Page 26 of Free-Falling
He has the nerve to look guilty, fucking dickhead. “She knows that I have someone that I love. She doesn’t have an issue with that. She loves someone else, but we won’t leave. We won’t divorce, that’s our agreement.”
“Oh, such a good husband and father. Cheating with permission.” I curl my lip in disgust and I look at Layla, “how much did he pay you to fuck me?” I ask.
“That wasn’t the deal. That wasn’t it.” Layla has the nerve to cry, and I want to hurt her.
“How muchDID HE PAY YOU TO FUCK ME!”I lose my temper. My father pulls Layla behind him and steps to me like he thinks I won’t fight him. My mother saved his ass last time, I hope he remembers that.
“Son, you need to leave and don’t talk to her like that. She did nothing wrong.”
“Fuck her and fuck you. You two have made me question people in my life for no reason and don’t call me son, I’m not your son.”
“You are my son and I’ll always be your father.”
“I don’t have a father, I’m aFUCKING BASTARD!And she’s a whore and you…” I shake my head, chuckling. “You’re a dead motherfucker if you don’t get out of my face. I will knock you out cold. Back the fuck up.”
My father falters for one second but then there’s that shitty Hanlon arrogance and he steps even closer. “I wish you would. You wouldn’t touch your father, you’re not stupid.”
“You’ve got it all wrong old man, having the same DNA doesn’t make you my father.” Without so much as a warning, I swing my left fist to his jaw, and he falls right along with Layla and he’s out cold.
“What have you done!” Layla shrieks.
“When he wakes up, tell him to bill me for the jaw surgery he’ll need.” I smirk.
I turn away and get into my car, driving off to a place I consider one of my solaces. I call my mother and her voice booms in my car.
“Jagger?”
“Mom, I have one question for you?”
“What’s wrong, Jagger? You don’t sound okay.” She’s always been able to tell when something is wrong.
“Did you know who Layla was before placing her with me? Having her keep tabs on me?” I’m afraid of her answering because I love my mother. I don’t want to have to cut her off too. She’s my only link to Jamie. The only other woman who I’ve had unconditional love for.
“No. Your father found her, and he said she needed the money. That she agreed to do that without, you know, falling in love.” She sniffles. “I’m so sorry, Liam. I didn’t mean to hurt you like this. Please, don’t shut me out. I miss you, honey. I really do.”
“Mom, I’ll come visit but not right now. Not like this, mom. Not like this, okay?”
“Okay, I love you.”
“I gotta go.”
“Okay.”
“And mom?”
“Yes, Liam?” She sniffles. I hate breaking her heart.
“I love you too.” I hang up.
I just need to clear my head. To be alone and let this anger of mine subside. I need to think with a clear mind. I can’t fill myself with that rage again like I did before. I can’t be that Jagger anymore, the one I was before I met Layla, but it seems like that’s the only way I’ll ever cope. Fuck!
Ainslee
Seeing Jagger that mad at me even if he didn’t yell made me worry. I’m used to someone yelling at me or striking me when they’re mad at me, but not Jagger. He didn’t do that, instead; he left. I take a deep breath and do what I don’t want to do, but I have to. I call Oran first, I’ve always had everyone from the founder’s family’s numbers but there was never a reason to use it.
“Hello?” Oran answers.
“Hi, Oran, it’s Ainslee, um… have you heard from Jagger?” I ask, hoping he did.
