Disclaimer: The Characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots and The
Center are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used
without permission. Blah, blah, blah, yea, yea just get on with it.
No money has been involved here and no infringement is intended.
12/30/02
"Human life begins on the other side of despair." Jean-Paul Sartre
The Other Side of Despair Part 2
The doorbell was ringing.
Jarod moaned and tried to ignore it. Sunshine was streaming into the bedroom but he didn't care. With a sigh, he rolled over and bumped into the warm lump sleeping beside him.
The party last night had gone well. Jarod had been able to finalize a couple of important business deals. He had then proceeded to pursue his role as a millionaire playboy. And he had played his part admirably. Jarod had freely imbibed various types of alcohol during the evening as evidenced by the throbbing ache in his temples this morning. He usually drank a lot at such functions, it was expected of him after all. But most nights, he restrained himself to just enough alcohol to carry a slight buzz. Last night he'd tried to drown the memories that Miss Parker had brought with her.
Jarod hadn't spoken to Parker after the brief meeting with the little girl. But he had known she was still at the party. Jarod had felt her eyes on him for the next hour. True to his word, Jarod had sent a waiter to Parker's table with several pieces of birthday cake. He had surreptitiously watched the little girl as she happily ate her dessert.
Jarod had been chatting amiably with his blonde companion for the evening when he noticed Parker leaving the party. Once she had gone, Jarod had switched from drinking champagne to scotch. He hadn't drunken himself into a stupor. That would have been unwise in a room full of important clients. Jarod could be a mean drunk and he did not want to alienate any of those businessmen.
Jarod had gotten just drunk enough to feel numb, but not so drunk that he could have hurt anyone.
It had been after two in the morning before the party really started to wind down. Jarod had come up to his apartment with the blonde bombshell he'd met and he had allowed her to entertain him for a while.
Jarod blinked a few times and looked over at the girl sleeping next to him. For a moment, he tried to remember her name. Sherry, Shelly, Sharon. It was something like that. He supposed that he could ask her again. He could blame the drink for not remembering. But frankly, it wasn't worth the effort. He had not been that drunk, Jarod just hadn't found her name important enough to pay any attention to it.
It had surprised Jarod when he had first realized how callously a wealthy man could treat a beautiful girl and not face any repercussions. He had quickly learned that as long as he was forthright and admitted that he was a womanizing cad, ladies would continue to throw themselves at him and he could use them as he wished. And used them he had. There had been a steady stream of sexual partners in Jarod's life the last few years. But he hadn't felt anything for any of them. It had been fun, a distraction, and Jarod supposed that such promiscuous behavior was expected of him.
The doorbell rang again and Jarod sighed. He sat up and swatted the girl firmly on the bottom as he reached for the trousers on the floor.
"Hey!" She squealed.
"Time to go, honey." Jarod said, fastening his pants.
Jarod walked barefoot to the front door wearing nothing but his wrinkled tuxedo trousers. He yawned and raked a hand through his hair as he grumbled through his apartment. It was times like these that Jarod wished he had a full time maid or a butler to answer the door. But Jarod enjoyed his privacy. He'd never been able to tolerate any live-in help.
Jarod wasn't really surprised to see his old mentor, Sydney, standing alone in the hallway when the door finally opened.
Jarod leaned one forearm casually against the edge of the door and sighed in resignation. "How did you get up here?" He asked bluntly.
Sydney raised his eyebrows slightly. "And good morning to you too, Jarod."
Jarod closed his eyes and shook his head. "Good morning, Sydney. How did you get up here?"
Sydney shrugged. "I browbeat Sam until he gave in."
"Hmm." Jarod grumbled. "I'll have to talk with him about granting favors to ex-employers."
Jarod stood aside and waved Sydney into the large living room. Jarod strode to a counter along one wall and pulled a small silver case from a drawer. He opened the case and retrieved a cigarette, tapping the filter against his palm. Sydney watched in fascination as Jarod stuck the butt between his lips and lit the cigarette with a nearby lighter. The younger man took a long drag, exhaling twin jets of smoke through his nostrils.
