Chapter 50

I come down to the living room after an hour of contemplating whether I should stay and face my family after that heated confrontation or just ditch it and make Charles drive me back to Shannon's.

I was about to ditch dinner until Shannon talked me out of it and say that I should probably stay for dinner because it would be rude and come out her being a bad influence if she agrees with the idea. She also said that Trent called her and indeed he wasn't happy with the news but she explained it and came into terms of letting me drive when we're together, which is fine by me. Gladly, they're still in good terms, maybe nothing's even changed.

I clutched my phone in my hand as I walked in the kitchen smelling some good food and saw Mom taking out some chicken from the oven and the twins helping out plating the pasta while Courtney takes out the plates.

"Oh good, you're here." Mom says announcing mypresence. "Can you come here and taste this for me." I do as what she tells me to do and walk towards her while I feel eyes digging through my soul as I do so. Mom holds out a spoonful of tomato soup and I take it tasting the tangy and rich flavor. This is so good. I nod my head and smiled at her.

"Yea, that's too good actually." I say and she nods the same time Trent and Jake comes in from the backyard holding a platter of grilled meat and vegetables. They both stopped in their tracks when they saw me and I really can feel the tension growing as Trent and I hold our stare in. I know he's over protective of us but if just wouldn't lash out at everything hear me out first it wouldn't escalate in the way it did earlier.

"Uh yea, I'll be outside for a while." I say and before anyone could react to it, I was already out of the room. I couldn't stand the tension in there, its suffocating. I walked out of the house and dialed Shannon's number. I really need her right now and maybe this is easier if she's here but at the same time the thought of her having to go through events that had happened in this house again is just terrifying at the same time.

'Babe? Everything alright?' Her gentle voice immediately eases up the tension in me as I feel my body relaxing. God, how I wish she could be here.

"No, I can't do this."

"Yes you can sweetheart."

"No honey, its not just about Dad anymore. Trent just couldn't help but lash out at everything and I just— I'm so tired for this. Can I just go back there and cuddle. I really need you right now."

"Elizabeth, I thought we settled this already—"

"I know honey and I'm sorry I tried but being in the same room with meaningful looks is suffocating and I can't deal with that right now." I hear her sigh and paused for a minute until I hear talking in the background. I'm starting to get my hopes up. I really want to get out of this place.

"Thanks Zoë. Baby, I can't let you leave, but if you need me. I'm on my way—"

"No. Shan—"

"Hey, its alright. Zoë's driving me there don't worry and I guess my leg could take a few hours out so."

"Shannon, its not the driving I'm worried about. Its your flashbacks remember what happened the last time. Its not good for you or for the both of us baby please. Just forget about it."

"Elizabeth, If you need me. I'll be there, I won't risk a panic attack. I'll be fine. If I see things I'll tell you right away and we can go. I promise."

"I'm not really sure this is a good idea Shannon." I sighed as my heart starts to race with just the thought.

"Baby, I can't not go to your Mom's house forever. Come on, its okay. We got each other. we got this, you and me." Even though I hate to admit it, she's right. She can't avoid going here forever and maybe the only thing that will stop the flashbacks is for her to face it. But still I'm having second thoughts and worries about it.

"Shan" I sighed.

"Baby, if it gets worse, I'll call Zoë or an Uber and we'll go. I promise." After so much considerations on the possible scenarios in my head, I decided to held on to what she says.

"Alright." I hear her sigh and let out a soft chuckle making my lips curve into the smallest smile. "But you promise to tell me everything."

"Yes, a hundred and one percent guaranteed baby. I love you, Zoë and I are on our way. I'll see you later, Bye."

"I love you bye, please be safe."

