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Chapter Eight
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"She's waking up."
Beck's words are urgent, alerting both Georgia and Bradley to the situation, but gentle enough not to startle Jade. When Jade blinks her eyes open, she refocuses her blurry vision to see Beck kneeling beside her.
"Hi," he sighs in relief. When he noticed how confused she is, he takes her hand into his and speaks softly. "You fainted. You were only out for a minute, but it felt like thirty."
"How do you feel, darling?" Jade hears her grandmother's voice come from behind Beck.
"I'm... I'm fine. I... Why did I faint?" When she furrows her eyebrows, she feels the sensations of, first, her pounding headache, and second, the cool, wet rag on her forehead.
"I don't know," Georgia admits. "Your mother had just called to tell me she was coming to see you, and the next thing I knew you were falling over. I know you don't like her, but I didn't think it was this bad," she chuckles lightly.
Beck turns around to look at Georgia. "Mrs. Lacey is coming?"
"She is. She's bringing her husband, whom I can't stand, but they claim to want to see Jade because it's the only time they'll be able to visit all summer."
Jade watches Beck's face flood with dread, and she squeezes his hand until she knows she's causing him physical pain so he knows to keep his mouth shut. Bradley, who had gone to the kitchen to get Jade some water, returns to the living room with a glass.
"Beck, will you help her sit up for a minute?"
He nods obediently and helps his girlfriend prop herself up on the couch by setting a pillow behind her. Bradley hands the glass of water to Beck, who hands it to Jade. She takes a sip and then looks embarrassedly at the three people around her.
"I'm fine, really. I'm fine. I don't know why I passed out; that's bizarre."
Beck wishes that she wasn't as good of an actress as she clearly is, but Georgia and Bradley buy her convincing words.
"I'm completely fine. I probably just need to sleep."
Georgia nods her head. "I agree; you need a good night's sleep."
Ten minutes later, Beck is carrying her upstairs to her room. Jade washes her face and brushes her teeth while her boyfriend does the same in his own bathroom, and by the time she's finished her nighttime routine, she sees him sitting in her bed.
"I'm not talking about it," she tells him instantly as she gets under the sheets.
"Jade—"
"I said I'm not talking about it, Beck." She turns off her lamp and pulls the covers up to her shoulders, and Beck is forced to drop the subject for the night.
"Goodnight," he says, and drops a kiss to her hair. He curls his body around hers and wraps an arm across her middle, so she snuggles her back against his chest.
In the nine hours before morning, Jade's nightmares wake both of them up three different times. Beck is worried sick, and Jade is exhausted. He kisses her shoulder softly. "Stay in bed, okay? Get some more rest. I'll tell Georgia you're still sleeping."
"If you say a word..."
"I won't. Please, just, sleep. You need it."
Jade grabs her sleeping mask off of her nightstand to block the natural sunlight, and Beck kisses her head before leaving to go get breakfast. Tiger follows him out of the room and downstairs, and Beck can smell the blueberry pancakes before he reaches the kitchen.
"Morning, Georgia."
"Hi, darling. Jade still sleeping?"
He's surprised that she would assume he'd know the answer to that question, but he remembers to act clueless. "I guess so."
"I hope she slept well. She scared me half to death yesterday. I mean, trust me, I despise Mitchell probably about as much as she does, but she lives with him; I assumed she'd be used to the asshole by now."
Beck, knowing that he wouldn't get answers from Jade, decides to take the opportunity to press Georgia for questions. "How long have he and Anna been married?"
"Six years—and if you ask me, it was the second biggest mistake of her life."
"What was the first?" He asks as he shuffles dog food into Tiger's bowl.
"Jade's father."
"He can't be worse than Mitchell."
"Oh, he was. I begged her not to leave with him, but she had made up her mind." Georgia sets two plates of pancakes on the table for she and Beck. "Anna hated Burley and hated me, but she loved Steven." She sighs. "Steven West. He was charming and cute and a terrible influence on her, and she fell in love with him. Without even telling me, she packed her things and hopped in his car to Vegas."
"She left you?"
