234's Lifelines

31. A Story's Scars

The conversation in this chapter might seem like a repetition of the circle but bear with me I didn't feel satisfied with the conversation with Jess hence this chapter/ conversation with Jamie instead of rewriting 29.

Song : Fleurie - Hurts like hell

"Nathan: "My dad's in prison and so am I."
Haley: "Yeah well, You can walk out." One Tree Hill

I was going to post this tomorrow but whatever here you go lol
Advise, read chapter 30 again then read this.
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Thanks to Hera's words her mum blamed herself for her daughter's woes while also being sad that that was what her daughter had always thought of her. Hence, she stayed out of Hera's way. Though Hera knew it wasn't her mother's fault yet her shame at what she'd accused, at what she'd said, at even for a second believing Peter had made her never able to reconcile with her mum as she didn't have the confidence to face her mum. Her father Seth, though disappointed had tried to fix the relationship to no avail as had Jamie. Finally Seth gave up on fixing it. The option for Hera to leave for Nigeria had come like a blessing to the formerly happy home which now felt like a burial ground.

"Does she ...does she know? That he's alive?" Hera asks with an unstable voice.

"No, I haven't told her. I figured it'll be best if she heard that from you," Jamie says to which Hera stays silent.

"You do plan on telling her right?" Jamie asks.

Hera stays silent. Jamie sighs.

"So what's the problem now?" He asks.

"I'm not sure if I'm making the right decision," Hera says.

"Which? Because you've made quiet a few it seems these past few days," Jamie says.

"The job as his secretary," Hera answers.

"What do you want? A listening ear, my sincere thoughts and advice, a lawyer or your brother?" Jamie asks.

"All of the above?" Hera asks unsure if she was ready to hear the reply.

After a few seconds of silence, Jamie speaks.

"You don't realize it do you?" Jamie asks.

"Realize what?" Hera replies.

"You had no plans of returning to Nigeria. If that's not the biggest sign that you have no intention of letting him go I don't know what is," He says.

"Jamie..." Hera starts.

"You can lie to yourself all you want that it's due to finding out when his family will return or getting information that you can use to protect yourself but that's not true. Why? Because Hera if you were truly letting him go and leaving the past in the past you'd have rejected the offer, packed up and left the country immediately," He says.

"I don't have the funds for a ticket," Hera states.

"That's just an excuse," Jamie says.

"No it's not," Hera replies.

"You could have called me for the money or lent from your friend, hell one phone call to Nigeria would have gotten you that money," Jamie says.

Hera stays silent.

"Hera you can lie to yourself all you want but you never got over him through these years and now that he's right in front of you you don't want to let him go. You think you came back to America because you wanted to make a decision and finally let him go? That's what you made everyone believe including it seems... yourself but I knew otherwise. That's not why you returned," Jamie says.

"That's why I returned," Hera says quietly as if chanting it to her heart and mind.

"No it's not, you returned because you didn't want to give yourself happiness with anyone that wasn't him, because you'd rather be alone than be without him and that dearest sister is the sincere unfortunate truth you're unwilling to face," He says.

He lets out a heavy seemingly frustrated sigh.

"I normally let you make your own decisions and support you no matter what but after everything we went through because of his father, after all you went through not just you but what he's been through also because of your one decision, before you make another mistake like you did five years back, really take the time to think about everything," Jamie says.

The sound of a chair being dragged in the background flows through Hera's phone.

"Right now it's all too sudden, too much is happening and you haven't had the time to process it all. Really think about what the best option is for everyone then decide if you're really going to be his secretary or not. If you're letting go and getting that ticket out of his life or if you're willing to risk it all again," Jamie says.

Hera draws in her lower lip with her teeth.

"For his family to have hid his being alive from you just goes to show what lengths his dad will go to to keep you out of his life," Jamie continues.

Hera shuts her eyes.

"5 years ago I watched a mother and daughter's relationship get ripped and almost lost my sister. Through so much we managed to get back some pieces of you and I don't intend to lose the tiny bit we got back. So this time before you make a decision considering only Lexis remember everyone whose had your back through these years and how it'll affect the lives of everyone involved especially your daughter, this time you need to consider everyone before making a decision that could hurt twice as much,"Jamie says as Hera rocks her upper body listening, digesting.

"I'll lay all the cards out for you to think about. It'll hurt though, do you still want me to keep going?" He asks putting on his lawyer persona.

"Mhmm," Hera replies.

"If you don't tell him about the past and don't try to rekindle your romance he'll go on living his happy life with his family and fiancee, he'll never remember or know about his past which consist of seeing his mum kill herself, hating his family, living in an asylum, living like a mental patient, falling in love, saving his love, being betrayed by the one he loved, almost dying thanks to her and losing over 20 years worth of his memories thanks to that love,"Jamie says.

Hera bites her lips to stop herself from crying out.

"Add in still being lied to his face 5 years later, or two you tell him and he remembers everything, somehow forgives you and accepts you and Shakespeare. Card three, whether he remembers or not he hates you, tries to take away your daughter and get his revenge. The last card will be your telling him, he doesn't remember but forgives you or doesn't but either way doesn't get back with you, after all he has a fiancee he loves, doesn't acknowledge Shakespeare or he acknowledges her but still doesn't break up with his fiancee to be with you,"

"Now that all the cards have been laid before you do you want to let go or risk it all?" Jamie asks.

"Let...let go," Hera says her throat getting choked up.

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Now that's out of the way let's get to the fun parts...you'll love the next chapter though it'll be short lol