Who You Say I Am (A Jai Courtney Fanfic)

Chapter 96-Jai

Jai

I run my fingers through my shorter hair. I feel relieved that it turned out so well. I adjust my sunnies and step into the pub. I see my mates sitting at the bar.
"Steve-o!" Damo shouts raising his glass in a toast—my mate since primary school. He hasn't changed a bit, just bigger. His blonde hair's a skosh shaggier than how it was last I saw him, but his green eyes still have that hint of humor and mischief about them. He's still built for sport but nothing compared to me. "Cheers," he says downing the contents of his stubbie before rising and hugging me.
Johnno hugs me, too—my mate from uni. We were both into theatre but he does pay tv now. He's got the slim, pretty boy look with his dark hair, square jaw, and brown eyes. "Howzit?" he asks.
"Aight," I reply. "Good to be back," I lie taking off my sunnies.
"Where's this sheila your mum's been braggin' about?" Damo hounds me looking at the door like she'd pop through any second. I wish.
"Yeah... that didn't work out," I admit.
"Not yer type? I saw a pic. I'll take a go at her. I've defo got the hots for her," Damo says and I sigh as I order a middy. He orders another.
"Yeahnah," I reply. Johnno repeats the same about three times and I wonder if he's already pissed. I laugh at him and ask him what number he's on.
"Who's countin'?" he shrugs. "Do I get a look at her?" he questions.
The bartender puts my amber liquid in front of me and I toss back a swig of it. "I'd rather not," I say.
"I've got it," Damo insists and pulls out his phone showing off the first pic I took of us.
"Oh, she's young," he comments. "... and a knockout. How'd you let that slip through your fingers?"
"I don't even know," I say downing the rest of my glass and ordering another.
"Not over her yet, eh?" Damo nods. "You know what you need?" he questions but I don't answer. "Go find the first sheila you cross and cop a root with her. Make you feel better."
"That's not happening," I tell him seriously.
"Why not?" he questions. "You could get any one of these you want."
"Just cause I could get one doesn't mean that's what I want," I point out.
"If I could, I would," he shrugs.
"Yeah, and you're a dirty bastard," I laugh.
He shrugs and nods in agreement.
"So what happened with her?" Johnno asks taking the other seat beside me.
I explain the gist of what occurred. "So... she's a good girl?" he questions. I nod. "That's the kind you take home to mum."
"Yeah," I agree. That's exactly what I thought of her.
"So what did she want then?" Johnno questions.
"Religion," I shrug.
"Ah," he nods. "Bloody good girl."
"Yeah," I say quietly.
"That's kind of a shock. She's defo pretty. What does she do?" he asks.
I list off everything she can do and he whistles. "Right out of uni?" he asks and I nod. "Got the whole world in front of her."
"She does," I agree.
"So, what's your plan then?" Damo asks.
"To get pissed," I shrug taking another drink.
"Always works for me," Damo says.
"I thought you just said you root the first sheila you see?" Johnno laughs.
"I said he should. I didn't say I do," he chuckles. "I don't have his... qualities," he waves a hand in my direction. "If I did, I would."
"Gross," we both say.
"So, how's it with your lady?" I ask Johnno since I know Damo's still single.
"Aight," he shrugs. "She wants to shop for new curtains or somethin'. Always watching those home shows on pay tv."
"Yeah?" I laugh. "What's with that?"
"Keeping up with the Jones's," he shrugs. I realize how pointless that actually is. "Whatever makes her happy.  So, how was that snag? Looked good."
"It'll change your life," I tell him and my heart aches at thinking about her.  I down the contents of my glass and order another. 
"How'd the latest film go?" Johnno asks and I'm grateful for the change in convo. 
"Bonzer," I smile and then I think about her and that dress she was making and I down my next glass, then the next. 
I'm laughing and joking with my mates in no time and it does help...

