The anger was gone. His words hurt almost as much as any physical hit would have. It sunk deep inside and opened a painful ache sheād spent a long time patching up. In one swift cut, it was spilling open again.
Her eyes narrowed, trying to hold it all back. Jon knew more than anyone just how deep that cut went but there was no ounce of care on his face. Her throat felt tight and it took a second for her to realize why her vision was getting blurry.Ā āWhat is wrong with you?ā
Jon swallowed thickly, having to pretend that being the cause of the tears rolling down her cheeks wasnāt affecting him. That it didnāt cut through him, seeing her like that.Ā
āIām not the one who got into their head that this was more than what it is.ā He replied, turning to leave before looking back over his shoulder.Ā āDo me a favor and next time you got an itch to scratch donāt call me, just ask one of your boyfriends to bend you over.ā And with that, he left. He still had work to do, but tonight? Tonight Jon was losing himself in a bottle.Ā
When he first spoke, Ivy felt the pit of her stomach drop. She knew something was wrong in the way he was looking at her, and then when the words poured so cruelly from his mouth, she felt them cut through every inch of her. ā¦but thatās all you are. Her jaw clenched and she swallowed down a knot of pain in her throat. Of course thatās all she was. What did she expect? She shook her head but felt deflated. Still, that feeling was quickly masked with offense and anger. āDonāt make me sound like some desperate girl looking for a romantic hookup. We may not be together or anything but weāre not nothing.āĀ
Jon felt something twist painfully inside of his chest at the hurt he saw flash in her eyes before she tried masking it. Itās the only way, a voice whispered in his head, knowing he had to go through with it.Ā āThen donāt fucking act like one.ā He said, irritation lacing his voice before delivering what he knew would be a painful blow. āLook, I didnāt ask for you to dump your daddy issues on me, so grow up and stop begging for my attention because itās pathetic. I donāt have time to deal with this shit.āĀ
Ivyās hands moved back from him slowly. Why did she have this hard, heavy, stone in her chest? His words made her feel dizzy. When was the last time heād been so succinct and cut dry? She couldnāt even remember. Even this close, there was a distance in his eyes.Ā āI wouldnāt say Iāve blown up your-..ā Confusion filled emerald green eyes.Ā āWe havenāt talked since the texts last Friday.āĀ Had she been calling him too much?Ā āWhich clearly doesnāt bother you as much as it does me.ā She crossed her arms over her chest, brows knitted together. Letting out a breath, Ivy lowered her gaze.Ā āYou said you had a lot going on, and Holly told me she planned on asking you something big so I wanted to see how it went. Thatās all.ā
āWhy would it bother me?ā He asked, as if Ivy had just said the stupidest thing.Ā āIām starting to think you got the wrong idea of what this is, so let me clear things up for you. It was fun, youāre a great fuck but thatās all you are.ā Jon said slowly, as if dealing with a child.Ā āSo please tell me you havenāt been calling just because you wanted to see how it went.ā His voice turned mocking at the end.Ā
Ivy had been enjoying the rigorous schedule of the show, except for the part where it kept her away from her little man. One show Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, and a matinee on Sunday afternoon. Her understudy had two shows during the week to give Ivy the time to rest her voice, though she didnāt rest so much as rehearse for the weekend. Tonight, the roar of the crowd washed in her ears like the ebb and flow of the ocean tide. It was addictive to see and hear people cheer for the show, and for her.Ā
Changed out of her costume and green makeup, Ivy walked into her dressing room and first caught sight of the bouquet of flowers on her vanity. She smiled, walked up to them and pressed her nose against the petals to breathe in the fragrance. Unlike the other flowers she got, it came with no card. She was wondering who it was from when movement in her mirror caught her attention, and her stomach flipped excitedly.Ā āJonny,ā she lit up.Ā
Ivy turned and closed the distance between them, leaning up to peck his cheek.Ā āI was worried when I didnāt hear from yāā The look on his face made her face fall.Ā āāWhatās wrong?ā
Jon ignored the pleasant warmth he felt in his chest every damn time he laid eyes on Ivy, when her face broke into a dazzling smile and she him Jonny. Under different circumstances, Jon would have wrapped his arms around her slim waist and smile back at her, but tonight he simply remained stone-faced and unmoving.Ā
āYou tell me, thatās why Iām here. There must be a good reason why youāre blowing up my phone. Right?āĀ
A part of Jon dreaded what he was about to do. With every step he took along the the hallway that lead to Ivyās dressing room, something deep inside him protested.Ā
His gut twisted at the idea of never again seeing her bright smile directed at him, of not being able to hold her or taste her lips when the mood struck, or smelling her sweet scent that on his clothes after she hugged him.Ā But most of all it was how in order to keep his promise to Holly, Jon had to hurt the one other person he cared about the most. The person that no matter what, was always there for him.Ā
Despite the way he felt for Ivy, his kid would always come first. And with that in mind, he schooled his features into calmness -drowning out the part that begged him not to do this- as he opened the door and stepped inside.Ā
I have plenty to be sorry for. You always have to get me out of trouble.Ā
Thatās my job, to protect you and bail you out if youāre ever in trouble. Just how itās your job to be a kid and give me grey hairs from time to time.Ā
[TEXT, from Ivy]: Hey, I didn't see you at the show. I hope everything is okay?
