Heath drove towards the prison, determined to have one last say. Hanging out with Bianca hadn't proved the distraction he'd hoped it would be, besides, it was shitty of him to use her like that, she deserved better. He'd decided that if he wasn't gonna see Brax for the next decade he needed to get this stuff off his chest. Over the past few days he'd developed an unhealthy resentment towards his big brother for causing this whole mess with Casey, and if he didn't take it out on Brax he was worried Casey would be the one to suffer for it. He pulled up and headed inside. He'd called ahead to let the prison know he was on his way, visiting someone in jail wasn't as simple as rocking up whenever you felt like it.
"Heath Braxton," Heath told the guard at the front desk, "I'm here to see Darryl Braxton."
"The brother right?" The guard said in a bored tone, flipping though some papers.
"Yeah." Heath waited as patiently as he could while the bloke slowly worked his way through the papers until he found the one he was after. After taking forever to read the damn thing the screw finally spoke.
"Well I'm afraid that's not going to happen, he's refusing to see anyone before he's transferred."
"I know that," Heath said, doing his best to stay calm, "but I need to see him before he's gone...please."
"There's nothing I can do, it's his right to refuse visitors."
"C'mon, he's a crook, what'd you care about his rights? Anyway didn't he give those up when he broke the law?" The guard gave him a funny look, maybe that wasn't the right thing to say, Heath tried again. "Look, I'm not gonna get to see him again for ten years..." and Heath could see that his words were finally having an effect. This guy didn't really care if Brax was put out by having visitors or not, mainly he just seemed to want Heath to go away. The guard continued to consider Heath and seemingly decided that getting him in to see Brax would be the quickest way to get rid of him. Heath pushed on, seeing that the guard was giving in. "Tell him Josh Barrett's here to see him, he won't refuse."
"Fine," the guard said putting the call through on the radio. Another guard came to escort Heath to the visitor's yard where he was locked in while he waited for his big brother. Brax appeared, his apprehension being replaced by something else when he saw who it was that was actually waiting for him. Heath hated seeing that look on Brax's face, he hated that his brother was disappointed to find him here. Brax hesitated and Heath thought he might just turn around and leave, but he didn't. He strode across the yard towards Heath, all high and mighty, and Heath had had enough. Brax was acting like he was better than them, being all noble and confessing and now he was selflessly sacrificing himself so they could move on with their lives in peace. Well fuck him! There would be no peace for any of them now and it was all because Brax had gone and left them. Heath had lost Bianca because of this and he'd lost Casey. Both as a brother and a lover, because now that he'd been one, he could never be the other again.
"Heath, what the hell are ya doin' here? I told ya I didn't wanna see ya again." Why did he think every decision was his to make? And that was when Heath snapped. He punched Brax as hard as he could in the face. And watching him fall to the ground felt pretty fucking good, the arrogant prick needed knocking down a peg or two.
"Ow! What the fuck was that for?!" Brax asked once he'd stopped seeing stars. But Heath didn't get a chance to answer before the guards were on them, pulling Brax to his feet and holding Heath back from him. They demanded answers but Brax brushed it aside, convincing them that it was alright for them to leave the two of them alone, Heath wasn't so sure. Once the screws had backed off Heath took a seat, rubbing his aching knuckles now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "You gonna answer my question?" Brax resumed, rubbing his face and almost making Heath want to hit him again.
"You've got no fucking right to tell us what to do after what you've done to us."
"How many times do I have to tell ya I'm sorry?"
"Sorry's not gonna cut it this time. Everything's fucked!"
"Why? What's happened?" Brax asked seriously. Finally he was getting the message that there were consequences to his thoughtless actions.
"For starter's Bianca gone and as for Casey...where the fuck would I even begin with that mess?" Heath was getting worked up again, he needed to shut his mouth before he said something he'd never be able to take back.
"What'd ya mean Bianca's gone?"
"She ran off with Maguire." That wasn't strictly true, but it was a good enough explanation for Brax.
"Zac? Fair dinkum?"
"Yes. I was too busy sorting out your messes and she'd had enough."
"Fuck..." Brax said disbelievingly, but then he seemed to remember the rest of Heath's outburst. "And what about Casey? He's alright?"
"He'll survive if that's what ya mean, but you deserting us has really messed him up..."
"How? What's he done?" How the hell was Heath supposed to answer that? He wasn't, that's how. There was nothing he could say that would make Brax hurt as much as Heath was hurting now, and really that's why he'd come here, to burden his disgustingly selfish big brother with some of this unbearable pain. "Heath, just tell me." Yeah, he'd tell him alright, and it would cut him deep.
"By the way," Heath said maliciously, "congratulations. You're gonna be a Dad." Heath stayed long enough for the realisation of exactly what that meant to sink into Brax's thick skull and then he got up and left. He didn't give a fuck if he never saw Brax again.
xxx
He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't...have fucking...done that! He'd betrayed Ricky's trust. Would punching the shit out of a wall fix it? No, but the throbbing pain in his hand was a welcome distraction. Because you know what? It fucking hurt and he deserved it for being such an idiot.
"Heath? Heath! What's wrong?" Oh great, now Casey had his hands on him pulling him back, Casey who he was trying so very hard to avoid, and now he was looking at Heath with those goddamned eyes of his. The ones that were so understanding and concerned and...fuck! "Heath, what's wrong? Talk to me."
"I can't." Heath's greatest fear was that one day Casey would realise what all these feelings had been about, and then he'd hate Heath for going along with it for so long, how could he not?
"Please..." Then Casey lifted Heath's hand to his lips and pressed soft kisses to the bloody knuckles, never taking his eyes off Heath as he did it. How in God's name was Heath supposed to resist him? Seeing the progress he was making Casey pulled back, his lips stained red with Heath's blood...he was mesmerising. "You can tell me anything." But Heath was done with talking, and he was done with thinking. In fact, he was done with anything that didn't involve his mouth on Casey's. Heath slammed their mouths together, kissing Casey hungrily, enjoying the coppery taste of his blood on Casey's lips. Heath wasn't the only one who'd been denied this, and Casey's ravenous kiss matched Heath's own hunger. Heath pushed Casey back against the door, trapping him there as he moved his mouth to Casey's neck, determined to taste every part of him, he'd been starved of this for too long.
"We better...take this...inside..." Casey said, reaching down and turning the door handle. Heath complied, not because he gave a shit if they got caught, but because there would be a bed involved.