Sydney frowned in disapproval. "Cigarettes, Jarod?"
Jarod blinked at Sydney, then looked curiously at the burning tobacco in his hand as though he hadn't realized it was there. He shrugged. "I only smoke when I'm hung over." Jarod explained.
"How often is that?" Sydney asked sarcastically.
Jarod grinned. "Often enough." He took another long inhale of nicotine.
Sydney crossed his arms and looked at Jarod. "I guess you celebrated too much last night."
"If I had celebrated too much," Jarod said, pointing his cigarette at Sydney, "I would still be in bed and you would still be in the hallway."
Jarod smirked, and dragged at the quickly diminishing cigarette once again. He closed his eyes and blew a smoke ring into the air. "You know, if you smoke one of these fast enough, you can get a nice nicotine buzz."
Sydney frowned again. "You know if you smoke them long enough you can get a nice coating of tar on your lungs."
Jarod turned away and pulled another cigarette from the case. "Stop it." He groused. "You sound like my mother." Jarod used the end of the first cigarette to light his second before he crushed the butt into a nearby tray.
The beautiful golden haired girl strolled into the room. "Hello." She said.
"Hello." Sydney replied.
"Goodbye." Jarod said. "I'm busy now, hon. I've got to take this meeting." He gestured toward Sydney.
The girl wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck and kissed him passionately. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Jarod?" She purred as she clung to him, her body pressed close to his.
With the cigarette still smoking between his fingers, Jarod reached up and pulled the girl's arms away from his neck, deliberately holding her away from him.
"If I remembered your name, sweetheart, I would. But I don't. So I can't." Jarod dropped a quick peck on her nose, turned her around and gave her a little shove toward the front door.
The look of hurt that flashed in her eyes lasted only a moment before it turned into anger. "You are a real son of bitch, do you know that?"
Jarod casually inhaled from his cigarette. "Yep. Took years of practice to get it just right." He lazily studied the puffs of smoke that blew in the air.
"Bastard." She growled. Without another word, the young lady stomped across the room and left, slamming the door behind her.
Jarod grinned slyly then pushed a button on an intercom attached to the wall. Sydney could hear a buzzer sound.
"Good morning, sir." A familiar voice emanated from the device.
"Sam." Jarod said perfunctorily. "There is a young lady headed down in the penthouse elevator. See that she gets a ride home." After a moment's thought Jarod added, "Is Argyle here yet this morning?"
"Yes sir." Was the answer.
Jarod smirked. "Then have him take her in the limo."
"Yes sir."
"And Sam." Jarod said. "You and I will need to talk about unannounced visitors."
"Yes sir."
The intercom clicked as Jarod terminated the conversation.
Sydney frowned with concern. "I never meant to get Sam into trouble."
Jarod shrugged. "He's not in trouble. But if I didn't give him a hard time about it, he may start forgetting who's the boss here." He said with a smile.
Jarod drew one last long breath off of his cigarette and crushed it out in the ashtray. He started walking toward the kitchen. "I need coffee. Do you want some?"
Sydney nodded and followed him into the next room.
The kitchen was a huge modern affair with a multitude of copper pots hanging from one wall. The counters were filled with a variety of appliances including an espresso machine and a pasta maker. The room gleamed with marble and steel surfaces. It looked like the type of place where a chef could televise a cooking show.
Sydney looked around curiously as Jarod pushed a button on an automatic drip coffee maker. As he pulled mugs from a cabinet, Jarod noticed the older man's interest in the surroundings.
"I occasionally get the urge to cook." Jarod said, as though that simple statement could explain the grandeur of the room.
"It looks like you could cook for an army in here." Sydney observed.
Jarod shrugged. "I don't do big seven course meals very often. I make stir- fry a lot. My favorite kitchen tool is my wok."
Sydney grinned. "I would have bet on the ice cream maker."
Jarod's face took on a cold expression as he handed Sydney a cup of steaming coffee. "I don't have one." He said icily. "You didn't come here to discuss my culinary preferences, Sydney. What do you want?"
