Almost Everything

Chapter 10 - Almost Everything

Brad and I walk into the hotel room together and everyone stops everything they are doing to look at us. My brother stands from the couch and yells at me for vanishing on them.

"We have been calling everywhere trying to find you. Kyle and Oliver have been searching the city all night. Jackson's been waiting here for you and then Brad shows up, only making us freak out more. What the fuck happened?" He demands from me.

Brad stands in front of me and holds up his hands, hoping to bring calm to the room. "Everyone breathe. She's had a rough night."

Behind Brad's back, I see Jackson come out of the bedroom. He is still wearing his black dress pants, the white button-down is wide open, his eyes are drooping with tiredness, and he looks like hell. My heart races at the sight of him. I want to run to him and throw my arms around him. 

But then, I remember everything my mom told me. My stomach turns with threats of vomit and I run for my bathroom. 

"Where did you find her?" I hear Jackson ask Brad.

"The hospital. She was sleeping in a chair next to Frank. Your mom hit her, twice."

"I'M GOING OVER THERE." My brother shouts.

"I think you should wait for Avery to talk to you, she has a lot to say."

Sitting on my bathroom floor, I push my face to the cool tile floor. Closing my eyes, I pray this is all a bad dream. I shout my brother's name and wait for him to appear in the doorway.

My brother, Jackson, and Brad race into the room. All of them halt in the doorway when they see me curled into the fetal position on the cool floor. My brother drops to his knees and orders someone to grab me a blanket and a glass of water.

When it's just the two of us in the room, I cry. "Give me something to make this pain go away," I beg him.

My body is in so much physical pain, but nothing hurts more than my heart.

"As soon as you tell me what the fuck is going on, I will. Why did mom hit you?" He asks with warm brown eyes.

"Because I told her that I was in love with Jackson. I love him so much, but I can't be with him. She took him away from me and everything changes now." I sob all over again and my brother wraps me into a tight, brotherly hug. 

For the next two hours, Brad keeps Jackson busy while I tell my brother everything. We are sitting on my bed together and I try to tell him everything word for word that mom told me. Starting with the sad story about coming over to New York and how our grandparents wrote her out of their life, which is bullshit. My brother didn't believe a word when I told him about Jim possibly being my dad.

"Nate, I'm the only person in the family with blue eyes. All the Williams' have blue eyes." I say looking at him with concern.

"So, let's get testing done." He says simply.

"I won't do that to Jackson. I'll just wait until dad is better and then tell him that I know everything." I tell my brother sad.

"Or you could ask Jim for a sample and be done. If he's not your dad, then there is nothing in the way of Jackson." He states.

"And tear Jackson's world apart? He thinks his life is perfect and I don't want to take that from him."

Nate jumps from my bed, he is upset. I jump off the bed and stand in front of the door. Begging him to not say anything to Jackson, but he pushes me easily out of the way. I follow him to the living room. Brad and Jackson look in my direction.