Three bored and whiney kids, a half-hearted attempt at the playpark, and an hour later, Carter buried his head in his hands as Norman tried to hide from the kids for the second time that he was throwing up in the bushes.
That sodding car better be fixed pretty soon...
As a pasty Jayden staggered over to sit by Blake, Carter sighed. "Hey. Norm. Reckon we should start heading back now, yea?" Norman nodded, trying to keep the rising bile in his throat down.
"Yea, erm..." he coughed. "Hopefully he's calmed down by now. I mean, I'd deck him one myself, but..."
"But you'd probably only succeed throwing up on him and collapsing." Carter finished for him. "Yea. Fair point." They stood up, gathered up the kids from the various swings and slides, and started to walk back to the house. The kids, especially the older girls, were rather wary around them, and flinched when they came near.
"I never even knew I had nieces and nephews until a couple days ago." Jayden mused out loud. I mean... Anna must've been pregnant before David left me. Makes you think, doesn't it... I wonder if they've ever met a man who doesn't hit them." Carter felt a surge of jealousy at the mention of David's name, and the question that had been niggling at the back of his mind for a while finally popped out.
"I'm no criminal profiler, but I know enough of... people to see that violent behaviour doesn't just come out of nowhere." Carter said, an odd lilt in his voice. "What about when you and him were together?" Jayden kept his voice neutral.
"What are you asking, Cartah?" Carter could almost have smiled but for the seriousness of the situation, Norman's accent always got thicker when he was angry, or upset.
I wonder if it does when he's happy as well... He cleared his throat. "I'm asking if he ever hit you, Norman." Jayden stiffened slightly and turned his head to one side, which Carter didn't miss. "I'll take that as a yes then." Jayden turned to look at him, green eyes blazing.
"What would you care, Cartah? You're the one that threatened to fucking shoot me when you were 'interrogating' or should I say 'beating the shit out of' Ethan Mars! A few bruises, a sprained wrist, attempted rape, how would any of those things even come close to if your finger had slipped and you'd shot me in the head? Does it matter, Cartah? So David's a whore, a slut, probably a fully fledged rapist by now, a woman and child beater, and a damned scumbag. Why do you care? What do either I or my family matter to you?"
"Jayden, fuck off and take the kids to the park." Carter replied in a dangerous voice.
"What? What the fuck are you on about? Why should I?" Carter checked the kids' eyes were elsewhere, then grabbed Norman by either arm, and kissed him full on the mouth.
"Just do it." he said, and ran off towards the house.
Jayden did as he was told in a daze.