I decided to skip the support group and grudgingly made my way to the bar, right after school.
It was a long walk, but I never really minded it. The time passed by quickly when you had a lot on your mind. A moment of silence and much needed time to get my head straight was just what I needed. Or so I thought...
I couldn't even begin to sort out the mess I had going on in my brain. And to make things a billion times worse, Ethan and I had to share a shift tonight. How was I supposed to focus on doing my job after what happened?
I glanced down at my shirt, or should I say Tyler's shirt, and groaned. Fuck! The fact that I would have to change into something decent for the shift completely slipped my mind. I can't be seen wearing a police shirt in a damn underground bar! Meg better have some spare clothing laying around...
Just as I started to come up with various solutions, my phone started ringing. I fished it out of my pocket, cringing at the name on the screen.
Ethan.
I hung up, feeling the familiar hurt and anger boiling inside me. How dare he assume I slept with Tyler?! After what he pulled last night, I should be the one assuming the worst...not him!
My phone buzzed again just as I finally reached the stairs which led down to the bar. I spotted Ethan's car parked on the street and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when he hopped out with that determined look on his face. Was he seriously waiting for me to get here?
"You know, this takes me back to the kidnapping!" I smiled brightly, knowing I would hit a nerve with my risky joke. After all, I now had nothing to lose.
An unreadable expression appeared on his face and I scoffed. If you really cared, you wouldn't have done what you did last night.
"Don't compare me to Mark" He growled as he made his way right up to where I was standing. I looked up at him, cocking my head to the side.
"Now I know what he meant when he said you two had a lot in common..." I pretended to realize something. Who was I fooling? Ethan was nothing like Mark.
Ethan grabbed me roughly, pulling me closer to him. I hissed at the sudden deathly grip on my arm. "I know what you're doing, Deen. It's not going to work" He spoke calmly, yet still held me with his unbearable strength.
"And what am I doing, Summers?" I spat, anger boiling inside me. Images of last night flooded my mind and I couldn't think straight. His hands wrapped around her...his passionate kisses planting all over her neck...him letting her just assume I was his maid...
Ugh.
I felt as if I was going to explode.
"You're trying to make me hate you because that would make it easier for you. You know that no matter what happens between us, no matter how many fights we have...you already have feelings for me and you can't escape them. So it would be easier for you to just make me hate you. Then you could force yourself to hate me too! But that won't work, Mel. Nothing you come up with will ever make me hate you!" He stared into my eyes.
I gulped, my throat suddenly drying up from the truth he spoke.
"I know you didn't sleep with Hunt. So don't even try playing that card" He added with a desperate look in his eye.
I looked away, the previous anger I had was suddenly gone. It was now replaced with hurt."That doesn't change anything..." I shook my head, meeting his stare again. "What about last night? What was that all about, huh? And after detention, you said all of those hurtful things to me...you just didn't want to understand me..." I trailed off, thinking back to all the recent events.
"Melanie, I can explain everything. All you have to do is listen...and hear me out" He begged, a pained expression on his tired face.
I stared at him for a split second, thinking everything through. He was right. I did already have feelings for him and deep down...I knew nothing could change that. Despite the hurt inside, I still felt the same about him. But you'll never admit it, right?
"Our shift is starting" I muttered and quickly disappeared down the stairs, leaving him at the top all by himself. All of this is way too much drama for a few days...
***
"The rich lady is back" Dylan sighed gesturing to her table with a half-washed whiskey glass.
I looked to where he was pointing and sighed.
The very same woman was sitting in that very same booth as before. She was taking tiny sips from her drink with a snobby look on her face. It was obvious that she hated it here. Her judgemental eyes scanned every inch of the bar, searching for more things to hate. I just couldn't understand why she kept coming here. It wasn't her scene at all.
"She's honestly creeping me out..." I mumbled, thinking back to the weird dream I had with her in it. Did that really happen? Or was it just a dream? I still had no clue if it did or not. If it was, then who the hell is she?
"I see why" He raised his eyebrows as the woman continued to sip her drink and stare at me."Did she say anything to you?" He asked, keeping a subtle eye on the woman.
I shook my head as I took a sip of ice-cold water, completely ignoring her gaze."She wanted to know my name and when I told her my name's Quinn, she looked surprised and...disappointed? I don't know" I shrugged.
Dylan stopped washing the glass."You told her your name is Quinn?" A smile danced on his lips as he watched me.
I nodded, holding in a giggle.
"Wow..." He chuckled and continued washing the dirty glasses.
"Well, I don't know who she is...why should I tell her my name?" I huffed, finally meeting her gaze. Her eyes lit up as if she desperately wanted to speak to me but didn't know how to go about it. Who the hell is this woman and what does she want from me?!
I groaned, tearing my gaze off her."This is getting weird..." I shook my head. With that, the woman stood up from her booth and placed some cash on the table.
I raised one eyebrow. What the hell? She hasn't even finished her drink yet.
"I've had enough of this" I muttered under my breath as I made my way around the island. Dylan opened his mouth to speak but I was already halfway across the bar, speeding up to catch up with the strange woman.
"Excuse me!" I called, making her stop dead in her tracks. She turned on her heels, her lips pursed into a thin line."Is there a problem?" I asked, not sure how I should start the conversation.
"I'm sorry, everything here is really...great" She faked a smile and cringed at her own words, obviously lying."I just have to be somewhere-"
"Cut the crap" I scoffed. She raised her eyebrows, her mouth wide open with shock.
