Joey (18+)

He'll come around

And as I tried my best to read between the lines,
Your lips shaped words I try to interpret as lies,
Only to see the devil hiding deep inside the details.
• • •

Joey's POV

It's been a week since everything happened and I haven't left the bedroom. Amy takes care of the girls and occasionally talks to me. I vented to her and I let it slip about Ryan being Callum's and made her promise not to tell him.

The warm water hits my face as I sit in the shower floor. I've never felt this way before and I don't want to again. Losing a baby is not something I wish upon anyone. Everyday is the same...I wake up, find the girls' clothes, they get dressed and leave. I stay in here and lock the door. It's my only escape.

I hear a knock on the bedroom door and ignore it. I lean my head back on the wall with my eyes closed. I hear the door open and heavy footsteps trugde on the floor. The bathroom door flies open, but I stay still and keep my eyes closed.

"Jo, boss wants to see you..." I ignore him. "If you don't come he'll get angry."

I sit there letting the now cold water hit me in the face. I feel two big hands grab me and throw me over their shoulder. I feel the soft fluffy towel cover my ass as he walks out the bathroom.

I don't struggle. I find it pointless. I'm going to have to go to him eventually, but will I say anything? Probably not.

I get thrown onto the leather chair and covered with the towel. I stare at the girl on his lap who I have come to learn is Cassidy.

"Our contract is off. You should have enough money to get an apartment for you and the girls." I just stare. "Thanks for your service. See you around."

I just sit there and stare. Moving again will hurt the girls and confuse them. I don't want to do that, but I guess now I have to. I don't know who to feel sad for; Cassidy or Callum.

"You can go now, Joanna." He motions for one of his guys to come get me. I see jay out of the corner of my eye. He grabs me and panic sets in as flashbacks of the day he threw me into the table flash through my eyes. It's like I'm living it all over again.

I struggle and stop breathing as he holds me. I keep thrashing in his arms, throwing my hands at him and kicking him that Jay drops me on the ground with a thud. I lay there numbly staring up at the ceiling, only the words "the baby" coming out of my mouth repeatedly like a mantra.

Everyone in the room rushes towards me and stands above me. Worry washes over their faces as I lay there and slightly twitch...repeating the same words.

"What's wrong with her?" Cassidy breaks the silence between the three of them. They look at her and then back at me. "She has issues..."

"Callum, we need to ta-Oh my God, Joey, are you okay?!" Amy rushes over to me and starts to check me out. She leans down near my lips and hears 'the baby' and then looks at everyone. "Jay, I need you and her to get out of here..."

Cassidy motions for Jay to grab me, but Amy shakes her head. "I meant you, Cassidy."

Cassidy scoffs, and Jay drags her out of the room. Callum looks at his mom with a confused look. "Callum, honey, I need you to sit down."

He nods and goes to his desk chair. Amy sits in the chair I was in and looks between the both of us.

"Joanna, here, was carrying your baby...after you threw her through the table, she miscarried. It's why she's like this. The room triggered her..." I sit up slowly,  pull my knees to my chest and sob silently as they continue to talk.

"That's absurd...I can't reproduce..." he takes a deep breath.

"That baby was yours and you killed it because you let your anger or whatever it was get to you." She clears her throat. "Laying hands on women is in your blood, but you don't have to be like your dad's side of the family...you can change."

"Mom, look at her...she's a fucking lunatic and doesn't come out of her room...what the hell am I supposed to do for her?!" The sound of skin on skin contact fills the room. I start to sob hard and shake as the sound brings back the gruesome slap from him. "Mom..."

"Save it, Callum Allen Reed, or I will fucking call your fucking father. I don't give two shits if he is across the fucking world fucking bitches! You get your shit together and you fix this, or so help me you will fucking regret even accepting your father's offer."

I feel arms snake around me. "It's going to be okay..." Amy murmurs. I soon fall asleep in her arms as she rocks me back and forth.

I slowly open my eyes and see I'm back in my room. I get out of bed and see a bunch boxes packed. I check the closet and bathroom but nothing's in there. I rush over to the door and open it up. I make my way downstairs to see Ash and Jay standing by the door arguing.

"We can't let her go out there on her own with them. She'll never make it...especially with the threats Callum has been getting..." Ash sighs.

"We're doing it...end of story."

I stare at them as they move past me and go upstairs. Amy barges through the door as the guys walk down with the boxes.

"Put them motherfucking boxes down, now!" She roars making me flinch a little. She sends me an apologetic smile then turns back to the guys. She pulls out her phone, dials a number and puts it on speaker.

"For fuck's sake, Amy, what the hell do you want?" She rolls her eyes.

"Your son is failing in life and I need you to fix him and his two little butt buddies." He groans. "Marshall, he made a girl miscarry...it was his baby..."

"So he took my grandchild away from me?" Callum barges through the door. "I can't believe him!"

"Mom, what the fucking hell?!" I wince.

"Callum Allen Reed, don't you ever fucking talk to your mother like that again! I'm on the next flight down there!" Amy hangs up and looks at her son.

"Put the boxes back up there and unpack them. She's not going anywhere and you, Callum, are not to even acknowledge her or the girls' existence, not until you get your shit together." Jay and Ash disappear upstairs and Callum glares at his mom and growls. "Do it again, I fucking dare you!"

She's testing him...I can feel it. Callum steps forward. "If you are man enough to lay your hands on her,  then go ahead and lay your hands on me. Bring it on, Callum, because once you do...you're done."

Callum backs away and leaves. Amy turns to me and quickly walks to me. She wraps her arms around me and whispers soothing words in my ear.

"He'll come around."