My brothers best friend

Chapter 38: Jake's Reckoning

Chapter 38

Jake's Point of View

The sun was already up by the time I shuffled into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The faint golden light seeped through the windows, glinting off the edges of the countertop and giving the room a warm glow. For a moment, I stood there, just taking it all in. After the week I'd had, normalcy—even in its most mundane form—felt like a rare treasure.

My stomach growled, breaking the moment. With a sigh, I went to the fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs and a pack of bread. Something simple, I thought. I wasn't in the mood for anything fancy.

The sound of the fridge door shutting must've carried because, a moment later, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

Mason.

He stepped into the kitchen wearing a loose T-shirt and sweats, his hair a wild mess. He paused when he saw me, like he hadn't expected to run into me this early—or maybe at all. His face didn't give much away.

"Morning," I said, trying to keep my tone casual as I turned back to the counter.

"Morning," he replied, his voice neutral. He went straight for the coffee pot, pouring himself a mug and leaning against the counter opposite me.

For a while, we moved around each other in silence. The only sounds were the clink of my whisk against the bowl and the faint gurgle of the coffee maker. I could feel his eyes on me every now and then, but I didn't look up.

It was Mason who finally broke the silence.

"So," he said, his tone light but edged with something sharper. "You gonna tell me why you ghosted for six days?"

My hand froze mid-stir. Of course. I knew he wouldn't let it slide. Still, I kept my eyes on the bowl, giving a half-hearted shrug. "I needed some space."

"Space?" His tone sharpened. "Come on, Jake. You disappeared. No calls, no texts. Not even Valerie knew where you were. That's more than just needing space."

I sighed, setting the whisk down and leaning against the counter. "I wasn't trying to scare anyone," I said quietly. "I just... I had to get out of here."

Mason wasn't having it. "Why?" he pressed. "What happened at the farm, Jake?"

I hesitated. Part of me wanted to dodge the question, to make up some excuse and avoid this conversation altogether. But I knew Mason better than that. He wouldn't let it go until he got a real answer.

"It's about Josephine," I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

His expression shifted, the frustration in his eyes giving way to concern. "What about her?"

I took a deep breath, the words sticking in my throat. "My mom," I said, forcing the words out. "She's the one who killed her."

Mason's eyes widened, and for a moment, he just stared at me, like he wasn't sure he'd heard right.

"Jake..." he started, but I shook my head, cutting him off.

"I found out at the farm," I said, the memories flooding back. "I went there looking for answers, and I found them. But they weren't the answers I wanted. They weren't ones I could deal with. So, I left."

"Man..." Mason ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of shock and sympathy. "That's heavy. But, Jake... you should've told us. Disappearing like that? Do you have any idea how worried we were? How worried she was?"

I didn't need him to say Valerie's name to know who he meant. The guilt that had been simmering under the surface came rushing back, hitting me like a tidal wave.

"I know," I said, my voice cracking. "I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't want to dump all this on you guys. It felt easier to just... disappear."

Mason shook his head, his frustration evident. "Easier for you, maybe. But for the rest of us? It sucked, Jake. You're not just some guy passing through, you know. You're family. You don't get to just vanish when things get hard."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry, Mason. For everything."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze softening just a little. But then his expression hardened again, and I knew what was coming next.

"We also need to talk about you and Valerie."

There it was. The conversation I'd been dreading even more than the one about Josephine. I turned back to the stove, flipping the eggs onto a plate to buy myself a few seconds.

"I figured we'd get to that," I muttered.

Mason crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter. "Look, man. You're my best friend. You know that. But she's my sister. And this?" He gestured vaguely between us. "This is weird. Really, really weird."

"I know," I said quickly, turning to face him. "Believe me, I know. And I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But, Mason... I like her. A lot. This isn't some fling or rebound or whatever you're thinking. What I feel for her—it's real."

He didn't say anything right away, his jaw tightening as he mulled over my words. "You really mean that?" he asked finally.

"I do," I said, meeting his gaze.

Mason let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair again. "Alright," he said, his voice grudging. "I'm not gonna lie—it's gonna take me a while to get used to this. And I'm still mad at you for sneaking around behind my back. But... if this is what you both want, I'm not gonna stand in your way."

Relief flooded through me, but it was short-lived.

"Just know this," Mason said, stepping closer and pointing a finger at me. "If you ever hurt her—if you so much as make her cry—I'll make you regret it. No mercy. And I'm keeping the right to punch you in the face, free of charge."

I nodded quickly, my expression serious. "Fair enough. I'd deserve it."

Mason stared at me for a moment longer, then finally cracked a small, grudging smile. "You're lucky she likes you," he muttered, shaking his head as he grabbed his coffee and headed for the door.

As he left, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The kitchen felt a little less tense now, a little more normal. Picking up my plate of eggs, I sat down at the table, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

It wasn't perfect. Mason wasn't the type to let things go that easily. But for now, it felt like a step in the right direction. A step toward rebuilding the trust I'd broken.

And for the first time in days, I felt like maybe, just maybe, everything might turn out okay.