"Mhmm. Nineteen years old. Her father was furious. My husband never liked Steven, and Anna insisted that we just didn't understand and weren't being fair. Next thing I knew, of course, she was pregnant. Steven stayed until Jade was two years old, and then he got tired and left her and Anna by themselves. Anna had no money whatsoever, so she was forced to come back to Burley. She hated it, but she needed Harry and I to watch Jade while she went to school and worked two jobs."
Beck nods and swallows a bite of his pancake. "I bet that was nice, to get to see your granddaughter, at least."
"Oh, it was a dream," Georgia answers him with a smile. "Jade was so lively. She was brilliant, always asking questions and playing pretend." Beck grins attentively. "She loved reading and singing, and she always insisted that she help me when I made my banana muffins."
"When did Anna leave again?" Beck asks, still curious for more details.
"Two years later, when Jade was three. Anna took her to California, where she got a job as a real estate agent. They were in a tiny shack of an apartment in Los Angeles, but Anna was just happy to be away from us." She shrugs sadly. "I didn't see Jade again until my husband, Harry, died three years later. Anna brought Jade up to Burley for the funeral and to be with me for a few days, but she was gone as soon as she'd come."
"I'm sorry. About Mr. Wilson, and about Anna."
"You're sweet. My husband was a longtime alcoholic. It's why Anna drinks too much, even though she denies it. I convinced her to let Jade spend a few summers with me when she was in elementary school, which she agreed to, and Jade loved it here. And then Mitchell happened."
Beck tries not to noticeably tense up. "Jade's step-dad."
"Yep. Mitchell Lacey, the extremely wealthy investment banker from Santa Barbara. The first time I met him, I thought Anna might have actually picked a good one. I had flown down to LA for Jade's fifth grade talent show, and he was actually there with Anna. He seemed nice and committed, and he was definitely a step up from Steven. But it didn't last. Mitchell had way too much money, and Anna took advantage. They started fighting, she started drinking, and the cycle began."
Beck is listening so intently that he almost doesn't notice when Tiger appears at his feet, wanting to be picked up. Beck lifts the puppy into his arms and begins stroking him gently while waiting for Georgia to continue.
"One time, I flew down to surprise Jade for her eleventh birthday. I didn't tell Anna I was coming, and when I got to the house, she was drunk and had a bruised jaw. I could have sworn that Mitchell hit her, but she denied it five hundred times. I quadruple checked Jade to make sure she was free of any marks, but she was blissfully ignorant and only had good things to say about him."
Hard as it is not to open his mouth, Beck keeps his promise to Jade. "How long will they be here for?"
"According to Anna, only a few days. They're not staying here, though; they'll be at a hotel in the town center. Anna wants to leave before the 4th of July Festival on Friday, supposedly because she doesn't want to see a lot of people. I don't know how she's naive enough to think that she won't run into just about everyone in this town in the three days that she's here, but whatever."
Later that afternoon, Beck and Jade drive to the hospital to see Cat. Keeping one hand on the wheel, Beck reaches his other hand across to hold Jade's. "You're sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"For the hundredth time, yes. Beck, I'm fine."
"You don't have to be okay. It's alright if you're freaking out. I'm freaking out, and I'm not the one who..." He stops himself and brings her hand up to his lips to kiss it. "Please, just promise me you'll tell me when you're ready to talk about it. Tomorrow is going to come faster than you think."
"I know. I'll be fine." Beck almost opens his mouth to argue, but she speaks first. "Is Andre already there with Cat?"
"Yeah. He's been there since this morning, actually. He said they've just been playing cards and watching movies."
"Wow. He's really dedicated for someone who barely knows her."
Beck smiles. "Andre's a good guy. I'm not surprised."
When they arrive in Cat's hospital room, Andre is laying on the bed with her. His arm is around her as she sleeps against him, and The Wizard of Oz plays on the TV screen in front of them. Andre had turned the volume down when Cat fell asleep, and he himself had barely dozed off when he hears Beck and Jade come in.
"Hey," Beck says quietly, smiling at his friend. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's good." Andre sits up a little straighter but is careful not to wake Cat. "She got the chills real bad about an hour ago, so they pumped a sedative into her to help her fall asleep for a nap. Part of the withdrawal symptoms, they said. The good news is that they think she should be able to move to the rehab center by this Thursday."
"Wow, that's great," Beck offers. "How has she been today?"
