per·sua·sion

34.

Hey, guys. I apologize for the wait on this chapter. It wasn't the easiest for me to write, and on top of that, I got sick, which put me two days behind on finishing it.

Warning: This chapter may have triggers for some readers.

Hero

"I know she's in there" I feel my body start to tense up.

What is she doing here? Why isn't she in L.A where she belongs don't tell me she followed Jess out here?

"Your point is what exactly?" I say it quietly in hopes that Jess doesn't hear her already.

Her sculpted brows raise at my pushback. I guess she's not used to it.

"You mean other than the fact that she's my daughter?"

"Hero, who is it?" Jess asks as Maria pushes past me as I close the door.

I let out a sigh of defeat; considering what I have heard about Maria, I wish I would have listened to Jess and ignored her obnoxious knocking.

My so-called mother likes to pop up out of nowhere and pretend she cares, especially if she thinks I'm happy or doing something that will make me happy so that she can find a way to shit all over it.

"Why am I not surprised that you're sitting there, of all places, looking like a common slut?" She says, shaking her head, "why must you always be such a disappointment?"

''If you're going to continue to talk to her like that, you can leave" I don't even bother to make eye contact with her as I walk past her picking up my shirt and handing it to Jess

"You don't have to stay," Jess declares softly.

Her gaze doesn't meet mine as she takes it, making her hair fall in face, and I automatically want to kick myself for putting her in this position where her mum has not only embarrassed her but also just verbally abused her.

I bend down in front of her tucking her hair back behind her ear. "Yes, I do" I lift her chin making her eyes meet mine."Whatever she says, it doesn't matter because we will be okay." She takes a breath as I stand back up, kissing her forehead.

"Are you done?" Maria rolls her eyes, then continues, "where's Kristen?" When Jess doesn't answer, she pushes her more, "I asked you a question."

"I don't know. I was too busy being a slut remember?" she replies harshly. Maria's eyes narrow angrily.

"That is what you do best. I mean, look at what happened the last time you opened your legs."

Jess's eyes go dark, and her hands grip the table's edge.

"Oh, let me guess, you didn't tell prince charming, did you?" she looks at me apathetically. "Little miss perfect here has been known to occasionally use her left arm as a cutting board when things don't go her way."

Her words rip through me as I look down at Jess's arms. Her right one has mostly tattoos, unlike her left arm, which is bare, but I don't see any scars. Her mum notices my reaction, so she continues to say.

"She uses makeup to cover it. That Canadian boy gets it for her. Clearly, she has a type." She looks at her manicured nails as she walks over to the chair sitting down.

"Hero I-I was—" her voice is merely a whisper as her voice halts, and tears fall from her eyes and down her cheeks.

I place my hands on her face wiping her tears. Why is everyone so quick to throw her under the fucking bus, yes, I wanted to know what she was keeping from me but not this way.

Why can't they see how special she is, how she lights up a room when she smiles and for her mum to betray her this way by telling such an alternating life circumstance. I can feel my hostility start to get the best of me as I turn, glaring at her.

"How could you treat your daughter this way? What's wrong with you?" I raise my voice stepping in front of her.

"I only have one daughter, and it's not that she gestures to Jess as she stands up.

"SHE HAS A NAME! I ball my fists stepping back and taking a breath.

Trying to remember what my parents have always taught me about being respectful even in the worst situations.

I feel Jess's fingers brush my back, and I step back even more.

"Why are you fucking here then?"

"To warn you before she drags you down with her. She'll fuck up again if she hasn't already, and you seem like a decent young man, and no matter how hard you try, you can't save her."

"Saving?" I look at her, astonished. "You think she needs saving?" I almost laugh at the word. "She doesn't need saving; she needs" I pause for a second because this isn't how I wanted to tell her. I always imagined when I did finally tell her, and I'd be telling her after I had made love to her. I know that sounds sappy as hell, but what can I say other than I was raised to be a gentleman. "To stay far away from you."

Jess lets out a little laugh. "But besides that, she needs someone to show her she's worth it, that her faults and disability don't matter,  that they won't just give up on her when things get difficult, someone to love her."

Jess's fingers stop tracing the drawing on my back as soon as she hears me say the words love her, "and I do, but I don't just love her" I turn around, looking down at her. "I'm in love with her."

Jess looks up at me, and it's like the wind has been knocked out of her. She goes to open her mouth, but I stop her before she can respond because whatever her response is, I don't want her mum's commentary in the background.

"You don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know." I hear her mum go into a slow clap as I turn back around. "Can you just go? This whole bullshit of a plan of yours isn't working."

"Maybe not on you, her; however, it's all over her face. She points as her lips curve upwards. "She is going to run. You'll eventually have to leave, and she'll be gone without a trace. That's another thing she loves to do after all; she used to live here."