#paul joyce | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

xdarkestdesirex · 3 months

Text

When Faith Meets Juvenile - Chap 1

This is a Dale Holt x reader story. There's no (y/n) insert. I'm just avoiding the use of the reader's name and it is female-based. There are hints of physical appearance, but nothing in-depth.

This writing contains highly sensitive content like violence, drugs, the use of weapons, abuse, mental illness, hostage situations, talk of suicide, religious abuse, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. MUST BE 18+ TO INTERACT.

I do not allow anyone to copy, alter, or repost my work as their own.

3767-word count

Growing up in Two Rock comes with a lot of nothing. The scenery is brown dirt, cactuses, and hills. The sun beats down directly on people, leaving them crisp with a bit of heat stroke. Some kids figured out how to make their childhood entertaining, but it wasn’t an option for me. My father is a well-respected pastor at the Two Rock Chapel, and my family and onlookers expected me to be well-behaved. I was, for the most part, until I met a boy. He changed my life forever, and I’ll never forget what happened.

“Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’” My father’s deep and authoritative voice flooded the churchgoer’s ears as he paced the stage. I sat front and center. So my dad could keep an eye on me and for everyone to see how disciplined I was. My mother looked perfectly prim and proper to the right of me, and my older brother was to the left, wearing a suit with his hair gelled back nicely. I wore a pale blue dress that went up to my neck with a white collar and short sleeves that puffed out. The dress was cinched at my waist to show off my healthy physique (my mother says it’s good to show off without showing skin), and the dress’s bottom belled out past my knees. I wore sheer tights underneath with heels to match. My hair was pulled into a sleek pony, and I was accented with pearl earrings and a necklace. Only the lightest touch of makeup was applied to my face to accentuate my features, but not enough to be called a whore.

My bible was open and sitting in my lap. Like always, I followed the sermon my father was teaching. I had a notebook open and was writing down thoughts and questions that popped up. As a preacher’s daughter, I was meant to lead by example, but I wasn’t doing this for them or to be a good child for my parents. I was doing this for me. My faith has always been important to me, and damn it, I am a good kid. Sometimes, I wish I had a rebellious bone in me, like my brother, who secretly sneaks out of the house to do God knows what. One night, I followed him, but he caught me within 10 minutes and dragged me back to the house. He told me I shouldn’t ruin my innocence, that once I tasted the bad things in the world, I could never get it back.

“I ask that some of our worship members join me on the stage as I close us out this morning,” My father’s voice became soft, “You may bow your heads and close your eyes.” My back slumps over as I droop toward my lap, and my eyes flutter close. The sound of a piano starts to float around me, and a woman’s voice begins to sing quietly.

“Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my King, would die for me?”

My father spoke above the singing, asking if anyone in the crowd didn’t know God and wanted to get to know Him, to raise their hands, and that someone would join them to pray. People were slowly leaving their seats, going to the altar, and sitting on the ground to pray. My brother slowly slid out of his seat, sat at the end of the stage, leaning the top half of his body over it, and began praying. My mother tapped my knee as if to say I needed to join the others who were kneeling. I walked up to where my brother was and sat on the ground behind him, making sure my dress was tucked neatly under my legs and bowed my head into my lap.

When the service ended, I was greeted by people praising me for my well-behaved manners and asking what kind of things I’d done so far over the summer. I indulged in conversation and made small talk while waiting for everyone to filter out. The heat was rising in the building, and I could feel my dress sticking to my back. Once the last person left, my family was also free to leave. Usually, after church, we go out to eat for lunch and spend the day together until evening, when the second sermon of the day starts. Yes, you must think we’re crazy for having church twice on Sundays, but that’s how we do it here. But today, I didn’t feel like going out; it would be extra hot, and I wanted to go home and get out of this stuffy dress.

“Daddy, could you drop me off at the house? I promised Nelly I would return her book this afternoon.” I asked my dad as we all got into the car.

“Can’t you do that after we eat?” He looked back at me through the review mirror.

“I’m not very hungry,” I pause, “I was hoping I could stay at her place for a little so we could talk about the book together.” It wasn’t a lie; I said I could probably bring the book sometime today, but I don’t plan to stay long at her house. I just wanted time to be by myself for a while.

“Honey, it’s family day.” My mom states.