"Good and bad. She's happy until she realizes she can't have her fix, and then it gets ugly." Andre sighs. "What are we going to do when all of us have work during the day and can't come be with her?"
"I can come tomorrow and Wednesday, and on Tuesday I don't work anyways," Jade says, surprising both boys. "Bradley is giving me the week off to spend time with my mom and step-dad, which is not going to happen. I'll be here."
"Well, that worked out. You sure you're cool with that, J?"
"Anything is better than being with my parents. I'm sure."
Just as Beck had said it would, Monday comes fast. Jade has two nightmares the night before Anna and Mitch are set to arrive, and Beck is already panicking about how the three days will go.
After breakfast, Beck has to leave for his first day of work. Jade walks him out to the truck and grabs onto his hand tightly.
"Do you have to leave?"
He frowns. "I'm sorry. My shift ends at 5, so I'll be back for dinner."
Jade nods and puts on a brave face. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Have fun on your first day."
"Thanks." He leans in to give her a quick kiss and squeezes her hand. "See you on my lunch break."
"Okay," she says, but Beck doesn't move. "I'll be fine. I'll say hi to them, and then I'll leave to go to the hospital."
"You're sure you don't just want to tell Georgia?"
"And that's the end of this conversation. You're going to be late. Go. I'll be okay."
He sighs and gets into the driver's seat. "See you in a few hours." Beck kisses her forehead, and Jade goes back inside before either of them can stalk him anymore.
When she walks through the front door, Georgia is putting her famous banana muffins into the oven. "Is Beck excited for his first day?"
Jade fakes a smile. "I think so." She bends down to greet Tiger, who is jumping up at her. "He's a little nervous, but I know he wants the job so badly."
"Good." Georgia pats at the table and takes her usual seat. "Sit down with me for a minute." Jade does as she asks, even though she knows what her grandmother wants to talk about. She sets Tiger in her lap and he sits calmly there.
"I know you don't want your mother and Mitchell here. Anna is one thing; her jackass husband is another. What I don't want is for you to worry about anything. I will handle them and deal with the bullshit they'll surely bring into this house. Understand?" Jade nods. "Good. Now, they should be here in about half an hour. I don't know what their plans for the day are, but I do know we're all having dinner here tonight. I've invited Bradley because he's the only one who doesn't have anything against Mitchell, and he's always cordial."
"Good, then maybe I can try again to talk him into letting me work on Wednesday."
Georgia chuckles. "Maybe when he meets Mitchell, he'll reconsider."
Forty-five minutes later, the doorbell rings. Jade has her bag packed of art supplies and books, ready to leave to see Cat at the hospital as soon as she's said hello to her mother and step-dad. She sets it on the couch, and she and Georgia go to answer the door together.
"Anna," the older woman says as the wooden door opens. "Wow, I'm seeing you two times in one summer. I think that's a record, huh?"
"Oh, mother, how I have missed your sarcasm." Anna pulls her sunglasses over her head puts them back into the black case. "There's my daughter," she says, her eyes landing on Jade. "You're surviving, I see."
"I've never had a problem being in Burley, mom. That was just you."
"Why don't we go inside?" Anna suggests. "It's hot as hell out here."
The four of them head into the house and Georgia gives her granddaughter's hand a rough squeeze.
"It's good to see you, Jade." Mitchell's voice sends chills down her spine and she refuses to meet his eyes for more than a second. "You too, Georgia."
"Uh-huh."
"Well, this has been nice," Jade offers, "but I have somewhere to be."
"What? Jade, we came all the way here just to see you, and you're leaving barely a minute after we get here?" Anna sounds appropriately hurt, and Jade sighs.
"I really have to go."
"It can't wait half an hour?"
"We did have a long flight," Mitchell adds, and Georgia rolls her eyes.
"I'll stay for thirty minutes. But then I have to go," Jade insists. She takes her seat at the table and Georgia pats her leg affectionately.
"How has your summer been?" Anna asks her, and it baffles Jade that the question seems genuine.
"It's been fine. I got a job, and a dog." She doesn't dare mention Beck.
"So it's yours," Anna replies as she eyes the puppy in Jade's lap.
"Yeah."
"Well, we've sure missed having you around the house," Mitchell adds, and Jade tries not to cringe. "Things are certainly a lot more...boring."
