J A Y

Beatrice reminded me of a cat. She would snuggle up to you if she wanted and if she didn't want to, there was nothing you could do to make her love you. I also found she was too cute for her own good, Fleck would spoil her and Soren was constantly trying to make her laugh.

In the end, I was on babysitting duty as Soren punched the crap out of a bag full of sand while Fleck trained him.

I'd watch Fleck yell at him to push harder for the past half an hour to the point where I thought Soren was just going to turn around and punch him straight in the face.

"You." Beatrice got my attention with her attitude filled tone, "Why do you keep staring at my husband?"

My eyes widened, "Your husband—"

She stuck her chubby fingers toward my face, a candy ring sitting on her pointer fingers, "We're married, he gave it to me. Meaning you can't look at him."

I laughed, "Soren gave you that?" She nodded seriously, "Well, did he say he whoves you?"

She screwed up her face before shaking her head slowly. Guilt covered my face as her lip trembled and tears filled her eyes.

"Wait! Wait!" I put my hands up, "Doesn't matter, you're married. Soren and Beatrice McKinin. Whoooh!"

She snapped her head up and grinned evilly before strutting her small body toward Soren who was pulling himself on a bar, my mouth went dry.

"Husband," Beatrice called at Soren as I stood up, walking after her as she trotted over to Fleck who picked her up, "Husband? Hello?"

Fleck covered her mouth, "Not now princess, he's busy." He gave me look which I held my hands up to defensively.

Pointing at her I whispered, "She's evil, look at those puppy dog eyes."

He shook his head in laughter and turned his attention to Soren. My eyes followed his gaze and I watched his muscular back tense as he pulled up on the bar, sweat dripped off his hair before sliding down his drenched back.

Faint large scars covered his entire back and I turned my head to one side, trying to get a better look.

Beatrice kicked me straight in the shin, "MY HUSBAND."

I opened my mouth to scold her but Soren dropped off the bar and smile at her, she ran from my glare into his sweaty arms.

"Fleck, we've got plans. I'm going to take a shower in the back room." Soren whipped his sweaty arm on Beatrice face who screamed playfully, enjoying the attention.

He went to pull Beatrice off his neck but she wouldn't let go and I rolled my eyes, Soren's soft spot.

"Beatrice, come on lov." Fleck ordered with a smile on his face, he pulled her legs as Soren unclenched her small hands.

"NO!" She screamed into his ear and to my surprised he just laughed, kissing her on the cheek.

S O R E N

I watched Jay slip on the heels after I'd picked a song to dance to, waving awkwardly at a completely high girl who stumbled up from the basement.

Even though Buck was a drug dealer he did have a spacious living room, yet still we had to push the couches and tables into the corners of the room.

"So, how well do you dance?" She stood up and wobbled a bit to regain her balance, "Because it used be very dear to my mother—ballroom dancing that is." She walked towards me.
I shrugged my shoulders, slightly relieved that she had some knowledge of dancing, because it's almost impossible to become amazing overnight.

We faced each other, "Take my hand, Jay."
Her hand was surprisingly small in my own, something about it was enchanting—the way we fit together and could simply hold each other.

She looked at me confidently and I cupped the small of her back before slowly saying, "Jay, we can't be ten feet away. We've got to be closer..."

The step she took was confident—too confident as she completely kneed me in the crotch. I fell, clutching my family jewels as my stomach proceeded to churn in an sickening matter.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry—" she stood frozen for a minute awkwardly, unsure how to help when really there was nothing she could do. I whimpered slightly, the pain unbearable.

In the end I received an comforting, not so helpful rub on the back.

I lay on the floor, my hands behind my head as I took a deep breathe, "If I ever offended you... You just got me back. Fuck me." I moaned in pain.

She sat down on the couch realizing I would need a good few minutes before I could even stand again, not wanting to throw up my salad she'd forced to me eat early in the afternoon.

I closed my eyes as Jay spoke, "Soren, if I were to ask about the scars on your back...Would you answer?"

My throat went dry, cursing myself completely, forgetting that she'd watched me train shirtless. It was one of those moments I would've happily gone back in time and strangled my prior self for being so dumb.

"It's not a good story." I grunted, she shrugged and I sat up, "Well..."

My hand ran through my hair automatically due to the uneasy feeling settling in my stomach of the topic. If I were to trust her with a family secret, it's only fair she'd tell me one of hers, as selfish as that sounds.

"Tell me about your mother and I will?" I offered gently, watching her reaction which was only stiffening of the shoulders.

