Page 24 of The Lies
We all have full plates and are ready to dig in when the sound of a door slamming makes us all look up. A few seconds later, there’s a figure I recognise in the doorway.
“Afternoon, fam,” Jason announces before taking the remaining seat at the table and immediately filling his plate. I watch in amusement as everyone else at the table continues eating like nothing happened. “Umm, amazing as always, Steph,” Jason says around a mouthful of food.
When I look around the table after deciding that since I’d already seen Jason’s food on his plate, I didn’t need to see it in his mouth as well, Blake catches my eye. I think there maybe an apology in his for not warning me about this—not that I needed warning, but this is a little odd to say the least.
“Right, boys, the washing up’s calling,” Steph announces once we’ve finished. “Pudding is going to have to wait a while, I’m stuffed.” Everyone agrees before Rick, Blake and Jason all get up, grab plates and bowls and disappear into the kitchen like a well oiled machine.
“I…uh…wasn’t expecting Jason.”
“Oh, that boy’s part of the family now. Like a bad smell, he just doesn’t go away.” She laughs fondly like she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Do you know him?”
“We went to primary school together. He seems…different now though.”
“His teen years were rough, Addison. He was bounced from pillar to post, causing trouble everywhere he went. It was totally understandable with what he was going through. My heart bled for him, which is why we offered him a place to stay. He’s lived with us on and off for years now. He’s a lovely lad but I think it’s about time he began to grow up now, maybe find a lovely lady to reign him in a little.”
I don’t get to ask questions about any of that because Sinead starts talking to Steph about something that happened at school. I zone out wondering, what Jason could have possibly been through and if that’s why he’s the way he is. Are his childish ways just a cover up for something lurking beneath?
By the time we leave Steph and Rick’s, it’s late and Blake’s pissed off to find out Sinead still has homework to do. He begrudgingly drops me off at Aunt Addy’s before promising to see me soon and taking a sad looking Sinead home. She was desperate for me to stay but Blake’s doing the right thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
“Hey, sweetheart, did you have a good weekend?” Aunt Addy asks when I poke my head into her studio.
“Yes, thank you. We went to Steph and Rick’s for dinner,” I say when I realise most of what we did isn’t repeatable.
“Aw, they’re a lovely couple, aren’t they?”
“Yes, and their home’s gorgeous. Do you know anything about Jason Duffy?” I ask on the off chance.
“Nothing in any great detail, just the gossip that went around town. His dad was caught cheating on his mum. She didn’t cope very well and left. His dad had already run away with his new woman. From what I’ve been told, Jason got up one morning and she was just gone. With no other family, he had to be put into the system. He caused no end of trouble. I understand why Steph and Rick took him in; the whole town felt for him but they were braver than most, allowing him into their home.”
“Why? What had he done?”
“You name it, he’d done it…and those were just the things he was caught doing. Robbery, criminal damage, arson—”
“Arson?” I ask, shocked.
“Burnt his old home to the ground.”
“Wow.” That explains a lot, I guess.