"I'm glad to see you're liking Burley, though." Anna takes a sip of her coffee. "Completely shocked, but glad. I thought you two would kill each other."
"Oh, no," Georgia answers. "Jade's practically been a dream."
"Mhmm. And what about that boy? Where is he?"
Mitchell's ears perk up at his wife's question. "Boy?"
"The yard boy. I met him when I dropped Jade off. Does he still work for you?"
"Yes, Beck still works here," the older woman replies. "He and Jade have appreciated having someone their own age around."
"Around? How often is he here?" Mitch asks.
Georgia knows her next words may invoke a heart attack from the people sitting across from her, but she couldn't care less. "He lives here."
On cue, Anna nearly chokes on her muffin. "Lives here? Under this roof? With my daughter?"
"Keep your hair on, Anna. He has his own room apart from Jade's, and he is an excellent houseguest."
"Excuse me," Mitch interrupts, "but how in the hell did you think it was okay to go about this living situation without letting her parents know?"
Georgia's eyebrows rise into her hair and Jade realizes how badly she doesn't want to be a part of this conversation. "First of all, you're not my parent," she says, pointing at her step-dad. "Second, don't get pissed at Georgia for who she invites into her home. And third, I'm leaving. Have a nice day, or don't. I'll be back for dinner."
Anna tries to protest, but Jade is already grabbing Tiger's leash from the hook by the door and getting her backpack on. "See ya," she calls as she heads out the door, leaving the three adults alone in the kitchen.
When she makes it to the hospital, Jade takes off her backpack and squats down to her puppy's level. Unzipping the backpack, she fits Tiger inside comfortably and leaves it partially unzipped so that he still has air. Immediately, she walks into the hospital and up to the help desk. "Caterina Valentine's room, please."
Minutes later, she pushes open the door to find Cat sitting up in her hospital bed.
"Hi," Jade says, uncharacteristically soft.
"Jade! You came to see me!"
"Yep. I, uh... You're not allergic to dogs, are you?"
"No, I love them! Why?"
"You can't tell anyone about this; I'm pretty sure this is against hospital code." Cat watches curiously as Jade sets her backpack carefully on the ground. When she unzips the main pocket, she lifts the Dalmatian puppy out. Cat gasps and Jade cuddles her puppy close to her. "This is Tiger. He's mine, and, kind of Beck's, too."
"Oh my goodness. Oh, he's such a cutie pie! Can I hold him?"
Jade nods and sets the puppy cautiously into Cat's arms, and then leans against her bed. Tiger crawls happily around the redhead, and the settles for curling up into her lap when she starts petting his head.
"Thanks for bringing him by. And for coming. I know we don't really know each other, and you don't have a reason to be nice to me."
"Trust me, I'd way rather be here than at home right now." Cat nods understandingly. "Besides," Jade sighs, "you helped Beck out a lot, and I probably wouldn't know him if it weren't for you."
"Beck is a sweetheart, isn't he?"
Jade's head feels like it's spinning just from talking about him, and she wonders when that started happening. "He's a great guy," she answers. Sensing Cat's naivety, Jade decides to press for information. "How did you meet him?"
The redhead continues stroking Tiger contently. "He didn't tell you?"
"No, he did, sort of. I just...want to hear your side." She smiles, which wins Cat over.
"Well," she starts, and Jade can tell she likes to tell stories, "when I picked him up, we were almost out of Nebraska." Jade tries not to act surprised; she knows she has to keep a straight face if she's pretending she already knows this. "He was going to Phoenix to live with his uncle, but, since he was hitchhiking his way there, he ended up in Nebraska. He said some guy dropped him off there, and I think he was mad about it. He didn't have anywhere to go, so we convinced him to come to Idaho with us."
"We?"
Cat's face falls, and Jade worries she's hit a nerve. "I—I'm sorry. You don't have to—"
"Lola." A single tear rolls down Cat's face, which she wipes away embarrassedly. "Sorry."
"It's okay. I'm sorry."
The smaller girl shakes her head. "You didn't know. Lola was... Well, she was the closest thing I had to a friend. She was only thirteen, but she was more mature than me. She always mapped where we were going and she always bought me candy." A few more tears fall. "She gave Beck a whole lot of shit, but she liked him. She called him Hollywood," Cat chuckles, and then almost instantly sobers. "Her dad found her, though." Her tone seems almost lifeless now, and it gives Jade goose bumps. "Her dad came all the way up from Midland. I don't know how he found out she was in Idaho; maybe someone reported her as a runaway. He forced her into the car to take her back to Texas, so she shot herself right then and there."