[TEXT]: I couldnāt let you see me. But I saw you up on that stage and I was so fuckin proud [DELETED][TEXT]: I had more important things to take care of
Breaking into Brightonās home had been surprisingly easy. The man clearly didnāt feel like investing in some form of security. A usual mistake for entitled, rich men who thought they were above it all. After tonight Jon knew that mentality would change.Ā
As silent as a shadow, he moved up the staircase and headed to the master room where his ex-wife and her piece of a shit husband slept.Ā
Entering the bedroom, his eyes landed on Karenās side and noticed the bottle of sleeping pills atop her nightstand before his gaze settled on his target. There he was, sleeping without a care in the world while Holly sported all types of bruises. The memory of said marks making anger swell, hot and heavy in his belly as he walked over to Frankās side of the bed.Ā
The unmistakable sound of a hammer being cocked back joined the soft snores in the room before Jon pressed the barrel of his gun to Frankās temple and covered his mouth with a gloved hand, promptly waking him up.Ā
āShhh,ā he warned Frank, nodding towards the still slumbering Karen. Even though there was a real possibility Jon could blow Frankās brains right then and there, and Karen wouldnāt so much as stir.Ā
āYou and I need to have a little chat.ā And with that, Jon took the man down the stairs at gun point, kicking him down the last three and watching him fall with a satisfying thud.Ā
āYou know who I am.ā Frank shook his head.Ā āPlease, I have mone...ā Jonās face twisted in anger before he pistol-whipped the other man. āI donāt like being interrupted.ā He growled, promptly shutting the other man up.Ā āIām here because of Holly.ā Understanding lit up Frankās eyes, and if it was possible he looked even more scared than he did moments before.Ā
āThatās right, Iām the dad of the kid youāve been using as a punching bag,ā he says with a mirthless chuckle as he tucks the gun back into his belt before clubbing Frank on the kidneys with a left hook, causing the other man to double over in pain.
Ā āThat oneās gonna make you piss blood for a couple days.ā He said almost conversationally as he helped Frank right back up, only for his right fist to connect with Frankās stomach with enough force he could hear his breath whoosh out of his lungs.Ā
āWhatās the matter Franky boy? You can only hit little girls? Go ahead, take your best shot.ā He antagonized the wheezing man, smirking as he saw the other man take the bait and throw a punch straight to his face. Jon took it square in the jaw, snorting derisively as he licked off the pain.Ā
āAh shit, my kid hits harder than that.ā He said before head-butting Frank and making him fall on his knees, cradling his face.Ā
āWhen I found out you dared to lay a hand on my kid, the first thought I had was that I was gonna kill you.ā Ā Terror filled Frankās eyes as he looked up at him from the floor.Ā āI know, right?ā Jon knelt down so that he was eye level with the other man.Ā āBut then I found out youāve got a big move coming up, and Karen wants to take Holly with you,ā Jon clicked his tongue, shaking his head in mock disappointment.Ā āYou see, that shitās not gonna roll. Because I could kill you, but then my ex-wife would resent me forever and probably try to keep Holly away from me, and I donāt wanna deal with that shit. So thatās where you come in.ā Jon announced,Ā patting him on the cheek hard enough to sting.Ā
āIn exchange for you miserable life, youāre gonna convince Karen to leave Holly in New York. I donāt care how you do this, but my kid is staying. You got that?ā Frank hurriedly nodded his head,Ā āI swear I will! We wonāt take Holly.ā Jonās eyes narrowed, seeing the other man cower under his gaze.Ā āI hope you do, Franky boy, because if you donāt well,ā Jon pulled out his gun again and pressed the barrel right between Frankās eyes.Ā āImma have to park a .45 right on your brain pan.ā Satisfied that the other man would do as instructed, Jon rose back to his feet and put the gun away.Ā
āYou ever see a 50 cal long range round traveling three thousand feet per second go through a window?ā He asked, watching confusion crease the other manās face as he shook his head.Ā āNo one ever does before they have their brains blown out by one. So think about that if you get the need to talk to the police about any of this.āĀ
Once he was sure Frank understood what he meant, Jon kicked him in the face, watching his body fall limp on the floor with a satisfying sound before he took his leave. Now that he had taken care of this, he had work to do.Ā
[TEXT, from Ivy]: Hey, I didn't see you at the show. I hope everything is okay?