"I'm sorry, what-"
"Why are you stalking me?" I spat out, deciding to be as straightforward as ever.
"I would never do such thing-"
"Well, that's what it looks like!" I rolled my eyes at her lies."You're here every time I have a shift, you keep staring at me, you asked for my name..."
She sighed, slowly closing her eyes and rubbing her temples."Melanie, I'm sorry about all of that. This must be rather strange..." She admitted.
It was my turn to be shocked."You know my actual name...but how?" I wondered.
"Maybe we should talk someplace private?" She reasoned, looking around at the countless crowds of drunk people.
"Don't take this the wrong way...but I don't think it's a good idea to go off with a complete stranger who somehow knows my name..." I crossed my arms across my chest, noticing her wince when I called her a stranger.
"Yes, that would be smart of you...I suppose" She frowned."Shall we take a seat then?" She gestured to her usual booth, which still had her unfinished drink on the table.
I nodded nonchalantly, letting my feet carry me to the booth as I lost myself in thought. What could she possibly have to say to me? How did she know my name? Why didn't she say so when I told her my name is Quinn?!
"Don't look so frightened, dear" She gave me a small smile as she sat back into the seat. I raised an eyebrow at her. How can I not be?
"Anyways, this will probably be a big shock to you...or maybe you won't even care" She chuckled sadly."And if you choose to have nothing to do with me, I'll understand"
Could it be? No. Surely I'm just letting my imagination run wild.
"After everything you've been through, I'd be a fool not to understand"
I stared into her eyes as she spoke. They resembled mine and the thought sent shivers down my spine. I have my father's eyes...
"My name is Julia Burn" She let out with a sigh, preparing herself for the speech she was about to give."I used to be Julia Deen, however"
My heart stopped beating as images from the dream invaded my mind.
"I'm your father's sister, Melanie" Her bottom lip trembled as I stared at her. Am I dreaming?
"You're..." I began, taking a deep breath before continuing my sentence. "my aunt?"
She nodded slowly, watching me closely.
"How do you expect me to believe that?" I was suddenly knocked back to my senses."And if you really are...why now? Why show up now...out of the blue?"
"I figured you wouldn't believe me..." She sighed, unzipping her handbag with one swift motion. She pulled out an old photograph, pursing her lips into a thin line as soon as she saw the image. I watched her trembling hand slid the photograph across the table, towards me.
I took the old photo into my hands, not believing my eyes. There he was. My father and a girl who looked about 2 years younger than him, standing next to an apple tree. My father had a small cat in his arms and the girl looked happier than anyone I've ever seen in my life.
The girl was identical to the woman sitting in front of me.
"So, why now?" I gulped, struggling to tear my eyes off my father. This was the first time I ever saw a childhood photo of his.
"I saw you on the news..." She spoke quietly, careful with her words."To be honest, I figured you were long gone in an orphanage or with some foster family...or..." She admitted, trailing off.
"And you didn't try to find me...not once?" My breathing quickened and I could feel my palms starting to get clammy. She noticed this and frowned, wrinkles forming on her forehead.
"I tried" She looked away for a second."Your mother...she never let me visit you. For the first year, I took every chance I got to come back to this damned town...just so I could try and talk your mother into giving you up" She explained.
"What about after that? You just gave up?" I asked, my voice starting to shake.
"It was hard not to..." A tear slipped from one of her eyes as she watched me."I tried everything. I even had social services visit you guys...but somehow she could get away with everything so easily" She shook her head at the memories."Eventually, your mother said you were taken away" She sighed.
"Did you call and see if I really was taken away? Because if you took her word for it, you're dumber than you look" I let my mouth speak everything I had on my mind. It hurt. It fucking hurts to know that all this time, I had someone other than my mother. The fact that I could've had a completely different life, blew my mind. I just couldn't wrap my head around it.
"I did call" She defended herself only a little, keeping a sympathetic look in her eye."And when I was told they had no records of you, I had no other choice but to give up. I was convinced you were either with a new family and I shouldn't ruin that for you or that you were..." She trailed off again, a new kind of coldness in her blue eyes.
"Dead" I finished her sentence for her with a gulp as my throat turned dry. She opened her mouth to protest but quickly realized that I was right.
She thought I was dead.
"You probably think I'm a terrible person" She looked away, her eyes filling with tears."But you don't know what it was like...I was helpless. I couldn't do anything! I mourned the loss of the only relative I had left. I went through the worst stage of depression I've ever had and I honestly thought I had no other reason to live" She desperately begged me to understand her.
I scoffed, my own eyes welling up with hot tears."You were helpless?" I clenched my jaw as I stared into her eyes."Are you fucking serious? You were helpless?! What about me? What about the child who no one seemed to give enough fucks about?! What about the child who was beaten, humiliated, and neglected for years?! What about me?" I let the tears escape my eyes, ignoring Dylan's worried gaze from across the bar.
She opened her mouth to speak but shut it right away again.
"I lived through hell!" I spat with as much hatred as I could muster."You're trying to play the victim, seriously? You mourned the loss of your only relative? Lady, you didn't even know me! And I had no one! I was on my own from the very beginning. I never even had a chance..."
She grabbed my hand, pulling it towards her in an act of empathy. I pulled it out of her grip aggressively.
"Get lost" I growled as I quickly stood up."And this time, don't come back" I spoke over my shoulder as I walked away.