Page 147 of Silent Damage

He continues kicking the shit out of Doug, who tries to get up, but Jason won’t let him. Mom screams, begging Jason to stop, and some of the neighbors have wandered over to watch.

They’re gonna call the cops.

I finally wrap my arms around Jason and pull him backward, the two of us stumbling on a root and crashing to the ground.

“Gabe, I told you to back off,” Jason hollers.

I crawl to him and cup his face. “He’s not worth it. Don’t do this.”

Jason looks in my eyes, his chest heaving as he stares at me with gritted teeth.

Doug writhes on the ground while Mom tends to him, then manages to push himself up onto his hands and knees, drool falling from his mouth as he coughs.

He watches Jason with pure hate in his eyes.

Eventually, he musters the strength to stand on both feet, raises a finger at Jason, and says, “You’re done, kid. I’m gonna beat you so—“

“Try it!” Jason retorts, leaping to his feet. “Just try it, Doug! Let’s see who hits the ground first!”

Doug stares at Jason in shock for a moment, but then his face reddens, and he shakes as he speaks in a low, haunting voice.

“I want you out of here. You’re not welcome here anymore. You can go live on the street for all I care.”

Jason pulls a wad of cash from his pocket and waves it in front of Doug. “You see this? I have money now, asshole. You want me to go? Fine. I’ll leave.”

“No!” I scream while running to Jason and placing my hands on his upper arms. “Fuck him! Don’t leave because of him.”

“It’s time,” Jason says.

“I’ll give you till the end of the week,” Doug yells.

But Mom clears her throat and steps in the middle of the chaos. “This is my trailer. If there are any ultimatums, I will be the one dictating them. Understand?” Then she turns to Jason and says, “I don’t want you to leave.”

Doug looks at her in disbelief. “What?” he asks.

“This is my place, and I want Jason here. If you two can’t get along, then stay out of each other’s way, but Jason’s not leaving until I say so. Got it?”

Doug looks like he might spontaneously combust. He opens his mouth to speak, but he can’t find the words. He finally lets out a frustrated grunt and turns to stomp off.

Then he stops.

His shoulders tense, and he turns to Mom and says, “Maybe you should move back into your trailer. Since this is your place.”

Mom shudders, her eyes growing wide. “You’re going to do that to me? You’re going to kick your son out of your life again, then push me away, too?”

Doug crosses his arms over his chest and nods.

Mom huffs a laugh. “Wow. You haven’t changed a bit.”

That one lands. Hard. Doug looks ashen, but Mom doesn’t stop. “I think I will move back in here,” she says in defiance.

By the look on Doug’s face, he definitely did not expect her to say that. For the first time, I see fear in Doug’s eyes, but he schools his features, clenching his jaw once more. “Fine. Get your shit out of my place. I should have known you’d defend a criminal. That seems to be a nasty habit of yours—siding with thieves and murderers.”

My mom’s arms drop to her sides. “Don’t,” she warns him with an edge to her voice.

“Jason, why don’t you ask your little friend what actually happened when his real dad died?”

I don’t even have time to be horrified because Mom takes off running and lunges at Doug. They land on the ground with a thud, Mom on top of him, and she beats the shit out of him.