Stay

Chapter thirty-two

Silently, I follow Jessie as he strolls through the park, still gripping hold of my hand as if I were to run away if he let go.

Even though it's Jessie, I can't help but feel a little anxious when anyone says they need to talk to me. It's like my brain instantly goes into panic mode and thinks of the worse possible scenarios.

The air is so crisp I can see my breath in front of my face, I put my other hand inside my coat pocket as my teeth begin to chatter.

As we approach a little river, Jessie sits down on the side of a bank. He gestures for me to sit next to him before gazing out across the water with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Sitting down, I wait for him to speak, if it is bad then I wouldn't want to rush him.

Nervously, I begin to pick at the frosty grass around my feet just as Jessie begins to talk.

"You're a curious girl, Maddie. I can tell by the way you look at me, at my art work." He refuses to make eye-contact with me and instead continues to gaze out across the lake. "On the first day we met, I could see the panic in your face when you saw my black eye," He lets out a small laugh, finally looking at me. "You didn't know what to do. But I know you were curious and I'm willing to tell you, if you would like?"

Jessie is right. Curiosity has always been one of my traits, one that most definitely gets me into trouble ninety percent of the time.

"I want to know who you are, Jessie, and I'm here to listen."

"When I was younger, my parents never got along. However, my mother adored my dad. To her he could do nothing wrong and even though they would argue constantly, nothing ever physical happened. Until one day my dad snapped." He inhales deeply and I lean in closer for support. "He ended up throwing a vase at my mother's head, I ran straight over to her to help and my father left. We had nothing.

My father took control of our house, we had nowhere to live. My mother made a home out of her small car and that is how we lived. She would work all day, making sure she had enough money to give me food. Some nights she went hungry. But she refused to get a night job because we didn't have the protection of a house. We had a car and cars are very easy to break into. She didn't want to leave me at risk. I was the only thing she had left.

Until six months later when she realized before leaving my father, she had fallen pregnant with Lola. We had no choice but to beg my father to let us back in. He allowed us to come back under the condition that I was to get a job. So, at thirteen years old I worked over time at the nearest pub every day after school to help pay the bills but I didn't mind. I'd do everything for my mother if I had to.

Once Lola was born my mother fell sick and my father, not used to having any responsibility got stressed out having to care for my sister and I. So he began," Jessie's eyes begin to well up as he clears his throat.

"I'm here for you, Jessie." I whisper, taking hold of his hand, rubbing my thumb up and down it.

"He began to take it out on Lola. He'd curse at her, yell at her and one day went to hit her before I got in the way telling him that if he's going to hit anyone, to hit me. From that day forward I have taken every blow for my sister and I will continue to do so while that man is alive." A tear escapes his eyes. "You wonder why my paintings have my mother in, it's because I never want to forget her face. And every time I look at Lola, I see a glimmer of my mother there, staring back."

"That day, when we first met. You had a black eye... was that because...?" I can't bear to ask. Jessie only nods his head in response. "Damn, I feel bad for complaining about my problems. I'm sorry you've been through all this." I can't hide the shame oozing out of me as I divert my eyes to the floor.

Jessie wipes away the tear and tilts my head back up to look at him. "Everyone is fighting their own silent battles. Big or small it doesn't matter, I will be here for you as I was for them, Maddie. Believe me when I say I'm never leaving you to fight on your own."

I can't stop myself as I leap at him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

We just sit there, holding each other in the freezing cold until we both feel a little more human inside.

A/N: 

Ah I've been waiting to tell you guys Jessie's past for sooooo long now! How'd you feel about it? It makes me want to go and kick his dick of a father in the face! 

But this just proves you never know what's going on in peoples lives.

Anyway, I'd love to know what you think of Stay so far now that we are beginning to come close to the end. (noooooooo) 

Lot's of love, Meg xox