1012 word(s) Published 27 🎁🎁🎁JASAMINA🎁🎁🎁 Today is such a bright day. The wind blew around the house, and the beautiful smell of the cottage filled the air. The best scent is the flowers I planted in every part of the house. Smells like home. Feels like home. I don't know why I feel so fulfilled, maybe because I'm hale and hearty. All my bruises are gone, and the scars are fading. Jaimie is bouncing happily, playing, and laughing. Nothing gives me joy more than seeing him grow rapidly. I went around the house doing the cleaning, and at a point, I wondered if Tanner is still asleep. I've not seen him all morning. I cleaned the sitting room and entered the kitchen. What are we going to eat for breakfast? Wait a minute! I just realize something. I haven't cooked real food ever since he took me in. All we ever eat is bought by Tanner each time he goes out. Oh, I've been so ungrateful. Well, today I'm gonna make sure I prepare a good meal. I might have been married to a rich
1119 word(s) Published 28 TANNER Xax's hand trembled in the air as he took a good look at me. My eyes wandered to him, taking him in. My younger brother. He had grown bigger in the past two years. My eyes closed as I found the past flowing into my head faster than liquor ever did. "It's me, Xax. It's Tan." I replied, emotions tightening my throat. Xazix's gun hit the ground and then we were hugging tight. My hand wrapped around the brother I have missed so much. The family I abandoned. "God! It's really you! How...! Why...! God, it's really you...!" His voice filled my heart as we hugged tight like brothers that haven't seen each other in years. Brothers that used to be tight. Brothers that a painful past separated. Then, Xax was pulling me away, his eyes filled with anger and glistering with tears. "How could you do this to us!? How could you leave us like that!? We thought you were dead! How could you!" He punched me hard in the face. I barely felt the physical pain becaus
1147 word(s) Published 29 It dawned on me. "Wait. You're the man that took her from the motel? You're the man that has been helping her in hiding!? The man she's been sleeping with?" I asked him even as the puzzle finally fit in my mind. No wonder Tanner is here. Tan snorted, "Sleeping with Jasamina? I've been helping the girl, Xax, but we sure as hell have not been sleeping together. That sonofabitch did a number on that girl that she's so afraid of men. I'm the only man that comes close." His voice was hard and anger radiated from him in waves. Tan was confusing me. "Did a number on who? The girl has been feeding you lies. She ran away from home with the poor man's child. She's crazy in the head." But Tanner shook his head hard. Instead of replying, he started hurriedly for the house. "I have to find her and stop her, if not she'll be running away again!" He said as a way of explanation, already several feet away from me. I hurried after him. We entered the house just in time
1067 word(s) Published 30 I paused to rock Jaimie softly when he stirred slightly. In seconds he went back to slumber. I continued, remembering vividly my mother's words. "You will be saving your family from poverty, my mother had said as she pushed me to him. You might as well say my family sold me to him. Not a single day in my husband's house was bright for me. Every day is torture. Every day, I get a new scar. Every day is a nightmare." I took shuddering breaths. The memories managed to sink their way in and together with them are tears I welcomed. Speaking about it opened the old wounds I have somehow managed to put behind me. I sniffed and continue. "I try escaping every single time and every single time he caught me, the punishment worse than each last. It was severe. He would lay new designs of scars by beating me. Then, he will force himself on me. His men will rape me too, and he will watch..." That pain rose inside me as I remembered...repeatedly. I came close to dea
1037 word(s) Published 31 XAZIX I waited patiently while the girl told her story. If she was an actress, she's a damn good one. If she's a storyteller, she's the best in the line. But as I watched her talk, I know without a doubt that the girl was saying the truth. Her story is too...smooth to be a constructed lie. I felt angry. I was fuming with rage. How could that man have done such a devious thing to a poor girl? As a bounty hunter, I don't care about justification. Once I'm paid for a job, I do it really well. I don't care who's in the right or the wrong. But somehow, I've taken this job personally. Even before I found the girl. Even before I saw my older brother here with her. Mr. McCully had lied. To the whole world. To me. Mentally unstable? The man would rank first in the book of psychos. Certifiable too. Even behind closed doors, I heard the girl's soft weepings. She must be trying her best not to wake her baby. What if Tan had not seen her there on the road and he
1039 word(s) Published 32 JASAMINA The man didn't look so mean anymore. His face had lost all that intense expression but he was still big and looking so intimidating. "You are not taking me back?" I couldn't keep the hope from my voice. My voice trembled so hard that I feel like a talking spring cord. He shook his head once. "Never. And I want to thank you." He stated. "Thank me?" "My brother. He has been lost to us for the past few years. If not for you, I wouldn't have seen him again." A muscle ticked his jaw as he looked away, "It's obvious that you and your child have affected him, made him stop drinking even if it's just for a while. Thank you." That brought me a bit out of my fear and I found myself shaking my head. "No, no, you don't have to thank me. I should be the one thanking you and Tanner. I don't know what would have become of me if not for Tanner." "He helped me especially financially, or I would have died from sickness...I would have lost Jaimie too." The rem
1063 word(s)Published33🎁🎁🎁TANNER🎁🎁🎁As Xax and I walked out of the room, the fact that Jasamina hugged me surprised me since I hadn't been expecting any gesture like that from her. The girl has always been afraid of any physical contact."A penny for your thought?" Xax asked, drawing me back to the present as we entered the living room."Nothing." I replied gruffly."We have to talk. " Xazix said as quietly as he could manage nudging his head into the direction of the nearby chair.I had an idea what he wanted to talk about but I said nothing as I walked side by side with him to the sitting room. We settled down on two different couches facing each other.He was silent as was I as we waited for the first person to start the conversation."What happened Tan? "He started.&nbs
1101 word(s)Published34The brightness and the early chirpings of birds penetrated my subconscious. My eyed opened to a brand new day. The events of yesterday filled my mind.I smiled as I stared at Jaimie. He had woken me up twice in the middle of the night to breastfeed and change his diapers. After cutting my sleep short, here the little man is...sleeping like there's no tomorrow.I kissed his rosy plump cheek and rose from the bed. I flushed at a remembered event. I can't believe I actually hugged Tanner, last night.I'm more surprise that I didn't freak out while doing it, especially when his arms wrapped around my back. I felt safe. At home.I've gotten pretty used to him. Even Jaimie.I imagined hugging another man...even his brother....and shuddered at the thought. Men scare the devil out of me. And with good reasons too.