“And miss this reunion? I don’t think so.” He snorts, eyes narrowed.
“Hannah, please go back inside. I’ll talk to him and be right in.” He turns me to look at him, and I can see the pleading in his eyes, as he gives me a small shove to go inside.
Pausing just inside the threshold, I watch as Logan walks further out onto the veranda towards his brother. I don’t know what I should do, give them privacy or go get one of the guys. My body doesn’t want to move; I feel frozen to the spot.
“I’ll ask you one more time. What. Do. You. Want. Jackson?” he slowly enunciates each word through gritted teeth.
“Well, brother you see I found myself without a place to go.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Logan interrupts coldly.
“Mom has kept this place as a rental for years and imagine my surprise when I asked her if I could crash for a while, and she told me she had just sold it to her favourite son.”
“Not my problem.” He crosses his arms, shaking his head.
“Isn’t it?” Jackson’s hands squeeze into fists at his side.
Chewing on my bottom lip anxiously, I watch the two brothers verbally spar, their voices becoming angrier and louder with every word. Looking up and down the quiet street, I see several porch lights have been turned on. Lovely, I’m sure more than one neighbour is currently peeking from behind close curtains.
“What are you playing at? You’re seriously mad that I bought the house, because you wanted it for yourself? Did you think you could just come back here like nothing had happened?” Logan asks incredulously.
“Why not? You did.” He shrugs with indifference, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of his brother.
Stepping forward, he shouts, “I have a reason to be here, Jackson.”
“That’s right, you thought you could come back to Emerley, get the job, the house, and the girl.”
“Yeah, I did think that. It’s my turn, Jackson. Mine!” He smacks his chest a couple of times. “I get to find my happiness.You need to leave now.” Taking another step, he edges him further off the deck.
“Why, does me being here take the shine off your perfect life, with your perfect girl? Being perfect is important to you, isn’t it? Tell me, does she know?” He sneers, lifting his head in my direction, acknowledging my presence for the first time since Logan came to the door. “Did you tell her or are you still keeping everyone’s secrets?”
“Shut the fuck up. Have you not done enough?” Logan’s nostrils flare as he yells at his brother.
He smirks knowingly. “What’s wrong? You worried she won’t stick around once she knows the truth?”
“Logan, what’s he talking about? Tell me, what?” I whisper, stepping back onto the veranda. I don’t understand what’s going on, but it’s clear that Logan hasn’t told me everything about his brother.
Jackson laughs humorlessly as he shakes his head. “Unbelievable, you still haven’t told her. How long have you been back? Weeks? Months? You’re a fucking coward.”
Keeping his back to me so he can keep an eye on Jackson, he says, “I’ll tell you everything once he’s gone, I promise. Please, baby, just go back inside. Go to Riot.”
The breeze catches my hair and blows it in my face as I shake my head. “No, I want to stay.”
We all look towards the sound of tires rumbling on the pavement coming to a halt in the driveway. Headlights illuminate the yard as a door slams and Mason walks around the front of his police issued SUV towards us.
“Gentlemen,” Mason greets them. “I got a call that there may be a problem here. What’s going on?” Mason is not in uniform, still dressed in what he wore on his date with Mom no doubt. His voice is calm and controlled, two things I can guarantee nobody else is feeling.
Jogging down the steps to the ground, Jackson throws his hands in the air and shouts, “Are you fucking kidding me right now? I can’t even return to my childhood home without some cunt from this town calling the cops.”
“Jackson, people have been looking for you. You missed a check-in with your probation officer. How about you come with me, and I can help you get in touch. Clear up any misunderstanding.” He nods his head back in the direction of his vehicle.
“Like fuck I’m going anywhere with you, asshole,” he growls through clenched teeth.
“Please go with him, Jackson,” I plead holding onto Logan’s arm so he can’t advance any further. “Do you want me to call your mom for you?”
Swinging his head towards me, he barks, “You still don’t get it, do you, you fucking, dumb bitch? Our mother has always been a part of the problem.”
Before he can say anything further, I gasp as Logan pulls out of my grasp and launches himself off the veranda and tackles Jackson off his feet. Leaves and dirt go flying as they crash on the ground together in a tangle of limbs. Logan rolls Jackson onto his back, and slams his fist into his face – once, twice, three times. The sound of bone cracking against flesh is deafening on the once quiet street.
