that nothing mattered to him but me. And while Chance had been possessive, he hadn’t been consuming the way Gage had been. And knowing that she ratted us out made me wonder if I’d been right all along.
“Mystic, she’s just concerned for you, like we all are,” my mother said, defending Margot.
I wasn’t even going to ask why they didn’t come to me first. It didn’t matter now. “Gage is not abusing me,” I insisted. “And even if he was, I’m of legal age. What happens between us is none of your business.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
My father looked like he was going to explode. “You think so?” he seethed. “Because I have news for you, Mystic. You live in California. And, in California, it’s not up to you if charges are pressed for domestic abuse or not. The courts can prosecute if there’s evidence and they think it’s in your best interest.”
My eyes widened and my entire body shook. “Wh…what? What are you talking about, Dad?”
He got in my face as he said, “You will never speak to that boy ever again, do you hear me? If you do, I will personally make sure he spends the twenty years in prison!”
I jumped out of my chair again, forcing him to step back. “What?!”
“Mystic.” I whirled around towards Mr. Grant’s voice. “Margot told us everything. We know he’s been doing this to you for years.”
I never thought it’d be possible for me to hate the only friend I’ve ever had, but here I was, feeling nothing but hate and anger. “He’s not doing anything to me,” I denied again. “Why won’t you guys believe me? Why do you believe her?”
“Because the bruising on your body back up her statements,” Mrs. Lemas answered.
“What we do is…mutual! Consensual!” I yelled. I felt like I was losing my mind.
“Not during the time he was eighteen and you were only seventeen, Mystic,” my father countered, ruining my life with that one simple sentence.
I shook my head. “No.” When everyone in the room remain silent, I shouted out. “NO!”
“It’s simple, Mystic,” my father replied. “Go anywhere near that boy again and I will make sure he goes to prison for statutory rape and domestic abuse.”
“You can’t do that!” My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest.
“I can, and I will,” he threatened. “And even if I can’t make it stick, the accusations, alone, will ruin him.” My father was a corporate attorney, but I knew he knew and hung out with other attorneys. Being a lawyer, I had no doubt he could do what he was threatening.
I was going to lose Gage.
“Don’t do this, Dad,” I begged. “I…I love him. It’s not what you guys think!”
“Abuse is not love,” my mother said sadly, like she pitied me. Like I was a victim.
“He’s not abusing me!” I denied for the millionth time. I turned towards Mrs. Berny. “Please, Mrs. Berny, it’s not what you guys think.”
“Mystic.” I turned back towards Mr. Grant. “If you do not agree to stop seeing Gage Evans, not only will your father move forward with his arrest, but he will be expelled and his chances at college or a future will no longer be possible.”
My hands found themselves in my hair and I pulled, screaming.
Did they not realize what they were demanding from me?
At one time, I believed I’d have to leave Gage once we graduated, but these past few months, Gage had made it clear that we were forever, and I fell into the picture he painted with everything I had. Leaving him was going to destroy me.
I turned back towards my father. “Dad, plea-”
“If you love this boy like you say you do, then don’t ruin his only chance at a life, Mystic,” he cruelly said. “Give him and yourself the chance to find a healthy happiness.”
“You guys don’t understand,” I sobbed. “You guys don’t understand.”
“I understand that I’m not going to stand by and let some boy, or any guy for that matter, abuse my daughter, Mystic,” my dad replied. “Understand this, Mystic, like you’ve never understood anything else in your life. If you do not walk away from that boy, I will not stop until his life is ruined.”
Defeated.
That’s what I was.
Defeated.
Only, I didn’t know just how brutal the loss in this war was going to be. Even as I agreed to stop seeing Gage, I had this half-ass plan of telling him everything and running off together.
And I would have.
I would