Chapter 13

Home…

It had been a long time since he had thought of the Greens' house that way.

Home. The word felt strange. His last years at home had been full of yelling, discipline, misunderstandings, rebellion, pent up anger, and more fights than he could count.

And life has gone into reverse
Re-living every hurt along the way…

Bitterness swept over him and it took several minutes before he could shake himself out of his dark memories and muster up enough courage to step out of the car and enter his parents' house.

His mom's warm, heartfelt welcome almost undid him. She had always been the one to have his back, trying to reason with his father and to soften his own burning anger and ruffled ego, but to no avail; they had ignored Gail's desperate attempts and had never stopped their head-butting, each of them nursing every hurt that ever happened, feeding their grudges.

He knew that now, but nevertheless he could feel his old demons awaken, still feeling the sting of resentment like a thorn in his side.

Eric showed up and hugged Jake, his voice and looks a mirror image of their father, the smile on his face never reaching his eyes.

Jake had forgotten how much like Johnston Eric was, his bulky frame and broad shoulders almost dwarfing him in comparison; and now it seemed he'd adopted Johnston's attitude toward him, too.

And then he felt his father's presence before he saw him; it made his skin tingle. Jake turned slowly around and saw him standing in the hall, watching him.

Jake gulped involuntarily and shot a sideways glance at his mother – she smiled softly and nodded, encouraging him.

Puffing out his cheeks, he squared his shoulders and joined his father in the living room, glad that his mother took a place at his side when he felt the scrutinizing, judging gazes of his father and brother sweep over him.

Sucking in a deep breath he knew that whatever happened now, his family must not learn the truth about what he had done and what he had become in the last five years; that much he owed them. They had suffered enough because of him and his actions. He would by no means inflict any more pain on them.

tbc...