Our Time Will Come - An After Story

82

TW - Mentions of death  & other sensitive Material

Hardin

"Fuck" I say repeatedly as I toke at a cigarette to cure my trembling hands. I wasn't expecting the Priestley's to be home, but the Porsche on their driveway tells me that they are. I've been to this damned house several times now and that scumbags parents have never been home. I consider returning at a later time, when no one will be around to witness my crime, but I decide other wise when Landon's words begin to lap circles around my mind.

"He threatened her. He told her that she has one week to ensure that the baby is no longer, or he would" echoes through my taunted head. I have to do something. This fucker needs to pay. I no longer have the ability to think straight and my only intention is to ensure that he pays for what he has done. I strut down the garden path, my heart thudding out of my chest. Before I can think, I am banging on the door of this doomed building. Seconds later, there is still no answer so I use my heavy boot to kick the darn thing.

I'm startled when the door opens and a small Lady steps forward. She must be the mother of this rat bag. She appears to be in her forties and looks rather defeated. "Please, whoever you are, whatever my sons have done, just leave me alone" she emotes. Damn, this must be a regular occurrence for her. "Where is he?" I scoff, shoving my foot in front of the door to stop her attempt to close it on me. "Austin, or Blake?" She sighs. They really must be horrendous kids. The last thing I want to do is intimidate the poor woman, but something needs to be done.

"Austin" I huff. "He's not here" the brunette rubs her eyes, presumably from exhaustion. If Austin isn't here, I'll happily batter his brother instead. "Cut the bull shit. I will not hesitate to do a search on this damn place" I raise my voice. "Please. Just take my word, Austin isn't here. I have a very sick husband in there, he has stage four lung cancer. We do not need this" she begins to sob uncontrollably and my I'm suddenly reminded that I have a heart. Fuck. "I won't enter your house, if you tell me where he is" I demand. She's going to have to meet me half way here.

"I.. I can't tell you that" she whispers, a hand covering her mouth. She looks at me like I just slaughtered her entire family. "Fine" I say whilst attempting to barge my way past. "Please, I don't know where he is... but, he does hang out near Brooklyn Bridge at night" she blurts out and instantly regrets it. With that, I storm off. I stalk down the path with fury and the woman tries to chase me up. "What has he done now and what are you going to do to him?" Her voice is shaky. I ignore her cries.

"Please! Just tell me!" She roars. "I'm just going to give him a good talking to, we're just going to have words. Nothing more" I lie, whilst getting back into the car, ensuring that I slam the door. I try to ignore the state that I just left that poor woman in, as i shoot off. My hands tremble at the wheel as I put my foot down.

So, Austin Priestley really is just another fucked up kid with daddy issues. It all boils down to the father. Only, this time, the father hasn't done anything wrong. I consider turning the car around and going back home to Tessa and my babies. He's nineteen years of age and a vile excuse of a human, just like I once was.. but I'm not anymore and one day, he won't be either.

That's not to say that he doesn't need to be taught a fucking lesson, because he does. That's it, I'll just scare him into never fucking with Addy again. I don't have to physically harm him. I can feel the blood pounding in my ears as I reach my destination. Growing closer to the bridge, I prepare myself, reciting the threatening words that I'm about to say to this bastard. I vision myself wrapping my hands around his scrawny neck.

I'm broken out of my trance, when My phone begins to vibrate vigorously against the dashboard. "Shit" I bat my hand against the steering real as I realise that it's Tessa. She has woken up and realised that I'm gone, again. The sooner I get this over with, the better.

I park the car in the most random spot and hastily switch off my phone, throwing it onto the seat and locking the door behind me. I glance around to be sure that there are no witnesses. There's no saying that Priestley is actually here, but it's worth a damn try. My heart continues to thud as I stand beneath the bridge, scouring it for any sign of the boy. He is nowhere to be found. Fuck.

I walk a little further, careful of my surroundings. Before I know it, I have walked a mile, I have no fucking clue where I am and that little fucker is nowhere to be seen. "Fuck this" I say out loud, whilst turning on my heel and beginning to walk back. That's until I'm startled by the piercing sound of sirens raiding the whole city. I should get out of here. I mean, it was a stupid fucking idea in the first place. If should have at least done some bloody research before flying off the handle.

I pick up speed as I stride through this rotten neighbourhood but I stop in my tracks at the sound of a plead for help. "Shit" I mutter to myself, as I spot a young boy coaxing a stranger to the scene. I get closer and I recognise the face straight away. Priestley. Only, it's not Austin, it's his brother. "You have to help me" he cries out, grabbing the strange man by the shirt. "It's my brother" he yells. Shit.

I hide behind the concrete wall, enough to ensure that he doesn't see me but so I can still see the commotion that is occurring. "He's been jumped and .. he's not breathing!" Blake roars, his voice echoing through the streets. Fuck. Fuck. I need to get the fuck out of here. I squint to cure my blurred eyes and an overwhelming feeling of sickness hits me as I realise that the kid is lay in a pool of his own blood. This can't be. I came here, literally to kill him and someone has beat me to it. A lot of people must despise the guts of Austin Priestley to want him dead. He must have done some fucked up shit for someone to actually want him dead.

Before I know it, I am running, running faster than my feet can take me. I bash my hand against my head in distress of my own stupidity. I'm going to get the blame for this, I just know it. I turned up at his parents house, demanding that his mother told me where he was. I left the house at a stupid hour and Tessa is aware of it. I have motive, this is not looking good. I'm not sure that I will ever breathe again as I continue to sprint.

I'm repeatedly asking myself "what have I done?" even though I haven't laid a finger on the kid. I have jeopardised everything. I've been a victim of my own temper, yet again and now my children may have to suffer, my wife may have to suffer. Fuck.