"Y'know, you never told me what your major is." Riley says as he shoves a few articles of clothing in his suitcase. "I've been tryna figure it out but I can't."

Jo laughs, her knees pulled up to her chest, watching him pack for thanksgiving break. She would be packing too but if she goes home, Sean probably won't let her come back and she's loving it here.

She's acing her classes and getting closer to Riley. She actually enjoys being around him.

"Well, if you must know, Riley Green, I'm a music business major."

His eyebrows shoot into his hairline. "Oh shit. I wasn't expectin' that."

"What about you?"

"Undecided." He shrugs. "Maybe I'll try teachin' or somethin'."

"I can't see you bein' a teacher." She licks her lips. "Maybe a music teacher- no, music therapist."

He smiles to himself as he pulls a sweatshirt on. "What're you gon' do over the break?"

"Prolly stay here. Sean would throw a fit when it's time to leave. Probably won't let me come back."

"What about your parents?"

"Guess I could go home and see 'em." She stands.

He looks up and sees a Halo Waterfowl logo on her chest. "Is that my shirt?"

"It was in my basket." She responds, taking her binders out of her backpack. "So it's mine now."

"Jo-"

"Finders keepers-"

"Joey-"

That damn nickname. She doesn't like it but it's starting to grow on her. It's only okay when he says it.

She looks cute in his shirt but it's his favorite one. "C'mon, Jo."

"Losers weepers."

Riley playfully rolls his eyes. "I gotta get goin'." He says when he checks his watch. "Hey, I'll see you Saturday."

"Sounds good." She smiles back, watching him close the door behind him.

Jo packs her bag for her trip home then pulls jeans and a random hoodie on, stepping into her boots then she's also out the door.

+++

"Jo, baby girl!" Lucy, Jo's mother grins when she sees her daughter walking up to the front steps. "Look at you!" Jo smiles back and hugs her. She missed her parents a lot. "My baby's all grown up and in college."

"Oh mama, stop it." She smiles again. "Where's daddy?"

"He's out workin' right now but he'll be tickled to death knowin our little girl is finally home."

"Where's Lip?"

"On the Stemaly's farm." Lucy responds, stepping into the house. "C'mon, now."

Jo sets her book bag down on the couch awkwardly, standing in the middle of the living room.

"... Tell Sean to come over for Thanksgiving! It'll be like a reunion. Huh? Oh, your sister is home!"

Oh shit.

Her head jerks up, her cheeks go red and her heart starts racing. She didn't tell Sean she was coming home. She didn't tell him anything. He's going to be pissed at her.

"Tell me about school!" Lucy brings her back to the conversation and the two sit at the table.

Her mother hasn't changed her appearance since she left for school, she's not surprised. It's only been a couple months. She still has her hair done up big and colored blonde to hide the gray which still peeks through. She still has dark makeup around her tired and wrinkled eyes, her signature bright pink lipstick still paints her old thin lips. Her nails are still those burgundy press on's that she's had for as long as Jo can remember.

Jo smiles at the thought of Riley and wonders if he's thinking about her t-

No, Jo. Stop it.

She's dating Sean, he's an asshole but she's dating him.

She's dating Riley, not-

No! She's dating Sean!

"I love my classes." She finally says, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Made some good friends."

"Aw, good. We's been worried that you ain't gonna make friends."

Jo suppresses a frown and looks down at her hands. "Yep."

"What about your roommate? Riley?"

She smiles slightly. "So great. I think we got a good friendship goin'."

"That's good." She smiles back. "Well, we're eatin' at four on Thursday."

Jo's phone starts going off. "It's Sean." She says, hiding a sigh. "'Scuse me." She gets up from the table and heads to her old bedroom.

"Sean." She says when she answers his call. "Hey."

"Why didn't you tell me you's comin' home?"

"I- I wanted to surprise you." She says in a weak voice.

He doesn't buy it for a second. "Don't lie to me, Jo." She licks her lips and nods. "Come over."

"Okay." She sighs back, standing. "Be there in ten." She hangs up and heads back down to the kitchen. "I gotta go see Sean. Be back by midnight."

