𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎

Chapter 21 ~ Past

Mayella

TW: Mentions of assualt (very minor though)

We make it to this sushi place that mom and Fay swear is the best place to get sushi. We all get settled in and wait for a waiter to come and take our order.

I'm sitting in between Reece and dad as I sip on my soda. Yeah it's a little uncomfortable, but tolerable. It smells so good in here that it dismisses the awkwardness. Everybody is starting up a conversation, Willow tries to talk to me.

"So, I asked the school if I could give you a tour and they said yes. So we can do that later this week." I nod my head smiling. I would love to see where Willow and Maddox met, the famous willow tree. And to see where everything in the beginning happened.

"Hey isn't this where-'' Eli starts but is cut off when Fay hits him in the shoulder. I give a look of confusion and look at Reece, he shrugs his shoulders. "Where did that happen?" He asks, I can tell Elias is now regretting even speaking up. I know Reece won't let this go.

"It's nothing honey" Fay tries to dismiss this but Reece isn't going to let it go. "No mom, what is he talking about, he sounded worried." Reece is raising his voice a little bit and it's getting the attention of the other people.

I see mom glance at dad like she is begging for help. She sees me look at her and gives me a tired smile. "He was going to say this is where something happened, it's not important what it is though." Mom says but now I'm getting a little pissed off.

I look to Willow, she is keeping her head down like she knows what they are talking about. "Will someone just tell me what the hell is going on!" I whisper yell as our table falls silent. "Willow?" She shakes her head.

Rory and Gray are just minding their own business playing games while the adults are having it out. I feel bad for the other people in the restaurant but I'm not letting this go. I see dad looking at mom. "She's eighteen peach, she has to know now. You told Willow when she was eighteen." Finally someone on our side!

Wait, what?

"Tell me what?" My voice gets more and more raspy the more I grow impatient. "We will tell you once we get to the hotel." She says it's final and I don't dare speak after that. This is the longest dinner second to Christmas dinner.

I think of all the possibilities that could be leading up to this talk. I can't think of one reasonable reason though.

🎀

I sit in mom and dads room on the bed, waiting for them to speak up. It seems like they are trying to figure out how to say it.

"Baby peach?" Dad says and I look up to them. "This is a serious matter and it can't be taken lightly. We wouldn't be telling you this unless it was useless. But I think it will help you make decisions based on who you think you like." Now I'm lost. Are they talking about Reece?

Mom looks like she is about to break down. A knock on the door comes and Fay, Eli, and Reece all walk in as we take seating in the room.

Fay sits by Abby and puts an arm around her. "I know this is hard, we got this." The best friends comfort each other as our dads sit and watch them. Mom exhales a breath and starts.

"You know how I told you that me and your dad couldn't be together?" I nod my head slowly, I look at Reece who is just as interested as I am.  "Well, it was because a certain someone was a threat to us."

I tilt my head trying not to speak up until she is done. "I dated a boy in highschool up until the middle of college. Now don't get me wrong, he was a good guy at first. But he knew your father was a threat to our relationship."

"I had been crushing on your dad for years, even in high school. But this other guy was always there, so I went with him to avoid any complications. In college, when I met Fay, she was my roommate. And I absolutely adored her because she was my only friend."

Mom looks like she is about to break at any second. She looks to dad as he nods for her to go on. "I brought over my boyfriend and Fay to that sushi place for a get to know you dinner. I wanted my best friend and my boyfriend to get along. I didn't know what was going through until your father and Elias told me. My boyfriend had been playing footsie with Fay while I was sitting with them. And-" The waterworks come and mom's voice starts to crack.

Fay looks like she is on the verge as well but is holding it together. "Later that night, while I was sleeping-" I can hear Reece groan like he already knows what happened but I'm still clueless. "He assaulted her, while I was in the bed next to them. Thankfully, Fay called Elias and got out of there. But it was scary. I found out because Elias and your dad had been at the restaurant and saw everything happened and filmed it. I was stupid to get back with him, but I was doing it to protect me and your father."

I feel my eyes start to water as I wipe under my eyes. Mom comes over to me and hugs me. "I tell you this, so that you don't feel like you have to be with someone to protect other people." I nod my head.

I look at Reece who is looking at his mother like he can't explain how he feels. I can't imagine what he is thinking. His mother was assaulted by my mothers boyfriend. He looks pissed.

After we calm down a bit, we all go our separate ways. I lay down in my bed and think of how much mom has been through, her and dad could have been happy sooner.

I let out a shaky breath as I tried to fall asleep. Wow first day of Seattle and its already intense.

VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE!

If you want to get more details on the story Abby is trying to tell, I would recommend reading Fayette. It gives so much more of what happened to her. The story Abby and Fay are telling, happened in the beginning of the book 'Fayette' So there are parts that I didn't include in this chapter that are in that book.
Lots of drama about o go down.
If you also read 'Close to Love' you will get to see how Abby's boyfriend effected Abby and Coles wait to being happy.

Jesus loves you bye!