Sydney sighed and stared thoughtfully into his cup for a moment. "I've known your daughter from the moment she first came into this world. We've spent time together practically every day of her life. I thought you might like to know more about her."
Jarod blinked at his old mentor, took a long sip from his mug and said, "I honestly don't give a damn."
Sydney frowned. "Family used to be so important to you, Jarod. I can't believe that you would abandon your own child."
"I haven't abandoned anyone." Jarod said casually. "I've been right here for nearly five years now. Anyone looking for me would have had no trouble finding me." He paused for a moment then added angrily, "I'm listed in the phone book for Christ's sake. I didn't make the decision to keep her out of my life before."
"But it is your decision now." Sydney said pointedly.
Jarod sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "I can talk to my people and make arrangements for financial support. My lawyers will want a paternity test but I'm willing to forgo that."
"So you do admit that you are her father." Sydney said questioningly.
Jarod glared at him coldly. "I never doubted it." He shrugged. "Her parentage is pretty obvious, to me anyway."
Sydney smiled, encouraged. "You don't know the half of it. Sydney is a very bright little girl, a full grade ahead of other children her age. She's very special."
Jarod frowned. "Special, like I was?" He snarled. "Do you give her sims to perform for you?" He asked cruelly.
"No, Jarod." Sydney answered sadly. "As a matter of fact, her teachers wanted to advance her through a few more grades. But they have rules about that kind of thing. They needed her to perform an I.Q. test." Sydney spoke quickly. "Parker wouldn't allow it."
Jarod scoffed.
"Parker thinks it is important that Sydney stays in school with children close to her own age. She has friends and play dates and plenty of toys appropriate for a five year old." Sydney went on. "I sometimes give her puzzles to figure out, admittedly some are the same ones I gave you at that age. But they are games. Things created to challenge her intelligence. The only pretends she and I do are make believe tea parties with her dolls."
Jarod nodded without comment.
"She is a healthy, happy child, Jarod. She has a good life."
"Then she doesn't need me around to complicate matters." Jarod said simply.
Sydney shook his head sadly. "What's happened to you, Jarod?"
He shrugged. "I learned a valuable lesson, Sydney." Jarod said as he turned to pour another cup of coffee. "When you care, you can get hurt. Life is easier when nothing is important to you."
Sydney looked at the younger man sadly. "It may be easier, but I wouldn't call it a life. Unless you have loving, caring relationships in your life, you are little more than a shell of a human being." Sydney stressed. "It is the people who love us, the people we love, that make us who we are."
Jarod stared at Sydney blankly for a moment. "This is who I am, Sydney." Jarod shrugged. "This is how I survive. Day by day." He gazed into nothingness for a moment then said, "You once told me that it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."
He glanced at Sydney who nodded in recollection.
"I've learned that you're wrong." Jarod said flatly. "You can't know that your life is empty if you've never experienced its fullness." He shrugged. "Ignorance is bliss."
"Are you happy?" Sydney asked.
Jarod drained his coffee cup and placed it in the sink. "Happiness is a relative thing, Sydney." He said nonchalantly. "I have my work to keep me challenged. My family keeps me company when I want that. My influence and money ensure that I have a great many friends." He lifted one shoulder in amusement. "And I have numerous choices when it comes to female companionship. All unfettered and uncomplicated."
"But are you happy?" Sydney repeated.
"Happy enough." Jarod answered.
Sydney shook his head. "There was a time when that would not have satisfied you, Jarod."
"Well, it's all I need now. Asking for more is just asking for trouble and heart ache."
Sydney sighed. "Her betrayal cut very deeply, didn't it?" He asked sorrowfully.
"You should know. You were there." Jarod grumbled.
"Is this your way of exacting revenge on Miss Parker?" Sydney asked angrily. "Spurn her little girl in order to hurt her?"
"No." Jarod denied. "I extracted retribution from Parker in full, years ago. In doing so, I evened all scores and settled our debts."
Sydney frowned in puzzlement. "How?"