“I know, bu-”

“Oh, come on, it’s not like her to ask to hang out with friends often. Why don’t you just let her go.” My brother pipes up from beside me. I was shocked for him to come to my rescue; he protects me often but doesn’t usually go out of his way to help me with our parents.

“James is right. I think it’ll be okay, just this once, to miss a family day.” My dad speaks. A bright smile appears on my face, and I thank my father for letting me have this day. I glance at my brother with a silent thank you as well.

As we pulled up to our house in Big Oak Neighborhood, I promised my dad I’d be back in time for church tonight and wave goodbye as they set off to some restaurant. As I enter the house, my shoulders instantly relax as the cold air hits me. I unbutton the collar of my dress as I walk down the hallway toward my bedroom. Once in my room, I kick my heels into some random corner, rip the dress over my head, and toss it to the floor. I lay on my bed for a few minutes in my undergarments, letting the cold air kiss my sticky skin. When I finally get up from my bed, I pick out a pair of short overalls that hit just above my midthigh, the shortest thing I was allowed to wear, and a plain white tee to go underneath. I put on a pair of socks and sneakers and redid my hair into a slightly messy braid. I grabbed my tote bag and put Nelly’s book inside, along with my journal.

I entered the kitchen and grabbed the necessary things to make a sandwich: bread, mayo, meat, cheese, pickles, you know, the works. Once put together, I put the sandwich into a paper bag and then stuffed it into my tote bag. I grabbed a few more snacks from the pantry, filled my water bottle, and headed out the door. It was peak sunrise in Arizona, and the heat was hitting a hundred degrees. The sun hit the sidewalk’s concrete, bouncing up and blinding me. I squinted as I walked past the houses on my street and turned down Ranger Rd. The third house on the left belonged to Nelly. I approached the front door and knocked my knuckles against the wood. A few minutes passed, and I heard a few voices exchanged back and forth before the door swung open.

“Hey!” Nelly’s giant smile greeted me.

“Hi, sorry to intrude. I was just stopping by to drop your book off.” I reached into my bag and pulled the book out.

“You finished it already?” She looked shocked as she reached out to grab the book from my hands.

“Yeah, I just spent a whole day reading it, which wasn’t hard since it was a good book.”

“Did you want to come inside and talk about it for a while?” Nelly’s body slid to the side, revealing I was okay coming in.

“Oh, no, sorry, I have to get back home. It’s Sunday, so I have to be with my family. I was just allowed to stop by and drop the book off.”

“No worries! We can get together another time to discuss the book!” Nelly said as she closed the door.

I walked, about an hour, in the direction of a park, a place I’ve gone to a few times when needing space from others. Usually, I would tell my parents I was studying at the library, but with it being summer, I couldn’t use that excuse. I found a wooden bench seat in the shade and made myself comfortable. Inside my tote bag was my MP3 player, so I took my headphones out and placed them over my ears, letting my music drown out everything around me. I pulled out my journal and pen and began writing about everything I felt. This journal was my deepest and darkest thoughts, and if anyone got a hold of it, I would be in deep shit.

After a few hours, I had eaten all my food, and my water was almost gone. I decided it was time to leave. Collecting all my things and putting them back into my bag, I headed home.

“Watch out!” A voice behind me yelled out as I was about to cross the road. The next thing I knew, something slammed into my back, sending me flying to the ground, and a heavy weight landed on top of me.

“Ah, shit.” The gruff male voice said. Then, the heavy weight that was pinning me down lifted. I turned around to look up at what had hit me to see a figure towering over me. The sun was behind the guy who ran into me, making him look like a silhouette. “Are you okay?” He asked me.

“I-I’m fine.” I tried to push myself back on my feet, but once I put weight onto my left leg, I collapsed. I expected my body to meet the asphalt again, but instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. When I looked at the guy this time, I could see his features. Short brown hair that was messed up from the crash, piercing blue eyes creased with worry, and a face shaped like God had carefully pieced him together. Suddenly, I forgot I was hurt and found myself staring at this guy with my mouth agape and speechless. He was a bit rugged-looking, but that made him more attractive in my eyes. A slight smirk appeared after what felt like forever of just looking at his face.

“You like what you see?” His statement ripped me out of my daze. A cough erupted from my throat, and the heat rose to my cheeks.

“N-no,” I stuttered, “Just confused about how you crashed into me.”

“I tried to stop, but the brakes on my bike weren’t working.”

“Could you help me stand?” He was holding me in a dip position, like we were dancing, from catching me. His face was only inches away from mine. It was the closest I’ve ever been with a male. I’d never been embraced by one before; having his arms around me was weird, but I also didn’t want him to let go of me. I felt strange for thinking this way. I mean, I didn’t even know who this guy was! He could be a murderer for all I know.

"Ah, fuck.” The brunette cussed, “Your leg is messed up pretty good.” His crystal eyes darted around the park, looking for something, like he was worried someone would see us. The smirk that once sat across his face turned into a hard line, and his eyebrows furrowed together. I looked down to see what he was looking at. There was a large gash from the center of my shin down to my ankle, and blood was dripping down, staining my shoelaces red.

“How far do you live?” He asked me.

“I live in Big Oak Neighborhood.”

“Why the fuck are you over here?”

“I like this park, it’s quiet.”

“You know this part of Two Rock is the trashy side, right?”

I rolled my eyes at the guy, “I think I’ll be fine to walk back.” I tried to pry his arms off from around me, but he was way too strong.

“Yeah, I don’t think you can walk that far.” His grip around me tightened, “My house is around the corner. I can patch you up and then drive you home.”

He helped me sit back on the warm ground as he picked the bike up. His blue eyes scanned the black metal and wheels. Once pleased with what he saw, he helped me situate myself on the bike. I rested my hands on the handles and set my feet on the pegs of the wheel in front of me. His muscular arms reached around my sides, and he placed his hands next to mine. Slowly, he started pushing me away from the park. It took us about ten minutes to reach a brown fence, and a small house with a porch was not too far away. It was the kind of home that seemed cozy. I always dreamed of living out in the country. My home back in Big Oak was your typical suburban house. It looked identical to the ones around; the grass was green, and we even had a white picket fence. I know I should be thankful for where I live; not many people have the life I do, but I still wish things were different for me.

Once we got to the porch, he stopped the bike and helped me off it. I felt terrible that he was going out of his way to do all this for me. Yes, he ran into me, and I wouldn’t be injured if it wasn’t for him, but he didn’t need to help me in the way he was doing. Slowly, we made our way up the steps of the porch. His strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me tight into his side as I hopped up each step on my good leg. We entered the house, down a small hallway, and entered a tiny bathroom. Without warning, I was lifted off the ground and placed on the sink counter. A yelp escaped my lips, and I gripped the male’s shoulders in front of me. He stared back at me with the same smirk from earlier.

“I’m tempted to make you yelp like that again.” His voice was low and husky as he spoke. I wasn’t fully aware of what he meant by that, but my body still reacted anyway. Goosebumps erupted on my skin, and my face burnt with embarrassment. He stood there with his arms beside me, his face inched closer to mine, stopping a breath away from my lips. I had just met this guy, and yet I wasn’t going to stop him. But he pushed away and started rummaging through the cupboards. I watched how his face looked as he focused on grabbing whatever supplies he needed. His face relaxed into its natural state, with soft eyes, his lips pursed only slightly, and his hair fell forward onto his forehead. When he got everything, he turned the faucet on and waited for the water to warm.

“I’m going to clean up the area around your wound. This won’t hurt too bad, but I will disinfect the wound immediately after, which stings a little.” I nodded my head and watched him as he knelt to get level with my leg. As he wiped away the blood that covered my leg, he was gentle, not to hurt me. With most of the blood gone, I could see what the gash looked like, and it seemed I would probably need some stitches. He then grabbed a bottle and took the lid off.

“Alright, this isn’t the fun part.” He said pouring the liquid right over my wound.

“Fuck!” I yelled and instinctively covered my mouth. It hurt a lot more than he was explaining.

“Sorry, Doll, it needs to be cleaned.” He waited awhile for the liquid to do its thing before pressing some soft gauze against my gash and wrapping it with medical tape. He stood back up and placed himself between my legs. “You’re all patched up now.”

“T-thank you.” I kept my gaze on the ground because I knew if I looked up at him, I would become even more of a stuttering mess.

