The Best Part of Me -Jack Avery Fanfic.

Chapter 7

We stay at Jonah's the first night, sleeping on the couch together. Then we head to my mom's.

At first we're the only ones here, but as I'm making some pasta the door opens and the eldest of my two sisters walks in. She glares at me then immediately takes her stuff to her room.

"Who's here?" She asks as she comes back in the kitchen, acting starved. This girl eats like a pig, and she acts like one too. I used to stand up for her when people would bully her not only for her weight, but also her... unconventional interests until she decided to cross me.

I don't answer. I like to try and stick to the old quote that always stayed with me from watching Disney's Bambi. "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."

And I have nothing nice to say to her. Nothing.

"Mum said we're not allowed to have any boys here when she's not home." She continues and I know she's gonna go on her dumb tyrade.

"Can you just leave me alone?" I ask defeatedly.

"Or what? You're gonna pull a knife on me?"

I knew it was coming but it still hits me deep in the heart. This bitch, I swear. She does shit like this and then acts like she's the victim.

"You know what? I don't have to take this from a heartless slut." I grumble to myself more than anything else. She wasn't meant to hear it. I honestly hadn't meant to say it aloud. But I did and she did.

"A what? Wanna say that again?" She squares up to me, boxing me up. "Don't act all high-and-mighty. You're not exactly the model citezen either."

I start to feel claustrophobic and Cortez senses it and lets out a small growl, reminding us he's still here. She's far bigger than me. Not in height, but weight wise. I'm just a thin little twig while she's quite heavy-set.

"Back off."

"Or what?"

"Back off!" I shove her back, my voice low but angry.

She just hauls off and slaps me. My face burns where her hand hit and I bite back a curse. Cortez is quick to jump in; putting himself between myself and the wicked wench and snapping at her legs until she backs up

I turn back to the stove instead, the sizzle of the veggies keeping me from forgetting them and burning it all.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Jack asks, just barely missing everything that happened.

"Oh, Jack!" Jennifer acts all happy to see him as he comes up from my room where he was going through the box of polaroids.

He had asked if he could go through them, so I took them out and offered to make us something to eat in the mean-time.

"What's going on? I thought I heard something..." Jack trails, looking over to me.

I stay faced away, turning the dial on the stove down for the vegtables and checking the pasta to see if it's ready yet.

"Oh, I was just asking who was here. Did you come back for the box of your stuff Addy keeps under her bed?"

My face heats up and I'm sure it's glowing as red as the plack on the stove when on high. I don't dare say a word, though, carrying on with my task.

"No, actually." Jack shakes his head, caught off guard but quickly regaining his composure. "I'm here because I want to spend time with Addy."

"You wanna spend time with her?"  She giggles. "Oh, goodness, you don't know who you're dealing with, do you?"

Jack raises an eyebrow and Cortez sits in my feet, pawing at them silently. I strain the pasta and pick the spices; trying my hardest to just ignore it. It's soo hard to though.

Jack's gotta be careful what he says too. He knows some of how Jen can be. It's nothing for her to go out and publicly throw shade. She's got her foot in with a few places because of her sugar-daddy shit.

"No man's safe around her. It's a wonder Jonah puts up with her."

I bite through my cheek and a metallic tang fills my mouth. It's a habit I've developed over the past couple years. A way to keep myself silent. I have scars all over the inside of my cheeks because of it.

It's quiet for a few seconds and suddenly there's a hand on my side and a presence behind me.

"D-don't touch me." I stutter, jumping slightly. I want to take it back when I realize it's only Jack.

He gently places a hand under my chin and turns my face over. His eyes widen, then brows crease.

"Addy, did she hit you?"

He runs his thumb under the tingling heat and I stare at the collar-bones that're peaking out from his shirt.

I swallow hard, trying to keep the frustrated tears from falling. "It's okay."

My voice sounds soo hollow and unconvincing.

"It's not okay, baby. It's not okay for anyone to put their hands on you like that." He shakes his head, pushing my dark hair from my face. "It's not okay for anyone to put their hands on you at all unless you're okay with it." 

I lean into his hand for a second, then just break and latch onto him. His arms wrap around my back and rubs soothingly, welcoming my embrace.

His smell is different. He must've changed his cologn, but it's not overpoweringly strong. It suits him well.

"I don't want anyone to hurt you ever again, Addy." He whispers. "As long as I'm around, I won't let anyone hurt you."