Beautiful Storms

chapter seventeen | jude

"Don't let him tell you any different."

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beautiful storms | seventeen

His eyes scan words on the paper and his brain picks at the words, letting every word sink in. He never felt so much confusion in his life as he stared down at the letter which was dressed in his mother's handwriting.

"She wrote after giving birth to you."

His grandmother pays attention to Jude's facial expressions as his eyes well up with tears.

"W-where's the rest of it?"

He glances at her and she shakes her head, staring down at her wrinkled hands. His voice trembles as his hands try not to clench the paper in his hands and destroy it.

"All things she wrote were given to Hayes and there's no telling what he did with them because Rachel and him didn't really leave on good terms."

Jude gulps. You are my little angel. My little Jude, my baby. I wanna see you become the man who is so caring and so sweet. I just want you to be good. Be yourself.

You're my dream. You're my light. My hope. Don't ever forget it, please. Don't let him tell you any different.

"Who is she talking about don't let him tell you any different?"

She doesn't say anything and she releases her blonde hair from its ponytail and it falls down her shoulders, light gray streaks run through her hair. She sighs slowly as she sits next to him. Her eyes twitch as she stares down at her daughter's handwriting. Her hands ball into fists.

"I promised her that when you were ready I would tell you but today is not the day." She barely gets the words out of her throat before she stops herself from talking.

"You can't say something like that then just not tell me. What is she talking about?"

"Keep the letter safe." She ignores him and she nods slowly before walking out of his room, leaving him with conflicting emotions. He wipes the tears that threaten to fall away with his sleeve. Why not tell me?

He folds the letter before he rolls on his bed before opening his nightstand and he places the letter under a book. Keep the letter safe. He sighs before yanking it out of the nightstand and he examines his room to see where he could hide it.

Eventually, his eyes land on his closet door and he reaches out trying to open it from his bed but he fails and he gets up, opening the door.

"Damnit." He curses.

A book on the top shelf of his closet falls down and he picks it up from the ground. Jane eyre. It was his mother's book and he held on to it until he eventually forgot he ever had it. He flips to a random page and slips the paper in that page then he shuts it and he places the book back where it was.

"Who was she talking about?"

He shuts his closet door and he decides to study for school and try to distract himself from his mother's words but they'll still find a way to get under his skin and make it the only thing he'll think about.

He sits down on his bed and he pulls out his biology book. They jumped topics again which infuriated Jude but he would have to deal with it for now.

The night sky shines through his window and he still hasn't gotten her words out of his mind. He pulls the cover to his face. Don't let him tell you any different. The words repeat in a loop in his mind like a broken record and one by one they play like sweet broken music.

Don't let him tell you any different.

"Why do you seem so paranoid?" Cara taps on Jude's shoulder as she sits down next to him at the lunch table. He bites his lip.

"I-I'm fine, I just didn't get enough sleep."

He puts his head down on the table and his hood falls down, covering his face. Cara pokes his head with her finger.

"A nap would be nice." She whispers.

"Naps are always nice."

He chuckles. "You barely ate anything?" She pushes his tray over to him and he rubs his eyes, looking down at it.

"Their pizza tastes like cardboard, it's barely edible." He tells her.

She scowls him and points at the pizza. "Bossy much?" He pulls his hoodie off and picks up the pizza, taking a bite.

She sighs when she sees him swallow it down. She gives him a reassuring smile.

"Oh, and by the way, Sadie and Jess are hanging out. I don't know when that happened but I guess they're friends now?"

Jude raises an eyebrow and he nods slowly. "Sadie doesn't make friends." He sits his pizza back on his tray and he picks up the milk carton on his tray.

"Well I don't know what to tell you but Jess likes her."

Don't let him tell you any different.

"Shit."

"Are you okay?" She asks.

Jude nods, picking up the pizza back up. He closes his eyes, thinking before opening them back up. He bites into the pizza, rolling his eyes.

"About that kiss."

"What about it?"

Cara meets his eyes and Jude blushes, looking down at this tray.

"Was it just a one-time thing or something else?"

"Do you want it to be something else?"

"Jude, you can't answer my question with a question that's not how it works." She laughs and her eyes seem to brighten as she speaks.

"I wouldn't mind it." He finishes his pizza and closes his milk carton. He reaches for her hand and he holds on to it. Then he smirks and he bites his lip, playfully.

"Are you asking me out?" He stares dead into her eyes as he speaks and she laughs nervously.

"I-I don't know, I was just asking a simple question and seemed like the perfect time because we don't have any other classes together and you probably have things to do after school and I wanted to make sure and you- why are you laughing at me?"

Jude runs a hand through hair and a goofy smile plays on his lips and a chuckle leaves his mouth.

"Because you're cute and your nervously rambling is cute. Overall you're just fucking cute." He reaches out and he pinches her cheeks, making her slap his hand away and roll her eyes.

"I'm not cute, I'm beautiful, it's more mature."

"Beautiful, that you are."

Jude's phone vibrates in his hood pocket and he grabs it, seeing a text from his grandma.

I need you home, NOW.

Jude gulps and he looks at Cara. So many things ran through his mind. "Can you take me home?" He shoves his phone in his pocket and he stands up from the table and he grabs his book bag from under the bench.

"You did what!?"

Jude hears shouting from outside and he runs to the door, he quickly unlocks the door. Cara follows behind him. He steps inside and the house is a disaster and Sadie is sitting in the corner of the living room with tears in her eyes and Jude's heart sinks in his chest. His grandmother stands in front of Hayes who has a bruise on his cheek shaped like her hand.

"You touched my granddaughter like you did my daughter?"