the art of letting go

twentyfive - honesty

the art of honesty

- - -

The next day was easier. I managed to get up, eat breakfast, and headed to the gym. Frankie had phoned me last night, checking in before his shift, and Hendrix had sent many emojis of cupcakes to 'cheer me up', as she phrased it.

Yeah, I'm not going to pretend to understand it either.

I'd dropped off Kady's jacket that I somehow ended up with weeks ago at Brayden's gym, soon after finishing my workout. It was quick, just a hello and thank you before I headed right back out the door. A part of me was grateful that I hadn't ran into anybody.

And then my luck decided to change.

I was halfway towards my car when I heard it. And I simply couldn't be bothered with the drama.

"You're brave showing your face when everybody knows what scum you are."

There should've been a spike of anxiety, maybe even apprehension. I hadn't seen him since Nico beat him for grabbing me.

For the first time since I met this pathetic excuse of a man, I felt nothing, so I said nothing. A grown ass adult being that pathetic? Yeah, I pity him.

"You should tell Pretty Boy that he needs to stay away from my gym before I make his kid an orphan."

He's goading you, I mused. He's trying to get a reaction, he wouldn't touch Nico or Kaitlin. Not like that.

"It wouldn't be hard. They've been taking the kid out to Central on Saturdays. All of them together, would be easy to just..." He trailed off with a click of his tongue, but I knew what he was insinuating.

A part of me felt like that information, regardless of truth, should've burnt at something deep inside of me. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I hoped it to be true, that Coden could have that shred of normality. Hopefully, my absence will change Kaitlin's mind about how often she allowed Nico to see him. The kid deserved to be happy and not worrying about when he'd next see his father.

And the other part...Well I very much doubted that Jakob could go against Nico in that manner and survive.

I opened my car door, placing my bag beside my seat as I went to climb in.

"Maybe I'd have some fun with her first," He leered like the pathetic rat he was. "Give her another accident."

I paused. "I suggest you walk away, Jakob."

"No, not until you tell your-"

I was so over this. I played nice. He could've just walked away. I didn't care what he said about me. I didn't care about what he said about Nico - Nico could fight his own battles. I wasn't Kaitlin's biggest supporter by any means but being spoken about in that manner was disgusting, and that was something that nobody deserved. And Coden was a child, and I'd be damned if anybody got away with talking about him like that.

I grabbed the bat that I kept hidden under my car seat and I swung it into his view. "I said, get the fuck away from me." Venom dripped from my mouth as I bit through my teeth, lips curling into a sneer.

His snake eyes moved to the bat and he smirked, "Doll, you wouldn't dar-"

Without hesitation, I slammed the metal bat into his ribs as hard as I could, stepping forward with the full intention to swing again as he jumped back, shouting. "You crazy bitch!" He stumbled away, panting slightly as he held onto his hopefully cracked ribs. "Tell García to back off."

"Tell him yourself, bitch." I seethed back at him. My words only seemed to piss him off as his eyes flickered, narrowing as he took a step towards me.

I could tell he expected me to cower, to act as if I was scared because, in all fairness, he looked deadly. The expression on his face was dark and it reminded me of why he was one of the most well respected, and well feared, boxers at the gym. If I was anyone else, I think I'd be scared. But when you come from nothing, when you live at the bottom, there's no one who can take you down because what the fuck else can you lose?