If I Stay

Chapter 27

"He has no right!" I yell, pacing back and forth.  "Who does he think he is? My dad?!" I scoff, sitting down next to Jc, sighing. He places his hand on my thigh, rubbing it.

"Babe. Look at me." I shake my head, rubbing my temples. "Babe." He lifts my head up.

"Maybe we should take a break. I mean, look what happened to the both of us the last time he got mad!"

He had a point.

But I didn't want to end it here just because of Ricky.

My eyes started to water. "Jc." I whimpered. I didnt want to 'take a break'. I didnt want to stop seeing Jc.

"Courtney. I promise you, I will see you as much as I can. Alright?" I nod, letting a single tear run down my cheek.

"Is everything okay?" Acacia asks, walking out of the hall way, followed by Connor, who was zipping up his pants.

I feel my eyes go wide. Did they- no. Connor is smarter than that. "Yeah, everythings okay." Jc says, smiling.

"I better go." I say.

"Oh, let me come with you!"

"No, Acacia, its fine. Really."

"Its late out. Let me just walk you home." She says reassuringly. I roll my eyes, but let her tag along anyway.

"So I heard what happened after my gig. It sounds awful!"

I nod slowly.

"Yeah. It kind of ruined things, but atleast Jcs fine."

She nods her hand as if she understands.

"Oh!" She stuffs her hand into her back pocket.

"Speaking of Jc, I found this really cute picture of you two in the living room the other day."

She hands me a picture of Jc kissing a girl who clearly was not me.

"This isnt me." I stop walking, looking at the picture hard.

Was Jc, cheating on me?

I feel my eyes water again.

How could Jc cheat on me?

"What?" She asks, looking behind her. "Thats not you?"

I shake my head. I have no idea who this girl is.

"But I could have sworn-" She looks over my shoulder at the picture. "Oh. Thats not you, thats another girl."

I look up at her. "What are you trying to do? Break us up?" I practically shout, throwing the picture.

She smirks, backing up slowly. "If I cant have Jc, noone can."

I shake my head in disgust.

This bitch!

"Acacia, I dont know what I did to make you hate me, but leave me alone, alright?" I spit, starting towards my house.

"Oh I dont hate you, Courtney! I hate the idea of you. The idea of you and Jc!"

I stomp up the porch stairs & yank the door open, not wanting her to see the tears that were running down my cheeks.

The next morning I refused to get up, to even breathe.

Mom walks in, a tray of breakfeast out infront of her. I smile, sitting up straight.

"Thanks mom."

She smiles a sad smile before sitting down on my bed.

I stuff a forkfull of eggs into my mouth. "Im sorry."

Well shit.

Way to catch me off guard.

I stop chewing, trying to focus on what shes trying to get at.

"Im sorry, honey. For taking Rickys side that night."

Oh.

I shake my head, chewing again. I swallow the lump of eggs.

"Mom," I take a sip of the orange juice. "Its fine, really. He's your son. I get it."

I dig into the sausage patty with my knife & begin cutting it in fourths.

"Hes a monster, Courtney. He abuses you! He almost hurt Nalla!"

I place the utencils on the plate.

"Howd you find out? I mean, what lead you to believe that?"

She swallows hard.

"I figured it out. With you having these mysterious bruises & cuts, Ricky being terribly moody, you both never hanging out."

I gasp softly.

"So, you knew all these years, & you never bothered to even ask me anything?!"

I feel my legs carry me off of my bed & out infront of my mother.

"Courtney, I-"

"No mom! You knew! You couldve protected me. We couldve been a normal family again!"

I didnt want to talk to her anymore. I didnt even want to be at home anymore. I felt sick to my stomach, the food I just ate threatening to crawl up my throat & spill on my mothers lap.

She knew, & never bothered to question me, protect me.

No.

Instead, she watched the bruises get bigger, the cuts having to get stitched up.