Aaron felt a shortness of breath as he stared at the man now exiting the car. There was this surreal quality to the way that he reached into the footwell of the passenger seat to retrieve two carrier bags. A strange normalcy to the way he moved them into one hand as he used the other to open the door. Stalk looked just as he did all those months ago, still just as squat, still with a large head with features that still sat in the middle. He was even still dressed in similar clothes.
This wasn't right, not something that Aaron ever wanted to see. Not a single person from that prison was ever meant to be seen by him on the outside world. His time there already bled into his life daily and now to see Stalk like this, in broad daylight was more than Aaron could bare. He was opening the van door before he realised, he was out of Jackson's reach before Jackson could intervene.
Stalk noticed him without Aaron having to say a word and all Aaron could do was cling to the van bonnet as a look of recognition crossed his features.
"Livesy."
Louise immediately spun around, car lock in hand, completely expressionless.
"What are you doing here?"
Aaron knew that Jackson had also left the van, knew that he was walking to the front of the vehicle just as Aaron was. The car drive wasn't steep, the distance from van to car just a dozen feet. Aaron couldn't find his voice.
Stalk looked irritated, "I asked you what you where doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" Aaron's voice came out as a croak.
"I'm here with Louise."
"What...?"
"You remember Aaron Livesy, don't you love?"
Louise's eyes narrowed, her thick black eye liner making them appear even smaller. "Of course I do, how can I forget." She took a step closer, "You've got your trousers up now, unlike in the video I saw." There was a tension to her mouth, a distaste in her features that centred squarely on Aaron and suddenly he was compelled to speak.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for everything." Aaron took a step to meet her. "I never meant any of this to happen." Jackson was still standing next to him, still matching his pace. "I had no idea what Tom would do."
"Tom, Tom, is that what you would call him during sex? Or was it Thomas?"
It was both of them, alternated, halted, spoken softly and in excitement. His name was said in shivered whispers and rare moments of playfulness. During the good times.
"You did me a favour, he was a pain in my arse for years, you've got nothing to apologize for here."
And then she turned, one high heel momentarily twisting slightly, causing her to halt on the drive way whilst she regained her balance. Stalk began to follow, "Go home, Livesy," but he didn't even bother to look in Aaron's direction.
This was all to much for Aaron. How could Stalk be here? How could Louise be indifferent to her husbands death? He turned to look at Jackson, his sad face staring back and his eyebrows raised as if to apologise. Louise and Stalk were near her front door and Aaron stood, opened mouth, watching them. He had so much to say, so much to ask. It had taken him months to get the courage to do this and now he wasn't even given the opportunity. But then, why should he? He'd had an affair with her husband, began a relationship with him, so why should she owe him even a minute of her time? Jackson reached out a hand to Aaron's elbow and he was going to get back in the van, he really was but then he looked once more to the retreating couple and saw Stalk's hand on the small of Louise's back. He saw red.
"You didn't waste any time, did you, Stalk?" Aaron was marching up the drive before he even realised. "Did you wait a day? Did you even wait a day before worming your way into her life?" They both turned to look at him. "I got her address for you, didn't I? That's how you found her because I got that address for you, that's how she got the tape." He turned to Louise, "Did you know that? Did you know that he set it all up?" A cloud of anger had descended on Aaron and all he could think about was somehow avenging Daniels' death. It didn't make sense after everything he'd been through at the hands of that man, he just knew was that his own life had been ruined through all this and no way should Stalk be the one who ended up with all the victory. "It was all Stalk's idea! He got the camera, he suggested the Library. I had to find your address from a letter in our cell and get my arse out." Aaron had reached the pair now, he pointed a finger aggressively at Stalk. "Couldn't wait to console the grieving widow, huh?" He got right in Stalk's face. "Did you tell her, did you tell that you sent the video, that we were in it together?"
"Of course he did!"
Aaron froze, the immediate anger draining from his features. Louise's face was hard, her mouth turned to a sneer. "I knew about it before I even received the package."
