Through the Pain (Whitsborough Chronicles Book 1)

by C. A. Rene

  Not trusting my voice, I simply nod, just once and look to him to start. This scene is good. Quite possibly my favourite. To be honest if my life was a book I would expect the author to make this play into a novella or short story, it’s that good.

  As we begin our scene I get to also see Vin in his element. This final scene is heartbreaking, Claire finds Miguel at one of his gang’s hangout to tell him she’s pregnant. He has literally ignored her and pretended she hasn’t existed for two months. He screams that she’s lying or it isn’t his and she screams back that he took her virginity and it’s only been him because she loves him. Miguel starts to cry these gut-wrenching sobs as Claire hugs herself and cries as well.

  They don’t pay attention to the car that’s speeding towards them until it’s too late. Two shots ring through the air and the car speeds off again. Claire circles around to watch it go and hears a strangled noise coming from Miguel behind her. She turns just in time to see him drop to his knees, gripping his stomach. There’s blood gushing out between his fingers and Claire screams running to his side.

  Miguel proceeds to apologize to Claire that this was all to protect her and that he loves her so much. He presses a blood-soaked hand to her stomach and closes his eyes.

  End of scene.

  Lance told me he decided to leave the ending a cliff-hanger so the audience could decide for themselves an ending. Does Miguel make it and they become a family? Does he die and his legacy lives on in his child? I personally think he would like to write a second part for next year.

  We both stay where we are, breathing heavily. The scene is a hard one but I cannot deny the chemistry we have because it has clearly shone through on this stage. Finally, we hear clapping and hooting from quite a few people. We look out to the audience and see almost everyone standing and applauding, even Lisa wipes a tear from the corner of her eye.

  We both stand up and Vin grabs my hand to bow together. The electric current from our skin meeting shocks me. I quickly release his hand and walk off the stage. I retake my seat next to Danny, he chuckles and playfully punches my arm.

  “You’re a force up there, Ember.”

  “Thanks Danny.” I say grinning at him.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” Lisa calls out, “that was truly some great acting. All roles will be posted Monday in the rotunda. Have a great weekend.”

  I watch as Vin makes his way off the stage and again he walks by me without a glance and exits through the double doors. Well then, I guess that’s that. I’m not going to lie but my heart feels like it has dropped into my stomach.

  I get to my locker and grab my jacket. I’m relieved it’s the weekend.

  I’m not really paying attention to my surroundings as I’m pulling out the textbooks I need for homework.

  “Thanks for helping me out.” I feel his warmth against my back. My heart kicks into full gear and I squeeze my legs together as want tears through me.

  “Mmhmm.” I can’t really speak right now, don’t judge me.

  He grabs my arm and turns me around to face him. He slowly backs me into my locker and puts his hand up on the locker beside my head, effectively caging me in. His face comes down so we can look each other in the eye.

  Those beautiful green eyes.

  “Sorry I’ve been absent. I’ve had some shit to deal with.” He says, his breath washing over my face.

  My eyes are on his plush mouth as I nod. I watch as his pierced tongue darts out and licks along his bottom lip.

  Panties officially soaked.

  “So, I’ll see you tonight?” He leans back, putting some space between us.

  “Um, I don’t think I’m going to Danny’s party.” I find my voice, even though it sounds a little huskier than normal, thanks to my rollercoaster vagina.

  “I meant dinner at your house, remember? My mom and your aunt have those bi-weekly gossip fests.” He quirks a brow.

  “Right,” totally forgot. “Sure, yeah I’ll see you then.” I nod.

  I turn around and close my locker then head toward the exit. I sound like a blubbering schoolgirl with a crush. It’s not completely incorrect but I don’t want it to be obvious.

  Chapter Seven

  I have half my closet thrown all over my room looking for something to wear,-trust me, when you have an over zealous aunt who loves to shop, that is a lot-I’ve always been in a school uniform when I see Vin so tonight I want to wear something that showcases my personality and obviously look hot in the process.

