"That thing will kill you finally."
"Certainly not before you do." Jaxon scoffed before taking a long drag from the cigarette in his hand.
He didn't take his eyes off the small creek dancing under the lamppost's light on its way down the free land ahead. He was leaning on the railing of the small bridge with his arms placed on the railing.
Sarah glanced at half of his cold face that was visible before standing beside him, watching the stream of water as well.
"Why him?" asked Jaxon after a minute of silence, finally turning to look at his cousin. "Of all the men in the state, why choose the very one that had done us so damage?"
He sighed frustrated when he was met by silence before dropping the cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. Raking his hand through his hair, he let his irritation show fully.
"Didn't you suffer because of him enough? Didn't our family suffer a lot because of him? Tell me, Sarah, won't you remember your dad's sad, exhausted, and miserable face when you kiss that bastard?"
"Please, Jax." said Sarah, her hands clenching around the railing and her eyes clenched shut.
How could she forget those days? How could she forget her father's exhausted and irritated face when he was working to make ends meet? How could she forget her mother's secret cryings whenever she thought no one was around to see? How could she forget the most heartbreaking and hard days of her life?
She hanged her head for a second before turning to face her angry cousin who was glaring down at her.
"You would have done the same if you were in my shoes." she said fisting her hands into tight balls.
"No I wouldn't!" yelled Jaxon. "Because I fucking remember what we went through until we pulled ourselves out of shit and started again."
"That night I saw him, the David Miller who had brought my family into ruins." yelled Sarah, tears welling up in her eyes. "I was shocked, I didn't know what to do, because I wasn't seeing the very same man, I was looking at a defeated man who looked tired to his bones with his baby. I saw a man who had lost everything and was in desperate need of help."
She paused, looking away from Jaxon whose face had softened at the sight of her tears.
Wiping her tears she continued. "I couldn't stand aside when I was hearing his daughter screaming at the top of her lungs. At first, I didn't want to engage myself with him at all. I only wanted to help him on that night because that innocent baby had nothing to do with our enmity."
She smiled faintly, remembering those days like it was yesterday. "But it seemed I couldn't stop myself from helping him when he asked me to. For a man like him to ask someone to help him was a great step ahead."
She then looked at Jaxon, her face desperate, wanting him to understand her. "He has changed, Jaxon. Losing everything had made him more humble." she then dropped her eyes to the ground and her cheeks turned pink. "Plus once you know him you will realize he is not bad. He cares about those he loves a lot and protects them. He is a good man."
Jaxon sighed and closed his eyes in exasperation. His cousin was so in love and it was in vain for him to try and argue with her.
"I really don't know how your father is acting so calm and appears to accept that bastard." he grunted, his fists clenching tightly.
"Dad is a firm believer in giving second chances to those who deserve it." she replied softly. "Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"
Jaxon's eyes snapped open as he felt a delicate on his arm. His eyes met her pleading eyes and his face softened.
YOU ARE READING
Fall and Rise
Aléatoire"Show me," he whispered and pulled her closer to his body and buried his face in her neck, inhaling in her soothing scent that he had come to love. "Show me how to be a human. Show me the true way of living." She lightly kissed his jawline and rubbe...
