Aloveen Rising

41. Bitter Truth

Jake watched him warily, "What are you doing here?"

Justin sighed, "I don't really know, I need to speak with you and the twins,"

"Is that miserable cow with you?"

The corners of Justin's mouth twitched, "No, Lucy and I broke up."

Jake's eyes widened, "Oh,"

Jacie moved closer standing next to Jake,
"What makes you think we'd even want to speak to you," She said coldly

Justin almost seemed to shrink under her glare, "I didn't hurt Elsbeth, I promise." His grey eyes began to water, "You know how much she did for me, I could never do anything to her."

Jacie glare softened slightly, "Nate is not going to be happy to see you."

"I don't blame him but I didn't hurt Elsbeth and he's going to have to hear me out on that,"

"Get the hell out of here," Nate ordered bumping Jacie as he stepped past her,

Justin stepped back and off of the front steps, "Nate, please, I promise you this wasn't me. I wouldn't hurt Els-"

Nate darted down the steps and punched him as hard as he could, "You don't get to say her name," he growled,

Jake moved forward but Jacie grabbed his arm, he glanced at her and she shook her head.

Justin put his hand to his lip, a trickle of blood was making its way down to his chin, he wiped his face on his sleeve,

Nate watched him with a cold expression on his face, "Leave,"

Justin shook his head, "Come on man, think about it. I can tell you what happened I can explain how it wasn't me." He dabbed his lip with the back of his hand,

Nate sighed thoughtfully, "All you do is lie, it doesn't matter what you say. You are hopeless, the only thing you are good at is hurting people."

"No," Justin said, "I don't hurt people,"

Nate laughed in disbelief, "You don't hurt people? Jake, me, Jacie," he hesitated, "Ethan," he said finally,

Justin flinched at the mention of Ethan, "I know I've hurt people in the past, I know I hurt all of you. I don't have a good reason for what I did back then, I was worried you were all going to leave me. I panicked and I got jealous but it was stupid and I wish I could take it back,"

Nate shook his head, "I don't believe you,"

Justin slumped, "If I liked hurting people and I didn't regret it then why is it haunting my dreams,"

Nate frowned, "What's haunting you?"

"The day he died. I keep thinking if I'd been faster I could have gotten back to him before the generators exploded. I keep redoing it in my dreams but I never make it in time." He dabbed at his lip again,

"When it started happening I couldn't stop thinking about how I'd treated him and what I did to him that night." Justin's voice cracked, "I just wish I could say sorry," He looked up his teary grey eyes meeting Nate's,

Nate was stunned, Justin had never done apologies properly in all the time he'd known him. They were always given without him meaning them but this was different,

"Please let me explain what happened that day with..." Justin paused seeing Nate's hand clench into a fist again, "With your grandmother" he said finally,

Nate looked away from him, "Well?" he said looking at Jake and his sister, "What do you guys think?"

Jake traced the scar on his face gently, "This isn't up to me," he said eventually