But with the losses came our father’s hatred, and so did Creed’s.
Creed hated everything about Ridge. He once told me he was one of the best safeties he had seen.
I was also impressed with him. However, I was more impressed with his muscles and his dark, chocolate colored hair.
He was also tall, a little taller than Creed, though he wasn’t as wide. Creed worked out as often as he could. I knew he wasn’t going to take our father’s beatings much longer.
One day, when I went to school to straighten my clothes and check my bow, I was shocked to see Ridge waiting for me.
I loved how sweet he was. How quiet. I saw him before the game with his father and grandparents. I didn’t know why he didn’t have a mom, but since I didn’t have one either, I liked him that much more.
I wasn’t sure what happened to Ridge’s mom, but I didn’t even know what happened to mine. Not really. I was told when we were younger that she died giving birth to us, but I had a feeling our dad was involved in some way.
He always was. I know we only made it to where we were because of our grandma, but she was getting sicker each year and was slipping away.
I hated seeing her like that. She was the only one who loved us. Who tried to keep us safe from our dad.
If he went out of town for his job, which was often, but not often enough for our liking, she came to stay with us.
She hated that our father did the bare minimum for us, helping us clean the house, buying us groceries, and taking care of Creed and his injuries.
She tried more than once to talk to our dad, but he wouldn’t hear it, and Creed wouldn’t let him touch her. Taking the beating meant for her after she questioned her son about his children.
She was the reason we signed up for our activities. She paid for them, wanting us not to just sit at home with our father. However, he soon expected perfection from both of us.
Creed especially. He once asked our grandma why our father was so different from her.
Why was she so kind and loving, while he treated us as if we were nothing.
She sat us both down, holding us both under each of her arms, her hands stroking over our hair, “My sweet darling babies. Your father only hits because he doesn’t know any other way. His own father was the same, and though I tried to not let that evil bleed through to my son, it didn’t work. He is worse than my husband ever had been. I hate that I couldn’t save him. And I feel as if I’m failing to save either of you.”
Creed shook his head, “I won’t be like dad. Never.”
Grandma kissed his head, “I know you wouldn’t do that darling. You are too good.”
I loved that day. Grandma Gwen loved us more than words could say. I still went to visit her whenever I could. As did Creed. Though I think he went for her cooking.
He ate a ton still, especially with his workouts and the team using most of his time and energy.
We lived together in a small condo, though Creed could have bought a huge house; he didn’t want that. He saved what he could, never wanting us to be unable to live.
He knew football wouldn’t last forever, and he wanted to be set for life no matter what. For us to be set.
I wanted to live with Creed, that was for sure, but I also wanted the man I was so in love with to be at my side.
Creed thought my crush on Ridge was long over after that fateful day, so long ago, when I ended up in the hospital with a concussion from hitting the wall.
The beating Creed took from our father that night when I wasn’t with him was the worst one, he had endured.
But Creed had fought back that day, too. Our father hadn’t expected that, and after Creed punched him so hard that it knocked out a few teeth, our father left the house and kicked us out soon after.
We lived with Grandma, and our father hadn’t spoken to either of us since.
Creed hated Ridge for pushing us to that point, even though it was infinitely better to live with our grandma than with our father.
But Creed felt as if our family were broken because of it. I never felt that way.
All I wanted was to be whole with the love of my life at my side. After that day, I couldn’t text him because it felt as though I was betraying Creed and what he did for me.
