In another life

23

Mia and Reece found themselves at the bar a few streets down from the nursery after close. They only had to be in there 20 minutes for Mia to be 6 shots down.

At first Mia was utterly confused at what game Reece was trying to play with acting all friendly all of a sudden. But honestly, he said he was buying so she would make the most of it.

"So, Marjorie" Mia brakes the silence,
"What about her?" Reece questioned, he didn't want to start another argument which always rises after the words 'Mia' and 'Marjorie' are mentioned at the same time.
"Are you together yet or what?"
"It's not like that"
"Please every time that phone rings I have to leave the room to throw up" Mia scoffs and downs the last shot left on the bar,
"It's complicated" he replied and mia hummed in response before ordering a vodka coke.

"So are you gonna tell me what's up?" He questioned,
"It's complicated" Mia replied.
"Mia" the red head looked at the man beside her. He hadn't changed much since they were children. She thought back to when they were closer than anything, genuinely happy, oh what happened to that?

"I've fucked up really bad" Mia downed the rest of her drink before facing him again, "I'm really sorry Reecey. I didn't want it to be like this" Reece could see the pain in her eyes and increasingly became more worried for her.

"You can't change the past Mia, but maybe now we can finally move on? Aut and I are figuring things out. Why can't we?"
"I don't deserve your forgiveness"
"Everyone deserves a second chance" the man replies and finished off his own drink,
"No, you don't know the full story" this peaked Reece's interest, Mia had never spoken like this before. Usually when she was drinking she would be grinding up on some girl in the bar and singing from the roof tops. Reece had rarely seen her like this before. If ever.

"What do you mean? The full story?"
"There's a lot more to it than you know Reecey, things that I can't tell you"
"You can tell me Mia, what is this about?" Mia thought for a minute, or at least tried. The drink was hitting her head and it made her question all her life choices. How she gave up everything she loved for someone who could give a crap about her. How she ruined the lives of not just her, but the ones she held closest to her heart. She was ashamed. And she wasn't sure if she could admit that out loud. Even if they did deserve it.

The did deserve it. And explanation. It's the least she could give them. "I think you need to call Autumn"

...

All Mia ever wanted was to go back to being a teenager and do it all again, to go back to a time where Reece and Autumn were her closest family. But after all that has happened now, that wasn't possible. Was it?

Reece and Mia sat in Autumn's living room in silence, the woman walked in with Winter after making up some drinks for them.

"What is this all about brother?"
"I need to explain something to you" Mia speaks up, "you deserve the full story" Autumn looks at her older brother who sends her the same silent message of uncertainty. "You need to know how sorry I am"

"Dear god how drunk are you?" Autumn questions. Truthfully, Mia was only tipsy. But the cover of being a drunken mess may help ease herself into spilling all her darkest secrets to the siblings.

Mia started from the first time Roger started treating her differently. How he saw her at her weakest time and railed her into his schemes. She explained how he manipulated and used her for information, promising her the truth about her own father. All she ever wanted since she was a child, what to know about her father. Why he left her. She was vulnerable and he used that against her.

Mia told them about Roger's plan for prom night, his schemes to tear apart his children. How every time she tried to escape he held her back with his abuse and threats.

"I couldn't care less about what he did to me, but every time I tried to leave it's not me who he would threaten. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I put you through so much. But I need you to know that I was trying to protect you. Every single day it was all about protecting you. Letting you hate me was just easier than than admitting how bad I messed up"

Autumn's stomach went cold. She felt vile after hearing what her father had done to Mia. What he was still doing to Mia. She instinctively placed her hand on Winter's for comfort. Winter knew various details about the siblings upraising, however it was very rare for Autumn to open up, even to him. And Reece, Reece sat next to Mia fighting his own tears at the story he had just been told. His mind going back all those years to where he should have seen something different in Mia. Even before prom night when his father first started to manipulate the teenager.

At this point Mia was in tears, she never expected this to come out. Especially not like this.
"I never wanted things to turn out like this. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, either of you, but I'm tired of being his puppet. I've lost everything I love. I'm done" the siblings sat in silence unsure of what to say, "I can't escape my past, but I'm going to try. I just couldn't go without you knowing the truth"
"Go?" Reece finally speaks up,
"Yes. I'm leaving. By the end of next week you'll never have to see me again"