In the attic of Jade's childhood was an old trunk, locked. And even though she couldn't pry it open, nor did she have the key, the muffled sobs coming from inside told her more than she wanted to remember.
☆ Winner of The Fiction Awards 2019 ☆
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A/N: oh my god, chapter 30!!!
'I've been doing a lot of thinking since your unexpected visit and I realized that we got off on the wrong foot. I just wanted to apologize for how things turned out. Maybe you can let me make it up to you ...'
My thumb was between my teeth, biting at the chipped nail while I read the message over and over again. So if I got this right, this was basically my dad saying sorry for being an asshole and now he wanted to reconcile? I honestly didn't know what to think of it. He'd really hurt me the last time I saw him. I could remember it just like it was yesterday.
He had said that he didn't want anything to do with me. He sent me away like I was some nuisance, a bother. I had cried over it, over that bastard, and now he wanted forgiveness? He was going to have to put a little bit more effort into it.
I put my phone away in my pocket without replying and went to stand in front of my mirror. I picked up my hairbrush and started combing my hair, trying to ignore the small, nagging voice in my head, telling me to consider it. I didn't want to give in so easily, I didn't want to give him the impression I was the kind of person to turn the other cheek.
I've buried a lot of hatchets, I've forgiven and forgotten, but too many people abused my trust. I have fallen hook line and sinker. I've been lied to. I've been taken advantage of. I didn't want to go through that again, I didn't want to make the same mistake again.
"Jade!" Tristan yelled from downstairs. "Hurry up babe, I got places to be!"
"I'm coming!" I yelled back. I put my hairbrush down and quickly worked my fingers through my hair, putting it half up-half down. I checked myself in the mirror one last time, nodding in approval before going down the stairs.
I was searching for my shoes when I remembered I had put them outside last night. I opened the screen door to the back porch and jumped when I found Ashton lounged on a chair with a girl I had never seen before straddling his waist. They were getting a little hands-on and I pulled a face in disgust.
"Why are you two sitting out here?" I couldn't help but ask.
Ashton noticed my presence and briefly detached his lips from the girl's to answer. "Jordan said he didn't want me to bring any girls into our house anymore and technically I'm not."
"Smart," I snorted. I noticed the girl's annoyed expression at my interruption and quickly picked up my shoes. "Don't let me stop you, I'm already leaving."
"Wait, hold up!" he called me back. "Where do you think you're going in that?"
"In what?" I asked confused. I followed his gaze to my denim shorts and my frown deepened. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
