open to: willa spencer | @willaspencer location: willa's place
"This month's pay is there in cash, twenties like you wanted, and the rest of the supplies, as per our agreement."
Silas, however, was missing a vital part of their truce. He'd come alone, the clack of his own shoes in her home and no echoing thump to chase them on the rare occasion they intruded. Their daughter had not come with him despite the arrangements they had come up with.
The matter had always been delicate considering the boundaries set by Silas' former guardians who looked over him now only as an asset they needed to handle. Upon the news that whether they liked or not, Silas and Willa would be bound to each other indefinitely for eighteen years, they did what they could to sever it. Paper, pen, and thin text blurred by walls of text signed away Willa's engagement. What they failed to consider was Silas interfering, and some days he wished he hadn't.
His devotion to Willa was rooted in keeping his secrets, that in turn kept hers, that kept their daughter between them. It was a push and pull that had settled in a tug on both ends, and any shifting would break it right from the middle.
But it didn't come without their attempts to see if they could switch the upper hand, and Silas often challenged the little sway he did have. Upon the arrival of his end of the bargain, he'd kept Poppy away this time because their terms and conditions challenged the haven Willa's hush money provided. It wilted its edges, cracked it's foundation ever so slightly. Now that he'd gotten better at hiding his own affliction, he was just as good at keeping his daughter hidden away from it too.
Moving to the door, a heavy sigh carried out as his goodbye. There was a slight faith in believing that the heaven sealed in his package would be enough to distract her from what was missing, and he'd be able to leave without the question of Poppy returning home to her that evening.
Even after knowing Silas for so long, he still found ways to surprise her with his sheer stupidity. For once in their relationship, she wasn't focused on the money he was counting so much as the lack of Poppy with him. Willa was torn between throwing the biggest fit of her life and waiting him out. How long could he keep this up?
She stared at him as he turned away from her, and headed for the door. The toxicity between them was as much her fault as it was his, but... was he actually looking for a fight? What else could be the point of keeping Poppy away?
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" She asked dryly, moving quickly to put herself between him and the exit. "Did you think I just... wouldn't notice that my daughter isn't here? Tell me you didn't leave her with your fucking grandparents."
The passive-aggressive bullshit had disappeared and was now replaced by full-blown anger. This was her worst nightmare. Not dying, not losing her job, but this. Him realizing he could easily take her away and make sure she never saw her again. He had the means, she didn't.
"We're going to get her. Now."















