"Call me when you get there," I hugged my mom tightly. It's been less than a week and they're off to another trip. I let her go and smiled, moving to embrace my dad next.
"Take care of yourself, Princess. We're proud of you," he whispered, kissing my temple. I smiled when I heard his words, squeezing him even tighter and trying not to lose my balance while standing on my tip toes.
I kissed his cheek before letting go and watching them turn to walk into the airport. They turned to look at me for a final time and waved.
When they disappeared behind the glass doors of the airport, I got back in the car, closing the trunk on my way to the driver's seat.
I've got a long drive ahead.
An hour of continuous humming and singing, my throat felt parched and I pulled up into a convenient store to get myself something to drink.
Locking the car, I jogged into the store under the light drizzle that poured not too long ago and immediately went to the back of the store where the fridge doors fogged.
I went to the one that held mineral bottles and took a couple of the medium sized one, walking to the counter to pay for them and grabbing a pack of oreos after a second thought.
'Whistle' by Flo-Rida was on and I didn't waste a minute before humming lowly to it. I set the things on the counter and waited for the man to check them out.
My hums were cut short by a female news reporter that appeared in the TV.
"Breaking News; fifteen minutes earlier, a woman that was walking pass the town square informed us that she heard gunshots being fired. Policemen were forced to get involved and we found what seemed to be a war against two gangs."
I watched the screen emotionlessly, that was until I finally saw something that irked me; a guy with an eerily familiar mob of brown hair and a distinct scar, highlighted by the lamp post nearby, on the guy that he was aiming for.
The camera zoomed in on the two and I felt bile rose on the back of my throat and I forced it down before I vomit in public.
"Miss? Are you alright?" My attention snapped to the man behind the counter. I swallowed tightly, trying to mask my discomfort and went for a tight lipped smile. It wasn't the best that I could have done but it was the best that I'm able to manage at the moment.
I paid for the things and rushed to my car in a hurried pace. I didn't even realize I was closing the car door with too much force until it banged against the side of the car.
Even then, I couldn't shake off the tremble in my hands as I remembered Dom's world that night.
"Bryant and I joined a gang," He must mean Quentin's and even though I was concern with why would they ever join that douche's squad or gang or whatever they call it, I was more interested in the 'why'. Why would they join a gang? Bryant wouldn't have done anything to out my life on the line so why?
All I could gather from our conversation was that they did it to protect me but from what is yet a mystery to me. I let my head fall on the steering wheel with a huff of my breath but continued to let my mind wander for a while.
If only I could understand. The questions were slowly killing me inside and the need to know and understand the situation grew as the seconds tick by.
After a few minutes later, I finally forced myself to snap out of it and continue the drive. Another hour passed before I finally pulled up into the Jones residence.
They've finally managed to pull it together and stabilize their financial state again a few months after Adam's incident.
I was happy for them and the kids were holding up alright. Speaking of...
"Casey!" I grinned at them while they jumped into my arms and knocked my backwards, forcing the breath out of me as I steadied us so no one will be covered in mud.
All thought about the gang fight escaped my mind the second I saw them.
"Hey kiddos, have you been good to your dad and brothers?" I ruffled both of their heads and Cali grinned at me while little Pio grew a slight frown at the gesture and started fixing his hair and finally smiled at me after smoothening his hair.
"Case, glad you could make it. Come in, I heard there was a storm coming," Jerry greeted and I smiled at him, scooping both of the kids into my arms and getting them inside, following their father into the kitchen.
We strolled into the house and found Preston rummaging the fridge for something. He didn't seem to have heard us so I decided to put the kids down to their feet and crept up behind him.
"Boo!" I whispered into his ear and he jolted, bumping his head onto the fridge's roof and caused the contents inside to make clanging sounds of bottles falling and bumping into each other.
The kids laughed loudly but Preston doesn't look as pleased as they do.
"You just had to," He stated, glaring at me while I smiled innocently and pushed him out of the way to right the fallen bottles. Luckily, nothing spilled.
I took my head out of the fridge and turned to face Jerry who had a silent amused smile plastered on his face.
"What?" I asked him, knowing perfectly that his smile was pointed to my childishness.
He shook his head and gestured to the dining table that was already prepared and full with food, "shall we?"
I beamed at him, trying to suppress the growls of my stomach to a minimum.
"Definitely."
The next hour was filled with delicious smells of different foods and lots of catching up.
"Congratulations on finishing high school, Case," Jerry shot me a brief smile through chewing his food across the table and I looked up from helping Pio spooning the small leftovers of his food to give him one of my own.
"Thank you, it's definitely good to finally finish that bit of my education," I laughed lightly.
"Casey, why are you never here when Adam is around? Don't you miss him?" Cali asked quietly from my left side and I felt myself tense.
"Cali..." Preston started but I shook my head at him, mouthing and 'it's okay'.
I couldn't face Cali when I answered her, afraid that she'll see something in my eyes that I don't want her to see.