It's quiet for a long five minutes. "I'm really sorry, Cat."
"Yeah. I miss her."
Jade nods. "You really helped her, you know? Just like you helped Beck. I know they both appreciate that."
Cat sighs, and Tiger snuggles closer to her. "Tell me about you and Beck. I don't want to think about Lola anymore."
"About me and Beck?"
"Yeah. Aren't you his girlfriend?"
"Yes."
Cat smiles and closes her eyes, like a child prepared for a bedtime story. "So, tell me about it."
Meanwhile, Beck is surprised at how quickly his lunch break comes. Having worked since he was about eight years old, he's never had a job in which everyone is so nice to him and he actually enjoys what he's doing. At noon, the chef makes him three free sandwiches, and Beck thanks him graciously. He drives to the hospital, and comes in see Jade and Cat playing a game of Uno. Tiger is playing on the floor with his tennis ball, and races over to Beck as soon as he walks in the door.
"You brought him here?" He asks his girlfriend, wide-eyed as the puppy jumps up at his knees.
"Yeah." She shrugs. "Cat likes him, and we just hide him when the nurses come in."
Beck laughs and sets the bag of food down before picking up Tiger and cuddling him in his arms. The puppy licks and bites at Beck, who walks over to kiss Jade. "What have you two been up to?"
"Mostly just talking and playing with Tiger," Cat answers happily. "I like your girlfriend, Beck."
He laughs. "Me too."
When Beck has to leave thirty minutes later, Jade walks him out to the truck. He grabs onto both of her hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. "How was it this morning?"
"Fine."
"Jaaaade."
"It was fine. I only stayed for, like, twenty minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you at home?"
"Yep. Get ready for the worst night of your life."
"Hey, at least we'll be there together."
"I guess so," she sighs. "Have a good rest of your day."
"You too, pretty girl." Beck kisses her lips and gets in the truck, leaving his girlfriend to return to Cat.
An hour after he's left, Jade notices that Cat is becoming fidgety. "Jade?" She asks, dropping the colored pencil on her drawing pad.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you could do me a little favor?"
Jade looks up from the art piece she's working on. "Sure. What is it?"
Cat doesn't meet her eyes, but instead continues playing with her fingers. "Do you think you could get me a little? Just a little? Just this once? I—I can clean my own needle and I know how to put it in right. Just a little, and then I'll be good. I promise."
Jade's face falls and she sets her drawing on the nearby nightstand. She stands up from her chair next to Cat's bed and sets her palm gently on the redhead's arm. "I know you don't want that. You want to get better, right?"
"Of course, of course. This is why it's just a little. I promise, just a little." She's started to shake now, and Jade is torn between calling a nurse and trying to talk Cat down herself.
"Cat, you've done so well. You haven't had any of that bad stuff in your system in three days. That's really good. You don't want to break that now."
"I know. I know. It's just a little. We're friends, right? You can do it. Just a little."
Jade's heart breaks, but even Cat's eyes are vibrating now, and the tiny girl is starting to pale. "I'm going to call a nurse, okay?"
"N-n-no, no. I'm okay. I just need a little and everything will be better."
"Cat—"
"Don't c-c-call the n-nurse," she begs.
"Cat, you're shaking pretty bad. It's going to be okay." Jade feels a sick feeling in her stomach as she pushes the blue button above Cat's hospital bed to call a nurse. "Try to stay calm, okay? Everything will be fine."
"I-I'm," she stutters, "pl-ease."
Ten minutes later, Cat is sedated and sleepy. Jade puts on a movie of her choice, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and sits next to her to continue her artwork. Around four o'clock, Andre arrives at the hospital after finishing his work day. Cat is in her bed, falling asleep to her second movie of the day. Jade is still sitting next to her, drawing and watching the redhead for any signs of discontent.
"Hey," Andre says softly. He notes the IV hooked up to Cat's arm, and he's been around the redhead enough to know what that means. He approaches her slowly and brushes his hand through her hair soothingly. "Hi, baby girl. Feel okay?"
