Piecing it Together

Chapter 13

Paige POV

Alexis's and I both are two weeks into our winter break for school. I was staying at their house, since we can't stay in our dorms. My mom told me not to come home to her house. She doesn't want me to come to the family Christmas either.

According to her, it's time to face reality. This means I'm no longer welcomed in her eyes. I have felt this way for a while, but to have her say it to me crushed me, especially with the time.

All I think about is last year around this time I was with her when I could have been with my dad. Now, I don't have either.

Alexis and Jake can't move into their apartment or maybe I should say our apartment until the first of the year, so I'm here. Mrs. C keeps telling me she loves having me here, but I feel like a burden on them.

Jordyn has been in school for the last week and half since I have been here. We still haven't made it official. Every time I think I'm going to ask her back out I either back out or someone interrupts me, making me think the time isn't right yet.

I go upstairs. I hear music playing from Jordyn's room. I sneak up to the door and look through the crack.

Jordyn is dancing around living her best life. This reminds me of the time I saw her when Alexis and I walked in on her last year.

"How can I get you to move like that for me?" I tease her when I walk in.

Jordyn jumps at the sound of my voice. She picks up a pillow off her bed and throws it at me.

"Have you heard of privacy?"

I walk into her room more. "I have, but I thought you were inviting me in with your door being open some."

Jordyn went over and turned the music down.

"What are you doing tonight?" She asks as she sits on her bed.

"I'm going to have dinner with my aunt and cousins." I told her about this yesterday.

As I told her it again, I see that she now remembers.

"Do you want to come with me?" I offer her.

She looks down at her phone and then catches eyes with me. "I don't want to interrupt your family time."

Really? I'm always getting in the way of her family time.

"It will be fine. You don't have to go, but If you want to, be ready in thirty minutes."

I get up and walk out. I know if I stay here, she would want me to tell her what to do. I want Jordyn to make the decision for herself.

When I got ready to leave, I went Into Jordyn's room to see if she was coming with me. I open the door and notice she isn't in there.

I turn around. Now I'm the one jumping back.

"Jesus Jordyn." I am trying to catch my breath.

She gives me a smirk. "It's not fun being snuck up on, is It?"

I look Jordyn up and down. I notice she has changed her clothes.

"Does this mean you are coming?"

She nods.

"You look amazing." I compliment her as we walk down the stairs and head out to my Jeep.


Jordyn POV

Paige's aunt and cousins are really the only family of hers that I have met, besides Paige's mom.

How can a mother raise you for eighteen years then walk out on you so easily? How does she have the nerve to tell Paige she is not welcomed in her family's life? What a heartless bitch.

On the way to meet with her family, I was getting a little nervous. What If coming with makes them think we are back together when we aren't?

I don't personally care if people think we are together, but I don't know about Paige. I have been waiting for her to ask me back out, hoping she would want us to be together, but she hasn't. I would ask her out, but since she is the one that broke up with me, I feel like it should be her who asks me out.

Overthinking something so little as this causes me to panic. I could feel my breathing getting heavier and my thoughts were going everywhere.

"Are you okay?" Paige notices my random attack that I began to have.

I nod, even though I don't think I am.

I keep my eyes forward, focusing on the road to distract myself.

Paige reaches over taking my hand in hers. I try to get it to stop shaking.

"You need to get that checked out." Paige voices with concern.

I pretended like I don't know what she is referring to. "Get what checked out?"

Paige turns her head to me for a split second giving me the knowing look.

"Your panic attacks. How often do you get them?"

I didn't realize Paige knew I had panic attacks. I know she has been there a couple of times when I had moments like this, but I figured she forgot about it. I didn't know what to call the mini sessions I go through.

"I rarely used to get them, but they are happening more now."

Paige turns into a driveway to her Aunt's house.

"If it gets uncontrollable, you should see a doctor. Anxiety is not a joke."

I look over at Paige as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

"I can usually calm myself down. It happens when I start to overthink."

We get out of the vehicle then head to the door.

"Promise me If It feels out of control, you will see someone."

I look at her with a serious face. "I promise."

Paige turns to the door and rings the doorbell. Jesse answered and invited us in.


I had a lot of fun at Paige's aunts. We had an amazing meal and enjoyable conversation. It is nice to see how much her aunt cares about Paige. Paige really needs someone that is a true family member to be there for her. I could tell by the look on Paige's face throughout the night how happy she was seeing her and spending time with her cousins. Family is the foundation of happiness.

When we got home, all the lights were out. We walk in quietly. Paige has been staying in the basement since Jake Is staying with Alexis.

I offered my room, but my mom didn't like that idea too much. Before I went upstairs, I gave Paige a hug.

"You looked really happy tonight." I comment.

She smiles at me with her perfect pearling whites. "I was happy. I am glad you were with me."

I give her a quick kiss. "Goodnight."

"Night." She replies.

I went upstairs to get ready to go to sleep.

As I lay down, my phone went off.

Paige: Your basement is so creepy at night.

Jordyn: Is someone scared?

Paige: A little. Whose idea was it to have the clown painting? It's freaky as shit.

Jordyn: Lol 😂
Paige: It's not nice to laugh.

Jordyn: Close your eyes and picture something better

Paige: Something like you.... Naked 😜

Jordyn: You are crazy

Paige: For you.



Paige POV

It Is Christmas Eve. The Chancellor's tradition is to open presents tonight. I told them I would stay in the basement, but they insisted I stayed up here.

