Our Angel

Chapter 8 Drowning

Hudson walked up to the car and grabbed a handful of bags. His heart dropped when he saw the smile on Adien's face. He hadn't smiled like that in months and Hudson was about to take it away. He couldn't tell Adien about Jesse. He just couldn't he would handle it.

Adien turned to him ready to tell him about shopping with Addie. "Hudson what's wrong?" He asked his smile disappearing.

Hudson felt his heart sink. "We've got to talk to Jesse." He said quietly.

"What happened?" Adien said.

"He yelled at Hannah."

"Why?" Anger creeped into Adien's voice.

Adien had taught all of his brothers to treat girls with respect. Everyone including Hudson. The only time Hudson could remember getting in an actual fight with Adien was when he had pushed a girl over in third grade nine-year-old Adien had punched him in the nose.

That was months before Adien had vowed to never hit anyone for any reason.

"Hudson why?" Adien repeated his question.

"Is Jesse gonna get in trouble?" Addie asked gleefully.

Adien and Hudson both turned to look at her. They had forgotten the little girl was there. 

"Maybe." Hudson responded. "Why don't you go play with Hannah and Adien, while I go talk to Jesse."

Adien shot him a glare. "Quit it. I'm coming too."

"Come on Addie." Hannah shooed her into the house, "I'll be in in a minute."

Addie grumped into the house, and Hannah took the last of the bags from the boys.

"Please don't get too mad at Jesse. It's really not that big of a deal. He's just worried about me. I don't want him to get in trouble."

"We've got this Hannah." Adien said.

She nodded slowly before turning to go inside.

Adien turned to Hudson again. "I'm going to need all the details before we do this."

Hudson sighed, wishing he was a better actor like Hannah. "Hannah's been self-harming again."

If possible, more weight appeared behind Adien's eyes. 

"Jesse got mad while they were talking about it."

Adien ran his hand through his hair. "Come on."

They walked downstairs to the basement and found both Jesse and Asher in their room.

"Asher please leave." Adien said.

Asher sat up, "What's going on?"

"It's fine Asher." Hudson said desperate to bring some sense of peace to one of his brothers. "We just need to talk to Jesse."

Asher still didn't move.

"Now Asher." Adien said.

Asher walked out of the room.

Jesse hadn't moved from his spot on the bed. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling.

"Jesse," Adien started.

"Don't bother." Jesse said. "I know exactly what you're going to say. We don't treat girls like that. Don't yell at Hannah, she doesn't deserve it. Don't do this don't do that. I know already!"

"You obviously don't!" Adien shouted, "Or why would you still be doing it!"

Hudson put his hand on Adien's shoulder trying to calm him.

"Jesse calm down." He ordered.

Jesse sat up. "Why don't you tell him to calm down!" He shouted, "You two aren't always right!"

"Jesse that's enough!" Adien shouted. "This is getting ridiculous you've been a jerk to Hannah these past few years, and you haven't been an angel to the rest of us either, especially Addie!"

"Why should I be! That little brat's just another mistake dad made just like the rest of us."

"Jesse don't." Hudson kept his voice as calm as he could.

"Jesse I'm serious this is the last straw!" Adien Jumped in.

"What are you going to do ground me?"

Adien's jaw clenched. "Maybe I should!"

"Despite your efforts to be just like him, you're not dad!" Jesse shouted. 

He ran out of the room. All of the anger faded out of Adien and Hudson watched as he slumped to the ground. Hudson could feel the guilt nagging him. He shouldn't have said anything. He should have just handled it himself. Neither brother said anything. Adien took a few deep breaths then led the way upstairs. He went up to his room and shut the door. All Hudson wanted to do was go out back and use his weight set to blow off steam for a few minutes. But instead, he went into the kitchen and made dinner. Adien didn't reappear. There was complete quiet through dinner. Even Addie didn't say anything. Hannah helped put her to bed, then went home, and Jesse still hadn't come home. Hudson sat on the couch and waited. He tried texting him but got no response. So, he waited. It was one in the morning, right before Hudson was about to go look for him, when the door slammed open. Jesse walked in and went straight downstairs without saying a word to Hudson. Hudson walked to his room. The light was still on under Adien's door. He laid on his bed, but he couldn't fall asleep. There was too much on his mind. Too much he had to take care of. He could feel the weight of it all pushing him down. He was drowning.