Cat mumbles something incoherent and nods her head once slowly. Andre looks at Jade, who nods her head. "She made it all day with only one episode. She's done so good, right, Cat?"
A faint smile appears on the redhead's face and she gives a single, weak nod again.
"Good job, baby girl. That's great," he tells her. Jade packs up her backpack and gives Cat's hand a light squeeze. As she's walking out, Andre stops to give her a hug. "Thanks, Jade. It means a lot."
When she gets back to Georgia's house, Anna and Mitchell have already gone back to their hotel. Georgia is out back with Bradley, who is busy slow-cooking the brisket for dinner, so Jade makes her way out there and lets Tiger off his leash.
"Hi, darling. How was the hospital?"
"It was fine. Cat liked getting to play with Tiger, and Beck brought us lunch."
"Good. Any idea when he'll be home?"
"He gets off of work at five, so it won't be long. What's for dinner?" She asks Bradley. "Smells good."
"My famous brisket," he answers with a grin. "This is actually a test, because I'm making about fifteen pounds of this stuff for the festival on Friday, thanks to your grandmother."
"People love it!" Georgia points out. "Besides, what else would your booth be? You're not good at much else." She pats his shoulder and takes a sip of her glass of red wine. Jade smiles at the notion of how happy and comfortable her grandmother is.
By the time Anna and Mitchell arrive for dinner, the food is ready and Beck's nerves are about to blow him up. While he's sworn to Jade that he won't say or do anything related to her past with her step-father, he's already nervous about breaking his promise. When the doorbell rings, Georgia answers it to let the couple in. Behind her, Beck stands beside Jade and fights the urge to hold her hand.
"Anna, you remember Beck," Georgia says once the front door is closed, and gestures to the boy.
"Nice to see you, Mrs. Lacey," he says, shaking her hand.
"Just Anna is fine," the blonde replies. "This is Jade's step-father and my husband, Mitch."
Beck's eyes darken as he firmly shakes the man's hand. "I hear you're living here too," Mitchell says. "Sure is nice of Georgia to take you in."
"Let's stay away from the topic of whom I let inside my home," Georgia says, facing her son-in-law. "I think we all know how lucky you are to be here, Mitchell." She pats his cheek condescendingly and then smiles at Beck. "This is Bradley Dunne. Anna, I'm sure you remember Brad."
"I do. It's been a long time."
"Sure has," the vet agrees, and then moves to give Mitchell an intimidatingly kind handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"Well," Georgia says decidedly, "let's eat, shall we?" She opens a bottle of wine, and she and Bradley begin serving.
"Jade," Mitchell says, nearly half an hour into dinner, "you seem to really be enjoying Burley."
"Yep," she replies, uninterested in giving any extended answer.
"I bet you're excited to come back to California in September, though."
Beck grips his fork tighter and wills himself to keep his mouth shut. "Maybe, maybe not," Jade answers.
"What do you mean?" Anna asks. "Do you want to stay here?"
At this point, everyone's eyes are on Jade. She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe."
"That's ridiculous!" Mitchell nearly shouts, too aggressively for the casual dinner table.
"Honey, calm down." Anna sets a hand on his arm and watches for his reaction.
"No, hold on. She has to come back to California. It's her home," he argues.
"What in the world are you getting your face red for?" Georgia asks. "If Jade doesn't want to go back, she can always stay here. She's welcome in this home anytime she wants. Hell, she can finish high school here in Burley for all I care. If it makes her happy—"
"How does she know what makes her happy?" Mitchell fires back. "She's barely seventeen."
"Contrary to your ignorant belief," Beck enters the discussion, "Jade knows herself very well."
"Oh, as if you know my daughter better than I do," Mitchell spits back.
"She's not your daughter," Georgia argues.
"So you're saying that this homeless kid you took in knows—"
"That's enough." Bradley's voice booms across the table, silencing Mitchell for the minute. "For as long as you are in this home, you will respect the people who live here."
Beck is shaking. Georgia is furious. Jade is humiliated. Anna is confused beyond belief, and she breaks the silence first. She faces her husband.
"What in the hell is wrong with you? You've made this entire dinner unpleasant, all because Jade said she maybe could want to stay here. Why do you care?"
