Enlightened (Red Flags) (31 page)

We drove down the freeway with silence looming between us.  He didn’t look like he was in much of a mood to talk, so I didn't push him.  Instead, I reached over and grabbed his hand, linking it with mine, and smiled over at him.  He cracked a slight smile but quickly returned his gaze back to the road.  Droplets of sweat were beginning to form on his hand, and the magnitude of his anxiety crashed down on me.  He was nervous, and I had no idea how to help him through it.

<>

Kissing Jason's hand as we sat in the parking lot of the hotel, I began to second guess myself and the decision that he had made to come here.  He looked like an angry and anxious bucket of nerves, and his deafening silence made me that much more uncomfortable with the situation.  I gripped his hand a little tighter, prompting him to look over at me with gloom in his eyes.

"Maybe this way a bad idea?  You don't have to do this.  We can leave right now."  I said, feeling guilty for forcing him to have to face his dad.

He smirked.  "Don't get all chicken shit on me now, Gorgeous.  We're here, let's do this."

His words spoke a big game, but his demeanor was quite the opposite.  Walking into the hotel, he didn't carry the same level of cockiness that he normally exuded.  His body was rigid and his expression was hard as stone.  We bypassed the reception desk and went straight for the suite level elevators.  Once inside, Jason slumped against the wall and blew out a long, deep breath.

"I have no idea what to say to him," he said, looking every bit as flustered as I felt.

"Just say what you're feeling." I wondered if that was a good idea.  Jason smiled at me, then leaned his head back against the wall.

When the elevator stopped, Jason took my hand and we strolled to Suite B.  He knocked on the door, anxiously awaiting an answer.  My mind went through a million different questions and scenarios.

Who would be answering the door?  If it's Mr. Bradley, how awkward will it be?  Will Jason go through with it?

None of it brought pleasant thoughts to mind, and I felt the sickening twinge in my stomach, that I'd had that disastrous night in Heath, return with a vengeance.  A lump lodged itself and got stuck in my throat as the door began to swing open.  My heart raced and I looked over to Jason, fearful that his dad would be on the other side and this would end before it even began.

Luckily, when I turned my head back to the door, I saw the beaming smile of Mrs. Bradley and I finally swallowed the un-welcomed lump in my throat. 

"Jason!" she shrieked, taking him in her arms.  Her warm and cheerful demeanor that I'd seen in Texas was back and in full effect.  Jason hugged her back, but pulled away much too soon for his mom's liking.  She turned her effervescent smile to me and swallowed me up in her arms. 

"It's so nice to see you again, Cara.  I'm glad you're back with my Jason."  Her southern drawl was thick and full of excitement. 

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Bradley," I responded, feeling awful for her. 

She wanted nothing more than to have her family whole and functional again, but from where things stood through Jason's eyes, that just wasn't going to happen.    

"Come on in," she said, gesturing for us to enter the suite. 

I looked over to Jason who looked at me apprehensively, but took the first step and walked in. 

"Your dad is in the room.  Come on back."

We followed Mrs. Bradley back to the room and the sickening twinge in my stomach that I had felt earlier was back, sending it into violent convulsions.  The air suddenly got thick and I found it hard to breathe.  Jason seemed to be experiencing the same feelings that I was, as the hair that came down over his forehead was now stuck to his brow with the help of excess perspiration. 

Mrs. Bradley looked back to the both of us and smiled. She knocked on the door before twisting the door knob and letting herself into the room.  A few seconds later, Mr. Bradley stood before us, and I watched as Jason stared into his dad's eyes, expressionless and cold. 

"Son…" Mr. Bradley said, not sure if he should hug Jason, shake his hand, or do nothing at all.  He opted for the hand shake, which Jason returned. 

"Nice to see you, Cara," he said, lightly smiling in my direction.  His greeting for me was nothing out of the ordinary.  He wasn't overly warm and receptive to me back in Heath, so I took no offense to his demeanor now. 

"Hi, Mr. Bradley," I responded, unsure if I should hug him or not.  I settled on a handshake, but he pulled me in for a hug, surprising the hell out of me.

"I didn't know you'd have anyone with you," Mr. Bradley said, sounding annoyed at the fact that I was there.  He looked over to his wife, but didn't say anything to her.  "Come on in, Son."

