Chapter 10. –Painful memories
Painful memories didn't just ease back in –they shoved the door open. Hard, and all at once.
~Harlan Coben
Jade's POV
Flashback.
"You worthless little slut! I can't believe how stupid…" I felt a tear running down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away. I knew better than to show him. I tried to shield his screams. I was used to it, but the insults were still hurting as much as ever.
Suddenly he gave me a hard slap across the face. I was shocked. He had never hit me before. Only with words. At that moment my mom came in. She pulled me away from him, safely in to her arms. I felt another tear streaming down my cheek, but this time I didn't try to stop it.
"Yeah, right! Go cry with your mother, you…" he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. "Stop it!" my mother screamed. My mom never raised her voice. "For goodness sake, stop it!" She cried now, but yet she had never seemed so strong before.
"What the hell Liza! What do think you're doing?" my dad shouted. "What do I think I'm doing? What do you think you're doing? What do you think you've been doing for the past years! Too slang my innocent daughter, day after day! And now beating her? For the love of God, she is your own child!"
"Watch that tone, Liza." My mom ignored him. "But no more. Never again. Never!" Her arms were still safely around me as we walked past him, upstairs, too my room. We sat on my bed together for hours, waiting for the storm to pass. We heard glasses breaking, and my dad shouting. I held on to my mom tightly.
And suddenly we heard the front door closing. A loud bang echoed through the house. My mom stood up, and left the room. I followed her. "Mom! What are you going to do?" She wrapped her arms around me again. "I won't let him hurt you ever again. I promise." She said. "Now, how would you like to stay with granny for a while, huh?"
"Will you go with me then?" I asked. "I will. Now, let's go pack, okay? Take everything you need, don't leave anything behind." She went to look for suitcases in the closet. "Won't we come back here mommy? I mean, not ever?"
She looked me in the eyes. "I don't think so honey." She whispered. And for the first time in a long while, I actually smiled.
End flashback.
I had never seen him again after that day. Well, never until now. I had always known this day would come. He said he would find us, and I believed him. I didn't have to ask my mom what would happen if he did. I knew that, too.
I had had a good live, tough. I had my mom, the best and sweetest mother in the world. I had my friends, which I somehow loved very much. That crazy, lunatic Cat, who I just couldn't help but love. And, I guess, I also kind of liked Vega. She was annoying, but, I guess, so was I, sometimes.
And I had Beck. My dear, handsome, caring soulmate, Beck. Who I loved with all of my heart. But I just couldn't believe I would never see him again. I would never see any of those people again.
This was just such a cruel thing to do. If you would just kill someone, of course they would never see any of their loved ones again. But at least they didn't have to think about that, they were just… gone.
But this… Making me think this over, again, and again, and again. Making me miss the people I love, knowing I would never see them again. That was just sick.
I couldn't even say goodbye to them anymore.