“Enjoying the show?” He asks swaying, barely keeping himself up.
I look back towards Maverick who’s still none the wiser about the situation I’ve found myself in. I try my best to take my hand out of his, except the death grip he’s got on me is making it incredibly difficult.
I try and catch anyone from my groups eyes, but none of them are looking at me, they’re enjoying Maverick and the boys.
“I- uhm, yes, really enjoying it,” I stutter out, still trying to take my hand away from his.
“He left-”hiccup.
“Because, of me,”another hiccup.
“You know.” My head snaps up from my hand and back to being face to face with him.
“What did you just say?” I ask, trying to hide the shock behind the admission.
I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t hear him correctly, or I’m confirming what he’s just said.
“I love you,”hiccup,“Mabel,”hiccup,“So, I made him go away.” The sinister laugh that comesfrom within him sends a shiver down my spine.
The realisation hits, that Maverick walked away from me, because of the pathetic excuse of a man who I’ve tolerated all this time, because my daddy asked me too.
And then, his lips are on mine.
Everything around me goes muffled.
All I hear is static.
Rearing myself back, pulling away from this awful man’s lips, with all my strength, I pull my hand out from his and before I can even think about stopping myself.
My hand meets his face and all I hear is the rendering soundof the slap when my hand meets his cheek.
Thirty-five
Maverick
Ifinally feel alive again, I finally feel free.
Free from the mess that the last thirteen years have caused.
Seeing the crowds faces beam and light up, watching them swaying and dancing along to the music that the boys and I happened to get thrown into doing, can only be described with one word; electrifying.
Lacey singing alongside me to mine and Mabel’s song has the crowd in the palm of our hands as we lean in once more to hit the final note of the song that I’ve listen to multiple times a day and havedone every day for the last thirteen years.
Colter still by my side, giving the best performance I’ve seen him do on his guitar, his gaze never leaving our parent’s, or Iris’s.
Following suit, my eyes leave the ever-growing crowd and back to Mabel’s direction, but she isn’t standing where she last was when I looked over to her.
I position my hands on the strings to continue the song, but panic starts to rise.
I spot her behind our group with none other than Jimmy Jones, my brow frowning and the anger slowly building up in the pit of my stomach.
Her demeanour’s completely changed, I watch on at the tensed-up position she’s shrinking herself into and that’s when I watch him take hold of her hand.
Finishing up the song on the last lyric, my head turns as I look at Colter, concern creeping across his face. I turn my head to look at Jake, who’s face is turning red with anger.
I strum my guitar for the last time; eyes still locked in on the situation my girl’s found herself in.
He leans in closer, and then with no warning, his lips are on hers.
