Jack shot to his feet, as tall and rangy as Jared. “I had to do it. For my peace of mind.”
“You had to beat the crap out of your dad for your peace of mind?”
“Yes. I felt helpless, unable to fight for myself and Isabelle, unable to protect us. It was killing me, tearing me up inside.” Jack strode to the window, back to Jared and Lola. His shoulders were tense, his hands in fists at his sides. Lola watched as his back muscles contracted under the thin black shirt he wore.
“I had to do something. And I’m glad I did. Now he knows what I felt all those times he raised his hand to me.”
She understood. Sometimes all you had left was the fight within yourself, the fight to survive, whatever it took. Sometimes you had to seek your own form of justice in order to move on.
“He won’t go to the police. He won’t fight me getting guardianship over Isabelle. We won’t ever see him again.” His words were firm, spoken with conviction.
“How do you know, Jack?” Lola asked, wanting it to be true.
Jack spun around, pinned her with his heated gaze. “Because I told him if he did, I’d air all his dirty little secrets. I’d tell the entire world about the years of abuse. He knows I meant it. He’s scared. And a coward. He won’t talk.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jared said.
“I am.”
Jared and Jack stared at each other for a long moment. Jared finally nodded. “Okay. I gotta get back to my chores.” He turned to Lola. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to school?”
Lola jumped up. “Um, yeah, I should.” She walked over to Jack, touched his bruised cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” Lola told him quietly.
He inhaled deeply and turned his cheek into her palm, closing his eyes. “For what?”
“For being you.”
Jack swallowed and moved away, eyeing the curtain, as though the drab fabric was somehow fascinating.
Lola knew it was time to change the subject.
“My aunt invited you and Isabelle over for supper. She’s getting pizzas,” Lola was quick to add at Jack’s look. She’d told him all about Blair’s bad luck in the kitchen.
“And you,” she said with a pointed look at Jared. Well, Blair hadn’t not invited him.
Jared froze at the top of the stairs. “Me?”
“Yep. We’ll see you all at six.” Lola didn’t wait for an answer. Jared still hadn’t moved by the time she got to the stairs, looking shell-shocked, so she just brushed past him.
***
It was funny how a memory had certain feelings, smells. Memories of her mom were always tinged in sadness; even as a child when Lola hadn’t been able to understand, she’d still felt it.
The time with Bob in her life was clouded with darkness. Fear, anger, hatred, helplessness.
But this time, with Jack, it was beautiful. It was sunshine and warmth, flowers and his seductive cologne; it was intense and frightening, overwhelming. Happiness. Love, but so much more than love.
She was healing, slowly but surely, and Jack was a large part of the reason why. Jack had been away from his father for close to a week and was healing in his own way too. He smiled and laughed more, held his shoulders a little straighter and his head a little higher. Years had been stripped from his face with the burden of his father gone.
Lola lay on her bed on her side, staring at his face, taking in each detail. Even the small scars; the healing bruises and cuts didn’t detract from his beauty; if anything, it added to it.
Those green eyes saw everything about Lola and still wanted her. Those cynical lips turned up for her.
“Jack, can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Why did you act so strangely a while ago, like you were mad at me, like you didn’t want to see me?”
He sighed and flopped to his back. “Because I was jealous and insecure. And I thought you could do better than me. I thought you would be better with someone like Sebastian, someone who didn’t come from such a messed up family.
“I also thought you didn’t need me anymore. You were safe, in a loving home; you had your friends back. Why would you need me?”
“You were wrong,” she told him fiercely.
Jack turned his head to look at her, one half of his mouth lifting. “Oh, really?”
“Really. There is no better than you and I will always need you.”
Jack smiled sweetly; Lola melted.
“What’s it like at the apartment? Are things going okay?”
“Yeah. For the most part. Isabelle loves it. She has newfound freedom. She’s enjoying herself a little too much.”
She didn’t doubt it. “What about you?”
“Not having my dad around is…I feel tremendous relief. Jared comes over every night to check up on us. I’m not used to that. But it’s kind of nice, having someone look out for me. Of course, I guess he always kind of has. Do you know what he’s charging me for rent?”