  I finally settle on black skinny jeans, ripped at the knees and a dark grey AC/DC band shirt with the sleeves ripped. I tie it to the side and show just a bit of my midriff. Sexy but not too obvious.

  The doorbell rings and I rush into my bathroom to check my makeup and hair. I left my hair straight and hanging to my waist and my makeup from school is still intact. I apply a light coat of gloss and I’m done.

  “Ember! Our guests are here!” My uncle Scott yells from the first floor.

  “Kay!” I’m so fucking nervous and it pisses me off. I never get like this. Not even when I was fighting bastards in the ring. I run a hand over my stomach and will it to chill.

  Finally, I pull it together… slightly, and make my way downstairs. I hear my aunt and Sharla chatting and laughing in the kitchen and I hear the TV on in the family room. Sports no doubt, my uncle’s favourite.

  I decide to head into the kitchen, I don’t want to be faced with those green eyes just yet. Sharla and my aunt are sitting at the table with a bottle of wine already opened and half-filled glasses.

  “Oh my!” Sharla exclaims when she sees me, “it really is like looking at your mother. You even dress like her. Mind you she was pale as a ghost with white blonde hair, but the features and your eye colour is the exact same.”

  “I envied Rebecca for those eyes. Our father had the exact same and his mother before him, apparently.” I am soaking in the information about my family, my mother never told me a single thing. I sit down with them at the table hoping they will continue.

  Sharla grabs me a wine glass and fills it with a wink. My aunt just shakes her head with a smile and cheers me with a clink of our glasses. I take a sip and settle in my chair waiting for more information.

  “Your mother, aunt and I were inseparable since middle school. Causing havoc and breaking hearts.” Sharla laughs. “Debby here has loved your uncle Scott since fifth grade.”

  “I did, he punched Kirk Oakwood in the face for yanking on my pigtail.” She nods with a far away look in her eyes. Sharla snorts shaking her head.

  “Your mother and I though, we ran wild. From twelve years old we knew exactly what to say to get boys and men alike to do our bidding.” She starts to laugh, “remember we had Doug Adams at the gas station sneaking us a pack of smokes everyday?”

  “Yeah, you two were something else.” My aunt says with obvious affection, “but I loved every second.”

  “So, you were best friends with my mother?” I ask Sharla, “did you know she was planning to run away?”

  “No, I didn’t know.” Her face becomes a little dark. “She started to run with a different crowd in our tenth grade.”

  “Ugh! Let’s not get into all this.” My aunt groans, “let’s get dinner on the table.”

  They both get up and start pulling the lasagna out of the oven and tossing the salad. I can’t help but let the disappointment sink into my bones. I get up from the table and start towards the family room.

  Tenth grade would make her fifteen and I know my mother had me at seventeen. Maybe my father belonged to this crowd she started to run around with. I know I can’t bring this up, for one, aunt Debby has already left the convo and two, anything to do with my mother after she ran away is a sore spot.

  “You’re going to have to tell her at some point Deb, she deserves to know.” I hear Sharla say quietly. My aunt doesn’t reply.

  Know what exactly? I worry my lip between my teeth as I walked aimlessly towards the family room. How bad was it?
I know I knew next to nothing about my mother’s life outside of her and I. And ignorantly so, when I believed everything she told me. She had no parents-which I guess wasn’t a lie-and no other family to go back to. Why did she leave Debby and Sharla behind without a second thought? What happened to her?

  “There she is.” My uncle Scott’s voice filters through my thoughts.

  “Hey Em.” Vin says.

  “It’s Ember.” I retort.

  “True.”

  Bastard.

  “That’s true, too, actually.” He deadpans.

  Did I say that out loud? Ugh, so tactless.

  I shrug and sit next to my uncle. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, chuckling. “How’s my girl?”

  “I was listening to Sharla and aunt Debby talking about their childhoods. You were included, too.”

  “Ahh… Kirk?” He asks with a raised brow.

  “Yup.” I pop my ‘p’.

  “I rigged that.”

  “Huh?”

  “Yup.” He pops his ‘p’, too. “Total set up. Cost me twenty bucks, too.”