Jarod stared at Sydney open mouthed. As the truth dawned on him, Jarod started to laugh coldly. "She never told you." He said wryly.
"Evidently not." Sydney said.
"I'd have thought you would have noticed the bruises." Jarod murmured ominously.
Sydney shook his head.
Jarod laughed again. It was a cold, menacing sound that made Sydney's arms break out in goose flesh. "Leave it to Parker." Jarod hissed. "If the truth doesn't suit her, she simply re-invents it or ignores it all together." He sighed. "She hasn't changed."
"But she has." Sydney urged. "Becoming a mother has changed her. With The Centre out of her life, the compassionate, caring person Parker had kept hidden for so long has blossomed. She is a remarkable lady and a wonderful mother."
"It sounds as though you've built very nice lives for yourselves." Jarod commented. "Take your family back to Delaware, Sydney. Make sure that they continue to have nice lives."
"They aren't my family, Jarod, they are yours. I'm just watching over them for you." Sydney soothed.
"No." Jarod said seriously. "They are yours. I give them to you. You've already invested so much of your heart in that little girl and her mom."
"What about you?" Sydney asked. "What about your heart?"
Jarod chuckled morosely. "The thing is, if you pretend to heartless long enough, you forget what it was like to have one. My heart has been gone for a long time now, Sydney."
"I don't believe that." Sydney scoffed. "You have such a big heart, so much potential for caring."
"I did once." Jarod agreed. "A long time ago. But I'm not the same person you knew, Sydney. Your pretender doesn't live here anymore. He's been missing for years. He isn't coming back."
"Jarod,"
"No, Sydney." Jarod interrupted. "I do appreciate what you are trying to do. But the fact is that your efforts are wasted on me. It's over. The Jarod you knew is dead. Mourn him and go on with your life." He crossed the kitchen and stood for a moment in the doorway. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make. Can you find your way out?"
Sydney nodded in stunned silence.
"Goodbye, Sydney." Jarod said with finality. He then turned and left Sydney staring speechlessly after him.
End part2
The next part will bump this story into an R rating. Set your browsers accordingly, or add the story title to your favorites list! Enjoy--
"Human life begins on the other side of despair." Jean-Paul Sartre
The Other Side of Despair Part 2
The doorbell was ringing.
Jarod moaned and tried to ignore it. Sunshine was streaming into the bedroom but he didn't care. With a sigh, he rolled over and bumped into the warm lump sleeping beside him.
The party last night had gone well. Jarod had been able to finalize a couple of important business deals. He had then proceeded to pursue his role as a millionaire playboy. And he had played his part admirably. Jarod had freely imbibed various types of alcohol during the evening as evidenced by the throbbing ache in his temples this morning. He usually drank a lot at such functions, it was expected of him after all. But most nights, he restrained himself to just enough alcohol to carry a slight buzz. Last night he'd tried to drown the memories that Miss Parker had brought with her.
Jarod hadn't spoken to Parker after the brief meeting with the little girl. But he had known she was still at the party. Jarod had felt her eyes on him for the next hour. True to his word, Jarod had sent a waiter to Parker's table with several pieces of birthday cake. He had surreptitiously watched the little girl as she happily ate her dessert.
Jarod had been chatting amiably with his blonde companion for the evening when he noticed Parker leaving the party. Once she had gone, Jarod had switched from drinking champagne to scotch. He hadn't drunken himself into a stupor. That would have been unwise in a room full of important clients. Jarod could be a mean drunk and he did not want to alienate any of those businessmen.
Jarod had gotten just drunk enough to feel numb, but not so drunk that he could have hurt anyone.
It had been after two in the morning before the party really started to wind down. Jarod had come up to his apartment with the blonde bombshell he'd met and he had allowed her to entertain him for a while.
Jarod blinked a few times and looked over at the girl sleeping next to him. For a moment, he tried to remember her name. Sherry, Shelly, Sharon. It was something like that. He supposed that he could ask her again. He could blame the drink for not remembering. But frankly, it wasn't worth the effort. He had not been that drunk, Jarod just hadn't found her name important enough to pay any attention to it.
