Sorta Cinderella

Chapter 9 (re-written )

    Two weeks have passed since I got home from the hospital. Two whole weeks of living hell.

    I was finally able to meet with Jack, I had to many 'punishments' from my sisters to suffer through previously so I haven't been able to see him. The weeks have been rough both emotionally and physically, and honestly I don't know how I'm still standing.

    I looked down at my knee and the black brace surrounding it. Then I examined some bruising around my ribs. It was just hitting, kicking, and getting pushed down stairs. Not the worst they've ever done (they've gotten their hands on knives and baseball bats).

    I had to get ready and quickly hide my injuries. I grappled a pair of skinny jeans that were a size to big and a fitting black long sleeve shirt. Finally I pulled my bangs back into a tight braid and brought that into a ponytail with the rest of my hair. My sisters were supposedly going out for the weekend, but with them there is no knowing, so I walked through the house as carefully as possible. When I noticed the car missing and the house was empty I made my escape.

    Jack was picking me up at a ice cream place five minutes from my house. The shop was still closed since it was the start of February and snow was still on the ground.

    I got there and looked at my phone, 12:15. Jack wouldn't be here till 12:30, so I sat and started to think. Me alone with my thoughts... Not always the best idea. I started to day dream. I started thinking about my parents how things would be different if they were still around. I thought of my favorite memories with each of them.

    One was when I was about six baking a chocolate cake with my mom. We made the worlds biggest mess there was cake batter everywhere we covered each others faces with chocolate and sprinkles. Little me in an apron that matched my moms, both of us wearing our hair up messily. Hers in a messing bun, but still looking gorgeous... I remembered her licking the icing off my cheek. I laughed because it tickled. "I love you Mommy". "I love you, too Autty".

    Then there was my father always a little stricter but more adventurous for sure. We were at six flags and I was 8. We went on this crazy roller coaster. I was scared out of my mind. I was hugging on to my father, with my eyes shut tight, as we went on a loop. "DADDY I'M SCARED". He turned my head so I was forced to open my eyes and look at him, "Autumn look at me I'm always gonna be there for you when you are scared"

Daddy I'm scared.

I need you.

I need mom.

I'm sorry.

I miss you.

I felt someone touch my shoulder just as a tear fell from my eyes. I open them and look at a very concerned Jack. "Are you okay?" he signed. I nodded quickly wiping the tears away.

I knew he didn't believe it, I could tell by the look on his face. However, he let it go and for that I was thankful beyond belief.

We got into his silver Equinox, and were soon driving off to who knows where. After about an hour in his car we pulled up to a Wendy's drive thru to pick up lunch, sadly I was under strict instructions not to eat the food until we got to where ever we were going.

We drove for a little while longer till we were in the middle of nowhere, and Jack pulled into an empty field. It was beautiful, surrounded by trees the ground covered with a layer of snow so what and shiny it could've been made of diamonds. I look at Jack amazement evident on my face. "It's my secret spot," he signed, "you are the only other person who knows now." "This... It's beautiful, it's honestly perfect," I signed in response. He smiled at me with his big, gorgeously breathtaking smile.

Boy is he cute, I could stare at that smile forever.

Apparently I was staring, because he started to blush. "Autumn..." He signed still smiling. I shook my head "Yeah, sorry." I signed smiling slightly, I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and onto my face.

He put the seats down in the back of his car, laying out a little blanket, creating our own little picnic space. One that still had tones of romance, enough to make my heart beat out of my chest, but managed to still kept us warm from the harsh temperatures out side. We sat facing each other, legs crossed, knees a centimeter away from touching, the food next to us by our knees.

We ate signing back and forth what Jack could understand, writing back and forth what he couldn't. We joked and played around, we lightly threw things at each other and pushed each other... almost as if we were flirting, but there is no way Jack would be flirting with me... Right?

Of course not, you're the only one flirting here you're such a lost cause.

Jack pulled me away from my thoughts "How do you sign K-I-S-S?" I felt my heart rate quicken at his question. Trying to hold myself together I showed him the most common variation of the sign kiss.

He suddenly inched closer, cupping my cheek gingerly. I felt my breath hitch. Right as his lips were about to touch mine, he placed his other hand by my leg to support himself. However, as he was doing so his arm grazed one of my leg injures, causing me to wince in pain. I thought the wince was small, and that he wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, this thought was proven wrong when he pulled away and looked at me with genuine concern evident in his eyes.

JACKS POV

This was it it was time to make my move. I finally worked up the courage to do it, I was about to kiss Autumn, my life-long crush. I cupped her cheek, and just as I was about to close the last few centimeters between are lips, she winced. Winced. It happened right after my arm gently grazed her leg. She was hurt.

As much as I didn't want to, I pulled away. Just far enough to look deep into her eyes, pain and fear evident. I understood her not wanting to talk before, but one she had to.

"Why does it hurt?" I signed looking at her directly in the eyes. She simply shook her head. Feeling slightly frustrated I asked again looking at her more intensity. Tears started pooling in her eyes, I could tell she was struggling to hold them back.

"My sisters" she signed quickly. I shook my head, I must've seen it wrong, "What?"
More slowly this time she signed "My sisters. They hurt me." I was shocked, I knew Ava and Poppi were... intense, but were they really abusive?

"Seriously? They don't seem like the type" I signed. Getting furious she signed "Well you don't live with them! You wouldn't know!!" Tears started streaming down her face.

She had a point I wouldn't know, but the entire situation still made me furious. "When? Why?? How often? " I was signing as well as speaking the questions out loud to myself. They were flying through my head faster then I could sign them

Autumn grabbed my hand, stopping me and turning my attention to her. "They do it pretty much every day, unless they're not home to do it. Why? Because they can, and there's two of them, one of me. They know I can't fight back, that's why." She signed as best as she could while continuing to hold my hand, almost as she was afraid to let go.

After explaining she looked down and cried some more until I did something, that I doubt she expected me to do. I cupped her cheeks wiping away a few years then signed:

"Not anymore, I'm here now."

AN:
Yay I finally finished re-writing this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, I just kept writing it then changing my mind and re-writing over and over again, trying to perfect it for you guys. I really really hope you enjoyed this!
Till next time loves 😘💖
~LA