T H E S T R A N G E S T
Billy held out his hand for her to shake. The girl looked at it with uncertainty causing him to roll his eyes.
"I don't bite, sweetheart.", he said, waiting patiently for her to shake his hand.
"Are you sure about that...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter twenty two
Y O U V ' E C H A N G E D
LIVING WITH JILL WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR JACQUELYN. She was forced to swallow her pride for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No matter how she looked at it, her aversion towards Jillian made her the bad guy in her father's eyes. Though, Jackie knew that James was no saint, she hated whenever he shook his head at her, casting disapproving glances at her every single time she failed to bite her tongue about her displeasure with Jill's presence. And she failed to bite her tongue so often.
In the Stuart household, there was an obvious division. It was James and Jill versus Jackie and... no one. In that house, she felt so alone.
So, every moment she had the chance, she was out of the house. For a couple of weeks, the only time Jackie ever went home was when it was time for her to go to bed for the night. Until then, she would not go anywhere that James and Jill were present. It was the only way she knew how to avoid confrontation. Avoiding them at all costs became routine. It became necessary.
To occupy her time, she often went to the quarry with Billy. The quarry seemed like a relatively safe place to both of the teens, seeing as neither of them felt at home in their houses.
There, they would just find escape in one another, blasting music as loud as they could, whilst they enjoyed each other's company the only way they knew how: making out in the back of Billy's car. And, if they were feeling particularly risky, they'd make out on the hood, knowing and loving that anyone could catch them.
Those were the moments when Jackie felt most peaceful — despite how loud and chaotic the music Billy played would get. She liked how Billy made her feel. He made her feel attractive. He made her feel like a rebel. Hell, he made her feel wanted. It was the first time any man in her life made her feel that way.
She liked the way Billy touched her. His callous hands would roam up and down her sides, gripping onto her for dear life. His lips would attack her's with incredible zeal. He was always so eager. But, he was eager for her.
Even when the couple argued, she still felt wanted.
The two often bickered — about nothing and everything all at once — but, Billy would never allow Jackie to walk away if she was still pissed off at him. He would argue with her for hours, but when all was said and done, he made sure that the argument would end one way or another. Jackie noticed this, of course, and she appreciated how Billy refused to give up on her.
When Jackie wasn't with Billy, she was with Sean Hatmore. Ever since the night of the bonfire, Jackie was able to find a friend in Sean. She didn't expect a "popular" kid like him to have so much depth. Sean was funny, Sean was charismatic, Sean was smart, and Sean was kind. Sure, Sean could be a smart-ass at times — he was far from perfect. But, neither was Jackie. But, Sean didn't mind Jackie's imperfections abs she didn't mind his. He was a good friend.
