Page 27 of Unlocked Desire: Vol One
"Jesus," Joey said, her eyes rounded. "What a fuckin' bitch."
"Yeah, she was one twisted sister. Had a thing about beating kids. She’d been doing it since she was in elementary school. Her old man usually bought her way out of it. He probably tried when she was beating her kid, too, but her ex was more powerful than she was, the heir of some multibillionaire. He got the kid and got her locked up."
"Why didn't you tell me Alison was in jail?" Jack asked.
"Didn't think you needed to know. You were doin' okay. Then Joey came into our lives, and you seemed happy. I didn't want to fuck any of that up by bringing up the past. I didn't know how fucked up you were until recently. I'm sorry I didn't notice. I love you, man. I would fuckin' do anything for you. I thought Joey had managed to heal you, but this shit runs deeper than I thought."
"You were probably right," Jack whispered. His expression reminded me of a trapped animal desperate to escape its cage. "I gotta get outta here." He stood and headed for the door.
I got in front of him and shoved him back. "No. No more running, man. You're not doing this shit to Joey. She fuckin' loves you. We both do. This shit with your past is not you. You were just a kid. Those fuckers should have looked after you, but all they did was hurt you. We aren't them. We’re in this for the long haul." I was so frustrated that he didn't know what he had and how easily he was allowing the past to impact all our futures. "Why the fuck can't you see that?"
"I'm fuckin shit. I come from shit, and I'll always be shit!" Jack yelled.
I got right in his face. "You're a fuckin' asshole, you know that?"
"You lookin' for a fight, Lip? I don't want to lay your ass down, but I will."
"No!" Joey yelled, coming between us. She placed a hand on our chests. "Please, stop."
Jack's gaze moved to Joey. "I gotta get out of here," he repeated.
Joey turned to face him, jabbing his chest with her finger. "No, you don't. You can't run off every time things get too uncomfortable."
Jack fisted his hair and stepped back as if Joey's hand had burned him. His actions shocked me. I'd never seen him reject Joey's touch before. Joey noticed it too. She cast her gaze down and moved away from him, letting her hands fall lifelessly to her sides. I was willing to take Jack being a dick to me, but no way would I let him hurt Joey.
"I'm gonna kill you," I hissed, gently pushing Joey aside and punching directly in the face.
"Lip, no!" Joey yelled.
I didn't hear her. I punched Jack again. "Fight, asshole!"
When he didn't hit me back after the second time, I stopped. I knew this side of Jack very well. He had two speeds: anger mixed with violence or complete self-hatred. At that moment, he hated himself and welcomed my punches to numb his pain.
I wanted Jack to talk to us, to lean on us so we could help him, but all I got was his empty stare as he walked out the door.
Chapter 7
JOEY
"It's been a week." I'd been on my best friend Sonia's couch for the last four hours, crying on and off, unsure of what to do.
Sonia hugged me as she lied and told me everything would be okay. I didn't feel like it would be. I didn't think anything would be all right ever again.
"Has he ever done this before?" Sonia murmured.
"He's run off before to blow off steam, but he always comes home. And he always answers my messages. This is the first time he's been radio silent. Lip's worried. He's been out searching for him, calling everyone they know. What if something happened to him, Sonia?"
"Jack? No, nothin's happened to him. That man knows how to take care of himself."
"I hope you're right. You should’ve seen the look on his face before he left… I wanted to run after him, but Lip held me back. I wish I hadn't fuckin’ listened. I should’ve jumped in front of his bike."
"No, Lip was right. You can't make someone do something they don't wanna do."
"I know. But…two years… Didn't that mean anything?"
"Baby, that man loves you. You and Lip are everything to him. That I'm sure about."
"I just want him to come home."