"We will." And with that the line goes dead. I still feel my heart racing in my chest thinking it through if saying yes was really a good idea. Well, she said she'll tell me and when it does shows some signs we'll go in a flash. I don't care if my whole fucking family is here. I swear I'll walk out of that door once it starts. Oh fuck this is a bad idea. This is a fucking bad idea—

"Liz!" I stopped in my tracks at the sound of my name and saw Trent approaching me. He's hands are tucked in his pockets which just tells me that he's here to make amends. So I sigh as I fold my arms against my chest raising my brows at him. He takes out a cigarette from his back pocket and hands it over to me. I shake my head.

"I stopped, Shannon doesn't like it." He shrugs and lights up one for himself, inhaling it in and releasing a smoke filling up my lungs, I stepped away from him. If Shannon smells the smoke in my clothes, I'd be toast.

"I'm sorry, I snapped." He eventually say. "I had a talk with Shannon and—"

"Yea, I know. She told me" I sighed.

"I'm just being a big brother Lizzie. I just don't want you getting into trouble even if its with Shannon and hearing that just sends my brain into overdrive." He has a point really. He's my big brother and know how over protective he can get, that is what he would normally do or anyone would normally do. Maybe I'm just so tired that I snapped too.

"I know, I'm sorry I snapped too. I was just tired from the whole day, I guess and with Dad here and all it just got piled up. Sorry." He smiles putting out the cigarette his smoking and puffs the last smoke before gesturing me for a hug. So giving in, I walked towards him falling into his arms. "Please be careful always" He whispers before placing a soft kiss on top of my head. I sighed in satisfaction at the brotherly comfort I'm in and it always reminds me of the reason why we are talking again and that's basically my girlfriend.

"Come on, dinner's almost ready and Dad is looking for you actually." I felt an uneasy knot tighten in my stomach upon hearing that. To be honest, I really don't want to see Dad or even talk to him and I think that shows because Trent sighs and squeezes my shoulders. "You know he misses you right?" I rolled my eyes, I know I'm probably being a bitch right now but spending your whole life barely seeing or let alone spending time with a dad is not something I should be happy about really.

"You go ahead, I'm waiting for Shannon."

"What? I thought you said—"

"I was going for a run to be honest and she wouldn't agree to it so she decided to just be with me through it. I told her its a fucking bad idea but she insisted and told me we'll go if her flashbacks gets worse." I swore his smile grew from ear to ear. He really loves her and its quite satisfying and comforting to know that really.

"Really? she'll come?"

"Yea, she's on her way. Zoë's driving by the way so she's safe."

"Who's Zoë?"

"Her room mate" I shrug and he gives me a knowing look and says. 

"Is this the room mate you're worried about before?" He smirks and I shake my head smiling at how crazy that sounds right now that I met the person herself.

"Stop" He chuckles and squeezed my shoulder again.

"Alright, I'll go inside and tell the others. Oh can you warn Shannon about Jake. He's crazy about her more crazier than me." He laughs. I pulled on a face thinking how Jake would annoy Shannon, but I doubt it. She loves talking about what she do actually and its quite attractive to watch her do so just as attractive at how she actually works.

Not long after, a car pulls up in front of the house and just by the familiar black top down convertible and Zoë's pink hair just tells me that Shannon's here and that made me smile and feel nervous at the same time. I don't know what's going to happen tonight but I'm really hoping we'll get through this with no slip ups.

"Hi Lizzie" Zoë smiles as soon as I approach them.

"Hi Zoë" I smiled. "Thanks for the ride."

"Oh yea, don't mention it. Just give me a call later if you need a ride." I offered a smile before looking up to Shannon as she walks around the car towards me, giving me a kiss and wrapping an arm around me as soon as I was in reach. I feel somewhat relieved seeing her here but I just can't help but still feel worried about what's going to happen as soon as we step inside of the house.

"Thanks Zoë. I'll text you later." Shannon says.

"Yea, just take it easy okay." She nods before Zoë starts backing away as we said our goodbyes.

"You alright?" I sighed obviously still bothered with this.

"Shan, I'm really not sure about this." She smiles pulling me closer to her.

