. Just like her dad's. "Umm..." she started but the girl ran and held her hands, "Wake up Brittany! This isn't real! You have to get out of here!" the girl panicked. "What---" "This is a dream! A nightmare! You have to get out before---".
Two huge hands passed through the girl and she vanished, "Wait!" Brittany said as she tried to grab the girl but then the huge hands grabbed her neck and pressed her down then it started squeezing her throat. She thrashed around as she tried to escape but the hands kept on squeezing tighter. She scratched the hands with her nails but it didn't budge.
She started hearing laughter from everywhere. "What a freak!" "I can't even sleep in the same room with her" "Have you seen her face whenever she wakes up?" "I'm scared of her. I don't like it here" she could hear the voices of the kids at the children's home.
She hated the voices. Her vision started becoming blurry and then she was running out of breath and tears were falling from her eyes. It felt like her windpipe was getting crushed. A huge face appeared the hands. "Dad?" she managed to say and then he started laughing.
"Freak!" "Freak!" "Freak!" "Freak!" the children chanted and the squeezing became intense. Her dad's laughter added to the problem and then she screamed, "Stop!" then she woke up.
She clapped her hands twice and the lights came on then she held her throat, the hands were not there. There was no laughter or children's voices. She sighed and buried her face in her palms, "What's wrong with me? Why am I having these nightmares again? No! The nightmares are worst this time around" she said to herself and got out of bed, then she slipped her feet into her soft banana slippers.
~~~~~~~
"What a waste of time!" Seth mumbled to himself as he moved past the trees. He had asked the people he had seen with Brittany if she has had any traumatic experience. Turned out that Maddie was Brittany's only true friend. The rest just followed her for popularity. But Seth could not figure out what the deal was with Loucita.
Maddie had told him that Brittany had a traumatic experience when she was nine after her mom's death. She had also told him that she could tell him the whole story since it's not her story 2 tell.
"Well at least I got something" he mumbled then he heard sniffling and sobbing. It was only him and Brittany that knew about the lake...or maybe someone else knew. It wasn't really a hidden spot. Maybe people came there during the day.
He moved down the small hill and saw Brittany sitting on the rock with her face in her knees. There was moonlight.. luckily.
He did not know what to say to her. So he settled with, "Hey!" So lame. Even the look on Brittany's face told him that it was lame. "That's what you're going with?" she smiled and he sat down next to her, "I get flustered whenever you're involved Britz".
She hugged her knees and slightly rocked herself. "What's wrong Brittany?" he asked softly and she looked at him, "Tell me what's wrong" he said calmly and with so much sincerity. The tears fell out uncontrollably from her eyes and he hugged her.
~~~~~~~
Flashback
"Can't believe he didn't show up to the funeral" Josie's younger brother, Phil said. "That's Scott for you. Doing whatever he wants after he comes up with a lame excuse" Scott's secretary, Francesca said. "Well there's no excuse to get out of this one" Josie's older brother, Paul said.
Lisa dragged Brittany out of there, "Can I go see daddy now?" Brittany asked and Lisa smiled, "How about you go to your room and sleep? You must be so tired" she negotiated but Brittany shook her head, "Daddy didn't come for the funeral. He must be sad. Maybe his tummy was hurting". Aww...nine years old Brittany was so cute with her long blonde hair packed in pigtails.
"We'll go see daddy after your nap" Lisa tried to reason with Brittany who didn't say anything but allowed herself to be dragged by Lisa, to her room.
"Lisa, the guests are asking for more champagne" a girl about nineteen, with a tray said. "Those damned rich people. Only thinking about champagne and more money! Can't they see this is a funeral?" Lisa cursed and looked at Brittany, "Little Miss, can you just wait here? I'll be back shortly" she said and Brittany nodded, "Take your time Big Miss" she said and Lisa left with the girl.
Brittany smirked and ran in the direction of her father's room giggling. "Daddy!" she said excitedly as she got to his room. Scott's appearance was disheveled; his brown curls was wet and drooping, he had eye bags and he was naked, except for the bath robe he was wearing. In his hand, he had a bottle of whiskey and in his another hand, he had a glass.
"Daddy?" Brittany said and Scott raised his head to look at her. All he saw was Josie smiling at him. "Josie?" he said and got up from the corner he was huddled up. He staggered and he fell, the glass and the bottle breaking. His fingertips grazed the glass shrouds on the floor but he did not mind. He got up again and staggered then he fell, this time, on his knees and in his daughter's arms.
