Twenty/Twenty

Chapter 39 | The First Time I'm A Public Embarrassment

I didn't have a confrontation with Jax's family on my Bingo card for the evening. But here we are. It had been such a good day. Until this very moment.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. And for the first time in a long time it's been a good kind of chaos. Between work and therapy I've been dealing with all of the red tape to buy my first home. Jax has been an incredible help throughout this process since he's more familiar with everything involved with a purchase of this magnitude. Though he's been very cautious in not overstepping. He's let me lead the way and only taken any action when I've invited him to do so. Gladly giving support and guidance. Any other free moments in my schedule I've been building out a vision board. Full of ideas for the landscaping and interior remodeling. I haven't even officially started any improvement projects and already the decision to buy this property has proven to be a good one. If you're paying to read this story, it's been stolen from the original author, BlueGranite. You can find it for free on Wattpad. Having something to focus on that makes me feel hope and purpose is such a gift. Giving me a pleasant distraction from the muck I've been wading through in my life. To say I'm over the moon with excitement would be a massive understatement.

Today we finalized the closing on my sweet little slice of heaven. I have the keys in my little clutch. Because I can't seem to help myself from sneaking glances at them whenever I get a chance. I didn't know it could get better. But it did. The cherry on top of the day was the phone call from Detective Black. They found out how Avery got her instructions into the hands of my attacker. A nurse working in the jail. Not a male. A female. Young. Fairly new to the profession. Definitely new to working within a detention setting. Assigned to shadow a more senior care giver. Who was, from all accounts, an egotistical man who fluctuated between arrogant and sleaze bag in his interactions with the newbie he was supposed to be mentoring. Avery is like a shark. Detecting even the slightest amounts of blood in the water. She began working her special little brand of seduction to cultivate a romantic relationship with this young lady who was struggling in a toxic work environment within an uncomfortable setting. Wooing her with witty conversation, flirtatious flattery, and secretive touching meant to make her feel special. Pretty soon she had a faithful soldier. Willing to follow her commands. The nurse insists that the sheet of paper was in a sealed envelope. And that she had no clue what was written on it. They're inclined to believe her because she has been living with an immense amount of guilt ever since she realized the part she played in my attack. Threats from Avery that she would face something similar kept her from coming forward. She seemed almost relieved to be caught. She'll face justice for her role in what happened to me and Avery is facing yet another attempted murder charge. The way she's racking up offenses she's looking at a nice long stint in prison. Which is music to my ears. I know a trial still has to happen but I firmly believe she will be convicted. There's too much evidence of her wrong doing for it to all be ignored. Innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to her in my book. She's guilty and will remain that way before and after she faces a jury of her peers.

Everything in the investigation into the matter points toward a single set of orders to eliminate me being given. When I heard that news I took a deep and cleansing breath. It felt like the first one I'd had in a long, long time. It may take awhile but I hope to eventually stop looking over my shoulder for a bad guy constantly.

Jax insisted that the events of the day were worthy of a celebratory meal. He offered to take me and Daphne to dinner. We ended up at a swanky place. Where pricey pure perfection is served on a plate. We ate our fill and are leaving when we see them. Cece and Saint. Thomas and Cora Lee. Just stepping inside.

I'm floating on the high of being a first time home owner. Something I never saw as a part of my future when I was existing in roach filled rooms in the questionable part of town as a child. So I plan to hold my head high and keep moving. The way Jax grabs my hand and hustles, all while positioning himself to be a buffer, makes me think he's on the same page. Unfortunately, they don't get the memo. Saint and Cece come to a complete halt the minute they see their son. But it's Thomas who throws the first barb as we pass them. Not loud. Not boisterous. But pointed. Directly at me.

"Well, look at the little drama queen. Jealous of my girl so she had to stir up trouble in our family. Everything was fine until you came into the picture. Cunt."

Jax halts so quickly he almost jerks my arm out of its socket. His voice is calm as he replies. Unlike his body. I can feel the rage rolling off of him. "Excuse me. What did you just call Tallulah?"

Thomas isn't going to back down. "A cunt. And you're not much better."

With my free hand I reach for Jax's face. "Look at me. Don't play into his hands. Do not let this get physical."

While I don't want Jax to throw a punch I'm not willing to simply let this go. So I decide to address Cece and Saint. "This is the man who beat Jax when he was a teenager. His daughter has an obsession with your son. She's been stalking him for years. She has tried to kill me. Twice. And you're just going to stand there and let him talk to us this way?"

Stepping forward Saint is the first to respond. "No. I'm not. Thomas, you are out of line. You were then and you are now."

At that Cece moves closer. Her teeth gritted as she whispers harshly, "Not here! Not now! We cannot have this discussion in public! The whole point of going out together tonight was to show family unity in spite of everything that's been going on."

That was, clearly, aimed at Saint and Thomas and now she decides to point her ire at me. "Shame on you for listing out family issues that should be handled privately in such an open setting! You are a public embarrassment."

Well, since I'm already being accused I may as well go all in.

"I'm an embarrassment? For not wanting to be called a cunt? I would think that it would be embarrassing that your family colluded to hide the fact that Thomas was having an affair. Or that you snuck his child, who was a product of that affair, into your family via adoption. Or that you overwhelmed your young son by making him responsible for the mental health issues of said affair child. Or that you have, literally, been repeating history by once again holding him responsible for her well being as an adult. Or that you didn't look out for him back then when he was physically abused by his uncle. Or that you're trying to prevent Saint from looking out for him now as he's being verbally attacked by that very same man. Or that you're so concerned with public opinion you feel the need to stage public dinners to protect your image instead of putting your energy towards looking inward to see how someone like Avery can thrive in your ranks without being recognized as a stalker or as a person with murderous intent."

I get louder the longer I talk. The restaurant noises around us fade. Everyone gets quiet. And Cece's face gets more and more red. I don't give her a chance to form any kind of response. The door is directly in front of me and I make good use of it. Jax and Daphne are right behind me. If you're paying to read this story, it's been stolen from the original author, BlueGranite. You can find it for free on Wattpad. No one says a word until we get in the car. Which is when Daphne pipes up with, "I'm pretty sure that was the verbal equivalent of pulling a pin out of a hand grenade, and tossing it on the ground, before removing yourself from the vicinity."

She's not wrong. I didn't intend for Cora Lee to find out the truth like that. But I'm having a hard time scrounging up any sense of regret. If there's any to be found it's for her sake. The rest of them deserved every word I said. And more.