It Started With A Concussion ✔️

Chapter 29

All of them look uncomfortable beside Ro and Lily, which is making me uncomfortable. I knew there was something off about this guy from the start. He was too polite, smiled too much, made himself look too good to be true.

And by the way Lauren mentioned him, Annabelle's uninterest, and Jackson's suppressed anger, I could tell this ran way deeper.

I dry my hands on the towel when it finally clicks.

"God mom, I don't want him around."

Oh shit. Of course it's him. Now it makes sense why everyone's acting so awkward.

I leave the bathroom and head back to the dining room, but it's too late. The tension in this room could be cut with a knife at any second.

And when Donovan grabbed Lily's wrist, in quite a harsh manner, it snapped.

And it was fucking chaos.

Jackson jumped out of his chair and stormed over to Donovan, grabbing his arm and ripping it off of his mother. I barely have time to react before the children start screaming and the adults are yelling.

Things escalated quickly and Jackson had pulled Donovan out of his chair and shoved him against the wall. "You don't fucking lay a hand on her!" he yelled.

Elliot, Tyler, and my dad are trying to break them up, pull Jackson off of him. Lily is distraught by the scene in front of her, but my focus goes directly to the kids.

I turn to Alex, Eden, and Jasmine and help them scramble upstairs so they don't have to watch this. I got them into the guest room when I realized who was still down there.

My heart sank as I briefly calmed them down. "I'll be right back. Stay here." I rush out of the room and close the door, running downstairs.

My breaths are shallow as I try to find Rosalie. My mom is comforting Lily in the corner, my dad, Tyler and Elliot are still trying to get Jackson away from Donovan, when I finally spot Rosalie by a chair.

She was screaming for her brother. "Jack! Jack! Jackson, ple-please!"

I was in full panic mode when the brawl knocked a vase over and it shattered near Rosalie. She jumped and hugged onto the bar of the chair.

Watching my step, I picked her up despite the frantic hitting and elbows she threw to get out of my grip. I put her on my hip and heard some of their argument.

"Are you sure about that?" I heard Donovan ask in an eerily calm and amused tone.

"I am nothing like you!" Jackson was furious, pushing him up the wall.

I couldn't stop the tears that brimmed, my eyes stinging every moment I kept my eye on them. Ro was still screeching in my ear when I noticed something remarkable.

Annabelle and Lauren haven't moved an inch. They were still sitting in their seats with their heads angled at their plates. Lauren was gripping her fork so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

I turned back to the stairs with Rosalie still hitting my shoulder. "Ro, we have to go upstairs, ok?"

"No Emery!" she was sobbing at this point and it was breaking my heart. "Jack is still-down there! Let me go!" she hit my chest rapidly, but I absorbed the contact.

A cry was bubbling in my throat, and each step I took up the stairs, it strained even more.

I opened the door to the guest room and saw the three of them huddled on the bed. Jasmine was crying uncontrollably while Alex and Eden did everything they could to comfort her.