Better Off Away (BOOK 2)(Wattys2016)

The Story Unfolds

I hang up the phone when my mom tells me she has to leave for Church. I admit, calling her was medicine to my soul. I needed the boost of assurance and what she said to me has certainly spurred a thought process within. Maybe Creal isn't for me. In fact, I don't think it is. I understand that I'm a determined person, but I don't think I can live with all these lies for my entire life. I think I need to end this all before it goes too far. I don't want to be stuck here in the midst of a pool of lies.

There's a knock on the door as I make my bed, smoothing the duvet and then crossing the bedroom to answer the door. I'm surprised to see Jack standing there, groomed and with a silver tray covered with a domed lid. He smiles at me, his dimples making full appearance.

"Jack," I say in surprise, more than greeting. I smooth my hair in a somewhat nervous manner. What are we - are we an us? After last night I'm not sure what Jack thinks of our... Relationship so to speak. I know I haven't the slightest clue.

"Sweetness, how's the hangover?" He asks quite cheekily, entering the room by passing by me.

I turn, following him to where he sets the tray on my bed and sits next to it, causing a dimple in the fabric of my duvet. I sit beside him and scowl at him playfully, unable to keep myself from doing so. "Not so hot," I answer truthfully.

He's still smiling. "Sorry to hear, but I hope this helps." Jack lifts the lid on the tray and reveals a variety of fresh fruit with steaming hot scrambled eggs and slices of bacon.

"Oh, Jack." I'm actually touched at the kindness he is showing by bringing me breakfast. "You didn't have to."

He shrugs, his smiling faltering. "I thought I should after last night – as an apology for my father's actions and behavior."

I look down at the food, forcing a smile. "It's okay – forgotten already. I'm sorry that he treats you that way... it's not fair, Jack. You deserve to be able to follow your own dreams. Has he always been this way?"

Jack shrugs, pinching a strawberry off of the plate and popping it in his mouth. "Not always... He used to be alright back when I was really young. We were a happy family... or as happy as we could be. But then things... happened and he became more calloused - not just toward me and my mother, but everyone. He cared more about public image. He made me grow up rather quickly."

I shake my head, chewing on some fruit and processing what I want to say. I have to be careful if I want to find anything out. "Jack, please trust me. I can keep a secret – promise."

"I trust you, Sweetness. I do." He smiles, reaching out and taking my hand in his.

"Okay... then if you don't mind my asking... what happened? Why aren't you allowed back to London?"

Jack looks down at the food, silence stretching between us as he decides on how to answer. "My father... My father married my mother when they were both young – probably both the age of twenty. They didn't fall in love – not in the least. They were forced together because my grandfather – and all the Creals before him – believed in arranged marriage. It seems, the Creals believe the dynasty must continue and be based off of false love." Jack smiles bitterly, dropping the piece of strawberry he has. He shakes his head, almost as if he's disgusted.

"Your parents' marriage was arranged?" I ask, surprised – I would have never guessed.

"Not in the most public sense, but behind closed doors, it was completely arranged. Anyway, my mother had a hard time becoming pregnant, but about five years after they were married, my mother had me. Worst of all, during those five years of struggling, my father was – well, unfaithful." Jack's jaw clenches.

"He cheated on her?" I ask, shocked. For a man who says honor is important, that's a pretty dishonorable move.

"Yes – and he had another child." Jack's voice catches, as if he's embarrassed. I lay a hand on his knee, wanting him to know he doesn't need to be. "My mother knew he wasn't in love with her. She could tell it was strictly business between them. She tried – she really did and maybe, now, there is a semblance of love between them, but during those early years there definitely wasn't and she knew that. She suspected there were other women, but she didn't know there was a child.

"When I turned twelve, things came crashing down. The woman he had an affair with wanted money and she wanted her son to be taken care of. She was sick, see, and she wanted the money for treatments. She started coming around and asking for my father – never telling my mother why. Finally, one day, she met with him and my mother overheard it all.

"Louisa, the woman, was dying because of cancer and she was afraid that her son Max wouldn't be taken care of. She didn't have any family and neither did Max – just his parents and obviously, he wasn't close with his dad - our father... My father, bastard he is, told her he would take care of the boy once she passed. He didn't lift a finger to help with treatments."

I gasp, unable to stop myself. How could he be so cruel? If he had truly loved this woman Louisa how could he just turn his back on her when she needed him most?

Jack continues, "Louisa died a few months after I turned twelve. By that time I knew my father had had an affair with this woman and that there was a son – I wasn't allowed to meet him and I wasn't allowed to speak of him. My father paid Max's way through school and made sure he remained anonymous. He still lives in England, but we don't return for two reasons. The first being that my father doesn't want anybody to connect the dots. See, Max and I look strikingly similar and people might talk if we were spotted near each other. Secondly, I don't return because the memories of that year when it all came falling down are too hard to face. My father became a cruel man and that year ended my childhood. I'm not an emotional person – not usually – but there, I'm afraid I am. It would haunt me too much – the memory of what used to be before it all came crashing down."

"You've never met Max?" I ask, curious.

Jack shakes his head. "I wouldn't even know how to find him to be honest. I only know that's his first name because my mother told me one evening after one too many glasses of wine. I don't know how she knew, but I think my mother has her own ways of finding things out. I know his last name isn't Creal and I know he's in England, but that's it."

"And you know he looks like you. Aren't you at least curious to meet him? Hear his side of things? Surely it was hard for him as well... What if he doesn't know he has a brother?"

Jack shrugs. "I don't know... I just... I can't bring myself to do it. And it's the one wish of my father's I don't mind keeping."

Inside I can't help but think, he keeps more wishes than just that one. If Jack was really independent of his father he wouldn't be here in front of me. He would still be in California. Jack might like to think he doesn't eat out of the palm of his father's hand, but I know better. I know that sadly, he does.

•••

A/N:
Sorry it took so long for an update. I've been really busy and haven't had any time to write.

Update: ? - again, I'm really busy so it's difficult to write. But I will try to update within the week. I appreciate all your patience.

Love always, Samantha <3