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Clarissa’s face tensed up. I could tell she was feeling like a third wheel.
“Um, well, I’ve got some major unpacking to do upstairs. Good seeing you, Jay!”
Without another word, and without giving Jay a chance to say anything, she zipped up the stairs and was gone. Jay and I were alone.
“I should probably get going too,” he said. “See you later—"
“No,” I said, cutting him off and shaking my head. “You’re not getting out of here that easily.”
“Huh?”
I went to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. “Come on, Jay. We’re going back outside, and I want you to tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “Just had a lot of stuff on my mind.”
“I’m not buying that for a second. Now, let’s go.”
I held the two beer bottles in my left hand, grabbing Jay’s hand with my right and leading him back out to the patio. Sure, he could’ve stopped me if he really wanted to, but he didn’t.
“Clarissa’s room is on the other side of the house,” I said. “Mine’s over top. So, you don’t need to worry about anyone listening in.”
He chuckled as he sat down next to me on one of the benches. “Am I that predictable?”
“Not predictable,” I said with a smile. “Just…I know you by now. You don’t get to be in someone’s life for over ten years and not have them understand you a little – even with your best efforts to keep your emotions hidden.”
Jay sighed and shook his head as he cracked open his beer. “Sorry for acting like a cranky little kid today. Had some shit on my mind and I didn’t want to make a thing about it. I’m happy as hell that you’re moved in and starting your new career. Knowing that you’ve got such a bright future waiting for you to take hold of it…it does me some good. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you.”
His words made me feel great. But I hadn’t brought him outside to get myself puffed up even more than I already was.
“Thanks, Jay. Really. But tell me, what’s going on with you? It’s like…a switch flipped.”
Jay shifted in his seat and looked away. “It’s hard to talk about.”
“Try. Because I don’t want you keeping it stuffed up inside if you don’t have to. We might not technically be family anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be open with one another.”
“It’s Dad.” I could tell that merely saying the words had been difficult for him.
His dad wasn’t a happy subject for anyone. Knowing what he did to my mom was enough to send a flash of anger through my body at the mere mention of him, and then after hearing what he’d done to Jay and his brothers? Saying I despised the man would be the understatement of the year.
“What happened?”
“I confronted him. About what happened all those years ago.”
“You what? Jay, I told you that if you needed me to be there for you when you talked to him, I’d do it! Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because it was my battle to fight. You didn’t need to be there for it.”
“But what if I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, too? He’s hurt many people I care about.”
I stopped myself before I said another word. Speaking of selfish, I was being selfish. Jay had summoned up a ton of courage to confront his father, and there I was already questioning how he did it.
“Sorry,” I said, collecting myself. “It’s just that…I have history with him too, you know?”
“I get it. And I appreciate you making the offer to be there for me. But I did what I needed to do.”
“And what happened? What did you say?”
He took a sip of his beer, tension forming on his face. “I called him out for what he did, told him how wrong it was the way he abused us. It was hard, but I said what I needed to say.”