"What?"
"I probably knew about it before you did." There was a moment where Aaron couldn't understand what was being said. His first thought was that Louise was making this up just to get rid of him, but then he glanced to Stalk's face, saw the smug smile and knew it was the truth.
"Nah, you didn't have her address, didn't have any contact with her, how could she have known?"
"I had her address."
"But why ask me for it?" He felt himself shake.
"Didn't think you'd go for it if you thought I might be after her. Got to say though, Aaron, you played a blinder, it couldn't have gone any better."
This wasn't right, this wasn't how it went. Stalk hadn't known that Aaron would even consider setting up Daniels – not back when he first mentioned it. He couldn't have known that it would send Daniels over the edge, that it would make him kill himself.
Stalk seemed to read his mind. "You were so fucked up in there that I knew eventually you'd try to do something desperate, all I had to do was wait around, push Daniels buttons a bit. It didn't take long for him to turn on you, he was a predictably unpredictable psycho like that. Didn't think he'd top himself though, no, didn't quite grasp the feeling that he had for you." Aaron looked at Louise's face but she didn't react to that last statement. "We thought it might just make him plot something against Louise and the kids, he's done it before and then she'd end up in protective custody, far away, or he'd get moved to another prison. Had no idea he'd top himself, that was beautiful."
Aaron had all but forgotten Jackson who was just behind him, until his indignant voice called out. "You let yourself and your kids be a risk, just so you could get rid of Daniels?"
"And who are you?" Stalk's laughing face said back. "The latest person plugging our young Aaron Livesy here? Tell me Aaron, is he just as abusive as Daniels was? Does he fuck with your head just as much?"
That was it, too much, to hard to hear and Aaron lunged at Stalk, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. He pulled, causing a button to fly off and Stalk, heavier and stronger, held Aaron just as tightly.
"You used me!"
"Would have thought you'd be used to that, even quite liked it!
They wrestled with the other each trying to get the upper ground. Jackson tried to pull Aaron off whilst Louise attempted to uncurl his fingers.
"Aaron, let him go!"
"Listen to your boyfriend, Aaron."
They fought until Jackson managed to grip under Aaron's arms and pull him away. By now, tears ran down his cheeks, "you ruined my life."
"Oh really, still wish that Daniels dick was up your arse?"
"You're an animal." His breaths came out in gasps and Jackson wouldn't let him go. He was pulling Aaron with every ounce of his strength, trying to get him furthest away and to the van. Aaron weakened, and momentarily didn't object.
"Oh, and by the way," Louise called out, "I still have the video, it was really hot, I watch it every now and again."
He went to lunged again but Jackson had him around his waist and all he could do was watch as they entered the house. "Get off me, Jackson." His voice was harsh, desperate.
"No."
"Get off me!"
"What are you gonna do, what are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna kill them."
"Araon, just listen to yourself!" The younger man pulled free but then Jackson lunged again, this time wrapping his arms around Aaron's neck. They fell backwards before Aaron scrambled to his feet again. He was enraged and out of control, his narrow vision saw nothing but revenge. "They set me up, they used me!"
"So what are you gonna do – you gonna kill them?"
"I went through hell, he destroyed me – no one does that to me!"
Jackson jumped up and caught Aaron by the wrists, the tug of war that ensued had both men gritting their teeth. "This is why you came here, Aaron, wasn't it? What you did to Daniels? The need to get revenge – the fear of being like him?"
"Let go of me!"
"And if you do this, Aaron, if you do this then you will be like him!"
The freeze was instant and Jackson took the opportunity to clasp Aaron's face between his hands, "if you do this, you will be just like him."
"Don't be like him."
A deep shudder ran down Aaron's body and he stared into the hazel-coloured eyes of Jackson – the colour similar to Daniels' only holding none of the malice and cruelty that the other man was capable of.
"Live, Aaron. Find peace and move on."
Aaron started crying.