"Its going to be fine and besides, I'm already here am I. There's no going back now." She places a reassuring kiss on my forehead before putting an arm around me. I hesitate but nod anyway. Well, she's here already. I just need to not think about it too much.

Shannon's P.O.V."How's your leg?" Elizabeth asks as we start walking and with the way I'm doing the walking thing, I guess it gives out the answer she's looking for. So she takes my arm and swung it around her shoulders and says,

"Just lean on me if it gets painful." I let out a soft chuckle at how ridiculous we probably look like. My leg's fine really just got muscle spasms right on the scar every now and then and its not a very good feeling to be honest.

Everything seems good so far, no flashbacks or anything at all. Maybe because I'm too focused on what's going tohappen tonight with the fact that I'm meeting her father and her other siblings rather than my surroundings itself. The door opens even before we reached it revealing Trent, who has a huge smile on his face but suddenly fades as he noticed I was a bit limping towards him.

"No broken bones, I see." He says sarcastically looking at Elizabeth making me frown.

"I told you her leg is sore." She rolls her eyes before shaking her head.

"Yea, I've been having muscle spasms since earlier and I think its because of that. Again, I'm really sorry about not telling you immediately." Trent nods and steps aside to let us in giving me a hug as we walk past him. The very familiar feeling starts creeping in as soon as I stepped into the house.

"We're really glad you decided to come though." He says catching up with us as we walk to the living room. "They're all looking for you especially Jake the youngest of us all. I must say he really is a fan of yours."

"And why's that?"

"He said he watches your videos and he's currently into directing so he's really looking forward to seeing you" I don't know how to feel about that actually because its very rare for me to meet someone who is really interested in what I do. I mean, I don't even know how big my career is at the moment. I just live with it. Trent was about to say something when Mary Kate's voice rings in my ears.

"Look, who decided to show up." I let out a chuckle as she gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek making me pull away from Elizabeth but kept a hold of my hand. Ashley follows still giving me a look but giving me a tight hug anyway. She loves me, even after a long tiring walk earlier.

"Dinner's ready. She wants us all at the dining room right now." I return my arm around Elizabeth's shoulders as she wraps her own around my waist looking up to me. So I glanced at her to see a meaningful worried look asking me about what I think she's asking about and that is my flashbacks which I haven't gotten any but there's a slight heaviness in my chest that I just couldn't understand. I shake my head slightly making her sigh as I place another reassuring kiss on top of her head. I'm afraid this would go on all night, but if it makes her better and it will assure me that she's fine then that's okay with me.

"Alright then" I nod. The twins took the lead as we follow behind them closely, Trent on my side. I've walked this hallways before and as we pass by the kitchen a memory flashes.

Laughing, three ladies in front of me as I make some martini's, quite in a professional way to be honest just like what I did when we were in New York.

"What?" I snapped out of my thoughts and look down at Elizabeth who's looking at me with a confused and bewildered look.

"What?"

"You said martinis" I did? Fuck I'm doing it again. This can't be good. I tried to shove the strange feeling at the back of my mind and just smiled at her hoping it would reassure her.

"I saw us in the kitchen. I was doing martinis for you and the twins." I felt Elizabeth's grip on my jacket tightens at the realization that I just had a flashback.

"Oh I remember that. That was the first time we saw you make martinis, quite attractive, I must say." Ashley giggles making me smile. "and entertaining" MK added.

"I wish I've seen that" Trent says making intrigued.

"Where were you then?" He raised his brows then glanced at Elizabeth who just shrugs moving closer to me and says. "I'll tell you later on." she whispered leaving me thinking is there something I should know about this two?

I can smell good food as we walked in the dining room. I must've been here a lot of time because my surroundings is really so familiar.

"Shan you're here!" Jarnie says rushing towards me as soon as we came into view making me giggle. I slightly pull away from Elizabeth but still she kept hold of my jacket while I give her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Yup, I really love her family. "Glad you could make it, I thought Lizzie said you couldn't make it because of a sore leg."