  “You paid him to pull Aunt Debby’s hair?” I ask, aghast.

  “Shh!” He covers my mouth with his hand, “you crazy? If she finds out that’s at least a week of sleeping on the couch.”

  Vin is chuckling into his hand and I’m struggling to keep the smile off mine.

  “You’re a fraud!” I whisper harshly.

  “Worth the whole twenty bucks though. Would’ve paid double if the twenty didn’t work.” He shrugs.

  “That’s inspiration right there.” Vin nods, “OG shit.”

  “That’s right, I’m OG.” My uncle Scott puffs out his chest.

  “Yeah, you’re pretty awesome.” I reply honestly. Did I mention how much I love my aunt and uncle?

  “I’m going to grab a beer. Try not to kill each other yeah?” Uncle Scott gives me a wink and heads to the kitchen.

  Vin slides over and sits next to me, his thigh touching mine. I can’t help the shiver that runs through me and I see his knowing grin.

  “You’re an amazing actor, Em.”

  “You are too, Vince.” He winces at the name and I do an imaginary fist pump.

  “You nervous about the results Monday?”

  “Nah, what’s done is done.” I answer, “I never let myself worry too much.”

  “Come with me to Danny’s party.”

  “No way.” I shake my head.

  “What? You don’t want to be seen with me?”

  “Not in that capacity.”

  “What does that mean?” He narrows his eyes at me.

  “I don’t want anyone to ever mistaken that we’re dating.”

  His eyes widen with shock, and his mouth opens and shuts. Bet he’s never heard that before. Again, I give another imaginary fist pump.

  “Come on kids, grub’s up!” Uncle Scott yells from the kitchen.

  I get up without a second glance and head into the kitchen. Dinner is awkward, Vin and I barely speak unless we’re asked questions and I can feel his eyes on me. The adults are oblivious to this and continue to chatter around us.

  Finally, dinner is done and I clear my plate.

  “What’s the plan tonight kids?” My uncle asks.

  “Nada.”

  “A small gathering.” Vin says at the same time.

  “You look after Ember.” Sharla points at him, “she’s family, too.”

  “She better not be.” Vin retorts. “I’ll check into the mental hospital if that’s the next revelation.”

  Sharla tips her head back and roars out a laugh and my aunt and uncle join in. I look at them like they are all insane. How can they just nonchalantly joke about that?

  Sharla sees my expression and her face softens.

  “Ember, Vincent and I are very open with each other. Trust me, that situation is not a sore spot for us. We’ve talked it out, a million times over.”

  “Truth.” Vin nods. I shrug and continue to clear the table.

  The doorbell rings and I give a questioning look to my aunt.

  “I have no idea who that could be.” She says.

  “I’ll get it.” I walk to the front door and throw it open wide. There standing on my front porch is Adri, she has her backpack stuffed to capacity on her shoulder and her hair is a tangle of maroon curls all around her head.

  “I’m here!” She smiles wide, “let’s get ready to party!”

  “Sounds good to me.” His rasp comes up behind me.

  Adri’s eyes widen as Vin wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face in my neck. His mouth pressing into my skin. Holy fuck, I’m going to have to change my underwear. It takes all my concentration not to react to him.

  “Vin’s here?” She asks me.

  “Yup.” I reply, shrugging him off me. “Unfortunately.”

  “Oh stop,” he says with a grin. “Let’s go party.”

  “He’s here with his mommy for their weekly dinner with my auntie and uncle.” I say, in a mocking voice.

  “I love my mommy.” Vin shrugs. “And your auntie and uncle.”

  “Whatever.” I huff out motioning for Adri to follow me. I lead her to the stairs.

  “Don’t take too long girls, I gotta be there at ten to help set up.”

  We ignore him and I close my bedroom door on his voice.

  “Wow, I know you’re probably going to want to kick me in the cunt, but you and Vin really look amazing together.” She flutters her eyelashes at me. “You are both so gorgeous, and your kids would be…”

  “Adri…” I cut her off with a warning. “It’s getting to be more than a cunt kick at this point.”

