Jodee

Chapter 6 - Truth and Advise

ACE POV 

The second I left my sister's room, anger was brought back within me as I headed downstairs. Red hot rage ran through my veins. Everywhere was consumed by this feeling. 

I was about to calm down enough to shut her door quietly, careful to not alert my little sister that I was angry because I wasn't angry with her and I didn't want to freak her out or make her worry. Jodee has always been too considerate so she often worries if you're feelings are a reflection on her, which in this case it wasn't. My angry was solely my problem.  

But the second that door closed, it was very hard for me to keep my cool.

I had hurt my little sister.

The second Jodee had gotten out of the car and I noticed how scared she was of me. How she ran before the car stoped. How she never looking up again or even moved since I had let her go. It was like someone had stabbed in the gut, hard and deep enough to kill me. 

I was so angry at myself for grabbing her, for losing my control, but I couldn't talk to her right then because I was too mad and I didn't want to run the risk of losing it again with my sister. Never again. 

But what really sent me over the edge was when I came into her room to apologize and I saw the bruising on her wrist. Right now the bruise was yellow and green but I knew a lot about bruises and injuries from my past and that was going to turn purple and blue — if not black, I knew it. Bruises were super predictable. 

Jodee was everything to me. I would die for that girl and not have a second's hesitation or regret. The only thing I would worry about was who was going to take care of her if I was gone because It had always been Jodee and I against the world, no one in our corner. Except Caleb, I knew that if something were to happen my best friend would look after my sister in a heartbeat.

Caleb and I had been best friends since the fucking kindergarten. A long time ago. Ever since he was the only kid who would come sit with me for lunch and include me in things.

Not that I cared that much. I've never really cared for that stuff my entire life. Being liked or having a social life was never really on my top agenda. But once I had Caleb, I knew that some part of me really did care about having friends and a social life.

Back then, I was still quiet and reserved, an intimidating look on me. Especially for young kids around the kinder garden age. But I still did talk, not like now, not ever since that day. Now, I only talk when I absolutely have to or I'm around the people I'm most comfortable with – Caleb and my little sister.

I also talked to Leo a little bit, who is my private secretary-of-sorts but I don't fully trust him yet.

You know if I fully trust you if I talk around you and the biggest factor of all: I let you around my sister. Alone. Leo had met Jodee before because he mainly works up on the 3rd floor and it is her house so they've crossed paths but I've made sure that only would happen if Caleb or I had been present in the room with them. 

Letting people alone with Jodee was super hard for me. Of course, I couldn't stop that from happening with school and teachers, students, and stuff but I also had a very stern talk – more like Caleb saying what I had previously told him to – about what would happen if Jodee got hurt in any way and what I expect out of all of the faculty and people at the school. I trusted them enough that nothing I worry endlessly about could effect or hurt Jodee as school. School was a neutral territory. 

It even took me a while to let Caleb see my little sister. My best friend and I met around the age of six but Caleb only met Jodee when we were sixteen. A whole ten years after. Of course, Jodee was only born when I was eleven so when she met Caleb it had been five years since she had come into this world.