SPOILED INNOCENCE
chapter twenty
❝a perfect cacaphony of the inevitable❞
AS A SWEET BLONDE LAID ON HER CHEST, HER NOSE WHISTLING IN THE SOFT SONG OF SLEEP, MADELIENE PEREZ LAID AWAKE, STARING AT THE CEILING. Even though Baby was long asleep, Maddy couldn't help herself but rub smooth, soothing circles into her friend's back. She had been lying awake for hours, she couldn't, not when she felt feelings for her best friend she didn't understand.
It didn't make sense for her to be in love with Baby. Where were those feelings even coming from? Maddy scattered her brain for such reasons and she found a lot more than she originally thought there would be.
Baby was the kindest person Maddy had ever met, but those feelings don't equate to love. Baby did go out of her way for others, she was sweet but not tooth-rotting, she was sympathetic. Her boyfriend's mouth had also been on Baby's pussy before. That should have been something that infuriated Maddy, right? That should have been something that made her end the friendship right then and there. She still could have forgiven Baby but she could have dropped her along with it. Why did she forgive Baby like she did?
Maddy knew why she had before the words ever came out of her mouth. Baby was that kind of person you only come across once in a lifetime. Baby was the most loyal person in the world. She trusted blindly and she loved hard. Perhaps that's why Maddy kept the blonde so close—because that kind of loyalty could be a weapon in someone else's hands.
Maddy felt protective over Baby as soon as she met her. She didn't want anyone to harm her. She didn't want to harm her either but mold her. Perhaps Maddy had loved Baby the whole time but she didn't know it until it was right in front of her.
No matter what the case was, Maddy didn't have a chance. Even if she was one hundred percent certain about her feelings for the other girl, she was with Nate and Baby was with Andy. It wasn't the right time. Even if Maddy could break everything off with Nate tomorrow, she could never ask Baby to do that with Andy. It would be devastating for Baby. The terrifying part about all that was that if Maddy had told Baby everything in the morning, Baby would do anything she asked.
-
"MY PARENTS JUST THINK IT'S BEST IF I DON'T WORK HERE WHILE THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON," BABY SAID MEEKLY.
The whole day she had been dreading this moment. She didn't want to stop working for the Jacobs. Despite all of the shitty things that had happened with Nate and Cal, she loved Meredith more than anything in the entire world, and Marsha wasn't too bad either. Besides all that, the pay was great too.
Baby saw as Marsha rubbed her temples, her stomach turned in knots.
"I trust that Nate didn't do what everyone is saying, but my parents are just trying to be protective."
"I know, Baby," Marsha sighed. "I can't blame them."
Though the notion that someone didn't believe her son was innocent was supposed to be something that piss a mother off, Marsha knew that her son had actually done it. She knew how violent and dark he could be. She was less upset about the view that Walters had on her son and more stressed out that they weren't going to have a babysitter for a while.
"I have some cash in my office, I'll grab what we still owe you for last week," Cal said before disappearing upstairs.
"Is it okay if I go tell Meredith goodbye?" Baby asked.
"Of course, go ahead."
As Baby headed upstairs, she felt her heartbeat grow stronger. She felt her pulse everywhere in her body. Even though she said that it would only be temporary, she knew that her parents probably wouldn't let her come back to work even if Nate was deemed innocent. She hated that she was just about to break the heart of the girl she had loved so deeply for the past few months.
When she got to the top of the steps, she could see Meredith playing with her dolls. She looked so happy. Baby didn't want to ruin that just yet. She wanted to give Meredith a few more minutes of childhood bliss.
Instead of going into the youngest Jacobs' room, she made her way to Nate's. She didn't know why, and even if she did she probably wouldn't admit it. She knocked gently before the door swung open.
"What are you doing here?" Nate asked. He wasn't a dick right off the bat like usual, his voice was low and gentle. Baby didn't like it one bit.
"My parents are making me quit."
"Is it because of ..."
"Yeah."
"Baby you know I didn't do it, right?"
She studied his features as he pleaded his innocence. She wondered why he cared if she believed him or not. Did he just not want to be guilty in general? Or was it Baby specific?
"You've got to believe me, Baby, I didn't do it."
Then Baby witnessed something she never thought she'd see: Nate Jacobs was on his knees.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her stomach. He was begging her to trust him.
For the first time ever, Baby didn't believe it though. She knew what was happening. He was trying to manipulate her. She hated that she didn't see it before but it was so clear now. She wished that this epiphany had smacked her in the face much earlier so that she didn't have to deal with the hell Nate drug her through, but she was so ecstatic that she could finally catch on.
A smile came to her face as she ran her hands through Nate's hair.
"I believe you."
Baby meant it too. Not because she trusted Nate, he could probably tell her the sky was blue and she would be inclined to believe he was lying, but because she trusted Maddy.
"Now stop groveling, it's pathetic."
At that moment, Nate's eyes went wide. For a moment he questioned if he was dreaming. He could have sworn he heard Maddy in the voice above him. He looked up at the blonde with terror in his eyes. He thought he had gotten rid of the fear quick enough for her to not notice but she had. Though she couldn't read it as fear, she saw something there before they switched back to the unreadable stare they usually were.
