4. Jessica
JESSICA
“No, I do not need Toby.” I gritted the words out through my teeth while glaring my family into submission.
I wanted to tell them that I was actually fine until they stuck their nose in, but again, we had an audience.
I was so focused on my siblings that I all but forgot Grandpa and the uncles, who, until this point, hadn’t said much of anything.
“Looky here, where’s this boy at now?”
“It’s fine, Grandpa, I promise. I don’t know why everyone else is making such a big deal out of this. It’s not like this is the first breakup I’ve had.” I mumbled that last bit because, again, unwanted audience.
“Yes, but this is the first time you’ve been cheated on.” What in the hell?
“Blade, you…” I raised my fist to knock my brother into next week, but just then, Mom and Dad came back into the room with the supposed folder the enemy came here for.
“Hey, Julius, sorry it took so long; I had to compile this stuff since I got distracted earlier.” Dad looked my way as he said this.
Why is my family set on embarrassing me in front of him?
If my face got any hotter, you could fry an egg.
There’s nothing worse than being made to look like a damn fool in front of the person you least want to see your weakness.
He took his time answering while I prayed in three different languages for the floor to open up and swallow me.
Or better yet, I might be transported to another dimension where my new family was sane and knew what a filter looked like.
“It’s not a problem, sir; I was having some downtime this evening anyway.
You seem to be a bit busy, so I’ll get going.
” Was that a dig? Whether it was or not, I sneered in his direction and bared my teeth.
The vision of my cuspids tearing into his throat and drawing blood gave me the warm and fuzzies.
Did he just snicker? I can’t quite describe the look he threw my way before turning to head out the door. The disrespect! I didn’t have time to dwell because my phone rang with a number I didn’t expect to see. Fucking aye; this day just keeps getting better.
“Hello?”
“Outside, right now!” Now, the only reason I even thought of obeying an order from this hag was because I didn’t want my ex-would-be-mother-in-law to come inside.
This woman never liked me for some reason, but I put up with her shit for her son’s sake.
I never quite let on to my family that she used to give me a hard time because there was only one way that would end, and that wouldn’t have been good for anybody.
Yes, he and I are quits as of a few hours ago, but still, that wolf pack in there would tear her to pieces, and the whole objective is to keep everyone out of jail.
She was getting out of her car as I stepped out into the cooling night air, and I didn’t have a chance to say the first word as I approached before she slammed out of the car and attacked.
It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to do much more than brace for the slap she intended to give me, my fist already folded to belt her one for all the years of frustration, plus the audacity of this bitch to attack me on my home ground, but the hit never came.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Where the fuck did he come from? I thought he left. I opened my mouth to ask him just that, but he ordered me back inside without even looking at me as he held her wrist in a tight grip. Who the hell is he talking to?
“Inside Jessica, right now.” I’m not sure what surprised me more. His use of my real name or the anger in his voice. I was about to argue, but the look he gave me as Dale’s Mom started spouting off was enough to have me turning back to the house. What the hell kind of day is this anyway?
With each step, I questioned myself. This was so unlike me to just accept his orders like that without a fight, but for the life of me, I couldn’t turn back around.
I did look back over my shoulder to see him leaning down into her face.
His lips were moving; I was sure of that, even though I couldn’t hear a word of what was being said.
The look on her face, though, was enough to tell me that it wasn’t anything good.
Who knew the over-polished blowhard had it in him? I guess I was too overwhelmed or not thinking straight because it never crossed my mind that my quick exit would send this bunch on high alert, but I walked back into the house to find them all watching the house monitor.
The men all had their arms folded, and the women’s faces were pinched. I know that suck lemon look. “Is she in the habit of hitting you?”
“No, Dad, she’s never…”
“Don’t lie to me. She looked way too comfortable doing that shit. Tell me the truth right now, or I’ll walk out there and break her fucking neck.”
“No, I promise, she’s never hit me. She’s just been rude sometimes, but it’s nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“Rude, how?” Shit, talk fast, or this woman is going to die on that driveway.
“She just didn’t always think that I was good enough for her son.
” Well, shit, Jess, is that the best you could come up with?
It was like adding a full tank of gasoline to a fire.
I held my hands up as if to ward off whatever was coming as they all started talking at once, shoving past each other to get to the door.
“She’s gone; she won’t be back.” Julius proclaimed from somewhere behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder at him. He looked relaxed, at ease if you will, but I couldn’t tell the truth of that from behind the dark shades he now wore.
For some reason, my family took his word and just calmed down; like, what the hell? Since when? “I hope you made it very clear.”
“I did!” My head swiveled back and forth between Dad and the menace, who seemed to be having some kind of conversation that I wasn’t following.
“Made what clear?” Neither of them answered, and the pain in the ass turned and left without another word.
“Brainless jackass!” I marched my way past all of them and out of the room, headed for the stairs that led down to the basement. That’s where we keep all of the good stuff.
I was halfway into my sparring clothes when I realized that my breakup with Dale hadn’t made me as mad as whatever the hell that was upstairs had.
Whatever! I fired up old Toby and set him to combat mode.
Next time, I’ll make sure to print out an image of Julius’s face to stick onto the robot while I kick his ass.
My heart tripped at the wayward thought of what else I could do with his face. What the hell is wrong with you? Since when do you get wet at the thought of that delinquent? I ignored the voice in my head that whispered since forever. That is so not true.
I may have had a crush on him when I was young and stupid, but that died when he kept treating me like an annoying kid who was always underfoot.
I’ve moved on from that, thank you very much, and I would thank my subconscious to remember that shit.
All the same, it just spurred me on to kick my sparring partner’s ass, but good.
Each kick was a blow to Julius’ solar plexus; each swing was meant to knock his block off. By the time I was done, I was feeling worlds better, and it was only in the shower after that I realized I hadn’t given Dale or his mother a single thought. “That smarmy bastard better stay out of my head.”