[TEXT]: I couldnāt let you see me. But I saw you up on that stage and I was so fuckin proud [DELETED][TEXT]: I had more important things to take care of
Hey, no. None of that. You got nothinā to be sorry for, Holly. Iāll take care of this, I promise. He wonāt fuckinā hurt you again and she wonāt take you away... I wonāt be around tonight, maybe you can invite some of your friends over. I can leave you some money for pizza and junk food.Ā
[TEXT, from Ivy]: Hey, I didn't see you at the show. I hope everything is okay?
[TEXT]: I couldnāt let you see me. But I saw you up on that stage and I was so fuckin proud [DELETED][TEXT]: I had more important things to take care of
[TEXT, from Ivy]: Hey, I didn't see you at the show. I hope everything is okay?
[TEXT]: I couldnāt let you see me. But I saw you up on that stage and I was so fuckin proud [DELETED][TEXT]: I had more important things to take care of
Nadia: shrugged as if he could see her, staring at her fingernails for just one moment. He didn't know the real reason behind her trip to the police station, so if he wanted to believe it was because of him, then so be it. "I don't think it was such a waste of time. Holly's made it pretty clear she doesn't want to see my. She stopped returning my texts and never called me back. I usually take that as a hint. But now I'm trying to figure out how much of that was your influence."
Jon: reached the end of his patience. "If all it takes for you to stop giving a fuck is her ignoring a few calls and text, maybe she's better off without you." He snapped. "You want put the blame on me, fine I can carry it, but I got no time for fucking games so if you excuse me I gotta go take care of my kid." And with that he hung up.
Mom said she needs him and he doesnāt get mad at her so I didnāt want to mess it up for her. We may not get along but she loves him, you know? I canāt mess another thing up for her.Ā
He puts his hands on you, Holly. That son of a bitch has been hurting you and youāre putting up with that shit because you want to protect your mother. I get that, what youāre trynna do cause you love your mom, but that shit stops now. This is your home, youāre not going anywhere you donāt want to and Iāll make sure that scumbag learns what happens when you hurt my kid.Ā
Justā¦ donāt freak out, okay? He gets angry a-and.. Itās because I mouth off, he says. If I didnāt.. Just.. iām okay.Ā
I aināt gonna freak out. I want you to stay here and donāt worryĀ ābout anything. San Francisco or your momās included. Iāll take care of this. All of it. That son of a bitch is gonna regret ever laying a hand on you.Ā
Nadia: pulled her feet up, crossing her legs Indian style. She wasn't the least bit concerned with the tone in Jon's voice. She wasn't sure if he meant to warn or threaten her but either way, she almost found it laughable. "Well, there's always some truth to every lie, isn't there? She must have gotten this opinion of your character from somewhere." Her free hand started massaging her foot, rubbing away the tension brought by the high heels she had been wearing. "If I'm not gonna find anything, then why are you so aggravated? You even went to the effort to get my number. Holly is already in a sketchy position with this whole dispute between you and Frank and Karen. I don't want her to be spending time with a felon on top of that."
Jon: closed his eyes as he rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Why was he talkin' to this girl? Oh, right. Because she went to the police. "I'm not a good man. That's the truth. Hell, every word that comes out of Karen's mouth probably is, except for the part where I would ever let Holly get hurt." Not again. Not after... "You're a piece of work, you know that?" His voice laced with begrudging amusement. "Stop wasting your time with the cops. Better yet, why don't you go be there for Holly. She needs you."
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