When Hate Turns to Love

Ch. 40

Because I love you all: here's another chapter ❤️
_____________________________

Nini gently put a blanket over Brookelynn's sleeping form. The woman had cried herself into exhaustion and fell asleep on the couch quickly. Nini could still see that Brookelynn was on the defense even in sleep. She was stiff as a board.

Nini went into her room and collapsed onto her bed. Her body felt as though she had run a marathon and her skull was hosting a nice headache party. She reached into her side table drawer for the small bottle of Tylenol. She took two and called Ricky to see how Connor was and if he was upset that she wasn't there. He had laughed, saying that Connor was too busy playing with Red to notice she was gone, and the doctors said that he could leave later that night. She told him to call when the discharge papers needed to be signed and he told her he would. He was just being amazing. Reassured, she pulled out her book as she ended the call. She started writing.

I am fairly certain that I will win the custody case. I just got a little help from the most unexpected person. EJ's current wife Brookelynn has left him and agreed to testify against him. But this is a hallow victory. The poor girl is destroyed. I think he was far worse to her than he was to me. I worry that I may have caused that. My leaving must have made him furious.

Nini sighed, but suddenly felt renewed. A song began floating around in her mind.

Look what he's done to you
It isn't fair
Your light was bright and new
But he didn't care
He took the heart of a little girl
And made it grow up too fast

Now words like "innocence"
Don't mean a thing
You hear the music play
But you can't sing
Those pictures in your mind
Keep you locked up inside your past

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless he made you feel
There is a Love he can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl

Those damaged goods you see
In your reflection
Love sees them differently
Love sees perfection
A beautiful display
Of healing on the way tonight
Tonight

Look what he's done to you
It isn't fair
Your light was bright and new
But he didn't care
He took the heart of a little girl
And made it grow up too fast

Now words like innocence
Don't mean a thing
You hear the music play
But you can't sing
Those pictures in your mind
Keep you locked up inside your past

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless he made you feel
There is a Love he can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl, girl
You don't have to stay the broken girl, girl

Let your tears touch the ground
Lay all your shattered pieces down
And be amazed by how Grace can take a broken girl
And put her back together again

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless he made you feel
There is a Love he can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl, girl
You don't have to stay the broken girl, girl
You don't have to stay the broken girl

"You don't have to stay the broken girl." Nini spoke the last lines aloud, liking how they sounded.

A knock sounded at the door. Brookelynn screamed awake.

"It's him!" she shouted, shaking.

Nini hurried out of her room to the frightened woman's side.

"Who is it?" she yelled.

"It's Kourt. What the hell's going on?" came her friend's irritated voice.

"Just second Kourt." she yelled back.

She took Brookelynn's face in her hands.

"Brookelynn, Brookelynn, look at me." blue eyes met hers, "It's not EJ. It's my best friend Kourtney. Do you remember her from the mediation?"

Brookelynn blinked rapidly, but nodded.

"Do you want some water?" Nini asked, heading towards the door.

"Yes please." Brookelynn whispered, curling up on the couch, wrapping her arms round herself.

Nini opened the door and Kourtney pushed past her, looking around.

"What the hell is going on?" she hissed.

"You scared Brookelynn. She thought it was EJ." Nini said, heading to the kitchen.

"Oh." Kourt said, her irritation gone, "Geez."

Kourtney waited while Nini gave Brookelynn some water and followed her friend into her room. She glanced back at the blonde on the couch.

"She's already asleep." Kourt said lowly.

Nini closed the door quietly. She and Kourt collapsed onto the bed.

"I don't think she has had a good rest in a very long time." she said, "What are you doing here? Not that I don't love you or anything."

"I'm here because I think you should go to the hospital." Kourt said.

"Is something wrong?" Nini cried.

"No Nins." Kourt said, "I think you should be with Ricky and the kids."

"Why?" Nini asked, eyes narrowed.

"Ricky told me something that happened last night with Connor." Kourtney said cryptically, "I think you should ask him about it. I'll stay with Brookelynn."

Nini could see her friend wasn't going to say anymore, so she got up and put on her shoes. She woke Brookelynn and explained where she was going, grabbed her book and headed out the door.
________________________________
Song is Broken girl by Matthew West