  “Okay, okay!” She laughs, “let’s do some braids in your hair.”

  I let her take full reign over my hair. She does two Dutch braids down the sides of my head and leaves them open at the base of my neck. The hair that’s flowing she starts coiling it around the curling iron. I look up from my phone and see her finished product in the mirror.

  “Wow! That looks so good.” I gush, turning my head side to side. “You’re good at this.”

  “Makeup too,” she replies. “I want to be on movie sets.”

  “That’s fucking cool.”

  She starts in on my face and I close my eyes letting her do her thing.

  “I told my dad I was crashing here when he dropped me off. Is that cool?” She asks.

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “I won’t be intruding on you and Vin, right?”

  I form a fist and grin when I hear her squeak.

  Our makeup is done and I’m looking at myself in the mirror. I never wear much makeup. Even when I partied it was a bit of mascara and lip-gloss. I never knew when I was going to be called for a fight so I didn’t need shit caked all over my face. But this, this is something completely different. I have never looked like this.

  Adri has given me a smoky look, making my turquoise eyes pop and created my already almond shaped eyes more catlike. She uses some magical mascara because my eyelashes nearly touch my eyebrows. Then she applied some simmering powder on certain points of my face that highlighted my high cheek bones and pouty lips. My lips she left natural with just a touch of gloss.

  “Holy shit,” I gasp, “I don’t even look like myself.”

  “Girl, this is your face. I just coloured in the numbers. You’re gorgeous.”

  “So are you Adri.” I look at her makeup and notice she went the opposite to my dark. Her eyes shimmer with gold and her lips are painted a deep red close to match the colour of her hair.

  “What are you going to wear?” I ask her.

  She pours her bag out all over my bed and I see a few scraps of clothing.

  “Are those outfits?” I ask, lifting a tube top.

  “That’s my favourite skirt.” She snatches it out of my hands. Skirt?!

  “My uncle will flip if he sees you leaving wearing that.” I start laughing.

  “That’s why I have this.” She holds out a
long black leather trench jacket.

  “Ooh I like!” I say as I touch it.

  “Let’s figure out what you’re going to wear.” She says moving to my closet.

  “Not a dress or skirt.” I tell her “my ass would never fit in this.”

  I’m holding the tube top/skirt for delusional people and I hear her snort from the closet.

  “Girl, not all of us are blessed like you and JLo.” She laughs, “Hey! Maybe you’re related somehow! Both from the Bronx with big ole booties, and you could pass for Latina.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Who knows? Maybe I am.”

  “Huh?” She pokes her head out of my closet her face pinched in question.

  “I never knew my father, and my mother refused to talk about him. So, who knows? Maybe JLo is another long-lost auntie.”

  “Whoa, draaama.” She laughs and ducks back in my closet. See why I love her? No pity or judgement.

  She comes back holding out my floor length jersey grey maxi dress that has a slit to my thigh. All trim and the bust are leather. The straps are thin leather and pull into a halter in the back.

  “I don’t know.” I shake my head.

  She also pulls out my cropped leather jacket and black leather moto high healed boots.

  “I won’t take no as an answer. Everyone now knows you’re a badass, so fucking look it.”

  She has a point.

  I am a fucking badass. But to be honest I’m glad she pulled out the dress, I wanted to look badass but also feminine for Vin. So girly, I know.

  “Fine.” I huff.

  After we’re dressed and she is completely covered in the trench coat, we head downstairs. I can hear the sports channel still blaring and Vin talking to my uncle. I walk to the family room while Adri waits by the door. Less interaction with her get up, the better.

  As I approach, Vin looks up and I thoroughly enjoy how his jaw drops. His eyes do a slow perusal from my feet to my face. I lift my eyebrow and he grins when our eyes meet.

  “You look like you could deck a bitch while having a fun night on the town.”

  My uncle folks, he just gets me. Vin is nodding in agreement.

  “Let’s get going. I’m already on the verge of changing my mind.” I groan.