He hugged her tight and started caressing her hair, "It's okay Josie, you don't need to be scared. I'll protect you" he said as he patted Brittany's hair. The stench of the alcohol was overbearing. Brittany was not enjoying it.
"Daddy,let go" she said as she tried to push him away but his grip on her hair tightened. "I love you so much Josie. Don't ever leave me again" "Daddy" she whined, "Let go". "Let go? You want to leave me Josie? But I love you" "Let go!" Brittany said as she finally pushed him away.
Scott was shocked. Josie was scared of him. His Josie was scared of him. But why? He pushed himself and fell on top Brittany, his hands at her throat. "Daddy?" Brittany asked stunned. Was this man on top her, her father? The man on top her looked mad. Her father was not mad.
He tightened his hold on her neck, the glass shrouds digging into her neck, "I can't leave without you and if you want to go...let me go with you" he said and gazed into Brittany's blue eyes, it was like his brown eyes were dead. "Let's die together" he said with a sick smile. Brittany squirmed around as she used her tiny hands to try and remove his hands from her neck.
The squeezing increased and she felt herself losing consciousness. Tears were already spewing out of her eyes. "Daddy..." she coughed out. Scott's eyes widened when he realized that it was his daughter that was under him. "...it's me" she said then she passed out.
"Brittany!" Lisa screamed as she saw Brittany unconscious on the floor with Scott on top of her. Scott removed his hands from her throat and looked at his hands, it was as if her blood was on his hands. He got up from Brittany's body and shook, "Brittany. Brittany! Brittany! Brittany!" he shook her with so much urgency.
"Yes, she fainted! I don't know what happened. I just saw her..." Lisa looked at Scott who was still shaking Brittany to wake up, "...on the floor. Maybe she slipped. I don't know! Just hurry up and come!" Lisa cried then she hung up and went to where Brittany was lying on the floor.
~~~~~~~
Present
"Long story short, I was sent to a children's home for a year and I started having nightmares. When you choked me yesterday, I panicked and the nightmares are back" Brittany said as she looked at her feet.
Seth looked at her for some time before he pulled her to himself and hugged her, "Have you gone for therapy?" he asked and she shook her head, "Why?" he asked, his lips on her forehead. "Cos I know my dad is hurting more than I am" she said and snuggled closer to him.
"He has to live the fact that he almost killed his nine-years old daughter on the day of his wife's funeral. Don't you think that's sad?" she asked and he rubbed the back of her head, "It is...but you'll do that at your detriment?" "I'm a very selfless person, Seth Michael Williams" she smiled as she looked at him. "I know!" he said and pecked her lips then she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I know I can't stop the nightmares but if we ever get to share a bed together, let me be your personal hug chair. I'll hold you tight and whisper sweet things to you...maybe pervy things too" he joked but she did not laugh, she only looked at him. "That was supposed to make you laugh" he smiled and tucked some locks of her hair behind her ear.
He sighed, "And if we never get to share a bed, think about the good memories you've had with me and remember that I'll always be there for you" he said and kissed her forehead then he hugged her again. She burst into tears and he rubbed her back soothingly.
~~~~~~~
A month and few weeks later...
Brittany and Seth had written their final exams and had graduated from high school. The nightmares were no longer occuring and they were still dating and yes, they did share a bed together. Yeah, it was that kind😏
"Why do we have to study so hard?" Brittany asked as she came out of her car with Seth. "Because we have college entrance exams to write" he said and she groaned.
Damian had not been around since the whole 'Kissing and choosing Seth over him' stuff. They had seen at school and had even exchanged looks but nothing more. She was ready to talk to him but he was not ready to do more than glancing.
Since Damian had not been around, Seth had been tutoring Brittany. It was more of a study date. Sometimes their friends joined in, but most times it was just the both of them.
"I'm just so tired" she whined and he carried her and put her on the bonnet of her red convertible. "You know there was a time you were so pissed at me because I sat on your car" he said and licked his lips. "Yeah...you were pretty annoying then" she said as she leaned closer. Their noses rubbing against each other.
"Am I still annoying?" he asked as he smirked and she shook her head, "Just a little" she giggled and their lips moved closer. Just as about their lips were about to interlock, she heard a shout, "Brittany Hope Copper!"
Oh crap! Brittany thought.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone