bad expectations | jfg

21

"I was a drunk." He bultly states to start off the conversation.

Me and Jack sit at his kitchen counter, with his dad on the other side, talking, standing up, and running his fingers through his hair. Now I know where Jack's habit comes from.

"No shit." Jack mumbles and I nudge him

"I just didn't like the way my life was unfolding, my job was going to hell, your mother was always upset, Laura and Molly were always out, I was always worried sick. I needed to get my mind off of it, just for a night. I got a few drinks, then I realized when my mind wasn't connected with the awful reality that was my life, I kept drinking, it just felt good. When my buddies were at the bar they brought girls, and I was too drunk to say no so I just-" Jack cringes, his dad looks at him with sympathy but quickly looks away.

"When your mother got sick, I really didn't have the money." Jack's fists ball at his sentence but he doesn't seem to notice. "I had fucked everything up with the drinking, and I was too drunk to care anyways. When she was gone, I flew to LA with the last of my money in look for a great job. When I was sobered up, I got a job as help for movies, like cleaning up after scenes. It sounds shitty but the pay is unbelievable, from LA I've been paying for this house, I got enough money to come back and I see this and you,"

"Is this supposed to prove something?" Jack cuts him off, his tone is harsh.

"I'm just saying I'm sorry for everything and if I could I would take it back."

"I'm sure you would."

That can't be all of his explaining, it was too short, too fast, it took less than a minute.

"I honestly have no clue how you live with yourself, you practically killed my mom, your wife."

"I didn't kill her it just happened Jack. But believe me when I say that her death has haunted me since it happened."

"Haunted you?" Jack stands up from his chair, "How do you think it was to see your mom cry every night over her husband fucking another women!" He's yelling now, and I don't know if I should stop him.

"I was drunk!" The man screams

"How do you think it felt to see your mom being pulled out by an ambulance and never seeing her again because there 'wasn't enough money'?" He raises his fingers in quotations, trying his best to mock his fathers words.

I can tell by the way he chokes on his words he may cry, I've never seen Jack shed a tear, and I know he won't in front of his father.

A knock at the door catches my attention but neither of them notice, "You can't hold it against me forever! I'm all you have!"

"Stop fucking saying that! I don't have you and I don't want to! I don't need you." The knock happens again, I grab ahold of Jack's forearm and the mans eyes look at me.

"Who is she?" He nods to me

Jack steps in front of me and I move out of his way.

"Not your concern." He growls

He looks from Jack to me, "She looks like your kid, the way you're standing over her and the way she's hiding behind you." Jacks knuckles turn white.

"I'm not hiding behind him, I'm just keeping my mouth shut because this isn't my fight." I say slowly, trying to not sound rude but not exactly wanting to sound polite.

His eyebrows furrow at me, I know he can see the difference between me and Jack, "Why are you with him?" His question makes me uneasy,

"What the fuck?" Jack's disgusted tone says, "Stop talking to her."