Jason looked at his dad with barren eyes.  "We can talk right out here," he said, not budging in the least bit.

Mr. Bradley looked over to me and then back to Jason.  "Well, I think this is a conversation to be had with family.  No offense, Cara."

"None taken," I quickly responded.

"She is family so she's staying," Jason quickly replied, tightening his grip on my hand. "Say what you have to say with her here or I go."

I swallowed hard as I watched Mr. Bradley stroll out into the living room of the suite and grab a folder from the table.  He walked it over to Jason before taking a seat on the couch.

"What's this?" Jason asked, unlocking our hands to open the folder and glance at the documents. 

"Accounting reports for San Diego Bradley.  You know, my company that you decided to shit on." 

Jason peeled his eyes from the papers and slammed them down on the table in front of him.  He locked eyes with his dad as they shared the same angry scowl aimed at one another.  I slowly stepped back until I was standing next to his mom, who looked like she felt as sick as I did. 

"You've been blowin' up my phone to chastise me about Bradley?  You're un-fuckin'-believable."

"Jason!"  I shouted, hoping he'd remember that, even through his anger, this was still his dad that he was talking to.

"Here I was thinkin' you wanted to talk about us, but I should have known better.  All you've ever cared about was your company and your money.  What the hell would have changed that between the gala and now?"

"Part of what is affectin' us
is
Bradley.  You've gone off and deliberately tried to sabotage my company.  Profits are down dramatically thanks to this Tranny character you've put in charge."

"You're a shrewd business man, why weren't you watchin' it?"  Jason asked, in a condescending manner than even made me cringe.  "Everything is all about you, this business, and your stature because of it.  I would think you'd have eyes on all aspects at all times."

His dad stood and moved in front of Jason.  My heart beat picked up as I tried feverishly to catch my breath.  I didn't want to see a physical altercation between Jason and his dad.  I had seen enough with him and Jacob to make me sick for weeks.  To watch a father and son throw blows was something that I had no desire to see. 

"You're a spoiled little shit and that's part of the fuckin' problem.  I hear you sold the house.  Congratulations!  Where'd you go?"  The level of sarcasm in his tone, mixed with the high degree of southern drawl, made me grimace.  This wasn't going very well, and I couldn't imagine it getting any better.

"Damn right I sold that house.  I don't want anything from you.  I'm moving on to bigger and better things, and I can honestly say that I'm doin' it all on my own."

"A damn basketball team?"  Mr. Bradley's brow furrowed and he laughed wickedly.  "Son, there is no longevity in a semi-pro basketball team.  When that fledgling league folds, you're goin' down and all your money is goin' with it.  Don't look to me to help you pick up the pieces."

"I won't be needin' your help!" Jason yelled.  He was beginning to turn red, showcasing the fury coursing through his body as he readjusted his position and stepped further away from his dad. "I'm well aware that you've never done anything for me that was for my benefit, so why the hell would that change now?"

I heard Mrs. Bradley sniffle and after looking over to her and seeing tears roll down her face, a few trickled down my own.  It was so heartbreaking to see a father and son at each other's throats.  My dad and Ryan had an amazing relationship, and it burned on the inside watching Jason stand toe to toe with his dad, screaming back and forth at one another.  I wanted so desperately to step in the middle of the two of them and demand that they apologize and hug it out, but my better judgment told me it was best to stay out of it.  Instead of playing referee, I put my hand on Mrs. Bradley's back and gently rubbed, hoping to alleviate some of the ache that we were both feeling.

"What's the deal?  I've been goin' to my meetings and I swore to myself that if I ever spoke to you face to face, I'd ask you, why?  Why you've always put me last?  Why you've always favored Jacob over me?  What the fuck is the deal, Dad?"  Jason yelled at his dad with a scorched tongue.  Both men stood peering at each other with malice in their eyes.  They weren't any closer to solving anything.

"Why don't you ask your fuckin' mom?"  Mr. Bradley growled.  We all looked at Mrs. Bradley in utter confusion.  "You're the golden boy, the perfect child, and it's always been that way with her." 

My heart lurched as I listened to what sounded like a seriously sick level of jealously from a father over his own son.

