Unholy Gestures

Chapter 10

20-hour flight and we are home. Surprisingly, I slept through most of it. Jax was grateful for the peace I gave by sleeping but isn't talking to me because I drooled on his shoulder.

I'm not a pretty sleeper.

"I can't wait to see Hunter; it's only been a week, but it feels like forever."

"A long week." I mutter. "Jax, you've never mentioned if you have a girlfriend in the times since we met up again, forever single?" I add before I Claire could give me a pitying look.

"Trust me, A, if I had a girlfriend I wouldn't let them go." He says.

"Addi!" A voice screams, cutting me off before I could respond.

"And here is mother." I say quietly to Jax and Claire before being engulfed into a hug. "Hi Mum"

"Addi, I missed you so much."

"It was only a month, you lasted longer when I was in Uni."

"I told her she didn't need to worry, you got here safe and sound." Dad says walking up and joining us.

"I don't care, you were in another county whereas you were only a 4-hour drive when you were in Uni."

"Yeah, I am not joining the hug," Jarrod says, my older brother.

"Fair enough, you at least get the choice." I say, glaring over the head of hair in my face.

"Honey, where's everyone else? I didn't think it would be just the three of you." Mum asks, genuinely confused.

I pull away from the hug and look at my feet, if I looked at her the tears would begin.

"We didn't come back with them." Was all I could say, my voice trembling. All I could think back to was the moment I caught him, hearing how he said he didn't want to hurt me. How he said screw it and kissed her anyway. How could I have thought that she kissed him, no one says screw it and gets kissed.

"Addison, what happened?"

"Carla, do you want to come for a walk with me for a minute?" Claire interrupts while Jax walks over and pulls me into a hug, I don't try to pull away.

Mum looks at me confused before following Claire. Damnit, I should be the one telling her, but I just couldn't voice the words to her. She would react worse than me, she threatened Cole, warned him is anything happened he would pay for it. She will follow through on her threats.

Both Dad and Jarrod walked after Claire also.

"I can't do this Jax, I don't know how I stood it before with James, but I can't."

"Yes, you can. Not just because you've done it before, but because you have me, you have us."

"Jax, there is a hole in my heart, an ache that doesn't fade away. A constant throbbing of pain whenever I see something that reminds me of him. Something that I don't think will go away with time."

"It might not go away, but time will dull the pain. Everyday it will get better. You just have to be there for each day. I'll be there too. To help you."

"I don't know what I'd do without you Jax." He pulls away but keeps his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.

"Crash and burn." He says, grinning now.

"Damn you." I manage to laugh.

xX---Xx

Dad threatened Cole a dozen times before we were able to convince him we needed to leave. We only succeeded when we said we didn't know when they were getting her but it could be anytime because we didn't know when everyone else was flying over.

"I swear to god he is lucky he isn't here right now." Jarrod muttered, he was highly protective after one of his friends dated and dumped me back in the early days of university.

"Jarrod, you will not fight him and risk getting charged with assault. Only if he attacks you first will that be okay."

"Yes, Jarrod, listen to your sister."

"Besides, all I want right now is to go home and not think about him or what happened."

"Of course, are you going to be staying with us?"

"Just for tonight, I'm going to be staying with Jax."

"Are you sure? You can stay with us."

"Yes, I'm sure. Cole would go to yours before he would go to Jax looking for me. If he does show up though, just ignore him and don't do anything."

"I don't like the thought that he is looking for you."

"Yeah, neither do I. Unfortunately, though, we both know him, and he would never explain over a text, email, or call. He'd do it in person. Actually, tell him if he does show up that he has to give me time. Before he could ever explain, just tell him I need time. I'll call him when I'm ready."

My parents needed more convincing until I pointed out that I was 25 and an adult. I turned my eyes and watched as the world passed. The rain falling, blurring the background. Only the silhouette of trees and the dark walls of the highway. Such a stark difference to Greece. There it was hot and sunny all day and at night I could walk for hours only in a singlet and shorts. Now I'd need two jackets, a pair of trackies and an umbrella just to stay dry.

Melbourne weather, always unpredictable.

Luckily, my parents lived further out in the suburbs, avoiding the worst of the rain most of the time.

"And we're home, it's been too long. When was the last time all four of us were here? Christmas?" Dad asks, already hopping out of the car and stretching.

"Really, dad? It was only a couple months ago, you know, for my wedding?" Cole and I had decided to have our wedding in summer on the Mornington Peninsula but wait until it was summer in Greece for the honeymoon.

The house was small, only two bedrooms. Jarrod and I always shared a room while our parents had the master bedroom. The dulled brick exterior gave the house the appearance it was older than it was. With trees covering the front garden and bushes crawling up the walls, it was really hard to tell that my parents bought it nearly brand new, before they had us and had money.

Claire had already driven back to her place in the city, she wanted to stay with me and Jax but she had also wanted to see Hunter, I told her to go to her husband, that I'll be okay with Jax and my family.

I knew that she was dying to see Hunter, and I couldn't keep her. She would have stayed if I asked but I didn't want to cause problems between them.

"A, aren't you kind of concerned that he may look for you here? I mean he knows you." Jax asks.

"Of course I am. But we had a couple hour head start, so unless he's planning on coming by in the middle of the night, we're fine."