Relentless

Chapter 3

I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, my heart sinks to my stomach when I see it's my mother.

"Hello?" I answer with a shaky breath.

"Hi, Juliet. It's Daniel." A husky voice says, relieving me in the slightest.

"Hi. Thank you for what you did earlier."

"Of course. Are you alright?"

"Yes. How's Mom?" I ask.

"She's better. She had been drinking, but I think she's calmed down now. Jackson explained to her that you weren't drinking and she apologizes."

"H-he told her?"

"Yes, don't worry. Your Mom isn't mad at you."

"C-can I speak to him?" I ask. I hear mumbling in the background and finally I hear Jackson.

"Hey. You okay?" Jackson asks.

"Yes. You're Dad told me what you did for me. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Um... What exactly did you tell her?" I mumble.

"I just told her you went to a party, you saw there was drinking, you went to leave and then someone fell on you spilling their drink. I told her you didn't do anything."

I release a sigh of relief, happy that he didn't say anything about Ian.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's late, Dad just wanted to check up on you. I'll let you get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he hangs up.

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The next day, I walk over to my house to see an unpleasant sight. My Mom and Daniel doing drugs in the living room. I don't stick around to see what it is, instead I go upstairs.

I put on my music and read my novel. I get so into it that I don't realize that I am belting out Emotions by Mariah Carey, whistle tones and all, until I hear my door burst open. A disheveled Daniel stands in the frame. I take out my ear buds and stare at him.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you." I say, looking back at my novel.

"You have a hell of a voice." He says, obviously high.

"Thank you."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to take you to my friend's house."

Um...what?

"Your friend's house?" I ask, a little nervously.

"He owns a record company. We're going to make some money."

"What?" I don't want to go to some stranger and sing for him!

"I need money and you're going to get it for me."

"No!"

"What did you just say?" He asks in a pissed off tone, walking closer to me, causing me to shut my book and inch closer to the wall.

"I'm not that good. I can't make you money, I'm sorry."

"You will do what I say when I say it, understand?!" He yells in my face. I slid down the wall when he gets right in-front of me before he can hit me.

When I hear my door close, I pick my head up from my knees and look around my room to see that he left. I make my way over to my bed to find my book missing and start to panic. Daniel took my novel! I release a frustrated sigh and my door swings open, scaring me.

"Hey." Jackson says.

"Hi."

"Sorry, I...uh... Didn't mean to scare you, I should've knocked. I heard my Dad scream. Are you alright?" He asks, walking over to the edge of my bed and sitting down.

"He's taking me to a recording studio tomorrow. I mean he has no right to eavesdrop on me when I'm singing, let alone eavesdrop at all! I mean, who does he think he is? My father? He has no right telling me what I will and will not do! I don't even know him! He's just so... so..." That's when I realize I am ranting about how much I hate Daniel to Daniel's son. "Jack, I'm sorry. You don't have to listen to me."

"No, it's okay. I get it. He's not your father and he has no right doing that to you. I'll talk to him." Jackson says, standing.

"Thanks. And could you work on getting my book back?" I ask in addition.

"One step at a time." He replies, leaning down and kissing my head.

Well... this is awkward.

He keeps his cool, smiles at me and walks out of my room.

Why? Why did he have to do that?

I feel gross but at the same time I'm happy. Nobody besides Maris and Luke has ever been that nice to me, let alone a boy I just met! I find myself giggling then snap out of it. I can't like him.

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Later that night I am startled awake by my front door opening and my Mom and Daniel laughing. I get up from bed and make my way to the stairs when the guest bedroom door opens. Jackson comes out into the hall and walks with me downstairs. When we get there, Daniel is holding my Mom against the wall, kissing her. I see my Mom open one eye to look at us and she stops.

"Where have you two been?" Jackson asks, reading my mind. My Mom and Daniel release each other and hold out their left hands to reveal gold bands on their ring finger.

"WHAT!?" I yell, angry and confused. "But you two just got together!"

"Now we're staying together!" Daniel says.

"Meet your new Daddy!" My Mom slurs, obviously drunk or high.

"NO!" I yell again, feeling tears in my eyes. "You are not my father!"

I run upstairs and fly onto my bed sobbing in my pillow. I hear footsteps in my room and then feel someone rubbing my back.

"I'm sorry, Juliet." Jackson whispers. I quickly sit up and hug him, holding onto him like I would never, ever do in any other circumstance.

"I miss my Dad." I whisper.

"I know." He whispers in return. I feel him stroking my hair and feel slightly creeped out so I back out of his embrace.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from." I sniffle.

"I do. Your mother just got remarried to a man she met a few days ago." I look down at the ground and let my thoughts run ramped. I feel tears run down my cheeks and wipe them away.

Suddenly, I feel a pair of lips on mine and pull away instantly, releasing a short scream.

"What the heck are you doing?!" I ask with a shocked tone.

"Kissing you?" Jackson replies.

"You can't!"

"Watch me!" He says, moving closer to me. I push my hands against his chest, pushing him away from me.

"What the hell, Juliet!" Jack screams. Now I'm starting to get scared.

"You're my Step-Brother!" I scream back.

"Like that fucking matters!"

"It does and please don't curse at me!"

"Juliet, we're not related. We can be together!"

"No! We can't! I don't want to!"

"Don't fight it, Julie."

"I'm not fighting squat!" I yell. He gives me a confused look and then laughs hysterically.

"Shit. The term is shit!"

"Stop! Get out!" I yell to him.

"You're making a big mistake." Jackson says as he leaves the room. He slams my door shut, causing me to jump as I crawl into my bed.

Song for this chapter:

Emotions- Ariana Grande