About a week later, everything was fine between Miley and Jake. Jackson still hasn't talked to anyone. There is a knock on the door. Jake and Miley are eating breakfast.
MILEY'S POV
"I'll get it," I said as I stood up and went to the door to open it. My jaw dropped open as I opened the door. I closed the door, and rethought about what I saw.
"Miles, who was it?" Jake asks from the kitchen, I think he was cleaning up. Oh my gosh! He was. He came out to where I was.
"It was," I started, but Jake opened the door again. He had no clue about who it was. Lilly and Oliver did.
"Who's that?" Jake asked me, even after we shut the door I her face, twice, she stayed. She had a child about three or four. I wasn't letting myself believe it.
"Luann my cousin, my evil cousin," I said as I opened the door, and let them in. Luann looked like she hasn't slept in days. The child had a hot pink cast on her left wrist. It had no writing on it. Luann and the child were both covered in dirt. The child resembaled Luann in a way, but I wasn't letting myself believe.
"Yea, Mile, she looks real evil," Jake whispered in my ear as Luann and the child walked into the living room.
"She almost uncovered my identity in front of many people. Hannah's real identity was almost in the magazines," I whispered back before I put on a fake smile.
"Hey, Miley, thanks for letting me in. I know that we had a bad past, but can you put that behind you, and listen to me," Luann said sitting down on the leather couch. She pulled the child on to her lap.
"Sure, Jake why don't you go see Oliver and Lilly," I said and Jake nodded before leaving the house. I didn't want him to hear her story, or me possibly blow up.
"Well, first of all this is Susannah. She's my child; she's just shy of four. She can walk and talk, she doesn't cry often," Luann began. Susannah clung to Luann. I quickly did the math and Luann had her when she was…fifteen. WOW...why hadn't anyone told me.
"Okay, but what does that have to do with showing up at my door," I calmly said, I didn't want to explode at her, yet.
"I promised myself that I would leave, but I couldn't leave Susannah. I waited until she could walk. The second she learned I was planning my escape," Luann continued, but I had one huge question.
"Escape from where?" I asked clearly interested in this story. She moved Susannah off of her lap, and on to the couch.
"My old house. I moved with Doug to Crosby, North Dakota. He's Susannah dad. We never got married, thank god, but he wouldn't let me leave. I was a prisoner in my own home," She stopped for questions. Susannah fell asleep.
"How and why did you come here?" I asked. I realized that I was still in my pajamas.
"I came here because I knew that you wouldn't let me down. I couldn't go back to Nashville; Doug knew that I lived there. He didn't know about you, or where you lived. Your dad would probably send me here, so I just came," Luann explained. I nodded.
"Okay, so please continue," I said politely, just like daddy taught me.
"He used to beat Susannah and yell at me. He was an alcoholic. He used to tell me if I told anyone, that he would kill Susannah. I couldn't let that happen. I had her, unexceptionally, but I still love her. One day he was really drunk, and threw Susannah against the wall. She had broken her wrist, and severely injured her back. I had to take Susannah to a hospital, but he wouldn't let me. I planned my escape that night. I got on a plane, and flew out to San Francisco. All of this was happening while he was in a bar, getting drunk. I got Susannah medical help, and I called the police. They were on a search for Doug as I made my way here by bus and cab," Luann finished her story, and had tears in her eyes. I did, too, but I wasn't gonna let then fall.
"Come on, let's get you two cleaned up," I said as I picked up Susannah, and motioned up the stairs. Luann followed me. I brought her to the guest room. I showed her where the bathroom was, and where her room was.
"Thanks Miley, you didn't have to do this," Luann said and did something that we haven't done since we were five…hug. I hugged her back.
"Yes, I did your family," I said as I left the room. I went into my room, and pulled on jeans, and a pink hoodie. I ran over to Lilly's. I pulled Lilly out of her house, and told her Luann's whole story.
"You're too sweet and kind for your own good," Lilly said before going back into her house. I got Jake and we walked back into our house. We were watching the old tapes, the ones that I watched before my wedding. I noticed that Lilly and Oliver took Emma and Jacob somewhere, probably shopping. I looked at the movies. Luann and Susannah stayed in their room. I saw Luann one grab an apple, and a bottle of water. I focused on the movie. There was a new addition my running away at my own wedding, and then getting married…to a different guy. If it wasn't for my stubbornness, I would have originally married Jake, and not even tried with Josh. Although my wedding was funny, no just unplanned. The movies ended, and Jake went into the kitchen to make dinner. I went upstairs to check on Luann and Susannah. I knocked and Susannah knocked back. I opened the door. Susannah was standing there with a bright smile on. She looked exactly like Luann; expect the hair was lighter, almost blonde.
"Hey, Susannah, where's your mommy?" I asked the little girl. She pointed towards the bed.
"There," Susannah's little voice chirped, her little finger still aimed at the bed.
"Hey, Susannah, are you hungry?" I asked her. She nodded. I picked her up, and carried her downstairs.
"Hey, Miley, who's that?" Jake asked me he was putting the pasta in the boiling water.
"Luann's child, Susannah. She's staying with us for a while," I told Jake, and put Susannah on the chair.
"I get it, pasta okay," Jake said stirring the noodles.
"Yea, you're already making it," I said, and Susannah pulled at my pant leg, she was trying to get my attention.
"Hungey," Susannah said. I squatted down, to Susannah's height.
"What do you want?" I asked the little girl as I got down on my hands and knees, and crawled to the fridge. She followed me.
"O gurt," Susannah said as I stood up, and took a strawberry yogurt from the fridge. Jake handed me a spoon, and I handed it all to Susannah. She shortly finished it, and Jake gave me a plate full of pasta with sauce. I sat down and began to eat. Susannah was playing with her spoon and yogurt cup on the floor. I finished when Luann came flying down the stairs.
"WHERE'S SUSANNAH?!?" Luann screamed from the bottom of the stairs. Luann looked frantic. Susannah hid behind me; I guess that her dad used to do that.
"She's here, and she looks terrified," I said as I picked up Susannah, and handed her over to Luann. She seemed happy that she was in her mommy's arms.
"I'm sorry for yelling. I pictured that Doug had come back; I got scared," Luann apologized. I gave her an apologetic look. The phone began to ring, Jake got it. Luann took some pasta, and went back upstairs with Susannah. Jake came back in, and looked as if he had seen a ghost. He still had the phone in his hand, he was listening patiently.
"Who is it?" I asked, he was still pale. I walked over to him, and he was shaking. It must have been bad.
"Lilly and Oliver," Was all that he could say before he burst into tears. Jake was crying, it must have been bad. He still wasn't off the phone, he was still listening.
Cliffhanger, again. Yea, fun. Any predictions?
