Chapter 17
Instead of going back to the tower like he had been planning, Peter made his way over to Skyler’s, praying that her father wasn’t home. He sighed a breath of relief when he saw the driveway was empty. He knocked softly on the door and sat on the stoop. The hinges creak behind him.
“Hey babe, how’d work go?” Skyler sat besides him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“Um, it was fine. I ran into Cam after.”
“Really? Huh, it’s been ages since we’ve seen him. He alright?”
“As good as he ever is. But he had some bad news. Kendra OD’d a couple weeks back.”
Skyler sat up and turned to face Peter. “God that sucks. She was so sweet.”
“He also told me that she had been living with Skip for a few months.” Peter said the words carefully, focused on keeping his voice steady and calm, even though the mere thought of what Kendra must have gone through made him want to run. To hide.
“Why would-” Skyler presses her lips together, organizes her thoughts, then starts again, “I didn’t realize he still fostered kids.”
“Apparently he does. Cam wants me to report him.” Peter huffs out a shaky laugh. “As if it’s my responsibility to deal this.”
Skyler’s sudden silence roared in his ears and Peter felt his defenses rise against his will. “I was a kid when everything went down. It’s not my job to protect people from him. It was their job to protect me from him.”
“I didn’t say it was Peter.” She said quietly.
“But you were thinking it weren’t you. You were thinking that if I had said something sooner, Kendra wouldn’t have had to live with him and she’d still be alive!”
“Don’t try to guess what I’m thinking, because you’re guessing wrong. No one has a right to say what you should or shouldn’t have done. And as for now? There’s no easy answer. Which is why I think we should revisit the idea of you seeing that therapist Chang recommended. I know we all got… thrown off that day, but I think you should make an appointment. This is exactly the type of thing they’d be able to help you with.”
“Maybe.”
“Please. At least give it a shot.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Skyler sighed but backed off, knowing that this was as far as she’d get on the matter today. She thought about the other thing she had been wanting to discuss with him, and even though she knew it wasn’t a good time, she also knew there would be no good time to bring it up. And Skyler was nothing if not impulsive when it came to Peter.
“You know,” Her voice was gentle and hesitant, and Peter instantly knew that he wasn’t going to like what she said next. “I’ve been doing some research on the Starks, reading old interviews and chatting online with some people who knew the family. Apparently Tony’s dad was pretty much the worst. Physically and emotionally abusive, never gave a damn about his son unless the camera was on. A truly cruel man.”
“That’s not my problem.” Peter snapped. “Tony is an adult, he should have been able to change for his son. I’d never treat my kid the way he treated me.”
“So you are saying that his abusive past shouldn’t effect the way he lives his life now that he is out of the situation? You’re saying that past has zero effect on the present? That’s great to hear, I guess you can just move on from Skip and every terrible thing that’s been done to you then.”
Peter frowned. “It’s not the same.”
“Of course it is. People change Peter. People grow and learn. They make mistakes that teach them what not to the next time they are put in a bad situation. Look at how he is with Harley and Morgan and even you now. He’s clearly changed.”
Peter leapt to his feet. “You don’t know what you’re talking about Skyler. You haven’t been thrown out of your own home, just for the crime of being born. You haven’t been passed down from house to house because no one wanted you to be more than a pay check. You don’t know what it’s like to live feeling worthless. You haven’t used and broken like-“
“Are you serious?” Skyler interrupts with a hurt and anger expression. “Are you actually trying to tell me what it’s like to be taken advantage of? What it’s like to be hurt by the one person who is supposed to protect you? Do you want to trade traumatic experiences right now? Because I think we can go toe to toe Peter. You are allowed to be upset and angry and in pain, but you are not allowed to minimize what I have gone through just to win an argument. That’s not fair. That’s not love or respect.” She’s standing now, her face flushed red. Peter feels a tidal wave of guilt build in his chest as he helplessly watches tears pool behind her blue eyes. He had seen her cry before, had held her and rocked her and told her it would all be ok. But he had never been the cause of her tears. He reaches out to her but she backs away.
“Sky, baby, I-“
She throws her hand up stopping the apology on the tip of his tongue. “Go. I don’t want hear it right now. I will not make the same mistakes as my mother Peter. I will not stand here and let you belittle me and my pain just because you don’t agree with me. Come back once you’ve cooled down and are ready to start acting like the adult you are constantly pretending to be.” She shuts the door in Peter’s face, and he winces as he hears her turn the deadbolt, locking him out.
Part of Peter wants to hammer his fists against the door, to shout at her until the door breaks. He wants her to feel his rage and to see his hurt. But instead, Peter does what she asked and walks away.