"I do miss him, love. It's just really complicated right now," I said in a half-whisper tone, trying to keep the emotions at bay.
Cali nodded, apparently detecting the sadness and wistful tone in my voice. I felt guilty for not being able to tell her the complete truth but she was just a kid.
Just then, the door banged open and I jolted in my seat, looking around.
Jerry and Preston had a semi frown on their faces but I could see the uneasiness in their eyes.
From the front door, a voice that I haven't heard for a long time called out.
"Pio? Cali?" I gulped, looking at Preston who was rooted on his seat. My eyes moved to look at Jerry who was too stunned to do anything.
He wasn't supposed to come back until tomorrow. He was supposed to be staying in a friend's house. He wasn't supposed to be home today.
"Dad?" The voice was much closer now and yet, all of us couldn't move except for the kids who were looking towards the voice and our faces in silent confusion.
I could tell that they wanted to greet their older brother but I knew they can sense the tension in the room.
"Preston?" The voice was coming from the kitchen's door and my back was facing it. Nevertheless, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to disappear.
It'd be a good time to grant me the power of invisibility or teleportation right now, God. Any time now... No? Fml.
"Who are you?" I'm pretty sure that question was directed to me and it hurts to be reminded that he knew nothing of our past together; to know that the memory of us wasn't there anymore.
I took a deep breath before looking Preston dead in the eye but his gaze was fixated on the man behind me. A tinge of mortification was visible in his eyes but it was enough to set my nerves on edge.
I slowly stepped out of my seat the same time as Jerry and Preston got out of theirs. Finally gathering enough courage to face him, I turned around to meet Adam's eyes.
Those eyes were still as green as ever and I would've stared into them the whole time if his appearance wasn't so distracting.
His clothes were battered and ash covered them as well as his face and his weight was set on one foot even when his stance indicated that he was ready to attack me if I made the wrong move and it gave away that he injured his right foot.
Dirt stuck to him like a second skin but what stood out to me was the fact that he had blood dripping out of a gash on his arm.
Recognition flashed in his eyes and hope filled me that maybe, just maybe, he might remember who I am, what we were.
But that hope vanished as soon as it came as that recognition turned to hatred.
"You," he growled out, looking like he was ready to bite my head off.
"What is she doing here?!" He demanded to Jerry and when he didn't answer, he turned to Preston.
"Did you invite this murderer into our house?!" He yelled. The kids looked terrified out of their minds and Jerry seemed to sense it since he turned and told them to go into their rooms.
But instead of doing that, they ran towards me and hugged each of my legs. I tensed up and looked down at them. I could feel my eyes softening at the sight of the petrified looks in their eyes.
"Why are you hugging her? She murdered our mother! She's a murderer! A killer! Is this how you treat your mother's murderer? Hugging her and inviting her into your house for dinner?" Adam sounded furious and every word struck me like a bullet.
How he came to all these conclusions were a mystery to me but no one, not even him, can yell at Cali and Pio like that. Insult me and accuse me bewildering things? Fine. But when you start scaring the little ones, be prepared to receive hell.
"Don't talk to them like that," I snapped at him as both of the young ones hid behind me from their angered brother.
His gaze snapped to me and those eyes that once have looked at me with affection and love was no looking at me with hatred and it looked colder than it has ever looked.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that; get away from my family, our house and leave us alone. Haven't you done enough? You took our mother and what? You're going to take my younger siblings as well?"
He turned to Jerry with an accusing glare, "And you're going to let her do that, huh?"
He didn't wait for an explanation, he just shook his head, looked at me for the last time before taking a knife from the counter before dragging out the words that I never thought he would say to me.
"I should just kill you myself for causing us this pain and loss," and with that, he charged at me, knife at hand.
I twisted my body, covering the little ones from harm's way and yet still trying to block the knife from plunging into any of my limbs. I could barely fight against the sheer force he's applying to the knife since I was trying to protect the kids and try not to injure him at the same time.
Not a second later, Jerry and Preston wrenched him away from me and I breathed heavily, taking the kids into my arms and running to the furthest bathroom in the house to keep them safe.
"Stay here," I whispered to them and they nodded, Cali keeping her arms around Pio and holding him tight against her.
I moved silently towards the kitchen, wanting to straighten out the matter with Adam. But when I got there, both men were still trying to get a tight grip on him to prevent him from running and butchering me with the knife that was lying on the floor.
Preston saw me looking from afar and mouthed 'go'. I nodded silently, picking up my pace and walking out the door, not wanting to make matters worse than it already is.
I breathed the fresh air and got into my car, turning on its engine and pulling out of the driveway before stopping a block away from the house and rolled down the windows before turning off the engine and grabbed the coat on the seat beside me.
It's going to be one long night.
•~•~•
Hope this'll make up for the long ass wait
Sorry for making you wait for so long, it's been hectic and nationals are annoying me but I'm gonna try make more chapters faster.
Thanks for being patient with me.
Love y'all and God bless ❤