In This Life And The Next ✔️

Chapter 27: I Am Not Jennifer

ARI

"So what you're saying is, the guy who killed her, is coming for her again?" Alex was shaking in anger as he inched closer to me.

I leaned against him, liking the feeling. He made me feel safe and I wanted to feel safe right now.

My mother watched us with narrowed eyes but didn't say anything.

"The man who killed both of you." Nathan chimed in.

"Let him come then!" I said with anger. "What is he, a seventy year old man? We can take him." I said with a burst of courage.

"He might be an old man but he's smart. He will find a way." Nathan said.

Matt strolled out of the house clicking his phone shut. "Zander is a few minutes away. I didn't tell him that Jen's alive." He told Nathan.

Anthony growled. "Who cares about her! My brothers life is in danger from this guy and all you care about is if Uncle Zander knows. We are the warrior pack and it is our duty to protect our pack members and i'll be damned if my brother gets hurt because of her." He spit with hate.

Alex stepped up closer to Anthony, growling.

Nate and Jen watched Anthony but didn't move a muscle. Jen only gave me a weak smile. She was still upset about Monique and Nate was comforting her.

I walked around Alex and stood in front of him before he could punch his brother. "Nobody is putting me above Alex. You are the only one that even thinks that!" I yelled at him mostly in confusion because I still didn't know why he hated me.

But then I remembered the dead body on the floor. " Look, I get it." My voice broke thinking about Monique and how scared she must have been, how much pain she must have gone through. "Monique, your pack member, was killed because of me and I will forever hold on to that but the point is not to add blame but to help find this crazy ass guy before he hurts anyone else." Tears streamed down my face in sadness. I wanted to drop to the floor and cry my eyes out but I didn't because this wasn't about me.

Anthony was quiet as was everyone else. Alex moved to my side and took my hand into his, squeezing it. "Don't worry, he won't get another chance to hurt anyone else, especially you."

I smiled at him.

Anthony scoffed and walked away.

Alex let go of my hand and sighed. "I'll be right back." He said as he ran after Anthony.

My mother came to me and hugged me. "Don't blame yourself, okay? You couldn't possibly control your destiny. I don't care what these people are saying. You are MY daughter and your name is Ariana Peterson, not Jennifer Gray."

I looked at her confused. "Why are you telling me this? I know I'm Ariana?" I never claimed to be Jennifer and honestly, I didn't want to. She had a terrible life.

"Nothing, it's just what Nathan and his family told me about you, showed me pictures of your...uh...past life." She cringed at the word past life.

"Wait, their are more pictures of me as Jennifer?" I asked intrigued.

My mother guided me inside and showed me all of the pictures laid out on the coffee table in the living room. I grabbed a couple and shuffled through them, amazement clear on my face. It's so weird to see yourself almost five years older. I looked the same but I could tell that some parts of my face were matured.

One picture caught my eye. Jennifer was laughing and a guy, the same guy who was in the group picture I first saw, was watching her with a wide smile. I could tell he was in love with her. "Who is this?" I asked Matt who followed us inside. "That's Zander." He told me smiling. I could tell he wanted to tell me something but kept it inside. He probably didn't want to freak me out.