"Jacob felt it.  I felt it, too.  You could, and apparently
still
can't do any wrong."  He ran his hands over his hair, something I was used to seeing Jason do when he was angry and flustered.  "You have no idea how hard it was for Jake growing up.  If it weren't for me, he would have had no one.  I watched you do all kinds of shit growin' up, but your mama was always there to shelter and protect you. I swore to her that you'd find yourself in a dump truck worth of trouble if she didn't step back with that shit.  We almost divorced at least three times over you and your shenanigans."

"What the fuck does that have to do with me?" Jason yelled.  Tears pricked his eyes and as he tightly closed them, a few escaped, rolling down his now fire red cheeks. 

My own tears picked up, but I did nothing to try and contain them.  My heart was broken for everyone in the room.  This entire family needed some serious help, but I wasn't sure if they would ever be truthful with themselves and actually get it.

"Jason is my baby!" Mrs. Bradley yelled, moving closer to where the men stood.  "It was never my intention to alienate you or Jake, but when I saw the treatment that the two of you gave Jason, I had to protect him.  You sure weren't going to do it."

"You went overboard, Tina.  That's how we each ended up with a kid.  At times I wondered if you even realized Jake was yours, too, or that you had a damn husband." 

"Of course I realized that.  I love both of my boys.  Jake knows I've always been his mama."

"But you were there for Jason much more.  He fed off that shit, too.  This fucked up situation is your doin'."

Mrs. Bradley threw her face into her cupped hands and sobbed uncontrollably.  Needle-like pricks hit my back and made me move over to Jason's side, hoping that the touch of his body would alleviate the uncomfortable feel taking over my own.

"This is all a case of finger pointing and jealously by two adults--two adults who should love their kids unconditionally," I said, no longer able to keep quiet.  "You two seem to have been at this for so long that you have no idea the level of damage that you've caused your sons.  They are broken because of you."

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley looked back and forth between me and each other.  Both of them looked guilt-ridden, but neither said a word.  Jason stood with his eyes closed, breathing hard, but not speaking. 

A cell phone rang, bringing us all back into the moment.  Mrs. Bradley moved across the room and dug into her purse, pulling her phone out and bringing it up to her ear.

"Hello?" she said tentatively.  I watched as her eyebrows rose in shock and she stuttered through her next set of words.  "O--okay.  Yes--yes, we're here.  Take your time.  See you when you get here."  The three of us stared at her anxiously, wondering what seemed to have made her so flustered.  "That was Mr. Miller.  Stacey's in the hospital.  She went into premature labor."

All air escaped the room as it suddenly seemed to go black.  A hammer-like pounding beat against the walls of my head as the dreaded words replayed over and over.  An already bad situation was about to get worse.  I threw my hands over my heart as it beat with the ferocity of a pack of rabid dogs.  Stacey was about to have her baby, and somehow, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was about to change because of it. 

Chapter 22

"Cara… Cara!"  Jason shouted.  I looked into his sad brown eyes, but couldn't bring myself to move or speak.  "We're gonna go to the hospital.  You can take the Raptor back to the house and I'll call you when she has the baby."

I snapped back into the here and now and just as I realized what he was saying, my face frowned in disgust.  "I'm going with you," I said.  "There's no way I'm gonna sit in that house, twiddling my thumbs, and wondering if that bitch is going to forever change my life."

A spark of surprise rushed through Jason's eyes as he took a quick step back from me.  "You still think that there is a chance that her baby is mine, don't you?"  My breathing picked up and I wanted so badly to say no, but I couldn't… I couldn't shake the fact that an inkling of me still thought that there was a chance that Stacey's baby could be his.  He shut his eyes and angrily bit down on his bottom lip.

"I have no fuckin' clue how to make you see me for what I am.  I love you and I'm devoted to you."  He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me towards the door.  "I can't wait 'til she has that damn kid.  We're gonna settle this shit once and for all." 

We hurried out to the Raptor, his parents not far behind, loading up their own car.  Jason sped down the freeway, angrily gripping the steering wheel as he switched lanes much too frequently for my liking.  His dad was behind him, driving much of the same, and for a second, it made me laugh to see that, as much as they were at each other's throats, the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree.