“If you left, why did you go back to him?” Jax’s deep voice cuts through the painful tension in the room. The question all people ask of a woman who stays in an abusive relationship. It’s not an easy one to answer, either. Each victim of domestic violence has their own unique reason, none of them more insignificant than the other.
“My father never showed up to get me and with each passing minute, I became worried. My calls to him all went unanswered until eventually the calls went straight to voicemail. The nextday, a cop showed up at my doorstep with Clayton to notify me that my parents had been killed in a car crash. It wasn’t until after the cops left that Clayton cornered me, explaining how my father had called him about how he was treating me. He was infuriated that I had gone behind his back and was planning to leave.” I choke on my own tears as memories of my father’s deep voice fill my mind. I can still smell the oak cologne he wore and the smell of his tobacco on him. Smoking was his guilty pleasure, a habit he was never able to kick no matter how many times he tried.
“What happened next?” Jax asks. Earl stays silent, already knowing this part. It’s what's coming that he has no clue about.
“He told me in detail about how he made the accident happen. That he was responsible for killing my parents and that he could do it to anyone, even me, if I tried to leave again. I was young, scared, and grieving. I believed everything he said. He packed up my bags and moved me to his father’s home. We were wed the next day in a private ceremony and I never went back to school.
“I tried so hard to be everything he wanted, but failed. He became more involved in his father’s business and began drinking. His anger was worse when he did that and he became abusive and violent and only in the most brutal of incidents did he take me to the hospital. He bounced around from hospital to hospital when the questions would become too intrusive until he took me to one run by the local church. It was there during a rare moment I was left unattended, that I met a nurse. One who saw what was happening and helped me when I needed it most.”
I lift my glass to my lips and drink more. Earl places his hand on my thigh, squeezing gently in a sign of support. It isn’t until I gaze at each of their hands do I notice they’ve abandoned their beers. The nearly full bottles are both sitting on the coffee table. When did that happen? Was it when I mentioned how belligerent Clayton became when drinking?
I don’t have to worry about that right now, though; I need to finish this story before I clam up.
“Not long after we were married, I found out I was pregnant. Clayton was overjoyed, especially when he found out he was having a son. I was nineteen, married to the devil, and now I was pregnant. All I wanted to do was run far away. Once again, I got up the nerve to leave and packed a bag, planning to sneak away. What I wasn’t expecting was to find him downstairs when he should have been at the office. He beat me. I was eight months pregnant and scared. He finally left me lying in a broken, bruised heap crying on the floor to go to work. I was in so much pain. When I managed to stand, there was blood dripping down my leg. I managed to call a cab to come and get me and went to the hospital. On the way, I checked to make sure my friend was working. I delivered my son, named him and gave him away to save him. My only request was that he keep the name I picked out.”
“You had a baby. Why didn’t you tell me, Mel? Bash never found a record of you havin’ a son.”
“I know he didn’t. She made sure that all records of his birth and my pregnancy were destroyed. The only thing I had was a false death certificate that was never filed, that I gave to Clayton. Of course, in his eyes, it was my fault I lost the baby and not because of him beating the shit out of me.”
“I could’ve found him and he could’ve been with you.” Earl’s voice is so tender and loving. How would it have been if he had been with me? Would Earl have been the father he should’ve had?
“Clayton kept trying after that to get me pregnant again, but I was on birth control and he never knew. A year after I gave away my baby, I escaped and came here. Thanks to Earl, Bash, and the Hellions, I got a new name and a new life. Until my son called me. I can’t let Clayton find him.”
“Clayton will never find him,” Earl speaks up, gently cupping my face as he turns it toward him. “We didn’t just get you a new life, we ended his as well. He will never come after you because he’s been dead. We made it appear as if he died in a boat accident with you. We tortured him for a week, making sure he felt every inch of pain that he caused you, then we disposed of his body.” All I can do is look at Earl in pure and utter shock.
Clayton’s dead, has been dead, and he never thought to tell me. I could’ve been with my son, watching him grow up. Instead, all I had were dreams of who he was. How could he lie to me?
“Get out!” I scream, but neither of them listen. I don’t care that Jax is innocent in this. I don’t want anyone with a fucking Y chromosome around me right now.
“Mel,” Earl tries to plead, but I don’t give a fuck.
“I said get the fuck out. Both of you.”
Chapter sixteen
Jax
“Mel, I don’t understand. Why are you upset? You should be happy that the scumbag is dead. And as of three years ago, so is his shitty ass father. You’re free and clear,” Earl pleads as she faces him down like a pissed off Doberman. With the way she’s glaring at him, I firmly believe if she had fangs, she’d rip his throat out.
“Earl, I said get out and I mean it. Because of you and your secrets, I’ve been kept from my son.”
Fuck, this isn’t going well. While it may be in my favor to have Melissa all to myself, this isn’t the way I want it to happen. Earl stares at her, eyes wide, like a little lost puppy who’s had his tail stepped on. He doesn’t say anything in response, just turns and leaves.
I’m stuck, not sure what to do. What to say. How to handle this fucked up situation.
“Can you fucking believe him, thinking I should be so happy about what he did? Fuck him.” She drops back down to where she was sitting, oblivious to the fact that I’m still standing before her as she continues to mutter under her breath.
I clear my throat, and her eyes fly up, shooting daggers into me.
“Why are you still here? I told you to leave, too.”
“First, I wasn’t sure if you meant that, but if you want me to, I will and give you some space and time to think.” My tone is even and unhurried as I try to give her a quiet reassurance that the anger she feels in the moment will pass, but she may regret the words she spoke to Earl. For two people who love and care for each other, they sure know how to use the right words to cut deeply into the other.
“Then why are you still here?” I know it’s her anger and the emotions speaking. This isn’t the Melissa I know, the woman I love. This is a hurt soul lashing out in the only way she can to protect herself.
“Because I know you’re upset, but you’re being a hypocrite. It was you who kept the secret from Earl when you found out who Ashlynn was. He didn’t know you had a child, but he made sure that the man who made your life a living hell could never hurt you again. Maybe you should think about that before being so judgemental of him.”
I don’t wait for her to answer. Instead, I leave, shutting the door behind me. There’s someone I need to talk to, and he just left. Thankfully, I don’t have to go far to find him. He’s still here, sitting on his bike, looking down, furiously typing on his phone.