"Because it's nuts!" He sputters out. "Anna, honey, you have to see where I'm coming from. Our daughter belongs in our home."
"For the love of god, stop calling me your daughter," Jade groans. "I am not in any way related to you, and thank fuck for that."
"Jade, language," her mother pleads.
Georgia would laugh at her granddaughter's candor if it weren't for her instinct coming back into her bones. The dynamic between Mitchell and Jade is, as she's always thought it to be, far too eerie to be normal.
"Why are you so obsessed with the idea of her staying in Burley?" Anna demands. Instead of replying to his wife, Mitchell turns to Jade, on his other side.
"Jade, sweetheart," he says softly, but when he puts his hand on her shoulder, he's interrupted.
"Don't touch her." Beck's voice is low but he's glaring at Mitchell harshly.
Jade shrugs her step-dad's hand off of her shoulder, but Mitchell puts it right back. Georgia gets a sick feeling in her stomach as she watches him rub his fingers against Jade's skin.
"Goddammit, Mitchell," she says, "get your hand off of my granddaughter, or so help me God." Jade pushes his hand away again and, to everyone's confusion, he fights to keep it on her. Jade tries to speak, but her breath hitches in her throat. Without giving it a second thought, Beck reaches across her body to grab Mitchell's arm off of her.
Before Beck can even catch up with what's happening, Mitchell is rising angrily from his seat. Georgia and Anna are yelling at him to sit down. Bradley is prepared to force him out of the house. Jade is sitting, shaking. Beck is smart enough to stand up to defend himself, lest he be sitting down when Mitchell throws the punch that Beck knows is coming.
Mitchell clearly doesn't expect Beck's experience with physical violence, because the younger boy dodges his fist like he's done it a million times. His next punch goes straight to Beck's gut, and at this point all Beck can think about is Mitchell's hands on Jade. Going against every instinct in his body, he defends himself by throwing a punch that hits the man's left eye. It doesn't knock him to the floor, but Bradley's next punch to Mitch's right side does.
Bradley holds Beck by his shoulders as he coughs from having the wind knocked out of him. "It's alright," he says, patting Beck's back to help him breathe. "You okay, son?"
Beck nods and stands up straighter. Jade has made her way over to him and, with tears in her eyes, shakes her head. "What is wrong with you?" She asks, and, two seconds later, throws her arms around him.
Beck sighs heavily into her shoulder and watches over her back as Georgia marches over to Mitchell, who is now sitting on the floor. "You have two options," she tells him. "You stay here, and I call the police. Or you can get the hell out of this house and never come back. You are not welcome here."
Before he can reply, Anna stands up from her seat at the dinner table. "Jade," she says shakily. Her daughter pulls out of Beck's arms and turns around to stand in front of him. "Jade, has Mitchell..." Anna can't bear to finish her sentence, and a tear falls from her crystal blue eye. "You would tell me, right?"
When Jade doesn't answer, Mitchell takes the opportunity to speak for her. "Anna, honey." He stands up. "What are you—"
"Shut up," she snaps at him, and turns back to her daughter. "Jade. Please. Please, I'm begging you."
It's dead quiet in the house, and Jade's silence gives Anna her answer. The blonde brings her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh," she cries. She looks at her own mother, whose sorrowful expression doesn't change. Tired and not wanting to see her mom cry, Jade turns around and goes upstairs.
When Anna looks at her husband a minute later, her eyes are blazing. Without another word, she throws herself at him and starts hitting him. She's screaming and firing every one of her limbs at him, and, despite the fact he's done it before, Mitchell won't dare hit her—not in front of Georgia.
Bradley pulls her away after about a minute, but Anna is still clearly upset. "How long?" She barks at her husband. He opens his mouth to answer, but she yells it again.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit!" She screams. "Jade and I may not get along perfectly but I damn well know when my daughter is lying to me."
Mitchell sighs. "I told you, Anna. I don't know what you're talking about."
She slaps him before he can finish his sentence. "You think I'm stupid enough to believe that after you hit me? You want me to believe you've never touched Jade?
Georgia puts a distressed hand on her head. She's always known, but this is the first time Anna is admitting it.
"Tell me, Mitchell." When he doesn't answer again, Anna turns towards her mother. "Call the police."
review if you like bade tacos ;)