As presents were being exchanged, I noticed there were four similar cards under the tree with Jake, Alexis, Jordyn, and my name on It. Mr. C told us to open those at the end,

I hand Alexis and Jake their gift. I didn't know what to get them, because Alexis was being stubborn. She kept telling me not to get them anything.

She opens the gift. Alexis starts looking through it.

"I love It." She has tears forming in her eyes.

I spent the last two weeks in the dungeon making a scrapbook for her. The book consisted of all the pictures I could get my hands on. There was a description of a certain time, good or bad, and our many random quotes.

I got Jake some cologne that Alexis told me he liked. Jordyn got him a PlayStation 3 game that he wanted.

As for what I got Jordyn this year.

I handed her a gift. She looks at me with excitement as she starts to open it.

In the box there were three separate gifts wrapped in their own box. She opens the first one. A smile forms on her lips as she holds it up to her.

"Oh, this is sick!"

I got Jordyn a Kam Chancellor Seahawks Jersey. She always talks about him when she is watching and how it is cool they have the same last name.

Jordyn goes to the next gift. I got her a pair of earrings she had been wanting. They are purple diamonds. She mentioned she hates paying a lot of money for earrings, so I figured why not.

Jordyn looks at the next gift before opening it. "I told you not to spend a lot of money on me."

I just shrug my shoulders. "It's not like I have other people to buy for. Plus you haven't seen what Is in there yet."

Jordyn opens the box. She looks inside and quickly closes it.

"Oh my god." She looks up at me with a huge grin along with red cheeks.

"What did she get you honey?" Mrs. C tries looking, but Jordyn hides what's inside.

"Trust me mom, you don't want to know." Jordyn tells her which causes both of us to get an eyebrow raised at us.

While her parents were opening some gifts, Jordyn leaned in by my ear. "You could have given me those later."

I turn my head a little to see her cheeks are still bright red.

"And miss out on your reaction?"

She crinkles her nose at me as she shakes her head.



Jordyn POV

I hand Paige a small box and a card. I told her to open the box first. She opens it up. I see a sparkle in her eyes. She pulls out the necklace to look at It.

"I know it's corny." I tell her as she hands it to me to put it on her.

The necklace is a heart with "JC" In the middle. I know I got her a necklace last year as well.

In my defense, Paige told me necklaces are her favorite jewelry item. I personally don't like them because they always get caught in my hair.

"I love it." She says as she kisses my cheek.

Paige places her hand on the necklace as it lies around her neck perfectly.

I hand Paige the card again as I think she forgot it was laying there.

She opens it up and reads it. I did my best to write something like she wrote to me.

Paige,
Your soul is the bravest I know. Your confusion is more than I know. Your heart beats fast, faster than anyone I know. I know that I'm happy because of you. Your soul's confusion and loud heart is keeping my heart beating. It's keeping my soul on earth; it's keeping me from thinking about my confusion. I think about your smile. I think about you and cry, but most importantly I think about you, and I breathe.

-Jordyn.

Paige looks up at me after she reads it. I don't know If she will like It or not. I'm not good at writing like she is. I tried writing what came to my mind.

"You are cute." Paige looks at me with a warming smile.

I pointed for her to look in the envelope again because something fell out.

She pulls it out and her smile gets bigger. She told me she wants to get a tattoo, so I got her a gift card for it.

My parents handed us the cards that remained under the Christmas tree until last.

"Open them together." They encourage.

Alexis counted down and we all opened them.

My eyes got wide as I stared at the plane ticket in my hand.

"You didn't." I hear Alexis's squeal.

My parents both had smiles across their faces.

"Are you guys going?" I ask.

They shake their heads no.

My parents bought us plane tickets to Panama City. I never in a million years thought I would be going to Florida. That is a long way away from Washington. We all jump up and do a little excited dance. Well, everyone besides Jake. Jake sat on the ground laughing at us.

After calming down, I look at the ticket more and see we are flying out EARLY on the 27th.

Paige POV

Tomorrow we are going to be flying to Florida. Everyone is excited, but I'm scared. I am terrified of heights and being on a plane that long is scary to think about.

Before going, I am going to get my tattoo. I am getting a quote on my right side on my rib cage. The quote will read "Take these broken wings and learn to fly" around it will be a feather breaking off into doves.

Jordyn comes along with me to get my tattoo. I'm glad she is here because I know it's going to hurt. The only downfall of her being here is she will probably tease me after.

After they put the print on my skin, he gets the stuff ready. I start to freak out.

Jordyn grabs my hand and gently squeezes it.

"Squeeze when the pain gets too much." She tells me.

The tattoo artist starts. He did the bottom half of the tattoo first. I could manage that pain no problem. It was when he was on my ribs that it was hurting. I close my eyes and squeeze Jordyn's hand. This wasn't helping and I'm pretty sure if I squeeze any harder, I will break her hand.

After an hour, it was finally finished. It would probably have gone faster, but I had to make him stop every now and then. He wrapped my tattoo up and gave me instructions.

Jordyn and I then head back to her house. To my surprise she didn't tease me too much.

We got back and made sure we had our stuff ready for tomorrow.

"Stay in my room tonight." Jordyn says as I was about to head to bed.

I looked at her confused because her mom was strict when she said not too.

"We are leaving early and this way you can get sleep without that clown staring at you." She bats her eyelashes at me.

Mentioning the clown was all that it takes for me to agree.

I crawl in her bed. We need to be up in four hours to head to the airport.

Jordyn gets in bed after turning off the light. Usually it's her laying on me, but this time I decide to be the one to lay on her. It was a comfortable change. She has her arms around me. I listened to her heartbeat as I fell asleep.