The runaway bride

Chapter 39: Sisters.

Melanie found Victoria in the bar downstairs. She was at her second glass and she looked broken. Tears were running down her, regardless of how many times she wiped them off. Melanie sat next to her sister and ordered a glass of Bourbon for herself too.

"I don't want to explain myself." Victoria said dryly after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Melanie asked. "I would have helped you."

"Oh please." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Tell you what? That I'm being bullied, that I was drugged or all the other things?"

"Everything. At least you should have told our parents. I'm sure they would have helped you."

"Are you being stupid, or you're doing this on purpose?" Victoria glared. "I told them. They brushed it off as if it was just a normal banter. They didn't care. I was left alone to deal with everything, then I became the bad guy because I chose to retaliate to keep myself sane."

"I'm sorry. I should have noticed. I should have done something." Melanie's tears ran down her cheek. She felt miserable.

"Well you didn't." Victoria sighed. "Even if you did know, there was nothing you could do. They would have turned against you. I couldn't allow that. So I took in charge of my life." It felt easier talking to her sister now that everything was in the open. Victoria felt a strange sense of relief telling her the truth. She didn't want Melanie to point her fingers at her, she wanted her to understand why she was the way she was.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there with you. I..." Melanie took a deep breath and wiped her tears. "I should have known. I should have seen the signs."

"Don't beat yourself over it. It was a long time ago." Victoria took a sip from her glass.

"You're doing this again." Melanie slammed her hand on the bar counter. She didn't care what the others might think, she didn't care that the bartender threw her a dirty look. All that matter was setting things straight with her sister.

"I do what?" Victoria asked raising her eyebrow.

"You brush off your feelings aside like its nothing. Like it doesn't even matter."

Victoria laughed bitterly. "Everyone experiences pain differently. Some might throw a tantrum, some might yell, some choose to stay silent and battle the demons inside themselves, by themselves. When the pain is too much, you stay silent. You know deep down, making a scene is not going to help you, so you shut down your feelings. You push them at the bottom of your mind, close them with a key, and hope that you don't get to the point where you have to face it. Nobody cares either way."

"That's not true." Melanie took her sister's hand and look at her. She could feel Victoria's pain. "There are people who love you and care for you, but can't do anything if they don't know. If you'd told me about what happened to you, I would have been there for you. I would have never pushed you aside, or brush it off. I would have fought by your side."

Victoria believed her. Her words, her eyes, her entire demeanor showed her that Melanie was telling the truth. "I was scared, ok? Seeing our parents brushing off what was happening to me, I was afraid you'll do the same. That you'll push me away because you were the golden child. You had good grades, good friends. You had everything I wanted. I was happy though. I was happy that you didn't have to see that part of my world."

"I couldn't care less about the grades or other people. I cared about my sister more than what others might think, or what others might do to me." Melanie's words hit her like a brick. She was so wrong shutting down, pushing her away. "Family should be the most important thing in the world. Our parents might not have understood you, but I promise you, I would have tried. I would have done something to help you." Melanie continued. "Sometimes you don't need other people, or things. Sometimes you just need your sister."