Page 52 of Trust Me
It’s almost midnight on Sunday night and I’m still up watching TV and drinking a beer. I’ve had pretty much the worst week of my life without Avery. I’ve picked up my phone several times to call her and had to force myself to put it down. She doesn’t trust me enough to talk to me before jumping to conclusions, so why do I care about trying to talk this out with her? God, I just want to hear her voice and find out how she’s doing.
Jake knows something’s up with me. I’ve been a jerk all week, but I can’t help it. He invited me to his parents’ tonight for dinner, but I knew there was no way in hell I could go and risk seeing Avery. I know I’ll run into her someday, but today was not going to be that day.
I hear a truck pull into the drive, and I look out the window to see who could be here so late. Jake.
I get up off the couch and meet him at the front door. As I open it, I don’t even have time to process what is happening. His fist slams into myleft eye, completely catching me off guard and sending me flying back. Jake walks in, not even shutting the door behind him. He charges at me, throwing his weight into my chest, knocking us both back into the wall. I try to get him off me, but he’s obviously pissed off about something.
Shit.
Avery.
“How could you?” he growls. “She’s my sister!” He throws another punch and lands it straight on my jaw. Damn, he can hit. It’s like a lead brick slamming into my face. I touch my throbbing jaw, wincing at the pain of the slightest touch. I just stare at him, not knowing what to say, knowing whatever punishment he’s about to shell out, I deserve. We were so busy this weekend in the squad car that I never brought it up. Hell, maybe I was thankful for a busy weekend, so I didn’t have to tell him yet until I figured out what I was going to say.
When he gets to the door, panting, his nostrils flaring and his face angrier than I’ve ever seen it, he turns his cold eyes on me. “You destroyed twenty years of friendship. You broke the only rule we have as friends, as brothers. You did this. Now I’m ending it.” He turns and walks out the door, slamming it behind him as he goes.
I stand here for what could be twominutes or twenty, I really don’t know. All I know is my whole face is on fire. I wipe the blood from my busted lip and head into the kitchen to get ice. I fill up two small baggies and head back into my living room.
I sit in the dark, quiet room with a bag of ice on my eye and one on my jaw and lip. I did this, and I deserve it. I’ve lost my girls and now my best friend. I lean forward and grab my beer bottle, taking a long, painful pull. Maybe if I get drunk enough, I can forget about the pain.
The pain of my busted-up face and the pain of my broken heart.
*****
I did something on Monday morning I’ve never done before in the ten years of being a police officer and that was call in sick. My face is swollen and hurts, and I really don’t feel like going to work today looking like Jake’s punching bag. I’m not sure what I’d say to him anyway. So I sit at home all day by myself, wallowing in my own misery.
Later on in the afternoon, I hear someone pull in the drive. It’s not a loud truck so I knowit’s not Jake coming back for seconds. When I step onto the porch, I’m surprised to see Will walking up the steps.
“Hey. Nice face,” he says with a grimace. “What happened to you?”
“I fell down.”
He chuckles. “Fell down and fell onto my brother’s fist?”
“Something like that.” There’s a long pregnant pause before curiosity gets the better of me. “What do you want, Will?”
“Just to see if you’re as miserable as my sister.” That perks my ears up.
“I’m sorry your sister is miserable, but I can’t help that. She made her choices.”
“Yeah, I hear ya.” Another pause. “You know Jake was there last night before he came by to knock you around. He freaked out at her and walked out the door. Apparently, he’s pretty upset at her too.”
“Jake has a right to be mad, but he should be mad at me. I’m the one who broke the code, not her.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean he’s not mad at her for this mess too. He feels betrayed by twoof the people he never thought would ever hurt him.”
“Have you talked to him?”
“Nope. He won’t answer his phone. You know Jake. Give him a few days to cool off, and he’ll come around. He just needs to process all that’s gone down in the past twenty-four hours.”
“Maybe. He’s supposed to be working right now. We’re off tomorrow but then back on Wednesday and Thursday. Should be an interesting ride-along.”
Will walks over to stand in front of me. He’s just an inch or two shorter than I am, and I’ve got broader shoulders and a more muscular physique, but he’s not afraid to stand nose to nose with me. “Whatever happens with you and Jake, happens. He’s a big boy. My concern is Avery and Brooklyn. I’m not picking sides. I’ve heard her side, and it sounds like she’s taking responsibility for messing it up between you two. All I’m saying is if there’s a chance at fixing this, do it. No matter whose fault it was, no matter who said what, don’t let her go because of your pride. Because she’s not herself anymore. She’s miserable and sad, and I can’t fucking stand it. If she spends the rest of her life as happy as she was when she was with you, sneaking around behind everyone’s back, then Icould die happy. I could die happy because I knew she was finally living the life she deserves. That she was loved. Are you that man, Maddox?”
I look up at Will as he turns and walks back to his car, his words like weights sitting on my chest. Am I that guy? I knew I was falling in love with her but was just too scared to tell her. Maybe she’s not the only one who didn’t trust. Maybe I didn’t trust her to return my love, either. So where do we go when we both have to learn to trust?
*****
Sitting in the small, confined spaces of a squad car with someone who wants to kill you and bury your body somewhere in the woods isn’t exactly a great way to pass the day. Yesterday was the longest eight hours of my life, and today is proving to be just as difficult. The tension is so thick in the car you could cut it with a knife. I could probably count on one hand how many words he’s said to me. Yesterday and today combined. I wish I knew where to go with this, but honestly, Will’s right. I just need to let him be and when he’s ready to talk, he’ll talk. As long as he doesn’t throw any more punches.
