Fated Love (BWWM)

present day - 18

Aaliyah felt a pang of hurt go through hurt. "Do you really hate me that much that you can't stand to be around me?" She asks him, starting tearing up.

Jackson paused upon hearing that. "Aaliyah, that's not-"

"Then what is it?!" She hissed, causing a couple people around them to go "SHHH".

Jackson looks around and realized what they were doing. He grabs her hand and leads her outside, where they could talk more freely. "I️ don't understand why you're so upset. You've made your choice, and now I'm making mines," he says much louder this time, making her flinch. Realizing what he's done, he takes a step back. "I'm sorry. I️ didn't mean to-"

Aaliyah turns away from him, not wanting to hear those words come out from his mouths. She heard those same words come from Elijah way too many times to count that now, they mean absolutely nothing to her. "You know, I️ thought you were different," she finally speaks, catching his attention. "Most the guys here grew up together. So they copy everything they see each other do. But you? You're new, you weren't raised here. So I️ just thought..."

"Well I'm sorry to be a disappointment then," he snaps. "Doesn't feel good when others let you down huh?"

Aaliyah just wished, wished, she could tell Jackson what was really going on. But if she did that, there's no telling what would happen. Jackson was as impulsive as Elijah, and even if he defended her on her behalf, Elijah would still send out the video. Still show it to everyone she knows, still post it online. And no matter what she does, everyone knows that the Internet is forever, and once it's there...that's it.

So instead, she keeps her mouth shut. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry?" He repeats in disbelief. "I️ cant fucking believe this," he mutters to himself, rolling his eyes. "I literally fought for you!"

"I didn't ask for you to-"

"I️ made myself look like a totally asshole in front of everyone at school over you, only to find out that they were all right! That I️ had zero chance with you cause you're so stuck to your shit boyfriend!"

Aaliyah took the verbal hits in silence.

"And just when I️ thought everything was good, you two pull this shit on me!" He yells, rightfully hurt, like Elijah intended. "Did you even care? Did anything I️ ever did for you even mattered?"

"Of course it did! Jesus," she scoffs, shaking her head. "It's just complicated Jack!" She reaches and tug his arm. "You know me! You-"

"Apparently I️ don't," he yanks his arm back. "I️ gotta go," he huffs. "I'll see late-"

"The way you're treating me right now hurts a hell of a lot more than Elijah punching me in the face at homecoming, you know that?" She says, catching him off guard. He stops and watches as she shoves right past him to go back inside the library.

Aaliyah quickly wipes her tears away as she picks up her phone to text her mom to pick her up. She then rushes into the bathroom to wipe her tears and wash her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and almost scoffed at how pathetic she looked. Here she was crying over yet another guy that didn't even like her.

Once her mom pulled up, she was a lot calmer than before, her mom not even noticing. After a couple minutes of silence, Aaliyah spoke up. "Mom what happened to grandpa?" She asked lowly.

"Oh I️ don't know. That's something you're gonna have to ask your dad when he gets back-"

"No I️ mean...what happened to your dad?"

Her mother frowned. "He died in Vietnam baby, you know this," she said as if it was obvious.

"But, we don't even know his name?"

Elisa sighed. "I️ don't love, this is something you'd have to ask your grandmother," she tells her as she parks in their driveway. They both got out and walked alongside each other, making their way inside the house. "But hell, who knows if she'll ever open up. She barely talk to me about him," she scoffs.

"Well it's important. It's for school. Me and Jackson are partners and we-"

This caught her mother's attention. "Did you say Jackson?" She repeated.

Aaliyah modded slowly. "Yeah...he's my partner," she explains with a slight scoff. "Some partner..." She then looks back at her mom who looks conflicted. "What's wrong?" She asks.

Her mom finally sighs. "Alright, look. I️ wasn't sure if I️ wanted to show you this but...actually it's better if you just follow me," Her mom waves her over, confusing her. Aaliyah hesitantly follow suit, not sure what was going on. Her whole demeanor was off and she was acting pretty weird. They went all the way into the master bedroom where her parents slept and she watched as her mother crouched down and reached under the bed to pull out a worn red leather box. She opened it up and there, she saw a bunch of little mementos from her mother's youth. Medals, ribbons, souvenirs from trips, letters and more importantly, pictures.

Aaliyah slowly sunk down to sit next to her and watched as her mother pulled out old photos of her and her grandmother. Ones from when she was a baby, up until she got married in the early 2000's. "I've never seen these before," she murmurs quietly.

"That's because I️ didn't want you kids ruining them," her mom says, making Aaliyah playfully suck on her tooth and roll her eyes. "But that's not what I️ wanted to show you," she says, pulling out a photo of a man she's never seen before.

Except, she has seen him before.

Aaliyah's jaw dropped as she took the photo, the same photo she saw Jackson post on Snapchat weeks ago, into her hands. "Mom...where did you get this?" She whispered.

No.....

Her mother exhaled before speaking. "When I️ was about your age, I️ was curious about my father too," she explained. "And I️ was so mad at your grandmother for refusing to talk about him that, one day while she was at work, I️ snuck into her room and I️ looked all over the place for some sort of clue and the only thing I️ found was this picture," she said.

Aaliyah was at a loss for words. But it was when she turned it over, that she knew.

Nathan, 1972
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😱

This book got some many plot holes, I'm sorry y'all. I️ know, I️ just made it weird.

I️ think after this chapter, I️'m gonna make some changes to make this less incesty. I️ wanted to shock y'all, but it went...wrong I️ guess you could say.

Anyways....while I️ fix that, enjoy the 90's!