*****

I wake in the morning with a massive hangover and I stay in bed most of the day.  I order some tucker and shower when I can't sleep anymore.  I down a couple meds and feel a bit better.  I decide to visit my rellies.  I walk in the familiar door of my parents' flat and they're sitting out on the veranda.  I cross to the back and step out.
"There he is," my mum smiles coming over to hug and kiss me. "You look good, less scruffy."
"Yeah," I nod rubbing the back of my hair. I remember the feeling of her fingers there and my heart clenches at the thought.
"Not doin' so well, eh?" she asks.
"Not really," I admit.
"Well, things change, right? It's the only constant," she says hugging me again. "Go and see your dad," she insists.
He's at the barbie, grillin'.
"Hey, dad," I call out. I side hug him and he pats my back.
"Good to be home?" he asks me.
"Yeahnah," I say.
"I get it," he nods. "Hungry?"
"I could eat," I nod. "Snags, eh?"
He hums a reply.
My mum steps inside into the kitchen.
"So, what's going on with your sheila? Sounded like things were good," he says.
I sigh, "I thought so, too."
"What changed then?" he presses turning the snags.
"I kissed her," I shrug.
"That's it?" he says confused. I nod. "Not interested, then?"
"That's not it," I shake my head. I explain what she said about her religion to me and he nods in understanding.
"Hand me that crockery, would ya?" Dad asks.
I grab it from the table and he heaps the cooked snags on top.
We sit down on the table and he sips from his stubbie. "You know, with your mum, I made a lot of changes for her," he tells me.
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. My dad's always been the quietest. He reads the paper, watches the tele, drinks his stubbies, and on occasion fishes.
"You'd be surprised. I was a bit of a boozer when we first met. Not interested in culture or anything unless it involved sport. I saw her and things changed. I drunk less, took her out to the theater, and stopped hanging out with my mates so much. I still saw them, just less. She filled the gap, you know," he explains and I nod in surprise. He's still his own man but yet he made concessions for her and I get it.
"So what're you gonna do?" he asks me.
"I guess I'll see what I can do," I shrug.
"What's the plan?" he inquires.
I sigh. "I don't know. She wants me to believe what she does," I say at a loss.
"Did you go to her church?" he asks.
I nod.
"What'd you do there?" he questions.
"Mostly just stared at her," I admit.
"There's your problem," he points out sipping his drink. "I think she expected you to be paying attention and not gawking at her."
I nod, "You're right." I just got so distracted by her that I couldn't focus. I never realized she was that serious about it—never really thought anyone was and couldn't understand why. I guess I need to figure that out.
"Do you have an insider?" he questions. "Your uncle was my help. He told me to clean up and take her out to the theater, look at art, and go outdoors."
I smile and realize I do. "Her brother," I say.
"Good. Use all the help you can get," he grins.
Mum returns with some crockery, white bread, and condiments. She puts a stubbie in front of me and I open it realizing I don't need to drown my sorrows away, I need to figure out my next real step to get back to her.
"Is that a smile?" Mum asks hugging me again before sitting down.
I laugh softly and nod.
"He just needed a heart to heart," Dad tells her. She grins as she leans over to kiss him and I realize I want what they have. I've honestly never had that. I was close, though.
We eat the tucker together. They tell me what's been going on and I tell them about me. Mum hesitantly asks me to see my stash of pics since I haven't been posting anything. I surrender my phone to her and she scrolls through the images of Megan and me. She shows several to my dad and he grins and looks back to me. We finish and I help Mum clean the dishes while Dad reads his paper on the veranda.
"Is it strange that I've had this feeling about her?" she asks me.
I raise my eyebrow skeptically.
"I know, you're apart but there's just something so different about this one," she says.
"Yeah, she's the only one to tell me no," I point out.
"Not that," she waves a dismissive hand. "Something else."
We finish with the crockery and put the tucker away.
"Come with me," she insists.
I follow her to her bedroom and she opens her jewelry box. There's a small antique looking box inside. "When your granny passed away, she left me this. It was your great-gran's. Your sister didn't want it. I thought maybe you would," she says as she places the box in my hand.
I open it to see an antique ring inside. It's a pink pearl and it has either a rose gold or copper colored metal. There's a decorative swirling pattern through the whole band.
"Em didn't want this?" I question surprised.
"She's not into antiques. She likes the modern thing Ollie got her. She said she'd take it but she'd probably sell it. It's just not her cuppa," she explains.
"Why would you give this to me, though?" I ask.
She shrugs and turns around. "Just hopeful thinking," she says trying to hide a smile.
"I don't even know what I'd do with this, Mum," I tell her giving it back.
She takes the ring back, tucking it in its place.
"Well, I'd hoped you'd eventually get hitched someday. I can't believe both of you have waited so long. I'm hoping for grandkids," she says. 
I cough in surprise.
"Just know that it's yours and it's there when you're ready," she tells me walking out of her room.
I sit down on her bed and sigh in surprise. I didn't realize how my mum felt. She's been waiting for me to settle down and I've just been messing around. I rub my face and look back to her jewelry box. I rise and open it looking at the ring once more. It kind of reminds me of that bracelet I bought Megan. The colors are similar and she never wore much jewelry that I saw. That massive ring that her ex gave her was definitely not her style. She probably was so overwhelmed and not wanting it or the responsibility to hold such a monstrous thing on her hand. But this... heirloom looks like something that might suit her... that is if she'd have me. I recall little Tabby asking me if I was going to marry Megan. My heart aches now. I close up the box and leave the room.