Without a word, Sawyer runs down the hall, leaving me with Jason.
“Is this what you want?” I ask him.
The man on the floor before me is not the person I recall from the past. This man is broken, pitiful. Jason surprises me by shaking his head. And then his face begins to turn red and his nose crinkles, and I watch the young man begin to cry. Large hands cover his face as his shoulders shake.
I walk over to him and kneel beside him. “Do you want my help?” I ask him. I keep my voice low and even. It’s as though he’s a feral cat, distrustful and skittish.
“I don’t know what to do,” he whispers roughly. “I’m disgusting.”
“Do you want help? Do you want to get better?” I ask.
I don’t address his statements. To me, where he is doesn’t matter if he wants to get better. If he puts in the work, I’ll be there. If he can get sober, if he wants to be healthy, I’ll help him.
“Yes,” he says gruffly. He bows his head and runs his fingers through his hair.
“Pack a bag, no booze.”
I stand and extend my hand to him. Jason’s eyes are bloodshot, and I can see his vision isn’t clear, but he takes what’s offered, my hand.
Chapter Thirty
Mikayla
So, I haven’t moved out. I haven’t even brought it up. Neither has Caine for that matter, though that isn’t even a little surprising.
Recovering from my illness was slow, but I’m finally feeling better. On top of that, my brother is coming into town. After everything with my mom, having Jack come for the holiday really means a lot to me.
Caine texted earlier that he was going to be home late for dinner. I didn’t remind him that his family… Lance, Patrick and Rabecca were coming over.
His text was brief, but when he mentioned that it was related to Jason, I knew it was serious.
“Should we eat without him?” Lance asks as he sets the table.
I open the oven and check the roast I made. It’s time to take it out; otherwise, it will be overcooked. The scent of rosemary and garlic makes my mouth water, and I realize just how hungry I am, but Caine isn’t home yet.
“I don’t want to eat without him,” I say as I remove the rack from the oven.
“We could really piss him off, and I could sit next to you at the head of the table,” Lance says with a wicked grin.
“Is your life goal to piss off your brother?” Rabecca asks as she sits down at the table. Her hand rests on her growing belly.
“Of course,” Lance says, shrugging as though that’s the dumbest statement ever. He scrunches his face and looks at her like she’s crazy.
“What else would we do?” Patrick asks. He walks up to me in the kitchen and opens the drawer beside me. “Want me to carve the roast?”
“Let it rest for a bit, but if Caine isn’t home in the next ten, then yes,” I agree, knowing they need to eat.
Rabecca is pregnant. I can’t make her wait too long.
“Are you excited to work for Kyle?” Rabecca asks me as I plate the vegetables. “With me?”
“I’m not sure. We had a weird start,” I admit. I look at her, feeling a little embarrassed. “But with you though, obviously!”
“Eh, I’m sure Caine’s also pissed himself in front of Kyle. And vice versa,” Lance says.
“Lance!” Rabecca yells out, shocked by him calling that out. I’m as red as one can be.
“How do you even know!” I yell in frustration.
