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“You need to, don’t keep your pain locked in there,” he says, tapping my chest before he sits, burying his face in his hands.
“Fuck you, Jay. You have no right, no right. All those years, you and him were keeping in touch behind my back?” I roar, balling my fists.
Jay nods. “I love you, kid, but damn, you can hold a fucking grudge.”
I look at Marian, not knowing what to say. “I need to be there for her, not rekindle something which never was and is never going to be with my father.”
Marian’s eyes are kind when she stands, laying a hand on my shoulder. “I know you want to but she is really weak. These last weeks she has gotten so much worse. I think she is much sicker than she leads on, Hunt, and with her condition she needs so much care.”
I shrug her hand off me, and get right in her face and she swallows hard. Jay is on his feet and pulling me back before I know it.
“Don’t, Jay,” Marian pleads.
“I … I need …” I start to pace. “I need this.”
“Sky needs more,” Jay yells, while Marian tries to grab his hand. I’m sick to my stomach.
“Give me a chance,” I plead.
Jay shakes his head with disdain. “No. You can’t even take care of yourself. Your NA sponsor called me. You haven’t been to a meeting in two weeks, Hunter.”
“I couldn’t,” I mutter, stumbling forward.
He points his finger in my face. “I love you, and I’m not going to lose you too,” he says, with a threat in his voice.
I shove him in his chest. “What are you going to do? Keep her away from me?” I bellow. I punch him in his shoulder, and send him flying off the steps of the porch.
Marian tries to grab my arm. I shrug her off and she falls to the floor.
“Motherfucker,” Jay roars, launching at me. He punches me hard in the stomach and I topple over.
“Fuck.” I cough out a breath, bile rising in the back of my throat. I raise my arms and plow into him, taking him by surprise, knocking Jay to the ground.
He throws a couple of good punches, and takes another swing at me. Before I know it, we are a mess of tangled limbs rolling on the grass. The asshole busts my lip; I can taste the blood on my tongue. I give him a sucker punch right in the jaw. Before I can blink, Timothy takes me in a chokehold, trying to get me off Jay. Drew grabs Jay by the arms, and pulls him against his chest. When they break us apart, we are both bloody messes.
“Don’t keep her away from me,” I choke out.
Jay spits on the ground, blood dripping from his chin.
“Stop it, Hunter,” Timothy warns, holding me tight against his body.
“You are all keeping her from me,” I yell. Angry tears blur my vision. I slump to the ground, and Drew lets go of Jay’s hands.
“I think you should go,” Jay says, eyeing me as he drags both hands over his face.
I frown, brows drawn together. I’m paralyzed. “No. I’m not leaving her alone for a minute.”
“You already left,” he says, matter-of-fact, wiping the blood from his cheek. “You’re a fucking mess. You started drinking again, doing God knows what, going out to August’s place, and getting in late.” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and there is desperation in his eyes mixed with disappointment. “After everything we went through, you are not going to make her an excuse to fuck up the things we worked so hard for. Get it into your thick skull that this is not about you for a fucking change.”
I glance up at him, and I know he’s right, and I hate myself for it.
“Don’t throw away everything, you ungrateful son of a bitch,” Jay sneers. He looks at me with a disgusted scowl.
I sway a little. The old man got in some good punches. I think I bruised another rib. But I still can’t leave. I won’t. She needs me.
“Fuck you, Jay. Only she can tell me to leave,” I whisper, wiping the blood from my mouth.
“Walk it off, Hunter,” Sky says, her voice trembling.
