The Broken One ✔

Chapter 38

Hi all,

This chapter, as well as the next two, will touch on domestic abuse. So if you are sensitive to this topic then I suggest skipping these chapters.

If you yourself or someone you know are a victim of domestic violence please use a service listed below (apologies if your country is not listed):

Australia Nationwide: 1800 RESPECT https://www.1800respect.org.au/

USA Nationwide: National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/

UK Nationwide: Domestic Violence Helpline http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk/

New Zealand Nationwide: Domestic Violence Crisis Line
https://womensrefuge.org.nz/

Thank you

Happy reading!

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Once Sam and Eva had spoken to the realtor about the house, the three of us jumped into a cab. We spent the entirety of the trip discussing baby names - well, more like I spent the trip guess and they kept shaking their heads.

"Sam junior?" I guessed as we walked down the hallway to my apartment.

Eva shook her head. "Nope"

I grinned. "Ned junior?"

Eva laughed as Sam simply said "no", he then raised one of his bushy eyebrows. "Given up yet?"

I shook my head with determination "not yet", I slid my key into the door slot, before pushing the door open. "We're home" I called as we walked through the apartment.

My home never smelt so good, it reminded me of Gina's cooking.

We arrived at the kitchen to find Andi cooking over the stove. She turned around and smiled "hi" she gave me a quick kiss before reverting her gaze to my friends.

"Andi this is Eva, Sam" I pointed to my girlfriend than to my friends.

Eva greeted Andi with a hug "Evangeline"

"Andrea, It's nice to meet you," Andi said.

"Samuel" Sam hugged Andi next.

Andi raised a brow. "Wait so Ned doesn't call any of us by the right name?" She realized.

"I guess not," Evangeline said.

"This is going to be confusing as hell" Andi laughed along with Eva and Sam.

Andi was good at breaking the silence. Her words set the tone for the rest of the night.

We all took a seat around the table. Andi had made Tortellini with a creamy mushroom sauce, topped with bacon.

"Hey Jenny called me the other day" Eva started slowly, "she said you're going back to San Francisco at the end of the month"

I nodded as Andi shot her head up in surprise "again?" She asked.

"That's for your court date, right?" Sam raised a brow "Jesus it's been six years already, huh?"

"For you too" Eva looked over to Sam. "Seven for me"

Andi cleared her throat "Ned, can you help me serve dessert?"

I nodded as following Andi to the kitchen bench, "this is fun right?"

Andi nodded as slicing the cake. "Sure, just one little thing?"

"Shoot," I said as placing plastic spoons on to the plates.

"Court date?" She raised a brow.

"Oh that" I laughed as picking up two plates, "its stupid, I just have to fly back to San Francisco in two or three weeks to get my rap sheet wiped" I then walked back to the table and grinned at my friends, "who wants dessert?"

Andi stood behind me frozen, with her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

***

"It was nice meeting you two" Andi smiled as hugging Sam by the door.

"You too," Sam said.

"I'll walk you two the car," Eva told Sam "I'll be back up here soon" she assured us as the two began walking out of the apartment.

Andi shut the door when she smiled immediately dropped. "What?" I asked her.

"Two words" she folded her arms "rap sheet"

Looking back, she probably heard those two words and immediately thought the worse. I should have been more clear, I guess that I was holding off telling Andi about my past out of fear.

I widened my eyes "I told you, it's really stupid"

"....What exactly did you do?" Andi asked, causing me too look down and sigh, "look, Ned, I'm the last one to ever pry...but if we're going to make this work, we need to be completely honest with each other"

Like my best friend Eva, I too had the same fear of people finding out how screwed up I was, then leaving me as a result. I was hoping that I could hold off a little longer before revealing my darkest secrets to Andi.

But she stood there, looking at me with those eyes. I knew that if I didn't play my cards right in the next two minutes, I could have lost Andi for good.

I nodded slowly as meeting her gaze. "I stabbed my father while I was in high school" I admitted. "They sent me to anger management and community service, This month marks six years since it happened...so the judge wants me to go back to clear my record, which was a settlement agreement"

she gasped as taking a step back, "w-why did you do it?"

"...I think it was just years of his abuse...it uh pushed me over the edge" I nodded slowly, "I promise that I'm not a violent person...maybe I used to be...a long time ago but I'm not anymore"

Andi sighed "you stabbed your dad, Ned"

I nodded "Yeah, five years ago...time puts a lot in perspective..." I explained, "I didn't see my dad one night and say 'hmmm I really want to put a kitchen knife through your gut', it was years of his constant physical and verbal abuse...and I just snapped...and I've regretted it ever since"

Andi sighed as she took a few steps towards me "I trust you" she kissed my lips.

Suddenly Eva burst through the door with a small smile "oh sorry" she jumped as Andi and I pulled apart "I'll just head straight to bed..."

"Good idea" I smirked as reverting my gaze to Andi. "...are we all good?"

She nodded "I love you Ned"

"I love you too" I grinned before kissing her lips.

That was the first that we had exchanged 'I love you's'. It felt real nice, for the first time in my life, I felt like I actually mattered to someone.