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“For Christ's sake, spit it out,” he bellows at me and Mom surprises me when she pushes past him and wraps her body around mine. But I turn my back to her, I don’t want her comfort.
“He was just in my room, he came in through my balcony, said if you didn’t give him what he wanted, I would pay the price.” I watch Father's face turn a brilliant shade of white and his eyes set to stone.
“What does he want, Vincent? Whatever it is, just give it to him!” It's the first time I can ever remember Mom raising her voice to him, and he must be really worried, because he doesn’t respond to it.
“Back to bed, I will deal with this in the morning,” he tells us both, looking haunted. “We’ll hear no more about it. You keep your balcony door locked in the future.” He points his finger at me like all this is somehow my fault.
“But Vincent…”
“Back to bed,” he warns Mom, his glare silencing her and telling me I should do the same. I make my way back across the hall without argument, and for the first time in a long long time, I make sure my balcony door is locked firm.
I can’t stop thinking about her and how much she’s changed. Her sad eyes haunting me every time they look back up at me from the paper I’ve sketched her onto, and all I can focus on is how I can make her better.
It’s what brings me to Castle Rock and why I’m sitting in my truck, opposite a nail bar on Main Street.
I watch Joanne Jackson through the window, chatting happily to the woman working on her hands, with a plastic smile wide on her face.I remain patient until she leaves and then I get out of my truck and cross the busy street, following her down the sidewalk towards her Mercedes.
“Mrs. Jackson,” I call out as I catch up to her, she’s about to pull the driver’s door open and already has a prepped smile on her lips as she turns her head. A façade that quickly drops when she sees it’s me.
“What do you want?” she whispers through tight lips, her eyes scanning around us to make sure no one is watching.
“I’m worried about Ella.”
“You’ve got some nerve coming up to me,” she warns, making it hard to believe this is the same woman who I just watched from the truck.
“I care about her, I just need to know she’s okay. Tell me that and I’ll leave you alone,” I promise.
“No, she’s not okay.” She looks back at me like I’m an idiot.“She’s broken, has been for months now. And I warned her, I told her all about your kind.” Her eyes turn into slits as a newly manicured finger jabs me right in the center of my chest. “You think I don’t see it? That I don’t know what you are… Who you are? Walking away from my daughter is the best thing you ever did for her.” She turns her back to me, fiddling frantically with her door handle.
“And was walking away from Jimmer Carson what was best for you?” I ask her. She pauses instantly, and when she spins back around, she catches me completely off guard with the harsh swipe her palm makes across my cheek.I rub my hand over the sting and smirk back at her. It’s a shame she can’t find that kinda fight in her when her husband comes at her.
“Don’t you dare. I did what was best for my daughter.” Her voice shakes with anger, but her eyes are too heavy with regret for me to buy what she’s saying.
“And that’s what your husband is, what’s best, right?” I check, watching her chest sag as she releases a long, tired breath.
“We’ve all made our mistakes, we live by them.” Her voice turns a little softer, and the scowl on her face lets up a little too. “You’ve done right by Ella, leaving her alone. I’ll give you that much credit.” She checks around us again for witnesses.“I trust you will continue to do so.”
“I love…”
“Don’t,” she cuts me off. “Don’t you fucking say that. Ella was fine before you came along. She was happy and now look at her. My daughter’s become a shell because of you. If you mean it and you really do love her, leave her alone.”
“I just…” I stop myself from saying what I’m about to. It ain’t gonna do me no favors, but fuck it. What do I have to lose? “I just got this feeling in my gut that me and Ella are repeating the history of two people who loved each other eighteen years ago. Two people who deep down have been miserable ever since.
Jimmer Carson loved you enough to let you go and I'll do the same for Ella, but I won't have her be miserable. I'll have eyes on her until the day I know she's happy and that there’s nothing left for me to do for her.”
"Go back to your stupid club, Prospect.” Joanne Jackson looks down at the prospect patch that's sewn into the leather of my cut. “You come near my daughter again, I'll break the promise I made myself all those years ago and I’ll go see Jimmer myself. I'm sure he’ll be interested to know how close you’ve become to his daughter.”
With that said, she gets inside her car and backs out onto the street. I stand and watch her drive off, hoping to god that I ain’t staring into Ella’s future.
I get back to the club and help Jessie out at the garage for a few hours. I ain’t much use, but everyone's got to pull their weight and I need to keep myself busy. Maddy brings Jessie down some lunch, and I smile at her gratefully when she tosses me a brown paper bag too. I can’t help feel a pang of jealousy when I imagine how it might be to be with Ella like this. Together every day. No secrets or sneaking around. And no fuckin’ heartache.
“You ever regret bringing her here?” I ask Jessie after she’s left.
“Not for a second,” he tells me as he slides out from under the Honda he’s working on. “I hate what she’s had to sacrifice for me. But every day I keep livin’, I’ll be sure to remind her why she did it. Why d’you ask?” He takes the spanner out of my hand and disappears back under the car.
“No reason,” I say quietly. Mine and Ella’s story ain’t like Jessie and Maddy’s. Ours is much more the fucked up tragedy type. No happy endings.
“You’re off duty, asswipe.” I feel a shove in my back and turn to see Rogue smiling at me.
