Bruised Hearts

Summary- Sequel to Bruised and Broken. Cage, Jayden, Riley, and Rhuben win a battle of the bands contest and their families are all going to Vermont to ski and snowboard. But bad memories of past abuse keep the Jacksons from living a normal life.

A/N: I didn’t want to bother showing the Battle of the Bands so I just skipped to what happens right after they win it.

-

Chapter One – Nightmare

“I can’t believe we won!” Riley Jackson cried excitedly. She and the rest of the bands mates were sitting in the living room of her house, marveling over the trophy they won. Along with that, they won a free trip to Vermont, and they were going to perform a few times while they’re there. Her new mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Kingsford, threw a party for them, and then decided to leave them alone, another way to try and be better parents. Her brothers, Bailey, Liam, and Adrian were sitting with them, eating their lunches quietly.

A few months back, their father, Robert Jackson, got arrested because he was abusing them. And then they got adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Kingsford. They’re probably the best parents that the Jacksons could have, but Riley and Rhuben still haven’t gotten used to them yet

“I know we get to go to Vermont and Snowboard” Cage Buckner added as he held the trophy in his hands. He kissed it, causing Riley to make a disgusted face. “Have I ever told you guys that I was good a t snowboarding”

Cage’s father is the one who arrested Robert Jackson. At first Cage was afraid of telling his dad, because he thought that the girls would be mad at him. But when he witnessed Riley being abused first hand, he and Jayden told his father and he helped the Jacksons finally have a good life.

“Yeah, you probably left half of your skin on the side of the mountain when you fell” Rhuben Jackson, Riley’s twin, cracked and she laughed along with her sister.

“Nice one, then again, if it’s Cage, I wouldn’t put it past him” Jayden Mulliver, the last of their group, which they call ‘The Gang’, said, shaking his head.

Jayden was the first one out of him and Cage to suspect that the Jacksons were being abused. But he couldn’t say anything to either of them because he knew that his father didn’t want him anywhere near the Jacksons because his father claimed that they were a bad influence on him. But that just shows how much Jayden defies his father.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that I’m actually a very good snowboarder” Cage said, sticking his tongue out.

“Now if only you could get a girlfriend” Riley said as she reached out and grabbed her hotdog that was sitting in front of her.

“He does have a girlfriend” Bailey spoke up, his mouth full.

“Who would that be, his mother?” Jayden cracked and laughed along with Riley and Rhuben.

“Ha, funny” Cage said, rolling his eyes.

“No, his girlfriend is Riley” Liam added with a cheeky smile. Riley choked on her hotdog and started to cough and Cage spit out his soda.

“WHAT?!” The two cried in unison as the others grinned at them, knowingly.

Cage pointed at Riley. “There’s now way that I would go out with that…that…cow” he replied and smiled at the memory of the lunchtime food fight.

“Yeah, like I would want to go out with a jerk like you” Riley shot back, rolling her eyes.

“Idiot” Cage countered with a smirk.

“Moron”

“Dip stick”

“Ass wipe”

“Oh, getting smart with the names are we?” Cage asked, amused. “Now we’ve added curses in the mix”

“Don’t have a comeback, I’m surprised” Riley said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“You know, no matter how much they deny it, its obvious that they were made for each other” Adrian said, laying on Liam’s back to look over his and Bailey’s heads as they plaid a Nintendo DS.

“Duh” Jayden and Rhuben said in unison. Mrs. Kingsford walked down the stairs with a nervous smile on her face.

“Jayden, your dad called and said its time for you to come home” she said. Jayden sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Man, dad sure knows how to make me defy him more” Jayden muttered. He turned to Rhuben and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you later”

“See ya” Rhuben replied.

“Hey, I might as well come too, I bet my mom is worried about me” Cage said, also rolling his eyes.

“Momma’s boy” Riley coughed. Cage kicked her in the side as he walked out of the house.

“Right, you’re right!” she finally yelled. “You’re not a child abuser, please stop!” He finally let go of her and she laid there, holding her head in agonizing pain.

“Stay there” he said and kicked her in the stomach. Riley moaned, half unconscious and rolled onto her side, resting her head on her arm, trying to keep her eyes open. She could hear her father pouring water into something, and then heard water bubbling. Robert roughly grabbed her arm. “Get up”

He pulled her to her feet and she leaned heavily against the counter, her blood getting stuck to her arm. Robert picked up the pot of boiling water. He glared at her, his dark gray eyes burning into his. “This is what you get for all of the rage you’ve caused”

He tossed the boiling water onto her and Riley screamed in pain as it turned her white skin to a light shade of pink as it burned her. She slid to the floor as her father walked away. Painfully, she crawled to the sink and grabbed the portable head and turned on the cool water, soaking herself further.

“Riley, are you ok?” Bailey asked, waving a hand in front of her face. Riley blinked and looked at her brother who was standing in front of her.

“Yeah,” she replied slowly, shaking her head as if she was erasing the nightmare out of her head. “I’m fine.”

-

Riley tossed and turned. She was having a nightmare of the times she was abused. This had been going on for a while since Robert was arrested. Riley sat up with a jolt, although a lifetime of nightmares and she had learned to keep silent. Bailey still sensed she was up, though, turned on his side and looked at her questioningly. Because Bailey was openly having nightmares and was afraid that Robert would come back, the two decided to share a room and a bed, but they had a bathroom in their room so one of them can change into their clothes in the room and the other changes in the bathroom.

"I'm fine, good night, Bailey." Riley whispered.

He nodded, but didn't buy it. "'Night, Riley..."

Riley herself above crying. She bit her lip hard, until it bled…