+++

Sean's out on a some tractor part run so Jo is waiting for him in the sun room of his family's house. Her brother, Lip, had left a few minutes before she got there. They'll see each other at thanksgiving.

Jo's busy looking through an old magazine when the door clatters shut. She looks up and smiles at her dirty, sweaty boyfriend. "Hey handsome." She flirts, rolling the corner of the page she stopped on.

"Hey." He responds flatly. She suppresses a sigh as he sits across from her at the small table. Sean runs his hand through his sweaty hair then looks up at her. "Why're you still sittin' there? Get me a drink."

She's speechless.

She knows his family is somewhat 'traditional' so is hers but she always told her mother she's not going to be a housewife. But, something about the way Sean said what he said has her spinelessly obeying his orders.

While she's getting him some coffee, the back door opens and closes. "I'm goin' upstairs." He states, kicking his muddy boots off before taking the steps.

Jo sets the coffee mug in the sink, thinking that he's dismissing the beverage since he's leaving the room.

She dumbly follows him to his bedroom, sighing softly. He turns and scowls. "I worked my ass off all day today, I had to go to Evansville for a part,"

She bites her lip, hoping he's just venting.

"Then your brother gets a call saying you're home but you didn't tell me? What the hell? I know you ain't tryna surprise me, Jo. We're you gonna avoid me?"

"I- Well- Sean-"

"You are such- ugh." He grunts and shakes his head.

"What's your problem?" She asks, crossing her arms. "It's like all of a sudden you turned into this- this douche bag!"

"Don't start with me." He says lowly. "While you've been down in Jacksonville wasting my time, I've been bustin' my ass to make a nice future for ourselves."

What?

A future for themselves?

There's no way Jo is ending up with this son of a bitch. She just has to work up the nerve to breakup with him.

"Y'ain't leavin'." He says.

She rolls her eyes. "I knew this would happen. I knew you'd be all possessive and would say that but guess what Sean? I am leavin'. I'm gettin' my degree so I don't end up some lonely housewife with your bastard children."

Sean's white-hot livid.

He suddenly smacks her.

Full on backhands her.

Jo cries out as she drops to the floor, her hand going to her growing red cheek. She's utterly speechless. He's never ever done this before. Tears form in her eyes and make their way down her cheeks as she looks up at him from the floor.

He says nothing as he steps over her and into the bathroom across the hall.

+++

"Hey Joey! How was your break?" Riley asks when he sees her sitting on her bed, facing away from the door.

"It was fine."

"Was your parents surprised to see you?"

"Yeah."

He furrows his brows. "You okay?" He asks, leaning over to look at her but she quickly looks away. "Okay, well, I'm gon' shower real quick." He says awkwardly as he gathers his bathroom things.

Jo exhales heavily, trying to calm herself down from the brink of tears. She sits for a while, doing steady breaths in and out before she stands.

She pulls a pullover from her closet, jumping when the door opens again. She locks eyes with Riley who finally sees her face.

"What the fuck happened to you?" He asks.

"It's nothin'."

"Joey-"

"No- Ri- Stop!" She smacks his hand away when he goes to touch the side of her face. "Don't." She whispers.

Riley calmly cups the side of her face, brushing his thumb across her bruised cheek. Tears form in her eyes. "What happened?"

"Riley..."

"Was it Sean?" The way her body goes ridged makes him worried. "Jo-"

"It's fine." She ducks out from under him. "He said it wouldn't happen again."

"Joey-"

"I gotta- I gotta-" She clears her throat. She says nothing else as she sits on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"You gonna tell me what happened?" He asks in a soft tone as he sits next to her.

"I was headed back here and y'know..." She looks away, blinking away tears. "He don't listen to me."

"Jo..." He wraps his arm around her shoulders and she pulls away. "He hit you for that?"

"He didn't mean to."

"Bullshit!" She jumps slightly. "Jo-"

"I don't wanna talk about it, Ri." She whispers. "I have to study for my finals."

He watches her pick up her laptop and a textbook then sit at her desk, slipping her headphones over her ears.