Page 39 of Vile Emotion
“It’s refreshing and I’m enjoying the fucking outside air.”
I’m not sure where the attitude and the cursing comes from but suddenly, I’ve had enough for today.
Alaric lightly chuckles but continues to follow me.
“It’s hot as hell out here and there’s no wind blowing your way. Who are you running from?”
Before I can answer him, something tells me to stop and turn around. When I do, I see Dane catching up. Alaric stops the car with a screech and hops out, without giving anyone a moment to understand what’s happening, Alaric swings on Dane and hits him square in the mouth. Dane stumbles back but then catches his footing.
“Hello, big brother.”
“I warned you.” Alaric says.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. The next time you saw me, you were going to swing. I get that two years isn’t enough for you to move on.”
“Shut the fuck up, Dane.” He points at him. “Get in, Juli, let’s go.”
“Oh, she’s Juli now? Did you forget all about Carmen with her replacement?” He says to Alaric.
Alaric steps up in Dane’s face and Dane lifts his hands up in surrender. Quickly, I move in the direction of the car and hop in the passenger seat.
“That’s what the fuck I thought.” Alaric says to Dane and he gets in right after me, speeding away from Dane as if the devil is nipping at his heel.
What is going on?
28
It’s one thing to have your family support you when someone you love dies but for your little brother who you took everywhere with you and practically raised, looks you in the eye and admits to loving your deceased wife as a lover…it’s something you can’t forgive.
Just like I warned him the second it came out of his mouth that if I ever saw him again, I would hurt him.
“Your brother… What is he doing here?” Juliana asks me as I drive back to the sheriff’s office.
“I don’t know, Juliana. It’s not like I invited him here.”
“But there clearly seems to be a problem between you two, good enough that it snapped you out of whatever stupor you were in.”
I look at her from the corner of my eye and then back on the road.
“It’s not really your business is it, Juliana?”
She lets out a breath sitting back with her arms crossed.
“I liked it better when you didn’t respond to anything and were out of it.” She says under her breath.
I chuckle loudly causing Juliana to jump out of her skin for a moment. I’m sure hearing me laugh isn’t what caused thereaction, it’s the genuinity of it. It’s scary to think that she can make me laugh, the only emotion I’ve ever had with her is anger.
“You’re getting bolder and bolder by the second, Juliana. I don’t know if you’ve put in a fucking battery pack in this small town or if you just think we’re suddenly close.”
“I was just saying, I didn’t mean for you to hear it.”
“Well, I did. Own it, Juliana. If people are going to recognize you as a Crowne, own what you say and don’t take it back. It doesn’t matter who said it.”
“Even if it’s you?” She asks and it seems out of pure curiosity.
Especially if it’s me.
But I’m not going to tell her that little tidbit because it’s not something I want her to be proud of.
