Page 25 of Yours on the Canvas

Jack and Finn speaking at the same time.

“Oh shit,” Deck says, his voice low, already turning and walking out of the room. I follow and as I round the corner, I take in the two men in the room.

Finn has stopped dead in the middle of the room, his eyes rake over Jack as he takes in his injuries– the stiffness in his body, the faint, fading purple blooming along his jaw, the slow, careful way he breathes. I watch as Finn’s gaze drop to Jack’s chest, following each measured inhale like he’s counting them, and I feel the air in the room turn to ice.

Jack sits on the couch with Hale, trying to untangle his tablet charger again, but his hands are frozen mid-air and he’s glaring at Finn.

Hale is quiet, wide eyed, eyes flicking between the two men. Finn stands there, anger radiating off him, fists clenched so tight his knuckles have gone white, jaw locked hard enough to crack teeth.

Oh, he’s pissed.

Deck moves and steps up behind him, posture steady, eyes sharp, ready to intervene if Finn explodes.

Jack swallows, shoulders tightening as I hear a sharp intake of air. He knows that look. He knows Finn doesn’t “chat.” No, Finn interrogates and keeps digging until he drags truth out of people like he’s mining for gold.

And right now, Finn looks like he’s about to tear the whole house apart to get answers.

I step forward, voice low. “Finn.”

He ignores me, taking a small step toward Jack.

“You’ve been fighting again,” Finn says. It isn’t a question. It’s a flat, cold accusation loaded with a fury that makes the hairs on my arms stand up.

But I also want to see what Jack says.

Jack’s shoulders instantly lock and I watch his jaw tighten. The softness that normally sits on his features vanishes, and is replaced now by a defensive, hard-edged mask. He drops the cord onto the coffee table and looks up, his chin lifting in an aggressive notch.

“I wasn’t.” He says quietly, and I notice he isn’t meeting Finns gaze directly. Yeah, Dove, we know you’re lying.

“Don’t make a big deal about it Finn. And why the fuck are you here? You’re supposed to be on your holiday.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Jack,” Finn snaps, ignoring Jack, taking two sharp steps forward, his hands curling into tight fists at his sides. Deck hangs back a fraction behind him, a dark, heavy shadow keeping watch, his eyes locked onto Jack with a quiet, devastating intensity.

“That is not a conference. That…“ he motions to Jacks face, “…that is a beating. You went back into the ring, didn’t you?”

I see Hale press himself further into the couch as Finn takes another angry step, “Careful, Finn,” I warn, my voice low and dangerous, taking a step further into the room.

But Jack cuts me off, his voice lashing out, sharp enough to draw blood.

“My life, Finn! Last time I checked, I don’t need your permission to do anything, let alone what I do with my own body!” Jack tries to get himself up from the couch, moving too fast, pulling a sharp wince that flashes across his face before he forces it down, as he glares at Finn.

“You think I wanted this?” He waves his hand over his body. “You think I went looking for it?”

Finn ignores him, his emotions now leading this conversation.

“You promised me you were done!” Finn yells back, stepping right up to Jack, despite Deck’s hand coming up to catch his shoulder. “You let yourself get torn apart because you couldn’t stay away from it! How stupid can you possibly be, Jack?”

“Shut up!” Jack snarls, the anger finally cracking open to expose the raw, bleeding nerve underneath. He points a shaking finger at Finn. “You don’t get to judge me! You flew back early like some self-righteous…”

“You’re my brother! Because you almost died, you fucking idiot!” Finn’s voice cracks, the anger abruptly giving way to a terrifying, desperate panic. “If those people hadn’t found you, you’d be in a morgue right now! I am sick to death of watching you treat your life like it’s worth nothing!”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It wasn’t that bad!” Jack roars at Finn.

Okay, I’ve had enough.

I step up to Hale, bending down, I grab his hand. He’s sitting there, eyes wide and tears streaming down his face, his head moving quickly between Jack and Finn.

“Haze, buddy, why don’t you head to your room. I’ll come up shortly.” I say to him quietly as I hand him his tablet. He sniffs and nods as he wipes the tears from his cheeks. He gets up, he looks at Jack once and then turns and leaves the room.