Dove tutted. “Dakota—”
And then, as if a dam broke inside me, rage burst forth. “I said get out of here!” I screamed.
Before I knew it, Dove was restraining me as I thrashed to break free and do to that monster every violent thing he’d done to me.
My father moved away quickly.
“I told you this was a bad idea,” he said. “I should leave.”
“Don’t you ever fucking come back!” I screamed after him, noticing a couple of the neighbors had come out to see what the commotion was all about. The trendy, childless couple two doors down, and the fifty-year-old bachelor who had been trying to get into Naomi’s pants since she bought the place.
Just like that my three-year streak of not swearing had ended.
Dove was much stronger than me, and his hold on me made me feel so weak and helpless. Only once the elevator doors had closed with my dad inside did he let go.
“Is everything all right?” creepy bachelor dude asked.
“Fuck off!” was my only response, before I fumbled my way inside my apartment, barely able to get the key in the lock.
I tried to bar Dove’s entry as he followed behind me, but he was too strong.
“Dakota, just chill for a second.” He closed the door behind us, followed me into the living room.
Hot, furious tears rolled down my cheeks, and only made me more furious. I didn’t want to cry over any of this. Hadn’t I done enough of that already?
I pointed a murderous finger at Dove. “Are you on crack again? Heroin? Huh, what is it? It must be something for you to pull this shit!”
I didn’t care how insensitive I was being, I was only following his lead. He hadn’t bothered to consult me before bringing that man to my home.
“Sis, can you just listen?”
“No!” I shouted. “Nothing you have to say will be good enough. Nothing you say will justify you bringing that piece of crap here. How the hell did he even find us?”
“If you’d let me talk…” He ran a hand over his face, looking stressed and suddenly much older than his thirty-seven years. “Are you gonna let me?”
I didn’t want to, but I had to know what this was about. There had to have been a really good reason why my brother did this; my brother who’d taken a lot of my beatings for me, because he said he hated seeing me cry. My brother who would tell me stories about the rich family we’d been stolen from, who were looking for us and would rescue us one day.
“He found me on Instagram. He recognized me immediately. He’d been looking for us for a while.”
I needed some water. Dove followed me into the kitchen. I didn’t offer him anything, and vowed never to again. I poured myself some water, my hands shaking as I gripped the jug.
“So he reached out. I told him to fuck off and die, four times actually, but he kept messaging me. Then he showed up at one of my gigs…”
Wow. What a chapter – I’m still processing and will likely read again! Firstly, I love the theme of this. Woven with the forgiveness of self from the book with furthering that forgiveness with settling the demons of others.
I loved the therapist’s advice: “I hate to break it to you, but you’re the only person who would suffer, not him. You don’t really want that kind of thing hanging over you forever, do you? Eating away at you slowly.” A fantastic summary to Dakota in her quest for personal recovery and processing trauma of her past.
Naomi arranging that meeting without consulting Dakota also angered me, but I adored how they resolved it as a couple ❤️ I’m still hesitant on allowing the father to come around…but only time will tell! I hope Dakota doesn’t break anymore glasses even though it gave me a good laugh 😂
Thank you for (heavy) beautiful chapter!
You’re welcome!
Yeah, it was pretty heavy. Dakota is still carrying around so much pain from her childhood, and she needs to let go of it in order to move on. I don’t think someone with her personality can do that without confronting their father.
Thanks a bunch for your comment!
This was a very engaging chapter, holy crap! Every scene with Naomi is always my favorite. Something about the way you write just ‘how’ she looks at Dakota and always notices every little thing—no hiding for Dak from the too-good-to-be-true attentive wifey. Plus, I’ll never get over all those little acts of affections—arms around waist, lips to neck. I don’t know if I’m explaining well exactly what I admire here but you add these things to almost all your books and they really are just my favorite bits that keep me coming back.
The secret family meeting arrangement shocked me, that’s for sure! I would’ve freaked at Naomi too! But gosh darn it is just too hard to stay mad at that sweet cow… (‘to get to the udder side’ …by the way that joke from QoM will forever be with me whenever someone mentions cow. HA!)
Lastly, I’m beyond relieved Dakota went back home to Naomi. Thanks for that. Definitely looking forward to the next chapter, and all the future works to come! No pressure, of course. (Totally hoping for QoM insight one day. Still reeling all this time later for Wila’s departure…)
Never stop writing, you! You’re awesome 😀
Glad you found it engaging.
I, too, love writing Dakota and Naomi’s scenes. It’s funny you should mention the way Naomi looks at Dakota, because there’s a scene coming up when Dakota also notices it, and, let’s just say it doesn’t go down well…
OMG, I totally forgot about that joke! So silly, but those are the funniest ones, LOL.
I’m not sure which direction the muse will take me in, but I THINK The Queen of Miami sequel will be the next story I add on here.
Cheers for your comment.
lol. That’s the second time I seem to have stumbled onto your fiction plans. Always fun being on the same wavelength as someone!
I’m very excited to see this scene you mentioned! Thanks for the breadcrumb! I look forward to next update even more now.
And I’m glad to learn you appreciate puns! They’re my favorite of all the jokes! So, I will leave you with this one…
What does a fish say when it swims into a wall?
Answer: Dam
Yep. You are welcome 🙂
And let that muse blow you in any direction it wants. I’m familiar with all your worlds and look forward to every new piece of content you gift us!
Hahaha! I’m totally stealing that one!
Well…this was true to form when it comes to Dakota. I understand how hard it is to forgive a parent for the wrongs that they have done to you while you were impressionable and growing up. I had a similar up-bringing. It took me a while to forgive my mother for what she had done to me and all the abuse I suffered at her hands. That feeling gets engraved deep into the psyche. I was also born into the church, but fully took it on at 25 y/o and the time. And I am sorry to say that god stuff does nothing to quell the pain caused over the years. And a parent finding god and changing their lives does nothing for the horrific past they reared us in. I did in the end forgive my mother for what she did to me. And she is lucky of that, because when she got sick and had a stroke at a young age, I have been there for her caring and allowing her to live with me for years now.
So, I am ok if Dakota decides not to allow him access to her new family and into her life. Some things are just unforgivable and unforgettable. Him sitting around the dinner table as a loving father just burns me. Sure he is a great husband to his current wife and his “new” kids, but that does nothing to pull at my heart strings. I am glad Dakota was true to form and let him have it. Sometimes I wished she had done more, but for the sake of her own emotional and mental welfare, I am glad she didn’t. I am also glad that she is in a stable and very loving marriage to show her what love really is. I doubt that could have happened without Naomi entering her life. Thank goodness that Naomi had a good family and a great upbringing. She knows what love looks like, even with the challenges that comes with loving someone so hurt and broken like Dakota had been.
This is one of my favorite stories because of the abuse and the presence of the church. I left the church 20 years ago and never looked back. I hope this is something that Dakota does at well. The only difference between me and Dakota is that she found her Naomi. I am still waiting for mine.