It had surprised Jarod when he had first realized how callously a wealthy man could treat a beautiful girl and not face any repercussions. He had quickly learned that as long as he was forthright and admitted that he was a womanizing cad, ladies would continue to throw themselves at him and he could use them as he wished. And used them he had. There had been a steady stream of sexual partners in Jarod's life the last few years. But he hadn't felt anything for any of them. It had been fun, a distraction, and Jarod supposed that such promiscuous behavior was expected of him.
The doorbell rang again and Jarod sighed. He sat up and swatted the girl firmly on the bottom as he reached for the trousers on the floor.
"Hey!" She squealed.
"Time to go, honey." Jarod said, fastening his pants.
Jarod walked barefoot to the front door wearing nothing but his wrinkled tuxedo trousers. He yawned and raked a hand through his hair as he grumbled through his apartment. It was times like these that Jarod wished he had a full time maid or a butler to answer the door. But Jarod enjoyed his privacy. He'd never been able to tolerate any live-in help.
Jarod wasn't really surprised to see his old mentor, Sydney, standing alone in the hallway when the door finally opened.
Jarod leaned one forearm casually against the edge of the door and sighed in resignation. "How did you get up here?" He asked bluntly.
Sydney raised his eyebrows slightly. "And good morning to you too, Jarod."
Jarod closed his eyes and shook his head. "Good morning, Sydney. How did you get up here?"
Sydney shrugged. "I browbeat Sam until he gave in."
"Hmm." Jarod grumbled. "I'll have to talk with him about granting favors to ex-employers."
Jarod stood aside and waved Sydney into the large living room. Jarod strode to a counter along one wall and pulled a small silver case from a drawer. He opened the case and retrieved a cigarette, tapping the filter against his palm. Sydney watched in fascination as Jarod stuck the butt between his lips and lit the cigarette with a nearby lighter. The younger man took a long drag, exhaling twin jets of smoke through his nostrils.
Sydney frowned in disapproval. "Cigarettes, Jarod?"
Jarod blinked at Sydney, then looked curiously at the burning tobacco in his hand as though he hadn't realized it was there. He shrugged. "I only smoke when I'm hung over." Jarod explained.
"How often is that?" Sydney asked sarcastically.
Jarod grinned. "Often enough." He took another long inhale of nicotine.
Sydney crossed his arms and looked at Jarod. "I guess you celebrated too much last night."
"If I had celebrated too much," Jarod said, pointing his cigarette at Sydney, "I would still be in bed and you would still be in the hallway."
Jarod smirked, and dragged at the quickly diminishing cigarette once again. He closed his eyes and blew a smoke ring into the air. "You know, if you smoke one of these fast enough, you can get a nice nicotine buzz."
Sydney frowned again. "You know if you smoke them long enough you can get a nice coating of tar on your lungs."
Jarod turned away and pulled another cigarette from the case. "Stop it." He groused. "You sound like my mother." Jarod used the end of the first cigarette to light his second before he crushed the butt into a nearby tray.
The beautiful golden haired girl strolled into the room. "Hello." She said.
"Hello." Sydney replied.
"Goodbye." Jarod said. "I'm busy now, hon. I've got to take this meeting." He gestured toward Sydney.
The girl wrapped her arms around Jarod's neck and kissed him passionately. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Jarod?" She purred as she clung to him, her body pressed close to his.
With the cigarette still smoking between his fingers, Jarod reached up and pulled the girl's arms away from his neck, deliberately holding her away from him.
"If I remembered your name, sweetheart, I would. But I don't. So I can't." Jarod dropped a quick peck on her nose, turned her around and gave her a little shove toward the front door.
The look of hurt that flashed in her eyes lasted only a moment before it turned into anger. "You are a real son of bitch, do you know that?"
Jarod casually inhaled from his cigarette. "Yep. Took years of practice to get it just right." He lazily studied the puffs of smoke that blew in the air.
"Bastard." She growled. Without another word, the young lady stomped across the room and left, slamming the door behind her.
