Fragments

story fragment // My Twist on Fate

My Twist on Fate | Chapter Three

I stood there frozen for a minute or two before quietly shutting the door. What had I just witnessed? Breathe, Reagan, Breathe. Maybe it was just a trick of the mind. Maybe you're going crazy and hallucinating. Maybe this is all a dream and you're still on a plane. I pinched my hand. Nope, it hurt. I was definitely awake, which meant that my mother did cheat on my father.

The anger in me began to swell. What the hell was she doing? She was ruining everything! We had the perfect family, the it family. She just had to go and ruin it for me, didn't she? I knew she always hated me, I knew it. And who was that man with her? Surely he must've known that she was married. I mean she is wearing a wedding ring...unless she took it off. What was she thinking? She probably wasn't thinking, that was the problem. Everyone was in the house, what makes her so confident that she wouldn't have gotten caught? The fact that she had an affair in someone else's home sickened me even more. If you're going to do that, at least have the small courtesy have going to a hotel or something –not your daughter's boyfriend's parents' house.

I heard a growl that snapped me back into reality. I forgot I wasn't alone. Jayden had his teeth pulled back into a snarl like he was about to kill someone and tightened his fists. I laid my hand gently on his shoulder, an effort to calm him down. It seemed to work because his shoulders relaxed. "Hey," I said softly. "Let's go."

He nodded and started heading downstairs. I followed closely behind. I was led into the kitchen. I hadn't paid attention to the appearance of the kitchen before because Talia was distracting me with her fabulous cooking skills. I have to admit, it was a nice looking kitchen. It was very open and the walls were painted a pear green. Sunlight streamed in from a glass wall and the light wooden floors were warm. The counters were marble and there was a stainless steel fridge that took up a good portion of the wall. It was modern with a hint of classicness; I liked it.

Jayden, you okay? I'm so sorry for what my mom did. I can't believe that she would do that in your house. I mean, I don't even know the guy and-"

He cut me off. "That (choice of swearword that begins with "b" but isn't a female dog) is my father," he growled.

Wait, what? My mom. His dad. I clenched my fist. What if Talia had walked in instead of me? Poor girl would've shattered to pieces. My emotions began to stir inside of me. I began swearing like a sailor who had stubbed his toe. My blood began to boil. I felt like I was going to burst with this new, unwanted knowledge. And I did. Before I knew it, tears began streaming down my face and I began hyperventilating. My throat began to close and it felt like I was gasping for air. I made a noise that is similar to hiccupping. That's what happens when I cry. That's why I don't do it often. I definitely don't do it in front of people, especially people that hate me.

"Hey now. Don't cry," Jayden soothed, patting my back awkwardly.

"How can I not cry?" I blubbered. "I just saw my mom cheating on my dad."

"It'll be alright."

I looked up at him. He looked pretty beaten, but I bet he was in better shape than me. I was mess. His dark blue eyes shone with sincerity. Somehow, even though I knew he didn't like me, I believed him.

"Promise?" I croaked, wiping away a tear. I felt like I was five again, naïve and ready to believe whatever I wanted to hear.

He smiled weakly and nodded. I really don't think he hated me anymore–at least not as much as he used to. Strangely, that made me feel a little better. If Talia was serious about him, I wanted to be on good terms with him. If they got married, I'd have to deal with him during holidays and family reunions. I could still feel the hot tears stinging my cheeks as they flowed down onto my t-shirt. I tried stopping, I really did. But I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried to contain it. I stopped trying to silence it; it hurt too much. Jayden pulled me into a hug, giving me a shoulder to cry on. As cliché as it was, it was comforting. It seemed like he was making an effort. He soothingly rubbed circles on my back. I felt myself relax a bit. I took a huge breath and it was like a tiny weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I wasn't alone in this.