"I'll see you around, Nate," Baby said before walking to Meredith's room.
Baby took a step into Meredith's room and her heart immediately sank to her stomach.
"Baby!" Meredith yelled excitedly, running to the older girl and wrapping her arms around her.
"Hey, Mere," Baby said, hugging the girl back.
"I thought you weren't going to be here until next week?"
"There's something I need to tell you, Mere."
She looked up at Baby with wide eyes. She might not have been old, but she was smart, and she knew about something in Baby's voice that something bad was coming.
"I'm not going to be around for a while."
Baby's heart broke as she saw Meredith's mouth frown.
"Why not?"
"Some big kid stuff is happening right now," Baby said. "Unfortunately, that means that I can't watch after you, but it won't be forever Mere. I'll see you again."
There was a moment of silence. Meredith was taking this much better than Baby had originally assumed.
"Does this have something to do with Nate?"
Baby's eyes went wide at the young girl's words.
"What would this have to do with Nate?"
"I overheard them talking, people are saying he hurt his friend Maddy."
"He didn't do it though, Mere."
"That's what Mommy and Daddy say too. I don't know if it's true."
Baby didn't know what to say to that. She was absolutely stunned.
"Baby's got to get going, Mere," Cal called from the door.
Meredith leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Baby and she did the same. Baby hugged the young girl tight and for as long as she could.
"I love you, Mere."
"I love you too, Baby."
Meredith leaned forward and kissed Baby on the forehead, which was enough to bring her to the brink of tears. Baby then gave Meredith a kiss on the head before getting up and walking down the stairs with Cal.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way," Cal spoke.
"Me too," Baby sniffled. She looked up into Cal's icy blue eyes and knew this would be the last time they spoke for a while. "I'm not going to say anything. Everything that happened is strictly between us."
Cal just nodded. "When everything is over maybe you can come back to work for us."
"I hope so. I love Meredith, I just hope I can see her again."
"You will."
When they reached the bottom of the steps, Cal handed Baby the cash. Marsha approached the two with a small smile.
"So I guess this is goodbye for a while," Baby spoke to the Jacobs.
"C'mere, Baby, you're like a daughter to me," Marsha said, pulling Baby in for a hug. "You did so well here, I'm proud of you."
"Thank you, Marsha."
Baby gave the couple one last smile before walking out and into Cooper's trunk.
"I know that must've been hard, Baby," Cooper started.
"Just drive, I don't want to talk about it."
Cooper stayed silent on the short ride home. He knew that his youngest sister was going through hell right now, but he knew that it was going to be best for her.
When Baby got inside of the house, she tried to rush upstairs, but if it was one thing she should have known from her sixteen years on earth, it was that she would never be as quick as Jessica Walters.
"Baby, please come in here," Jessica called from the living room.
Baby clenched her fists and took a deep breath before walking into the living room. There was a part of her that saw this as nothing less than hilarious. She saw her siblings be put in this predicament her whole life. She swore to herself that she would follow every rule, surpass every expectation, would get good grades, and would be the best child her parents could have ever asked for. Still doing all that, she found herself with the anxiety in her stomach she saw her older siblings' faces before her. Even though she made it sixteen years, she couldn't escape the inevitable.
When she saw the looks on her parents faces, sadness rushed in with the anxiety, making a perfect cacophony of dread throughout her body.
Ben and Jessica had mastered the art of scolding their children. There were countless times that the five of their kids had to have a stern talkin' to about their actions, but much like Baby, they thought that the day where they had to talk to their youngest would never come.
"What you did last night was inexcusable," Ben started.
"Ben," Jessica scolded before turning back to Baby. "I understand why you were upset but what you did last night was no way to handle it."
"I know," Baby nodded.
"Not answering any of us was devastating, Baby. You had your mother and I worried sick."
"I know."
"This is behavior that we would have expected out of your siblings, but not from you, Baby."
"I know."
"It is because you acted out in such a way that we know how much this meant for you," Jessica said. "I know this seems unfair and harsh, but we are your parents, Baby, we do know what is best for you."
There was a push and pull in Baby's mind whether or not she fully agreed with that statement. On one hand, her parents did manage to keep her and her siblings alive and with no trauma. On the other hand however, she was a teenager with raging hormones and she didn't want to believe things that she was told she had to believe. Either way, this was not a time to argue that sentiment.
"I know."
"Since this is the first time that you have acted out towards us, your mother and I have decided to not punish you."
"We understand how emotional this whole situation is for you, so we will let you off of the hook this time. Next time something like this comes up you do have to talk to us about it and not freak out. You only get one get-out-of-jail-free card."
"If you ever pull a stunt like this again, there will be severe consequences."
"I understand."
Jessica pulled her youngest daughter into a hug.
"We love you, Baby. We really don't want you to get hurt. We're going to protect you for as long as we can."
"I love you guys too."
As Baby was being embraced by her parents, she had felt an immense wave of realif wash over her. In the end it would all turn out fine. She would be forgiven and life would move on.
Or at least that's what she thought.
word count: 2133
unedited
elise speaks!
so i was just wondering if you
guys would like it more if i added
season two to this book as like a
part two or like it more if i just
created a whole different book.
i'm just curious so let me know!