Jake's POV
He greeted his father respectfully, apologizing for being so late and missing diner, hugged his mother, again apologizing and thanking her for keeping food out for him. He ate quickly, surprised at how hungry he was, and without interruption, his parents could sense something was bothering him and knew better than to ask.
Bypassing his brothers room and his usual habit of dropping in to say Hi when he got home, he headed straight to his and the shower he desperately needed. He couldn't suppress the soundless tears that mingled with the scorching water as he stood with his face into the stream, trying to wash away the feel of her body against his. Oh Lord how could he have been so stupid? He knew he still loved her, but why the hell did he have to go and show her just how much. And why the hell did she have to be so willing? Why couldn't she just have pushed him away, told him he was pathetic and left? He could have dealt with that. Why did she have to be so.... Fuck! His fist connected with the wall and he felt the familiar sting shoot up his arm. Why couldn't he be blind?
He wasn't surprised to see Nicky sitting on the side of his bath when he got out. They usually did that to one another when they were worried the other might be avoiding them, that way they couldn't get out without answering.
"Hay."
"Hay is for horses. So are you going to tell me what's got you so on edge and why you're hiding from me?" Never one for mincing words, Nicky cut straight to the chase, concern plain in his voice.
"You don't want to know, trust me." There was no point denying that something was indeed bothering him or that he was hiding something, Nicky knew him too well. Right now he had only two choices, tell his brother the truth or lie outright, something he swore he would never do again.
"Try me. Besides it can't be worse than yesterday's revelation."
"You sure about that?" Jake couldn't help the sarcasm in his voice.
Nicky's POV
Nicky's concern grew as he watched the emotions run through his brother, invisible to anyone but Nicky, who could read him like a book. So he asked, already knowing the answer, "Dose this have something to do with why Cynthia got home so late? Her father was shiting himself when I got there before her. He said that she said she was going to be with me, only she clearly wasn't..."
Nicky watched in alarm as Jake sank to the floor, as if pushed by an invisible hand. His eyes closed as he lent back against the door in his nakedness, and all the hope that Nicky had clung to desperately that he had been been wrong in his assumptions fled from him. They had been together, and judging by the nail marks Nicky spotted over Jakes tattooed shoulder, not something unusual given that this was Jake but under the circumstances.., they had done more than just talk. Nicky fought the questions tumbling around in his head, the shock, hurt, disgust and the almost overpowering desire to hit him. Jake would take it without lifting a finger in defense, Nicky knew he would, but that wouldn't solve anything and besides by the look of him Jake was being ripping himself apart already. And so without any idea of how to deal with the toxic mix of emotions hanging between them, Nicky moved down and sat next to his brother, saying nothing.
Jake's POV
They bother jumped as Jake's phone went off, braking the strained silence that had enveloped them. Sighing deeply after the third round of beeping, Jake reached over for it with the sole intent of throwing it in the toilet when he caught sight of the sender's number. Reece. What the hell would he want with him now? Opening the message, he had to read it through several times before the meaning of the tree words hit him full force. 'We found him.' There was only one person Reece would know Jake would be interested in regardless of leaving the gang.