Jarod grinned slyly then pushed a button on an intercom attached to the wall. Sydney could hear a buzzer sound.
"Good morning, sir." A familiar voice emanated from the device.
"Sam." Jarod said perfunctorily. "There is a young lady headed down in the penthouse elevator. See that she gets a ride home." After a moment's thought Jarod added, "Is Argyle here yet this morning?"
"Yes sir." Was the answer.
Jarod smirked. "Then have him take her in the limo."
"Yes sir."
"And Sam." Jarod said. "You and I will need to talk about unannounced visitors."
"Yes sir."
The intercom clicked as Jarod terminated the conversation.
Sydney frowned with concern. "I never meant to get Sam into trouble."
Jarod shrugged. "He's not in trouble. But if I didn't give him a hard time about it, he may start forgetting who's the boss here." He said with a smile.
Jarod drew one last long breath off of his cigarette and crushed it out in the ashtray. He started walking toward the kitchen. "I need coffee. Do you want some?"
Sydney nodded and followed him into the next room.
The kitchen was a huge modern affair with a multitude of copper pots hanging from one wall. The counters were filled with a variety of appliances including an espresso machine and a pasta maker. The room gleamed with marble and steel surfaces. It looked like the type of place where a chef could televise a cooking show.
Sydney looked around curiously as Jarod pushed a button on an automatic drip coffee maker. As he pulled mugs from a cabinet, Jarod noticed the older man's interest in the surroundings.
"I occasionally get the urge to cook." Jarod said, as though that simple statement could explain the grandeur of the room.
"It looks like you could cook for an army in here." Sydney observed.
Jarod shrugged. "I don't do big seven course meals very often. I make stir- fry a lot. My favorite kitchen tool is my wok."
Sydney grinned. "I would have bet on the ice cream maker."
Jarod's face took on a cold expression as he handed Sydney a cup of steaming coffee. "I don't have one." He said icily. "You didn't come here to discuss my culinary preferences, Sydney. What do you want?"
Sydney sighed and stared thoughtfully into his cup for a moment. "I've known your daughter from the moment she first came into this world. We've spent time together practically every day of her life. I thought you might like to know more about her."
Jarod blinked at his old mentor, took a long sip from his mug and said, "I honestly don't give a damn."
Sydney frowned. "Family used to be so important to you, Jarod. I can't believe that you would abandon your own child."
"I haven't abandoned anyone." Jarod said casually. "I've been right here for nearly five years now. Anyone looking for me would have had no trouble finding me." He paused for a moment then added angrily, "I'm listed in the phone book for Christ's sake. I didn't make the decision to keep her out of my life before."
"But it is your decision now." Sydney said pointedly.
Jarod sighed heavily and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "I can talk to my people and make arrangements for financial support. My lawyers will want a paternity test but I'm willing to forgo that."
"So you do admit that you are her father." Sydney said questioningly.
Jarod glared at him coldly. "I never doubted it." He shrugged. "Her parentage is pretty obvious, to me anyway."
Sydney smiled, encouraged. "You don't know the half of it. Sydney is a very bright little girl, a full grade ahead of other children her age. She's very special."
Jarod frowned. "Special, like I was?" He snarled. "Do you give her sims to perform for you?" He asked cruelly.
"No, Jarod." Sydney answered sadly. "As a matter of fact, her teachers wanted to advance her through a few more grades. But they have rules about that kind of thing. They needed her to perform an I.Q. test." Sydney spoke quickly. "Parker wouldn't allow it."
Jarod scoffed.
"Parker thinks it is important that Sydney stays in school with children close to her own age. She has friends and play dates and plenty of toys appropriate for a five year old." Sydney went on. "I sometimes give her puzzles to figure out, admittedly some are the same ones I gave you at that age. But they are games. Things created to challenge her intelligence. The only pretends she and I do are make believe tea parties with her dolls."
Jarod nodded without comment.
"She is a healthy, happy child, Jarod. She has a good life."
"Then she doesn't need me around to complicate matters." Jarod said simply.
Sydney shook his head sadly. "What's happened to you, Jarod?"
