(BOOK ONE)
"...𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰.."
"𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥."
willow bradshaw was a pogue, born and raised. she was the type of girl to either be high, drunk off her ass, or simply both. she hung around t...
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Once the four of them reached her house, Willow stopped in front of them once she made her way up the porch. She felt pressure rise in her chest, feeling immensely overwhelmed in being back. The feeling of a hand over her shoulder is what took that pressure away, her head turning slowly to look up to her right. JJ gave her a gentle smile, brushing his thumb over her shoulder. He didn't have to say a word to make her feel better; his presence was enough for her to know that she'd be okay.
Once she walked into the house with them close behind, she noticed that it was quiet; her mother wasn't home. She walked towards her mother's room, tossing her bag onto Amelia's bed. Opening the closet, she glanced over the piles of shoeboxes Amelia had collected over the years to store pictures and memories; at least that was before she was consumed by alcohol and drugs. She was quick to grab a box, handing it off to JJ for him to look into it.
That's what the four of them did for what felt like forever but was really only an hour. It wasn't until Willow reached deeper into the closet to see there was a part of the wall that seemed off. She used her nails to dig into the creases before pulling the wall out of its place, her eyes landing on more shoeboxes and photo frames. She pulled out the first shoebox, opening it up in her lap to see a picture of her as a baby with Big John and John B.
Her eyes brimmed with tears almost instantly, being quick to look at the next picture to see Big John pushing her on a tire swing that had been right outside of the Bradshaw's home when she was four. The tire swing that she had fell off when she was eight and she had broken her left arm. Under that picture was a note that was written by Big John.
"My beautiful Tree... when you're older, I hope you're reading this. All I've ever wanted for you is for you to be happy. Maybe your mother was right, I'm no good for you to be around. I have no idea how to be a good dad, not even to John B but one day... you'll understand why she kept the truth from you."
Under that was another note from him that read;
"...John B came home today talking about how he made two new friends. When he said your name, my heart almost dropped out of my chest. I want to tell you so badly, but Amelia would never forgive me. I love her to death and I'm sorry, but disobeying her one favor that she asks from me would kill me..."
The notes just kept piling up, until she landed on the one that she had been needing for so long. It read;
"...Your mother isn't a horrible woman for keeping you from me. She's frightened that I'll drag you down on my search for the Royal Merchant. I've nearly gotten myself killed countless of times and she told me one day, it will finally happen. She said she'd rather you have an absent father than one who purposely gets themselves killed. She said it'd be less traumatizing for you and maybe she's right... ...That damn Maybank fucked her up completely. She isn't a bad woman; I swear it to you. She had trust issues after what he did to her. Probably why she's too far gone. You came about in the worst way, but what I had with your mother was true love. Her demons just refused her to open herself up to me after what Luke did... ...I'm sure she's hidden this note just like the rest, but if for some reason you come across it... just know I love you, Tree. I'm sorry you couldn't have sane parents who didn't struggle to show you love the way you deserved. But from what I can tell from the stories John B tells me, JJ fancies you like I did your mother. Don't repeat what your mother did to me... let him in. You deserve at least that..."
