That night, neither Marie, Kyle nor their mothers left the hotel. The following days, the four of them continued living together. The two won would rotate as for who would accompany the kids to school. This was how the relationship between all of them grew.
However, the teenage boy was no fool, he understood that their happy family life was bound to co to an end eventually. After all, this wasn’t the first ti sothing like this had occurred. Nevertheless, he was happy while it lasted, and he knew that he would always find Marie at school, even if things returned to normal.
One day, when Kyle and Marie ca back from school together, they found Marie’s mother with a large smile on her face, currently talking with Kai’s mother.
“Are you sure about this?” The blonde woman Eleanor asked. It was a na that suited Kyle;s mother well. Still, at the mont she had a concerned look on her face. Just like her son, Eleanor Hamper had been dreading this day, afraid that her childhood friend might get fooled by that bastard once more.
“You saw his ssage, Ellie! He told how he's been going to Anger Managent Therapy. According to his therapist he’s already doing much better, and he promised the second he raises his voice, that I will be free to leave him be.
“I didn’t believe him at first either, but he showed the appointnts and everything. This ti really will be different. He was even crying on the phone. Thank you for always helping out, seriously. I promise we’ll pay you back for your help. Let’s have brunch over the weekend, and then, once you’ll see I’m all okay, you will have so peace of mind.”
One could tell that Eleanor’s face was still filled with doubt, but in the end she gave her friend a smile. She had tried convincing Kiki in the past not to fall for it, yet it had proven to be an impossible task.
“Make sure to keep your phone on you at all tis, and promise to contact at the first sign that he’s up to no good. I don’t care what ti of day it might be, if he so much as just flinches at you, call , text or simply co to , okay?” Saying this, she grabbed Kiki’s hand and looked her straight in her eyes. Marie’s mother nodded, and grabbed the few bags filled with her belongings, as well as those of her daughter.
Before leaving, she looked at Kyle.
“Thank you, for being such a good friend to my Marie. During these difficult tis, it’s good to know that there is soone else who is looking out for her just as much as I am.” Mrs Degrace praised him, making him blush slightly.
When walking out the door, Kyle managed to catch a glimpse of Marie’s face. Unlike her mother who was all smiles, her daughter’s eyes were wide, and she looked a little shaken. Clearly, she didn't want to leave this place to return to her father’s side, not believing in his ability to change.
“Mum, we have lots of money, don’t we? Then why can't we help them? You’ve already been paying for a place for the two of them to live, so why can’t we just continue living like this?” Kyle asked dejectedly.
“Oh, Kai, if only it was that easy.” Eleanor sighed as she ruffled her son’s hair using the na she had wanted to give him, rather than the one his father had insisted on. “Even if Kiki would finally decide to break up with that bastard, he isn’t soone who would just let her go. He would make her life here in Slough even more of a living hell.
“Her best option might be to completely leave the town and run to the other side of the world to escape him, and that requires a lot of money. Even then, I’m afraid that man would just hunt her down. His reputation and ego wouldn’t allow him to beco soone who was left by a woman.
“Believe , I’ve thought long and hard how to help the two of them, but this simply is a problem that money can’t solve. Besides, the money I used to house them… it’s not really ours to use.”
Hearing these words, Kyle understood. Although he might not know all the details, his mother had told him about how his father was involved with the underworld. Part of him used to believe that this might have been the reason Damion had barely ever interacted with him. Then again, that might just be wishful thinking on his part, who had desired a fatherly figure in his life…
The last few tis he rembered seeing his father, had been during his previous birthdays, and even that had been for only around an hour, before his father had left to take care of ‘business’. Eventually, he had grown used to being treated like a ‘chore’ rather than a priority in Damion’s life.
Kyle also rembered seeing Marie’s father on his last birthday, a burly fellow who might as well have been the picture of the word ‘brute’. Unfortunately, he wasn’t just an ordinary Underdogs mber, but soone in the inner circle.
As for the reason his mother felt guilty, well that was because she was the one that accidentally introduced Kiki into the Underdog world. She had never expected that the two would fall in love, and have a child together, and although they weren't married, the man truly seed to be obsessed with her childhood friend.
Regardless of his mother’s stance, Kyle still started to think if there was a way for them to get out of the whole ss, and he believed to have co up with a couple of possible solutions.
“Don't even think about getting involved, young man!” Eleanor chided her son, recognising his slight smirk as a sign that he just ca up with an idea. “This is adult business, and you shouldn’t ddle with it. It’s far more dangerous than you seem to believe!”
Heeding his mother’s stern warning, especially since it was a rarity for her to raise her voice at him, Kyle decided to disregard his ideas. He trusted that she knew best. After all, while he might think himself clever, he knew exactly who he got his intelligence from.
Nothing unusual happened during the next week. He naturally spent ti with Marie at school, and she recounted what was happening at her ho. The teenage girl still had trouble believing it, but there was at least less anger in her father’s voice.
Marie had even been dragged into one of those Anger Managent Therapy sessions, where her father had apologised to his daughter, as well as Miss Degrace. From what Marie had been told, her mother had accompanied him a few more tis.
Then, on the tenth day, sothing strange happened.
When Kyle took his seat, Marie wasn’t there. He didn’t think much of it at first, until class started, and she was still nowhere to be seen. The teenager texted her whether she might have fallen ill, yet he got no reply. After the first period, he went to ask a teacher if they knew anything, only to be told that they were just as clueless as him. There had been no sick note, no call from her parents or anything.
Imdiately, Kyle called up his mother, who inford him that she was looking after them, that they had booked the hotel once again. Hearing this, he was slightly elated, though at the sa ti a bit worried. It appeared that the cycle had just started over again, yet this ti it had happened far sooner than before.
Last ti, they had been at his side for a couple of months, yet this ti barely any ti had passed. Kyle wrote Marie another text about how he would excuse her and bring over their howork later.
After school was over, he reached the hotel room… where he imdiately dropped his bag the mont he saw Marie.
The teenage girl had a bloody nose and a swollen eye.
****
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