"Oh yea, but its fine already. It doesn't hurt that much anymore." I say and she smiles touching my cheek, which she always does and it quite adorable I must say and it feels good too, comforting in some way.

"Holy shit, no way!" I turn to the unfamiliar voice and saw a man in his twenties I think. I'm guessing this is Jake, the youngest. Well he looks like it. Standing next to him is a lady maybe the same age. Is she her girlfriend or is this Courtney. I didn't have time to figure it out because the young man rushes to me with a huge smile on his face.

"Hi, I'm Jake Olsen." He says and takes my hand shaking it. "Its nice to finally meet you." I hear Elizabeth giggles on my side and hearing that soothes me in some way, bringing me back from being stunned by her brother.

"Oh hi, I'm Shannon-"

"Yea, I watch your videos and I've watched Sorry for Your Loss, and I've heard you do photoshoots with Marvel and that is the coolest thing really. When I found out that you're my sister's girlfriend I—"

"Ookay, Jake that's enough. We'll have the chat later on okay." Elizabeth butts in making me chuckle. "Anyway, that's Courtney and her boyfriend Paul and—" She stops talking as a man walked in from the backyard and as soon as my eyes lands outside I see something.

I'm standing awfully still as Elizabeth held on to my shoulders shaking me with tears in her eyes and I can hear her. What the fuck, I can hear what she's saying.

Hey baby, I know you're there please listen to me. I need you honey. Please come back, I'm sorry I forced you into this. We'll go home I promise just come back baby.

A hand touches my cheek snapping me out of my gaze and my eyes lands on green meadows with storm clouds hovering on them and that's when I remember where I was.

"You look so stunned." My head snapped up to the voice. The man has a smug look on his face and right then and there I know where this is going and I swear I'm not looking forward to it, now my head is starting to hurt again with what I just saw. "Shannon is it? I'm David, Lizzie's father." He holds out his hand for me to shake and subconsciously, I took it with a smile on my face hoping it looks convincing and I think it did because he nods and lets go.

Silence

"Let's eat, the food's getting cold." Jarnie says cutting off the growing tension in the room. We all sat down by the dinner table with Elizabeth beside me and Trent on the other side. David decides to sit across from me which is making me quite uncomfortable and even though, Elizabeth hasn't said it yet, I can see now why she doesn't have a close relationship with her father. His stare screams judgement.

"So I never thought you were into women now these days, Lizzie." He says with a soft chuckle hanging of it and a spark of fire slowly ignites inside of me but I try my hardest to keep my patience as it is and hope this will past without me having to walked out of here mad.

"Dad" Elizabeth warns with a hint of rage in her voice. So I placed a hand on her leg to just calm her down.

"What? I'm just saying. What's wrong with that?" He says bluntly and I give her leg a light squeeze making her look at me with an annoyed look. I offered a small smile and a reassuring nod just to lighten up the situation a bit, after all, I'm used to meeting fathers who doesn't seem to agree with their daughter's sexual preferences.

"Anyway, you're a director?"

"Yes, sometimes a photographer. Basically, I work behind a camera." I try to sound confident on what I do but his stare is slowly destroying my self esteem.

"She also looks so good in front of a camera." Mary Kate butts in winking at me. I shake my head as I let out a soft chuckle before putting some food in me. Damn, the food is really good.

"So do you have projects right now?"

"Yea do you?" Jake butts in with that huge grin on his face, looking so interested on what I was about to say.

"I'm currently on probation for Marvel as a photographer then I will be working with Elizabeth on her new show Love and Death and that's on September, I think and—"

"Wait, you're working with Lizzie on her new show and clearly she also belongs to Marvel, what else. Modeling for the twins. Well it seems like my daughters have huge contributions to your career my dear."

"Dad!"

"David!"

