Dark Paradise

Two

Third Person POV

"I don't understand why I have to attend to this; Mayor Lockwood was an asshole," Jaxon remarked, exhaling sharply while holding his phone to his ear.

He heard his mother's disapproving sigh before she responded, "Do not speak ill of the deceased, Jaxon. I can't be there, and obviously, Caroline can't either, so you're the next in line to represent us."

Jaxon groaned and rolled his eyes, though his mother couldn't see it. "Fine, alright, but you and Care definitely owe me big time. I accept cash and checks," Jaxon said before hanging up and walking up the stairs to the Lockwood house.

"Jaxon," a voice called out, and when he turned, he saw Tyler walking towards him. As Jaxon watched him, he pondered why he had stopped liking Tyler.

Perhaps it was his transformation into a bully or his behavior towards girls. Jaxon wasn't much better, yet he prided himself on never being the cause of a girl's pain, unlike Tyler.

As children, they were inseparable friends, to the extent that Tyler confided in Jaxon about the abuse from his father. In an attempt to make Tyler feel less isolated, Jaxon shared his own experience with the blonde woman, now identified as Rebekah, and the feelings Bill Forbes evoked in him.

He wasn't supposed to, just like Tyler wasn't, and they both suffered for it, yet it strengthened their bond. That is, until high school came, and they drifted apart.

"Hey Tyler... uh, I'm sorry... about your dad," Jaxon hesitated, as Tyler halted in front of him. Tyler gave a slight scoff and shook his head, "We both know you don't mean that."

Jaxon pursed his lips and nodded in agreement, prompting a light chuckle from Tyler. "I really don't know what happened between us, man, but today I'm surrounded by people offering condolences for my loss and saying my father was a good man. Yet, you and I are the only ones who know that he truly wasn't," Tyler stated.

"I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I miss you and our shit talking conversations about everyone who wronged us, and how we had to keep smiling through it all," Tyler concluded, his appearance resembling that of a nervous young boy, fearful of rejection, as he suggested, "Maybe we could hit the grill and play some pool?"

Jaxon gazed at him for a moment before nodding and saying, "Sure, I would like that." Tyler returned the smile to the older boy, nodded, and walked away, while Jaxon proceeded into the house.

He scanned the room for a moment until his gaze settled on Katherine. He was certain it was her this time; Elena had texted him she would be late in response to his query about when she would come to end his ordeal.

Jaxon navigated through the crowd toward her, and upon meeting his eyes, she offered him a smile. He mustered a counterfeit smile in return and paused before her to say, "Hey Elena, can I talk to you for a second?"

She nodded, and they entered an empty room where Jaxon closed the door behind them. "As much as I would love to do this, I haven't ended things with Stefan yet, and he's on his way here," Katherine said, feigning to be Elena, believing Jaxon was still unaware.

Jaxon didn't answer her as he moved towards her and grabbed her by the neck and pushed her up against the wall.

Katherine gasped as Jaxon tightened his grip on her jaw. "There's a saying, 'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.' You must be incredibly foolish to think I'd let you fool me again," Jaxon hissed at her.