He shrugged. "I learned a valuable lesson, Sydney." Jarod said as he turned to pour another cup of coffee. "When you care, you can get hurt. Life is easier when nothing is important to you."
Sydney looked at the younger man sadly. "It may be easier, but I wouldn't call it a life. Unless you have loving, caring relationships in your life, you are little more than a shell of a human being." Sydney stressed. "It is the people who love us, the people we love, that make us who we are."
Jarod stared at Sydney blankly for a moment. "This is who I am, Sydney." Jarod shrugged. "This is how I survive. Day by day." He gazed into nothingness for a moment then said, "You once told me that it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."
He glanced at Sydney who nodded in recollection.
"I've learned that you're wrong." Jarod said flatly. "You can't know that your life is empty if you've never experienced its fullness." He shrugged. "Ignorance is bliss."
"Are you happy?" Sydney asked.
Jarod drained his coffee cup and placed it in the sink. "Happiness is a relative thing, Sydney." He said nonchalantly. "I have my work to keep me challenged. My family keeps me company when I want that. My influence and money ensure that I have a great many friends." He lifted one shoulder in amusement. "And I have numerous choices when it comes to female companionship. All unfettered and uncomplicated."
"But are you happy?" Sydney repeated.
"Happy enough." Jarod answered.
Sydney shook his head. "There was a time when that would not have satisfied you, Jarod."
"Well, it's all I need now. Asking for more is just asking for trouble and heart ache."
Sydney sighed. "Her betrayal cut very deeply, didn't it?" He asked sorrowfully.
"You should know. You were there." Jarod grumbled.
"Is this your way of exacting revenge on Miss Parker?" Sydney asked angrily. "Spurn her little girl in order to hurt her?"
"No." Jarod denied. "I extracted retribution from Parker in full, years ago. In doing so, I evened all scores and settled our debts."
Sydney frowned in puzzlement. "How?"
Jarod stared at Sydney open mouthed. As the truth dawned on him, Jarod started to laugh coldly. "She never told you." He said wryly.
"Evidently not." Sydney said.
"I'd have thought you would have noticed the bruises." Jarod murmured ominously.
Sydney shook his head.
Jarod laughed again. It was a cold, menacing sound that made Sydney's arms break out in goose flesh. "Leave it to Parker." Jarod hissed. "If the truth doesn't suit her, she simply re-invents it or ignores it all together." He sighed. "She hasn't changed."
"But she has." Sydney urged. "Becoming a mother has changed her. With The Centre out of her life, the compassionate, caring person Parker had kept hidden for so long has blossomed. She is a remarkable lady and a wonderful mother."
"It sounds as though you've built very nice lives for yourselves." Jarod commented. "Take your family back to Delaware, Sydney. Make sure that they continue to have nice lives."
"They aren't my family, Jarod, they are yours. I'm just watching over them for you." Sydney soothed.
"No." Jarod said seriously. "They are yours. I give them to you. You've already invested so much of your heart in that little girl and her mom."
"What about you?" Sydney asked. "What about your heart?"
Jarod chuckled morosely. "The thing is, if you pretend to heartless long enough, you forget what it was like to have one. My heart has been gone for a long time now, Sydney."
"I don't believe that." Sydney scoffed. "You have such a big heart, so much potential for caring."
"I did once." Jarod agreed. "A long time ago. But I'm not the same person you knew, Sydney. Your pretender doesn't live here anymore. He's been missing for years. He isn't coming back."
"Jarod,"
"No, Sydney." Jarod interrupted. "I do appreciate what you are trying to do. But the fact is that your efforts are wasted on me. It's over. The Jarod you knew is dead. Mourn him and go on with your life." He crossed the kitchen and stood for a moment in the doorway. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make. Can you find your way out?"
Sydney nodded in stunned silence.
"Goodbye, Sydney." Jarod said with finality. He then turned and left Sydney staring speechlessly after him.
End part2
The next part will bump this story into an R rating. Set your browsers accordingly, or add the story title to your favorites list! Enjoy--