“I guess it’s time I drive you home.” He gripped my hips and helped me slide off the counter. If my dad knew a male was touching me in the manner this guy is, he would lose his shit.

“What time is it anyway?”

“Around 5 o’clock.”

“What!? You have to get me home now!” I tried to hobble out of the bathroom, which only caused the male behind me to laugh.

“You look like a deer trying to walk for the first time.” He said as he watched me from the bathroom as I grabbed onto things around me to stay steady. “What’s the rush anyways? You have a curfew?”

“Yes! My parents are going to kill me. I should’ve been home an hour ago!”

“Woah, don’t get your panties in a twist. You’re a teenager. What else are they expecting? This shit is normal.”

“Not in my household, and not on a Sunday.” Confusedly, He looked at me, “My dad is the pastor at Two Rock Chapel. I’m expected to be perfect and well-behaved. I wasn’t even supposed to be out this way. I lied and said I was going to a friend. I’m going to be in deep shit.”

“Wait, you’re the preacher’s daughter?” His blue eyes opened wide at this information. “You’re like Two Rock’s most innocent princess.”

“Huh?” I grabbed the chair in front of me to balance myself, “People talk about me?”

“It’s Two Rock, Doll. Everyone talks about everyone.” He made his way over to me, “Here, let me help you.” One arm reached around my side to help support me once again.

“Oh yeah? Then who are you?” I asked, looking up at the handsome stranger.

“I’m Dale, Dale Holt.”

“Holt? Dale Holt?” The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before.

“You might’ve seen me in the papers. I’m pretty famous around here.”

“Oh really? I didn’t know I was in the presence of a celebrity.” A chuckle fell through his lips, and the feeling of warmness flooded through me.

“It’s probably for the best you don’t know who I am.” Again, his face turned serious. There was something dark and lonely hiding behind his eyes. I wanted to ask him why it was for the best that I didn’t know who he was, but I knew it wasn’t my place to pry, especially with someone I just met.

Once in the truck, I instructed Dale on how to get to my house. He slowly drove while looking at all the homes we passed. When something was interesting or cool, he would point it out and say they should add it to their farm. I could sense the want from him to be someone living behind these walls, to live the life that I have. That was the first time my heart stopped. Watching him stare out the window and play out what could be if he were a resident here. We didn’t discuss our similarities in wanting what the other had, but I could feel it from him. And in that moment, I had never felt more connected to someone else before. It was odd to connect without any interaction, but something within me stirred. He seemed to have felt the same feeling cause his head turned slowly to look at me, and we locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. We understood each other. Finally, a person, completely different from the other, felt what we felt.

He ripped his eyes from mine and said, “Do you want me to drop you down a few houses?”

“You can pull up to my house.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want anyone thinking bad about you for being with me.” His eyes drifted down to the floorboard.

“Why would anyone think badly about that?”

“I’m not the type of guy your church people approve of.”

“Well, it’s none of their business. You may have been the reason I got injured, but you helped me. So thank you.” I flashed him a small smile, “If it makes you feel better, my parents are probably already at the church since my dad has to set up for the sermon.” He did as I said and pulled into my driveway, and just like I suspected, the family car was gone.

“I’m sorry for your leg,” Dale spoke in a low tone.

“It’s okay. You helped me a lot today, and I really appreciate it. Thank you, seriously.” I went to open the door, but before I could get out, I felt his strong hand wrap around my arm again.

“Can you walk to the door?”

“I think I can manage this one.” He released my wrist, and I slowly lowered myself out of the truck. “Dale?”

“Yeah?”

“I’d like to see you again someday.”

“I would like that too, Doll.”

I closed the truck door and slowly limped to the door of my house. A stupid smile plastered on my face as I opened the door and walked inside. The sound of his truck driving away off in the distance.

Dale Holt. The guy that changed my life forever.

AN:

Hey guys! I hope you liked this first chapter! I'm not the best writer in the world, but I hope you enjoy reading this. I will try to get chapters out fairly frequently, but I work 2 jobs and can get pretty busy. So please be patient with me! Please let me know if you see any errors so I can fix them! I do use editing software, but only some things get caught. I want everyone to know that some experiences the reader has are things I've dealt with personally (and so have others), so please be kind in the comments when talking about any of the serious situations!

21 notes · View notes