"Well, don't you think its a bit odd for an ordinary—what do you call it? a Youtuber? to suddenly become someone big just because she's in fact in a relationship with Elizabeth Olsen." I can feel my blood slowly rising to my head as he chuckles with a smug look on his face. I withdrew my hand from Elizabeth's leg making her head snap at me but I ignored the look she's giving me. and settled my arms on the table propping my head up with my elbows as I watch him insult me in front of all of them.

Stop using Elizabeth for your career!

There it is again, it keeps on screaming in my ear. But I didn't move. I know what's the truth. I'm not using Elizabeth or anyone in this family for my own sake.

"What did happen with Robbie anyway?"

"That's it! I'm done." Elizabeth stands to her feet and grabs my arm snapping me back to reality. I was force to stand as an enraged Elizabeth pulls me up. I stumble slightly with my scar hurting again and a sharp pain shoots through my head like lightning and I can't help but stop in my tracks and scrunch my eyes tight hoping it would go away as my hand flies to my head.

Stop using her!

"Shan, hey." I breathe out a sharp breath as I squeezed Elizabeth's hand in mine before whispering. "I'm not using you."

"Shannon, dude you alright?" I hear Trent says as I felt his hand on my shoulder. I thought I said I'm not causing a scene but maybe this really is a bad idea. No one told me that Elizabeth's father is a fucking asshole. Not to escalate this further, I nod my head and open my eyes seeing storms raging in Elizabeth's. Her eyes are darker than I have ever seen.

"I'm fine." I mutter.

"We're going."

"No." I whispered. For some reason, I don't want to go. I want to prove something, maybe the fact that I'm not using his daughter or the twins for anything, that I work on my own without any help from them. I know this is coming even before I came here.

"You said we'll go if this gets worse." She says not minding that her family is in the same room.

"I'm fine sweetheart. its okay. Just settle down." I say as I sat her back down to her seat. She huffs a breath while I take my seat next to her as well giving Trent a smile telling him its alright. I released a huge breath to calm myself down, maybe a talk in private later on will fucking fix this shit up but I guess I need to swallow his words for the mean time in respect to the other people in the room.

Silence.

No one dares to speak for a moment, the tension is growing between two parties and its pretty uncomfortable. I have a hand on Elizabeth's knee gently stroking her skin to just calm her down because she is damn on raging fire right now.

"How long have you been together?" He eventually asks still with a smug look on his face. This person really hates me already, I can tell. Damn, what have I done?

"Why does it matter?" Elizabeth snaps.

"I just want to know—"

"Two months" I say cutting them off. "We've been together for two months." He grimaces.

"But they've been together before" Jarnie adds making us turn to her as I felt Elizabeth froze.

"When?" He asks confuse.

" Where were you all this time?" Mary Kate butts in clearly annoyed too at how her father is acting up. Well, I'd be annoyed too if my Dad acts like this, which I'm so grateful he isn't.

"I don't read anything, you all know that."

"Two years ago, right Shannon? After Lizzie broke off the engagement with Robbie."

"Mom!"

"What!" Oh that just kept him up. I'd be dead before this night even finishes. He looks at me with fire in his eyes. I guess he likes Robbie and that just gives out that maybe I wrecked the engagement. Did I?

"Elizabeth Chase Olsen." He said through gritted teeth and now maybe I shouldn't have come here in the first place because I can see the judgement in Courtney and Jake's eyes. This is going nowhere, really. We need to leave.

"He cheated on me, Shannon has nothing to do with that."

"Dad, enough!" Trent says suddenly standing up beside me, startling me a bit.

"Oh fuck it, you broke off an engagement with Robbie just to be with her?" I shut my eyes trying to keep my composure with all the yelling already but its too much. Now fragments of memories starts flashing in front of my eyes.

'Then what does she wants? a depressed messed up dyke like you?'

'I had to do something.'

'What did you fucking do!'

'Show me' Hands on my chest slides to my neck up to the side of my face but this time I see them. I see her, his hands on her jawline squeezing in. I'm here

All I see is red.