The fact that he disassociated her from his notion of family hurt so badly that Charlie couldn’t stomach it. She felt sick. Word vomit was coming up and it burned the back of her throat as her eyes prickled. Rejection from men was one thing, but rejection from the man responsible for her existence made her feel worthless. No wonder she put up with bullshit from niggas. How could she hold men up to a standard of care when her father never cared for her at all? She had no one to measure love up to. No example had been set.
“You’re a grown woman, Charlie,” he answered.
“But what about the little girl? Huh? What about the little girl that came to live with you when her mother died? You’ve treated me like a stepchild ever since!” Charlie screamed.
“My wife...”
“Stole you from my mother!” Charlie interrupted his praise of his precious wife. “She stole my childhood, and you idolize that bitch! If it wasn’t for Stassi, this house would have been miserable! Come on, Daddy! For once! I’m asking you! Choose your child!”
Major cleared the discomfort from his throat. “If it was as bad as you say here, I wouldn’t expect you to ever want to come back,” he said.
At that exact moment, Charlie knew they weren’t alone. Her stepmother’s Elizabeth Diamond perfume had sickened her for many years and today was no different. The sound of Stassi and her mom filled the home as they came waltzing through the front door. Their mother and daughter Sunday ritual. Shopping. Lunch. Just the two of them. It was a trip that Charlie was always excluded from, even when Stassi begged her mom to include her when they were kids.
Charlie scoffed. She shook her head. “I don’t know why I even came here,” she whispered. Disappointment was oozing from her soul. Nobody would ever have the power to hurt her like this man. “Bye, Daddy.”
She stormed out and Stassi followed her.
“Charlie, wait!” she shouted.
Charlie couldn’t wait. If she stayed there another moment longer, she would lose it.
“What did I ever do to them?!” she shouted. “And you!” Charlie shook her head. “Nobody in this fucking house ever loved me. I’ve always been an outsider.”
“That’s not true, Charlie,” Stassi replied. “What would you have done? Huh? If it were me? How would you have looked me in my eyes and broken my heart?”
Charlie recoiled, stunned like she hadn’t thought of how hard it might be for Lauren to be the one to break it to her.
“You should have told me,” Charlie said, adamantly. “How could you work with her?”
“She’s not a bad person, Charlie,” Stassi said. “I know you probably want to believe she is, but she isn’t. It was selfish to not tell you, but I just didn’t know what to do or how to handle it or even if you and Demi would last. If I could go back...” Stassi stopped talking. “You need somewhere to stay?”
Charlie hated to need her, but she was in no position to be stubborn. She nodded. “I gave up everything for him.”
“Come on. Let’s go to my place. You can stay in my spare bedroom,” Stassi said.
Charlie nodded. “I’ll pay you back. I’ll get a job and pay my way. I swear.”
“From where I’m standing, I kind of owe you,” Stassi said.
Charlie scoffed. “Yeah, bitch, you do. Your ass should be paying me rent. Emotional fucking rent.”
“Forgive me?” Stassi asked.
Charlie nodded as Stassi pulled her apartment key off her key ring and handed it over. “I’ll be there later. I have to be somewhere but make yourself at home.”
Charlie sat in front of the camera on the floor of Stassi’s guest bedroom. The solitude was loud. The pain was screaming, and Charlie needed an outlet. Her YouTube channel was private so it wouldn’t matter if she uploaded her emotions tonight. She only had a few followers. People she knew. No way wouldhesee it.
She just needed to let this feeling out. She was suffocating and music was oxygen.
She streamed live for two hours, playing, and singing until she felt like she was drained until she had nothing else to feel. Shedidn’t even say a word, she just clicked off the camera, ending the video for the one viewer who had sat there, listening until the end.
The knock at the door terrified her. She jumped at the unexpected interruption and crawled to her feet as she made her way through the darkened apartment. She flipped on every light in Stassi’s house as she made her way to the door.
She pulled it open and when she saw Demi an invisible hand wrapped around her throat. She took a step back.
Terror replaced shock as she put a little more distance between them. It felt like miles to Demi. The gap. How desperately he wanted to close the space.
“Don’t be scared of me, Bird,” Demi said. He took a step toward her and she took a step back. She was bracing herself. Hands subtly lifting to defend herself.
