Chapter 52 Hot Lava!

Chapter 52 Hot Lava!

LAURA'S POV:

I smiled gratefully at Brian, as he pecked my forehead. He wrapped his hands around me and hugged me while whispering into my ears. “What happened?”

I was about replying, when Jaxon's car reversed furiously, the tires squealed in protest as he rode into the road. We broke the hug and stared as the car sauntered out leaving dust falling in its wake.

I held Ria's hand in mine while staring at the corner where he just turned off.
Brian turned on me, his gaze hardening.

“Are you still insisting on keeping me in the dark?” He asked coldly.
I didn't answer immediately, I gave Ria my purse and urged her to go inside. “Go in and wait for us baby.”

“Okay, ma.” She turned on her heels and walked back slowly to the gate and disappeared behind it. Once I was sure she was out of earshot. I turned to Brian who was still eyeing me, his eyes laced with fury and hurt.

“So are you gonna talk now?”

“There's nothing to talk about.” I said quietly, hating myself for every word. I was supposed to be cruel to Jaxon and not Brian, not my own brother— the only family I had.

He knitted his brows and stared me down. I watched as his eyes turned in slow motion from exasperated and hurt to dark and interested.

“What the fuck is wrong with you Laura?” He whispered.

“Nothing,” I said, he didn't believe me from the way he was staring at me. I knew he didn't.

“I'm telling you the truth.” I said. “Jaxon only offered to ride me home since I didn't take my car to the studio and Jenna and Ryan are both busy with the production guys and..” I paused, the next sentence slurring in my throat, as our gaze met for a minute, a long fucking minute.

I inhaled deeply and finally forced the words out. “And I can't get a cab because of the whole media ruckus and Jaxon was the only option I had to get home. I have had to put up with his overbearing, willful habit. I hate the fact that he reminds me of everything and the fact that I can't seem to get rid of him no matter how hard I try.”

I felt hot lava bubbling in my chest, my eyes were misty and clouded and if given a slight chance, it was going to pour out any minute now.

I couldn't believe I had just spoken all that, really managed to piece the words together to at least tell someone how I felt each time I thought of Jaxon. Everything about him sounded like a profanity and to think he was making passes at me and even daring to ask me for a drink after all the damage and wreckage he had done to me.

Brian pulled me into his arms and slouched against his hard, firm chest. He wrapped his hands round me and hugged me tightly, fiercely. We stayed that way for a whole year, I just stood there sobbing into his arms while he held me tight and patted me on the back gently.

I resented Jaxon for everything and everytime I saw him he reminded me of terrible things I was trying desperately to forget. I exhaled fiercely against Brian's chest, while he rubbed me softly on the back.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know how hard it was on you.” He muttered, still crushing me against himself.

“You don't need to be.” I replied back, I was doing one who was sticking my neck out trying to get close to Jaxon enough to ruin him. No one needed to be sorry for me anymore.

“Thank you for coming out when I texted, Brian.”

He chuckled softly. “What? What is family for, Laura?”

We pulled apart, he placed his two hands on my shoulders.

“Family sticks together, family fights for each other. We love fiercely without holding back, We protect each other— So you don't need to thank me for doing my job”

A knot knitted in my throat, I almost tore up as I stared into his warm eyes.

“If you hadn't come up with that smart ass plan, I was going to hook my fist in his jaw the moment I saw him tonight.” He added.

I laughed. “Then you're damn lucky I told you the plan in time or your ass would be facing some serious jail term tonight.”

He hooked his hand through mine, laughing as well. “So far I get a good shot at him, I don't care.”

My stomach flipped, a shiver running down my spine at his words, I looked at him, my expression turning serious. “Brian you're not going to try anything reckless to get your ass in jail, do you get?”

“What?” He was taken aback by my stare and sudden seriousness. “That was a joke, huh. I ain't getting in jail anytime soon— why are you suddenly all serious over it.”

Because I know what you can do, Brian.

But I didn't tell him that, I said “I know but promise me you wouldn't try anything reckless.”

He groaned. “Laura..”

“Promise me!” I snapped fiercely, loudly.

“Okay, okay. I promise, alright?” He said raising both hands in mock surrender.

I nodded.

“Why do you always get worked up for all the wrong reasons, I wasn't just joking.” He groaned as we made for the gate.

“Of course I knew you were joking.” I said, “But I of all people know my brother doesn't joke with family.”

He smiled, squeezing my hand in his.

That night we had a celebratory family dinner which was a very much rare occurrence since we were rarely at home. After dinner I walked into my bathroom with a slight sense of victory hovering over me. You could call it intuition.

But I knew Jaxon was never going to show up on my front steps anytime soon, and probably never again. As I turned on the shower and let the cold water rush over my skin. I imagined a world without cannibalistic men, men who acted willful like animals. Men who made their own laws and forced other people to obey it, stripping everyone else of their rights.

I imagined a world where women were truly valued and loved.
Slowly, so very slowly I made my way out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack to wipe off water from my skin.

I tied another towel over my damp hair and strolled out of the bathroom. I sat in front of the same dressing mirror I had sat on several months back painting myself into my own armour. Trying to mask my vulnerabilities and fear and trauma from the whole world.

I sat there and stared at what had become of me. A lot of things had changed in me since that night of the Gala, a lot of things had changed.

I sat there, staring at my reflection, staring at what the world saw when they spoke of Laura Jacobs.

What did people see me as?
Did they see a broken woman or did they see just VIXEN, my ever perfect doppelgänger.