She took a deep breath, "As you discovered already, she didn't run away to England. My father and I tell everyone that. The truth is—" She stared at me with big brown eyes, eyes glassed over with fear, "The truth is... She's in a psychiatric hospital."

I forced myself not to react in any way that'd make her feel uncomfortable or that I was going to judge her. Instead, I kept very still with a calm look plastered on my face.

"It started off slow, only when she got tired or stressed." She shook her head and I watched as a visible shiver run down her spine, "Then it was all at once."

Jay looked at my confused expression and added, "Drugs. Cocaine mainly, but others I don't even know the name of," I nodded slowly and she ran a hand through her hair,"I look back and I can clearly see she was addicted but back then...I didn't even know what they did to the body... To the brain. Honestly Soren, I can barely remember her acting like a normal person, just great outbursts of anger."

She looked down at the floor, "I had them before she became worse before I knew what they did to people." She shook her hand and I watched her hands shake, " Dad went away on a six month business trip to Europe—which we were excited for because he'd gotten a promotion that'd get us a lot of money. It was then I realised he had been her rock and that he was gone, she was just...free."

Jay looked up through her hair before looking away from my gaze, "I should've stopped her, Soren. I should have been dad for her, but no I was taking them myself."

"It's not your fault." My voice was hoarse as I swallowed the lump in my throat. I'd seen a million kids in the basement with similar stories yet, it was something about hers that pulled a heart string.

She put her head in her hands, "You know, most people get addicted and I am one of the few that didn't. I just did as a social thing when she invited her friends over. But then I watched her grow into this monster..."

Bones frozen to the ground, I watched helplessly as she replayed the horrible memories I had forced out of her.

"It's like she had her brains blown out. She just stares out the window, muttering the same four words. Over and over again. Dad can't even go in there anymore, it's just me because I feel sorry for her," She stood up and looked at me with pained confidence, "but I realized lately that there's nothing I can feel sorry about. Just the skeleton of a women I used to call mum."

I blinked once, and then forced myself to stand up and take her hand. She seemed so strong and calm, so perfect, yet obviously she wasn't. For reasons, that terrified me. I played the song I picked, which was slow easy enough for  beginner to dance to.

She placed her hand in mine again, and this time, she stepped forward with faltered confidence. She still left some generous space in between us. We made eye contact, her brown eyes looking into my blue ones, and I raised an eyebrow at the extra space between our bodies. Jay rolled her eyes.

"I just... Wanted to be careful of—"She blushed, I place a hand on her lower back and tugged her into me. Her chest and nose brushed together with mine at our close proximity.

She giggled as if we haven't been talking about her crazy mother.

"What?" I gave her a pointed look which she laughed at before replying, "I find it funny that Soren McKinin; boxer with anger issues—" I rolled my eyes, "can dance expertly at the waltz."

Ignoring her comment completely I used the direction of my side as she took a two steps back, one to the side before we did a side turn.

"Just a hobby, she says." I smirked down at her.

Jay and I glided around the room and for one single moment that last a split second, life seemed to be worth living.

J A Y

Soren's eyes shone with happiness and I don't think I've ever seen him actually truly happy. His features were calm as his hand held mine gracefully.

He met my gaze before sighing reluctantly, "You still want to know about the scars?"

I nodded as he turned us both so we wouldn't crash into the wooden table that formed a barrier around our dance floor.

He looked me straight in the eyes with a fierce expression, "A cliché story if ever I've told one. It's the usual, father owns a multibillion dollar company, has four boys. It is America so obviously one of us boys would eventually get taken only to be given back for money." He stopped dancing and we stood there, he slid his hands down to my waist, slowly, and I found myself rocking to the music.

"It just so happened to be me. Caught me walking the streets at night so it was my fault at the most. I was only fifteen." His eyes held complete boredom, "They whipped the crap out of me on live video which was streamed to my father. I was too weak to do anything. Just a little weak rich kid. Thus, I started boxing."

"Oh my—geez, wow." My eyes widened in shock, everyone knew more drama about the McKinins, but I knew no one knew this, "Don't take offence, but how does the press not know about this?"

Soren scoffed coldly, "What, you think he'd want them to know that he waited twenty-four hours before handing the money over? Twenty-four hours of living hell."

He put his chin on top of my head and pulled me into a bear like hug, "You already know how to dance... But can you speak properly? That is the question."

-

Sorry for the late update, Christmas Eve! Have  a wonderful Christmas my dears.

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