Page 80 of The Naughty List
Jonah pulls in a deep breath. “What happened shouldn’t have happened, Joe. I’m sorry that it did. That I—”
“I was a punk ass kid,” Joey breaks in. “We both were. But you were younger and stronger and I was threatened by you. The other kids looked up to you. They respected you. They feared me. I bullied the shit out of you. And everyone else.” He shrugs. “If things had gone differently, it could be you sitting here now. You just got the better shot in first.”
“I never meant to—”
Joey cuts him off again by putting his hand up. “You were a fourteen-year-old kid, Jonah. I know you didn’t mean for me to fall backward and hit the damn bathroom sink the way I did. That part was an accident. Or maybe God’s way of stopping me from hurting anyone else. In some ways, I got what I deserved. I was a dick fully intent on causing pain to relieve my own.”
I hear Jonah exhale beside me. “No one deserves this. You were a kid, too. We’d all been through a lot of shit.”
Joey nods. “Look at us now. We came out okay.”
Jen smiles sweetly down at her brother. “If he hadn’t been hospitalized, I might never have found him. We went into the system at different times. I was adopted when I was five and had to scour the Earth to find my big brother.”
“I’m glad you found each other,” I say softly, not wanting to intrude on Jonah’s discussion. “But I know it kills Jonah knowing his actions caused you pain all these years.”
Joey nods and meets Jonah’s gaze. “Look, I won’t pretend I haven’t ever plotted your death or that I don’t have shit days where I wallow in self-pity, because I have and I do. But the truth is, I know where I was headed. Nowhere good. I was using and on the path to becoming a hardened criminal. When Jen found me, I was popping all the pills I could get my hands on and drinking myself to death on the floor of rock bottom. But she helped me and got me to seek help.” He gives her a grin full of gratitude. “I work part-time from home now, telemarketing stuff mostly and some tech-support, but I enjoy it. I play basketball with some guys who served in the military and honestly, my only regret is I wish I had a more honorable reason for being in this chair than because I was a bully that pushed a kid too far.”
He pauses while we all absorb what he’s shared with us.
“I saw the article after that reporter came sniffing around. Jen and I didn’t tell him anything, but he knew things.” Joey shrugs. “It got me to thinking, I should do more for the community home we grew up in. Like you do. The truth is, Jonah, I have the same problem now I had when we were kids.”
When he doesn’t clarify, Jonah leans forward. “And what’s that?”
“I wish I was more like you. More selfless and more generous. More concerned with the needs of others. Just…better.”
Jonah sits back and I can see how stunned he is all over his face.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you,” he tells Joey. “Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could go back in time and change what happened that day.”
Joey looks almost annoyed by this. “Well get over it, man. I have. Mostly.” His eyes shift to me, then to Jonah. “I mean, damn. Look what’s sitting right next to you. If I was you, I’d be enjoying the hell out of the here and now. Leave the past where it belongs. Behind us.”
Jonah side-eyes me then nods. “I’m working on it.”
Joey glances at his sister who lowers her chin subtly before they both turn their attention back to us.
“And another thing,” Joey begins. “We do appreciate all you’ve done, but I’m not your charity case. Jen and I can afford my medical care just fine. If you hadn’t paid for the house that reporter might not have been able to piece together what happened and published that bullshit article about you.”
Jonah lifts one shoulder. “I don’t care what they print about me. To be honest, I don’t know if I bought the house for you or to assuage my own guilt for what happened and how I earned the money.”
Joey smirks. “Doesn’t matter. We appreciate it all the same. But we’re doing good now and I’d rather you put your money toward all that charity stuff you do. Playing Santa for the kids and saving the whales or whatever.”
Jonah nods. “I can do that. Promise me one thing though?”
Joey arches a brow and waits.
“If you ever need anything, you’ll let me know?”
Joey nods. “If I get truly desperate, yeah. But don’t hold your breath.”
“Actually,” Jonah begins, “I have a favor to ask of you.”
A sly grin curves the other man’s thin lips. “Well if you want me to shovel your driveway, you’re shit out of luck.”
This time Jonah grins back and I feel like I can finally breathe.
“Nah. Hollis here can handle that.”
We all laugh and I move to shove my elbow into Jonah’s ribcage. He catches it before I make contact, sliding his hand down to intertwine his fingers with mine.
