✓ 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝘫. 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 ¹

45

chapter forty five
"seven years"

———

"EVELYNN! STOP!"

LYNN DIDN'T LISTEN to JJ as he called out for her, and just continued on walking away from the house. It's not that she wanted to bluntly cut him off, but more that somehow her father would be able to wake from his beaten state and come hunting for the both of them.

JJ grasped ahold of Lynn's wrist, forcing her to a halt. She glanced behind her shoulder, and tears were clearly sticking to her cheeks, and there was only a growing red mark from her fathers slap.

"Princess..." JJ breathed out after examining the girl softly, and he could tell he was close to tears as well.

"Lets just go," Lynn mumbled, but her voice was small and JJ could hardly even hear her.

"No, not until you talk to me," JJ stated, his voice more firm, and he shook his head at the blonde in front of him.

"J, we need to go," Lynn answered, and her voice started to hold a bit more power. She took her wrist back from JJ, and started to walk away once again.

"Evelynn!"

Lynn was abruptly cut off once again, but this time JJ had skipped so he would be standing in her way. She had slightly bumped into JJ's chest, but he didn't seem to mind.

"What!?" Lynn snapped, throwing her arms in the air aimlessly. "What the hell do you want to talk about that's so fucking urgent we have to stay in front of my fathers house!?"

"How long?" JJ questioned, ignoring her previous comment, and his piercing blue eyes didn't dare leave Lynn's. She glanced down to the sidewalk, and let out a massive sigh. "How long has he...has he been doing this? Hurting you?"

"It's not a big—"

"—If you fucking say its not a big deal, Eve, I'm gonna lose it," JJ interrupted, and she could tell he was easily getting more agitated. He ran a hand through his messy blonde locks, and his chest was heaving with emotion, and was trying to calm himself down. "Tell me."

Lynn stared down into JJ's eyes, not even knowing where to start. Her blue eyes shifted in sadness, and she felt the tears overwhelming her. She let out the smallest of whimpers, and a tear slipped on her cheek.

"It doesn't matter, J."

"Don't tell me it doesn't fucking matter!" JJ barked, and Lynn almost flinched at his suddenly loud, booming voice. He realized this, and then lowered his voice as he carried on. "I care for you, Eve, I love you. I-I'm your boyfriend, Evelynn. You're supposed to trust me, you're supposed to talk to me."

Lynn was feeling less of a despair and more of anger. She doesn't need others. She's always been better off by herself.

"I have been dealing with this shit by myself for as long as I can remember, JJ! It doesn't change a damn thing that you saw it," Lynn snapped, and now it was JJ's turn to almost wince from the harsh, loud voice.

"For as long as you can remember?"

"Since I was a kid," Lynn stared at JJ, and she looked completely emotionless. Just like the pictures. Just like with the sheriff. "I didn't need help then, and I don't need your help now."

Just as when Lynn found out about JJ being abused by his father, the boy felt like his heart had just split directly into two. He had known Lynn for so long, for seven years, and he didn't even know her father was hurting her.

And he promised he wasn't going to let anything happen to his princess.

Lynn tried to step past the blonde boy hovering over her, but as she moved to her right, he moved to his left, covering her exit.

"Evelynn, you need to talk to you friends—"

"—Like you did!? Seven years! Seven years and you never told us that your dad beats you! You never told me," Lynn growled, and she pushed JJ by the shoulders harshly, making him back up a foot or so. "You have no right to tell me to talk to people!"

"You're supposed to talk to me though! We're supposed to talk to each other!"

"Guess we're pretty shit at that, huh?" Lynn fake chuckled, and she was gritting her teeth, not because she was mad at JJ; but she hated herself. "Seven years. And we didn't know what was happening to each other."

"Evelynn—"

"—I didn't want to tell you, to tell anyone," Lynn spoke up softly, and she was completely fighting the urge of balling her eyes out. "I was afraid. That you guys would think I'm some weak girl that doesn't know how to fight back. I didn't want you to know this side of me."

"Eve, I want to know every single part of you," JJ replied, and he grabbed ahold of both her hands while pulling her body closer. "The good, the bad, and the ugly."

"You deserve better."

"You don't get to decide that," JJ shook his head, and his blue eyes hovered at the emotion in his voice. "I do."

"I'm gonna go, J," Lynn stated, taking her hand away from his grip, and he looked like Lynn just stepped on a puppy in front of him. She was holding back the tears, so it didn't seem like it was really affecting her.

"We need to talk this out," JJ explained, and Lynn's eyes glanced down to the sidewalk at her feet.

"Not now. I don't, I can't do it right now."

No matter how much protesting, and no matter how much JJ called out for the girl, she didn't stop walking away. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she wasn't going to stay there and she wasn't going with JJ.

She needed time.