I toss the covers all the way back and sit on the side of the bed, hoping it will snap me out of this nightmare. I need to wake up. I need to stop this craziness.
"You are not leaving, I will not allow it! We are not finished!" he growls.
"Oh, so now I'm your prisoner?" My anger overrides the fact that I should probably be scared shitless right now. I know what he's capable of.
"Do not make me force you to stay," he says in a much calmer voice.
Do I have a choice?" I snap back.
"You always have a choice. The question is, will you make the right one."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"How do you feel about your mother?" he shoots back.
Stay calm, Candice.
I shrug. "She's an angry alcoholic who has deep issues with abandonment. Is that what you want to hear?"
"I only want the truth."
"Well, that's the sad truth. But she wasn't always like this. We used to be closer but..." I stop, wondering why I'm babbling about her.