Falling Apart (GANG Series)

Chapter 28

Jacob's POV

Well, someone's not very happy to see me. He stares at the bruise he left last time we were face to face. No smirk. No smugness. Just a simple glare. I roll my eyes as he asks Aria why she brought me.

"He stays or I leave." She states.

"Fine, but tell him to go somewhere else." It sounds like he's purposely trying to make his voice deep and daunting.

Just because you got a hand on me doesn't mean I'm fucking scared of you. It's better that he thinks I am. That way, when he realizes I can fuck him up, he'll be terrified.

"You can wait in there." Aria points to a white door with peeling paint and tiny little butterfly stickers on it. The butterflies also lost their color. God, what a shit shack.

I feel stupid as I walk in wondering who the fuck would stay in here. It becomes obvious when I spot a framed photo of child Aria wrapped in the arms of the abusive psycho.

"It was my room. I haven't lived here since I was ten. I slept over for the next couple years but it was rare."

There's a twin bed in the corner with Boeing brown furniture. Gloomy. Depressing. A room ready to premiere all your worst nightmares.

"Just wait here please."

I sit on the twin and I'm surprised I don't hear any springs. Decent enough to be comfortable.

"I will. You got this." I take ahold of her hand. What I want to say is if I hear any slight discomfort in your voice I will speed out there and knock his teeth out. She walks out and I'm happy she left the door open. I need to be able to listen to everything going on out there.

I look around the haunted room. I can imagine a little Aria curled up on this light purple sheathed bed, trying to count all the tiny details of the ceiling as she prays to get the fuck out here. No, she would be praying that one day her father will love her the right way. That one day he'll stop being so evil towards her. I pick up a tiny frame decorated with tiny, golden ballerina shoes and skirts all around. I smile at a petite Aria holding up a giant bouquet of flowers compared to her size, in dance attire, with a winner smile. I can't stay still so I just walk around the small prison trying to discover all the ways Aria tried to make it feel like a home.

Aria's POV

Benicio dismisses his wife of twelve years. I can't believe that wretched woman use to be my stepmother. Well, she never even considered herself that. She hated me. Despised me. She met me when I was a daddy's girl only because my other parent was absent a lot at the time. I was completely oblivious to her dislike of me, I just wanted a mom who would always be around. She'd cringe when I called her mom but I didn't know what that meant. And she met me when I was five. Even though she was so nasty towards me, I pity her. I pity that she believes this monster in front of me loves her. Or cares about her. That's she stuck with him through her own stupidity. She'll never escape like I did.

"What more do you need to say?" I let him talk his shit before I hand him his fatality.

"Have some respect." He tries to correct me.

"You never respected me so I think I'm good."

The intensity of his glare only grows.

"What do you want?" My patience runs thin. I start realize how much anger I have inside of me because of him.

"No me hables así. Yo quiero arreglar las cosas pero aquí andas como pinche mamona."