Start Over

7 // Broken Home

"Niya, what's wrong? You haven't said a word in 20 minutes." I was messing with the ring on my hand as tears formed in my eyes. "My uh, my parents have been fighting a lot lately.. More than they've ever fought. There's just no happiness left there."

We got out of the car and walked down the beach to the pier. "What do you mean?" I tried not to cry as I explained this mornings incident to him.

•
"We haven't been happy in years, and we haven't loved each other in months. Its time to just leave it where it is."  Mid way down the stairs I stopped in my tracts due to the shattering of my heart.

"I always grew up with my parents happy.. I guess after the incident nothing was happy about this place anymore." I still haven't told Ashton about the "incident" or Phoenix. I could tell he's been eager to know about Phoenix, but I was afraid to tell him. We sat down with our feet dangling over the edge of the pier.

I looked at Ashton. "Do you remember the year my parents said I went to Miami for a month?" His eyebrows were furrowed together in confusion. He nodded allowing me to continue.

"That's nots what really happened..
O

ne night me and Phoenix went to the bar with our stupid fake IDs .. He ended up getting into a bar fight because of Axel and Damon.." I shifted myself so I was sitting face to face with Ashton holding his hand. "All they wanted was their money.. And they knew that I was the only thing that Phoenix cared about.. When they took me at gun point, he went over the edge.. He pulled a gun on Axel, shot Damon, and tried to protect me.. When the cops got their Axel and Damon were gone.. They arrested me and my brother for several different things .. We were both locked up for a month .. After we got out he went after Axel and Damon.. They faked their own deaths ... They got Phoenix put in Jail for 6 years for something he didn't do.. They came back looking for him.. That's why he was at my house the other day.. He needed me to get him out of Australia.. He has a son and a wife.. He just wanted to be home with his family.."

I was sitting there with tears formed in my eyes as I tried not to cry. I was afraid he'd think of me differently now that he knew about me being in Jail. That night was the only secret I never told Ashton.. Or anyone.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" "What? That I have a criminal record and did a month in jail? Yeah, no thanks." I put my hands on the pier and pushed myself up. "No, that Phoenix was your brother."

"I don't know. I just thought you would've been able to tell.. I mean we look like twins." I let out a little chuckle as I slid into the passenger side of the car.

•

"Mum, I'm home!" I set the groceries down on the counter. "Okay honey, can you come here for a minute?" I followed the voices up the stairs into my parents room.

My parents were dressed in fairly good attire for a stay-at-home-dinner. "Your father has made dinner reservations. Why don't you go on and get dressed. We'll meet you in the car." I was utterly confused but I didn't want to argue.

I left my hair down in lose curls with a simi-casual black dress that hugged my curves with my maroon heels. I put my phone in my Chanel bag and locked the door.

•

"Do you know what you want Darling?" I skimmed over the menu debating on a meal. "I think I'll just get a salad." I sheepishly smiled and set my menu aside.