“What else ... Did we do?” Grandma asked, while a concerned look spread on her face. I think Aaron or Claire had told her of my accusation of them using the opportunity to have some more orgies, while I put myself on the line for them.
“You said you wouldn’t run and hide, while I take on those people. So, apart from running, hiding at John’s, and letting me take these people on by myself ... What did you do? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming you in any way here! I was the one who asked you all to leave and stay out of the way. And I meant it! I just don’t get your point.”
“Tim, we just wanted you to know that we didn’t simply abandon you! We were worried sick while waiting for an update from you!” Danielle explained in a desperate voice.
“Funny, I heard something similar from Claire. Right after you, her and Ava were so worried about me, you had a spontaneous foursome with Logan.” I commented dismissively.
“Tim ... we ... It wasn’t...” she nervously started to explain, but she seemed to have trouble finding an explanation.
“At least now I know why you didn’t need a ride to the hotel last Wednesday.” I said, looking at Ava, causing her to look and move uncomfortable for some reason. It made me remember her present, so I fished for the gift bag and held it out to her.
She hesitantly took it, pulled out the camera and looked at it in disbelief.
“Happy Birthday. It’s one of those new instant-print cameras. Kind of like those polaroids from the 80s, but in way better quality. I thought you could use it to keep decorating that wall in your room.” I explained in an indifferent tone, causing her to just stare at me for a minute. Then, for some fucked up reason, the hand holding the camera started shaking, her lips started quivering, tears filled her eyes, and she rushed out of the room.
“I’m on it.” Maggie quickly announced, already running after her.
“Thanks, Honey. I’ll be there in a moment.” Danielle called after her daughter.
“The fuck’s wrong now?” I asked into the room, earning me uncomfortable looks from all sides. Except from my back, where Claire was still standing. Her hold on my waist increased in strength, as she rubbed her face on my naked back. Her behavior was starting to get me seriously unnerved.
“Uh ... Claire ... your daughter seems to be distressed somehow. Don’t you think you should go look if she needs anything?”
I had hoped to get her off my back with this. Literally. But instead she surprised me.
“I know why she’s crying. I’ll talk to her about it. But right now, I need to hold my Baby.” she countered, sounding like she was close to tears again, before adding in a whisper “I almost lost you again!”
“Wow. All it took to finally get a hug out of my mother was me almost dying twice, huh?” I commented.
Yeah, I was an asshole to most of them for the past fifteen minutes, but that was only after they tried to sell me their bullshit lines I simply wouldn’t buy. Claire had only shown affection, which was not as bad as I would like to claim. So, I really had not intended to be mean or to hurt her. It just ... slipped out. I was tired, exhausted, hurting, confused, angry with the others, and just wanted some damn pancakes before I crawl into bed and sleep through the next two days.
I know it sounds like I’m just making excuses, but I really wasn’t. I had fully expected them to say whatever, just to make themselves look less like the shit family they had been for so long. And most of them played right into that expectation. But I wasn’t prepared to suddenly be confronted with a twilight zone version of my mother that actually gave a shit about me! Someone should have warned me!
“You might not believe it, Tim. But the last few days weren’t easy for us either. Please, just let her hold you for a while. Please! She needs this right now.” Danielle said in a forlorn voice, before leaving after her Daughter and Niece, quickly followed by Granny.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I lightly patted Claire’s hands she had intertwined in front of my belt buckle, while looking at the remaining people, silently asking for help. Aside from Claire, there were only the men of the family left, and not a single one of us seemed to be particularly adept in the emotional care department. When Claire still refused to let go of me after a minute, I decided to just move around anyway.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” Grandpa asked louder than necessary, causing me to look up and see all the guys regard me with skeptic looks, as I opened the whisky bottle and filled a fifth of my glass with it.
“Feel free to make yourself one too.” I answered indifferently, as I filled the rest of the glass with cold Coke.
I grabbed the glass and walked, as best as I could with Claire clinging to my waist, past them to the sofa. When I sat down, she simply moved around me and plopped herself onto my lap, wrapped her arms around me again, and buried her face back into my chest. The men were eyeing my drink, looking alarmed for some reason.
“You think this is a good idea, Tim?” John inquired carefully.
“The hospital wouldn’t give me any painkillers. I was supposed to still have some. Any idea where those ended up, by the way?” I asked with a pointed look at Aaron, who had covered for Ava. It was bullshit, of course, since the hospital had only given me three Zydol pills in a little paper pouch after I was stabbed, and recommended ibuprofen for my rib. But I wanted them to stop bothering me. I continued after raising my glass to them. “So, this is the next best thing.”
I had to smirk when I saw Grampa’s expression change from alarmed to surprised, before tilting his head to the side like he was thinking it over. Then he slowly pulled the corners of his mouth down and shrugged his shoulders. He was old-school enough to see the truth in my statement. I actually chuckled when he simply turned to make his own drink, causing Aaron and John to weakly protest, but we still ended up sitting around the coffee table with a drink in everyone’s hands.
“So ... you really stole from them?” Logan asked, after the alcohol had seemingly given him enough courage to talk to me.
“Yes.” I admitted, noting that my suspicion about Claire and Aaron listening in on me and Bill just got confirmed. But I saw the need to make sure he understood my new place in the pecking order. He would no longer get away with crap. “And let me tell you right now, Logan. You tell anyone about this, you try to get your hands on that money, you pull ANY crap on me again, I will break you.”
“Timothy! What the hell!?” Aaron warned, but I wouldn’t let any of them interfere, so I simply continued.
“You have no fucking clue what the last two weeks alone did to me. When I stepped in front of those three guys in the parking lot, it was to shield your mother and sister, who were about to be used as payment for your debt. When I went after their shop, it was to keep myself from going into the foster system after your videos would’ve put them into prison, and you still tried to sell me out, risking everyone’s safety, freedom, and future. It was your shit that almost got me killed twice!”
I paused, looking for any more protest, but they stayed silent. When I continued speaking, my voice surprised even myself a little. It carried the weight of the hatred I felt for Logan over the years, and the others could clearly hear the danger Logan was in at that moment.
“The others seem to have a problem making this clear to you, so I will. I already told you, two years ago, that I was done taking your shit. You should’ve listened and taken the opportunity to fix your attitude. The first day you sat in front of the school, and smiled while watching your friends beat the living daylight out of me, was the day we stopped being brothers. Screw me over again, and I will deal with you like I would with any stranger who comes after me. Do you understand me, Logan?”