Shattered Ties(67)

“You were too little to realize what you were saying, but I never forgot your face or your words. We were just little. My mom took me to the nice park on your side of town to play for the day, and you were there with your mom. You were playing in the sandbox, and I wanted to play with you. Even at six years old, I was drawn to you. You were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. Instead of playing with me, you told me that I was trash, and I didn’t belong at your park. You ran off after that, but I never forgot what you said. That’s why I was so distant with you when we met. I expected you to be a stuck-up bitch, but you weren’t. Instead, I found out that you are one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I love you, Emma, even if I shouldn’t. I’ve battled with myself over this time and time again, but I can’t deny it any longer.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and I reached up to wipe it away.

“I’m so sorry, Jesse. I was only a child, and I had no idea what I was saying.”

“It’s okay. You taught me that I needed to be strong to survive this world, and I owe you for that.”

“I made you bitter toward the world.”

“No, you didn’t. You were just the first of many to look down on me. Despite how we met, you’ve shown me that it’s okay to care about someone, to love someone, because there are people who come into your life who deserve to be loved. They are the ones worth taking a chance on, hoping you don’t end up broken.”

She grabbed my face and kissed me. “I love you, Jesse. I’ll never leave you. There’s something between us that ties us together.”

“I like being tied to you. Just promise not to shatter me.”

“I won’t.”

What came after that wasn’t sex. It was so much more. Where words failed, our bodies showed just how much we loved each other. Sex was nice, but it was nothing compared to this. We were one.





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We spent the rest of the weekend exploring London and spending time with my dad and his bandmates. I’d grown up around those guys, and they felt more like family to me than my own mother did. When it was time to leave, I cried. I wasn’t ready to leave my dad or the pure bliss that I’d found in London.

After our talk on Saturday morning, I felt closer to Jesse than ever. This boy had my heart, and I loved it. There was no one else in the world who could ever compare to him. Every look, every touch between us seemed to mean so much more. He loved me, and I loved him. For those few short days, life was perfect.

The trip back to California was uneventful. As the hours passed, a sense of foreboding came over me. Everything had changed, but at the same time, things were still the same.

Tomorrow, Jesse would be allowed back in school where everyone hated him for what he’d done to Todd. I frowned as I thought of the fight I’d had with Todd when I finally had a chance to corner him and let him know just what I thought of him. He’d claimed that he was only trying to protect me because he cared, but I wasn’t buying it. He was as obsessed with status as my mother was, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I had told him to stay away from me, and so far, he had. I just hoped that it would last.



On the car ride back to his house, Jesse dropped a bomb on me. “My mom is moving to West Virginia with Mark, and she wants me to go with her.”

I had no idea what to say to that. I sat silently as I waited for him to continue.

“You can stop trying to break the steering wheel in two. I’m not going,” he said.

I glanced over at him. “What do you mean? You can’t stay here by yourself. Where would you live?”

“I can and will stay here by myself. I’ll still be in my shitty trailer. Money will be tight, but I’ll manage if I can find a second job.”

“How do you plan on working two jobs and going to school? You’ll wear yourself out.”

“It’s only for two years. Then, hopefully, Rick will let me pick up more hours.”

“Why are you staying? Be honest.”

He paused before answering. “Honestly? Because of you. I just found you, and I won’t leave you behind. Besides, Santa Monica is my home. I’m not going to give up everything.”

“But your mom will be thousands of miles away.”

“I know, and it sucks, but it’s her choice. I won’t hold her back.” “When is she leaving?” I asked.

“Soon,” he said shortly.

I knew that he was done talking about the move, so I let it go. The rest of the drive to his house was completely silent. Both of us were lost in our thoughts. I couldn’t believe that he was willing to stay here and work two jobs just so that he could be with me. I didn’t want him to leave, but I also didn’t want him to pick me over his mom. I was afraid that he would resent me for it later.

I dropped him off and headed to my house. The house was empty as I carried my bags up to my room. I sent my mom and my dad both a text to let them know that I’d made it home safely. My dad was the only one who responded—no surprise there. I spent the rest of my day washing laundry, still thinking about Jesse and his mom. I didn’t want either of them to hate me for Jesse’s decision to stay, but I didn’t want him to leave either.



School was just as I’d expected the next day and the rest of the week. Everyone was either terrified of Jesse or hated him. I hated that I had to keep silent as the whispers followed him through the halls, but I couldn’t take a chance on if people found out we were together and someone let it slip to my mom.