One Smile

25: One of His Whores

Jake POV

"Have fun being one of his whores," Ethan spits out. "Some friend you are Jake."

Ethan is about to get his ass kicked. Family be damned. I lower Sam to the floor and kiss her on the head mumbling how I am gonna kick his ass. I go to turn around because I can hear his footsteps stomping towards me. He swings and I duck, he almost hits Sam and that awakens a beast in me.

"I am sor-"

"You son of a bitch. How dare you even come close-"

"ENOUGH." Sam yells. All the parents look lost as she stomps up to Ethan lifts her hand and decks him in the face. I expected her to slap him but I should have known better. My baby is a queen, Ethan needs to learn this.

"We are the same age. I am pissed you are making me do this in front of our family, but if you want to act like a child I am going to put you in your place like a child. How much of a double standard is it that you can warm countless girls beds and throw yourself at women like a fucking yoyo but I can't be in a committed relationship with one man?

Before you go off on the "he's a fuckboy" rant let me tell you something. I haven't seen him act the way you do towards women. He treats me well. He took a bullet for me. You asked how I couldn't trust you as a twin with the Brandon stuff? This is why. I knew that you would blame me about it and that would break me. You degrade me, judge me, and blame me. You refer to me as a whore knowing damn well I am a virgin who has kissed one man, and it wasn't even consensually.

You are so worried about other people hurting me and pushing me to lose myself when you have been doing nothing but erasing me since I was hospitalized," Sam never broke eye contact. No one said anything.

Her mom tried to interrupt but her dad stopped her, he knew this was a long time coming.

"Sammy, I-" Ethan starts.

"Don't, just don't. I am tired of you trying to control me. Silencing me. Judging me. I know you are coming from a place of love but Ethan, I can't deal with you acting like this again. When you told me I was dramatic and I need to stop complaining after we were attacked, that was the first time I tried to kill myself. You said awful things to me when I was hurting. If my own twin doesn't think my feelings are valid why would anyone else. Now, now you try to control my relationships on top of my feelings? You have me airing this dirty laundry in front of these people because I know damn well if I didn't put you in your place Jake's fist would." I look away from her and notice there are people with Antonio I have never seen before. Fuck, this must be his family. What an introduction.

"Sam. You are my sister it is my job to care for you," Ethan halfheartedly argues.

"Are you kidding me? I tell you I almost killed myself because of my feelings from you and you justify it as protecting me," Sam then raises her hand to hit him again. I decide that now I should probably intervene so I step forward grab her hand and turn her into my chest.

"I am sorry," she mumbles in my chest. I am honestly shocked she's not crying. If she was, nothing would stop me from giving Ethan the ass whooping he deserves. I know he loves her, but that doesn't mean he didn't hurt her.

"All of it Sam, it goes both ways. All of it," I tell her. Hoping she knows that it means I still want all of her. She just shared personal stuff, she needs reassurance and I will give it to her. I can feel her embarrassment but she has nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Sam-" Ethan starts.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut and think before you talk to me," Sam says while turning around in my arms.

"Are you really choosing your new relationship over me," he looks hurt. I don't think he's understanding what she's saying. I know we should all leave but we're stuck watching. Honestly I think that people are scared to leave Sam and us in here.

Sam starts laughing and removes my arms from her. She steps up to her brother and calmly shakes her head. "The fact that you are phrasing it like a choice shows the problem. The fact that you are trying to make me feel guilty for having a healthy relationship shows the problem. We might have just made it official but, do you know who has been there for me these past few weeks? Do you know who came running after me when he barely knew me when a girl that you slept with degraded me? Your sloppy seconds gave my potential rapist and murderer the drugs and ammo he needed.

Do you know who skipped practice to calm me down and give me a ride home when you will leave me without transportation so you can drive home from practice? Who held me on a Poppeye's bathroom floor in the middle of a panic attack? Who took a bullet for me even though I lied to him? While you blamed me for not trusting you, he held me after a nightmare and told me it wasn't my fault. So no, I am not choosing him over you. I don't have to choose him, because he was there for me before I even had a choice.

Do you realize I just went through something traumatic? I was whipped, choked, beaten, and nearly raped. I just woke up from a comma. You think my mind can deal with this right now? You think my mind can deal with you? How do you think taking away something that makes me happy, after I almost died, in the name of preserving your claim on me as my protector will help me to heal? Do you have an answer? I do, it won't help me. You will break me again and claim you are putting me back together," Sam shakes her head and keeps looking in his eyes.

"Are you shy because there is people? You weren't shy when you called me a whore," Sam cocks her head to the side. We all stay tense. Everyone's eyes are on her. Shocked that she said all that.

"You really are painting me as a monster here Sam. I am sorry I hurt you, I am. How would you feel if you saw me throwing myself at your friends-" Ethan starts.

"Enough. Ethan you are a spoiled little boy. You slept with multiple of her friends son, even I know that. I am ashamed of your behavior right now," Ian huffs.

"Dad, come on you-" Ethan tries again.

"Boy I said ENOUGH. If you didn't have that black eye from my baby girls hell of a punch understand that you and me would be handling this like men since you think you are grown. How dare you call your sister a whore," Ian booms.

"Why does everyone protect her," he yells. He turns around to stomp out but Sam puts her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"We are a family and we will work this out as a family. If I didn't run when you called me a whore, you will not run when you get confronted. Sit your ass down," Sam tries to pull him to the table.

And then Ethan really fucks up. He forgot that Sam was recovering so she was weak, we all know he didn't push her hard. But she was in a coma for 3 weeks. She's lost weight. We have all been careful with her. Until now. He pushes her hand off with a shove and Sam hits the floor.

And I see red.