Winter Love (Book Two)

9 | Unforgotten Promise

JESSE'S POV

As soon as the anger at Jakob's return simmered away, the haunting realisation of his words soon set in, and I realised why my hatred for the man runs as deep as the Amazon. His undying ability to get under my skin, or take permanent residence in my head. The ability to make me cower, or make me leave the room as tears threatened to spill from my eyes from his dagger-like words...and this morning, the latter seems to be the chosen emotion for the day.

I close my eyes tightly, trying to erase last night's words from my mind, but against my mind's approval: his proud eyes and ever-present smirk flash in my head, as his words play loudly once again: "...so I guess it's a wee bit of a commitment issue. Still a fuck up? Or are you still not over the fact that your dad walked right of your life...", as if a speaker had been installed in my head, to torment me as far as it could.

So when I open my eyes, trying to escape the treacherous confines of my mind, I am immediately reminded of the main reason why I deeply detest Zoe's father. Through it all, the calculating smile and mocking eyes, his inability to read between the lines and realise there's things you just can't say, another prominent reason rose above all else: his ability to hit the nail in the coffin; and as I look around, seeing Sami and I's pictures pasted on random places around the wall, that word he'd used comes back to haunt me: Commitment.

Had you asked me four months ago, I wouldn't have had a problem with introducing my boyfriend to my family. We were both committed. We were really invested. We were in love...but now, I don't even know where I stand in his life. How am I supposed to ask him if he even wants to my mother when I don't even know whether we're still in a relationship or not. Lord, why is Sami doing this to me? To us? Why is he proving this man right by not fighting for me...But then a deep pain swells in my chest at the last thought. I know very well what happened to the last person who tried to fight up for me...

He didn't walk out of my life like Jakob had suggested. He didn't up and leave without sparing me a second glance. He was going to fight for me...

He had shown up to his former employer's doorstep - Jakob, who ran a few mechanic's shops at the time. It had clearly taken a lot of courage for him to drop everything and confront his ex-wife, my mother, who had abandoned a years worth of a relationship for my father's boss. Yet despite the unfavourable odds, he had to do what was right for 'his boy'.

Upon showing up at the doorstep of this very house, on his beat motorcycle, hope swelled in my young body that I'd finally found an out from this hellhole, a truth that never came to be because as soon as the door swung open, and he tried talking to my mother - emotions were already at an all time high. What was supposed to be a peaceful resolution resulted in my poor father being punched by Jakob right in front of me, as I stood in the hallway, my Batman backpack already full with items I deemed necessities at that point.

As if that wasn't enough, he was then defiled and shunned. Criticised that he couldn't even make ends meet to pay even the lowest rates of child support - but he was trying. He was looked down upon, fired for good measure, and then chased out of this house, but before he could leave, he walked right to me...squatting so he could be eye level with me: "My boy, this isn't where this ends" he says, somehow with a smile regardless of the growing bruise that decorated the side of his face, "I'll have to take this matter with the court again, but I'm gonna get you out of this place, one way or another" he promised, valiantly, before taking his black leather jacket off , and draping it over my slim frame, before walking out, marking the last time I ever saw or spoke to my dad. For the next time I heard from him, or rather about him - was two days after he made that unforgotten promise.