Erik stepped in front of Nelson.
"Who gave you the nerve?" he demanded. Nelson had been showing up repeatedly to force himself into Janelle's presence.
"This is between her and me. It has nothing to do with you," Nelson retorted stubbornly. He was genuinely afraid of Erik, yet today, he was determined to get Janelle to spare The Hills.
"Janelle, between us..." Nelson started again.
Sara, hearing him dare to speak, lunged forward to hit him again. Janelle caught her arm.
"Sara, don't hurt your hand," Janelle said calmly. The girl, drunk, truly seemed to fear nothing right now.
"..." Nelson was speechless.
"You take her to the car first. I'll be right out," Janelle instructed Erik. She was just supposed to be the designated driver tonight. Sara was still struggling. Worried Sara would feel embarrassed when sober, Janelle simply scooped her up – a princess carry.
"Wow! That lady is so cool!"
"A princess carry! Who knew a woman doing a princess carry could look so captivating!"
Janelle stood a full head taller than Sara. Holding her like this was effortless, and the sight was undeniably captivating.
"I want her to carry me too!"
"Forget it! That's Janelle. If she's fond of you, she might carry you. But if you've earned her hatred, she'd probably toss you straight into the river."
Wasn't Nelson the perfect example? What would become of The Hills was still anyone's guess!
"Janelle, are you really showing no mercy? No matter what, you and Lillie are sisters, you..." Nelson pleaded.
Janelle's icy gaze snapped towards him.
"Nelson, are you fucking stupid? When did I ever have a sister? My mother only gave birth to me," Janelle's voice remained cool and detached, yet it sent chills down the spine.
Seeing he'd provoked her, Erik seized Nelson by the collar and dragged him bodily towards the exit. Nelson, being hauled away, was utterly humiliated. Patrons of Nightfall wanted to watch, but no one dared follow. That man looked far too brutal!
Janelle had already carried Sara to Erik's car. Bruce Aleen had followed them out. He wanted to help, but he seemed utterly useless in this situation. Nelson was dragged to the side, but he remained defiant, calling out Janelle's name incessantly.
Janelle shut the car door. Sara tried to get out, so Janelle simply hit the lock. Sara pressed her face against the window, looking pitifully at Janelle.
"Janelle, I wanted to help you hit him too. That man is utterly shameless," Sara mumbled.
Janelle gently pinched her cheek.
"Rest for a bit. I'll take you home soon," Janelle said. This wasn't the border; things couldn't be pushed too far here. "Be good, alright?"
Sara nodded obediently.
"Keep an eye on her," Janelle instructed Bruce Aleen before walking over to where Erik held Nelson.
Nelson tried to resist, but he was no match for Erik; he was thoroughly overpowered. Seeing Janelle approach, a flicker of hope ignited in him.
"Janelle, you still care about me, don't you? Is that why you're doing all this? Is it because..." Nelson stammered.
Erik had truly heard enough. He punched Nelson squarely on the jaw.
"Who the hell are you trying to disgust here? I've never met trash as revolting as you!" Erik spat. How could such a disgusting person exist?
Nelson spat out blood, but his gaze remained fixed on Janelle.
"Janelle, five years ago... I truly liked you. A lot of things... I was forced into it. You know my mother's personality. She didn't like you, so I..." he tried to explain.
Janelle found it laughable. What on earth was this man thinking? Did he believe talking about the past could change anything now?
"Nelson, I told you I would take down The Hills. That wasn't an empty threat," Janelle stated coldly. "And what are you doing now? Playing the victim? Hoping for my forgiveness?"
Didn't he know exactly what they had done? How dare he pretend to be innocent here?
Nelson shook his head.
"I don't expect your forgiveness. But since what's past is past, can't you just let it go?" he pleaded.
"Let it go? Hah." Janelle let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Nelson, how old are you? How can you still be this naive? Your mother drove mine insane! Do you really think that's something you can just 'let go'?"
Janelle was strong now, powerful enough to protect herself. Yet, the memories of five years ago still caused her unbearable pain.
"Then what do you want? Do you want us dead?" Nelson cried out, utterly broken. Why had everything changed so drastically overnight?
"Dead? Even if you died, I wouldn't forgive you. In Janelle's world, the word 'forgiveness' doesn't exist," Janelle declared, each word dripping with venom. "Open your eyes wide. Watch closely as I destroy everything you and your mother hold dear, piece by piece."
Forget? Who could forget after being wounded to the core?
Janelle didn't lay a finger on Nelson; she found the thought of touching him repulsive. Seeing Erik lingering, she glanced at him.
"Let's go. Sara might throw up in your car soon," Janelle said, turning away without a backward glance. Her departure was decisive, absolute. For Nelson, there was only hatred, no other emotion remained.
Nelson collapsed onto the ground. Erik let out a low whistle.
"Talk about delusional! You think she'd pine after you? How narcissistic can you get?" he scoffed. Even he, Erik, couldn't capture her interest – why would she care about Nelson?
Seeing Janelle return, Sara started singing happily.
"Janelle, sing with me! You used to love singing. You have such a beautiful voice," Sara slurred, leaning against Janelle's shoulder.
"What do you want to sing?" Janelle asked softly.
"That song we used to sing! I forgot the name... It went like this..." Sara began to hum.
Janelle knew the song. She hadn't sung in a long time, but Sara loved it, so she joined in. Erik heard Janelle sing for the first time. Her usually cool, detached voice was surprisingly moving when singing. He drove while the two women sang in the back seat. Eventually, Sara just hummed harmonies for Janelle, whose voice carried every note beautifully.
Parking the car, Erik moved to help Janelle carry Sara inside. But Janelle simply scooped Sara up again effortlessly.
"You're really good to her," Erik remarked, a touch of envy in his voice. Janelle wasn't known for patience, yet with Sara, she possessed endless reserves of it.
"Go on back," Janelle said, intending to stay and care for Sara.
"I'll open the door for you," Erik offered, following them up.
Sara was already asleep. Janelle gently laid her on the bed and covered her with a light summer quilt. Exiting the bedroom, Erik immediately pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest, leaving not an inch of space between them, his embrace fierce and his chest fiery.