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Chapter27
Bryson texted me at 10 am telling me to be ready in half an hour cause he was coming to pick us up. Apparently, he was coming this way anyway. I call bullshit I think it's cause he thought I would chicken out. He reminded me to bring swimmers. Me, Harley and Levi would be the first there as it was a BBQ lunch but Bryson said it would be better if I didn't walk in with everyone staring at me so I wouldn't run.
Levi, Harley and I are waiting out for Bryson when he pulls up with Jason in the front seat. We get in the car and I make the introductions before we head off to Aunty Amelia's place. I'm sitting in the middle of the back seat and my legs are bouncing. I don't think this was a great idea. Harley is squeezing my hand and rubbing circles on my thigh. Levi is poking me in my side trying to get me to stop bouncing my legs. Why the hell did I agree to this again?
Jas turns around when he hears me slap Levi for poking me and looks at my face "Tilly you ok? Shit Bryson you might want to pull over" says Jason. Bryson pulls over and I crawl over Jason to get out because neither Harley nor Levi were moving. Once I'm outside the car I take some deep breaths. It was literally a mix of worrying about what was going to happen today and feeling boxed in the car between Harley and Levi that caused me to panic. We were close to Bryson's probably a 5-minute walk and 2 minutes in the car but I couldn't bring myself to get back in the car at all between Harley and Levi.
Everyone was now watching me to see what I would do. Harley pulled me into a hug and whispered "Sorry babe didn't even notice you were panicking. Do you want to go home?". I shook my head "I just can't be boxed in and sitting in that car made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Levi poking me didn't help" I replied. "I'll sit in the back Tilly take the front, we are literally 2 minutes away," said Jason. I nodded and headed to the front seat before getting in and buckling up. Everyone got in and Bryson started driving to his place. Here goes nothing.
We headed to the backyard where Uncle Mark was cleaning the BBQ. Bryson introduced Levi and Harley before Aunty Amelia came out. Both Aunty Amelia and Uncle Mark tried to hug me but I stepped back not ready for physical contact from them. They looked hurt but I wasn't going to make myself uncomfortable for them. Bryson swung his arm around me and asked if I was ok to which I just nodded.
Levi and Harley wanted to head into the pool so that's what we did. I slipped off my dress and was in a black bikini. Bryson has seen my scars and so had Levi but the others hadn't. They were staring at them when Bryson spoke up getting the attention off me. There were 5 visible scars. Two I had received from when the guards beat me in the first 91 days of juvie. There was a burn on my left shoulder blade and a cut on my left hip. The others were from being stabbed by other people in juvie. They were part of who I was now. I decided to just explain to them all, what they were from. Why should I be ashamed? They were part of how broken I was, no wait they showed how beautifully broken I had been and were part of my journey to the freedom I wanted.
We all got in the pool and were mucking around Jason and Levi were getting along and it was cute. Levi was a blushing mess while Bryson was teasing me and Jason about making him the 5th wheeler on his birthday, as I was wrapped in Harley's arms. Aunty Amelia called us out of the pool at lunch time saying everyone would be here shortly.
We all got out of the pool grabbing towels, I wrapped my towel around my hips before Harley pulled me towards him pecking me on the lips. Just as he did that my father and brothers walked in. Harley had his arm around my waist and we began walking over to the table. Sian had arrived with her fiance who seemed like a tool because he didn't want her going in the pool and smelling like chlorine. Sian and I hadn't spoken at all and I had no intentions to be the one to talk to her first considering she kept glaring at me.