Snowflakes and Second chances

FISTS AND HUGS

“I'll explain later, I promise.” Mandy whispers once we're alone staring back at the eyes on us.

I nod softly as our nail techs who had been completely distracted by the little play out regain focus and continue their tasks.

Living in a small town had its pros and cons, but a con I hated most was how everyone was so into everyone else's business, it was expected when you all basically knew each other, I guess…

The mood we leave the mall with is notably different from how we had walked in, and I'm dying as I try not to start throwing questions at her the minute we're in her car.

“I'm no stranger to the Wilson's.” She finally says something once we're seated, and I turn to her with curious eyes.

“You've been unfortunate enough to have something to do with them to?” You try to joke, but the look in her eyes tells me she doesn't find anything about them humorous, and so I keep quiet and wait for her to continue talking.

“You know how I came to Berkeley and settled down? It wasn't planned, hell nothing about falling in love with your brother and starting a family with him was planned and yet here we are, right?” She rubs her belly softly for a while, looking deep in thought before smiling.

“But this unplanned decision in my life has brought me so many blessings than I can account for, and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. My family and the Wilson's used to be business partners.” I frowned confused and surprise but held my tongue seeing as she still had more to say.

“I say used to be because my dad got to know about how shady they actually were, they're into dark stuff Amelia, the chain of hotels they own is just a cover-up and when dad didn't want to work with them anymore, they had people come after me Amelia.” She whispers and in the next minute her shoulders begin shaking softly as she starts to cry and I panic.

I release my seat belt and scoot closer, leaning in as I wrap my an arm around her shoulder pulling her into a side hug to which she doesn't resist leaning on my shoulder as she sniffed.

“I spent months being terrified of walking alone and always having to look over my shoulder wherever I went, dad had bodyguards assigned to me, but we couldn't file any official report against the Wilson's because no one would believe us, obviously.” She scoffs at this, wiping her face as she clears her throat before continuing her story.

“They relented a bit when I got into college and after meeting your brother, I realized the life of taking off the family's company wasn't for me, it hurt my parents a bit, yes, but they supported my decision still and Julian's charm has completely won their hearts over.” Her cries had quieted down aside from the waver in her voice, and so I release her from the embrace, watching as she flips open her overhead mirror and fixes her face before turning to face me again with a small smile.

“I heard whispers of things Jacob and his family had been accused of doing in high school, there were never really any concrete proof and neither did they try to shake off the allegations. It pains me so to see his family bringing so much pain to not just me but everyone I care about in one way or another, I'm honestly surprised Julian hasn't killed him at this rate.” I state and at, with the way her she averts my gaze, my suspicion is confirmed that she hadn't told my brother any of what she was telling me now.

“You can't say anything to him please, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they did anything to him, they've done enough please” she grabs my hands, her eyes a pool of desperate pleas.

Although I'm aware that my brother deserved to know about this, I respected it being her story to tell.

Julian getting to know of something like this in addition to his already standing, long brewed hatred for Jacob wouldn't end well.

I nod softly, and she hugs me before turning on her car engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

I kept all my other questions to myself as I could feel it in my gut that there was more to the story she had given me, something else must've happened to make her look so broken, but if she wasn't ready to share, I had no right to force her.

The ride back home is silent aside from the low music coming through the speakers, neither of us having anything to say to shift the sour mood.

She pulls over at the grocery store just as I requested, and we say our goodbyes before she drives off, and I head in to go pick up a few things we were needing around the house.

Today's encounter was going to strengthen our relationship remarkably, in some sort of trauma bonding f****d up way, Mandy and I would find us getting closer as a result of falling victim to abuse of some sort or another from the Wilson.

Once I'm done grocery shopping, I take the short route home, earphones plugged in as I hum to a song, smiling and nodding in return of the greetings from a few people I pass by on my way.

There's someone seating on the doorsteps, and as I get closer, I don't know if I'm to be amazed or worried by the level of Jacob's stupidity anymore because here he sat on the f*****g doorsteps of my father's house in his all audacious glory.

He looks up as I come to stand in front of him and I take in his clammy face and bloodshot eyes along with the pungent smell of alcohol and something else as he gives me a skin crawling smile.

“I've been waiting for you, went shopping?” He all but slurs, arching a brow at my bags from the mall earlier and the groceries in my hand.

I glance around the neighborhood, taking note of how quiet it was and of how there was barely anyone walking around.

“I can't deal with this s**t any more Jacob, what do you want?” There's a limit to how much more s**t I could take and Jacob was really beginning to push me over the edge because why on earth would he sit so casually in front of my house like he f*****g owned the place and be asking me questions?

“What do I want Amelia? I want you to tell me the truth and drop the pretence! I know you've been out and about f*****g random guys! Rita's situation was just an opportunity for you to put it all on me and finally be free to go full-time no?” His outburst isn't surprising, he's one to be pathetic and absurd like that.

“You're drunk, and I don't understand why you're here and not at your house or better still at Beverly Hills with your lover, but I'd appreciate it if you got the f**k off my front porch or else.” I reply, and he laughs taking a threatening step forward.

I take a cautious one back because in as much as I tried to keep the fear out of my voice and body language, I was beginning to panic.

“You'll what, huh?! Speak up you slut!” He grabs my arm and begins to shake me violently, and I scream in pain as his nails dig into my flesh the bags falling to the ground.

“You're hurting me! Let go Jacob!” I scream feeling helpless as flashbacks of this same sort of scenario in different settings hit me and I find myself unable to do anything to defend myself as I cry trying to pull away from his grasp… I felt ashamed of myself.

“Not so tough are you now b***h? Talking back like you're now some sort of macho woman, I ought to teach you a lesson-” his statement is cut off as a fist comes flying into his face making him stumble back and let go.

In the next minute, I'm carefully moved to the side, and before I can react, Sebastian's surprisingly presence has pounced on Jacob's stunned self ramming blows after blows into his face.