Force of Nature - 3. Chapter 3

“Lost?” Someone asked from behind me and I turned on my heels to see the guy from the waiting room looking at me with the same amused smirk he had when I entered the clinic earlier.

“Fuck off,” I said feeling in my pockets for my cell phone then remembered that I hadn’t retrieved it from my bookshelf at home.

“Need to call someone, I have a phone?” He said reaching into his pocket he fished out his phone and offered it to me.

“I have the number saved, I don’t know it,” I answered, then I saw the receptionist walking towards us through the glass door. Morris was standing just outside of the wooden door leading to his office.

“Coffee?” The guy asked and I quickly nodded and he started walking and I had to walk quickly to keep up with him.

“Don’t you have to see him?” I asked glancing behind us to see the receptionist standing with the door open. She wouldn’t call my name, drawing any sort of attention would be bad for business. People storming out of a counselling session probably wouldn’t look so good, even if I thought it likely has happened before.

“It’s sometimes good to skip it,” he said, cocking an eyebrow, “you looked like you needed saving back there.”

“Who are you?” I asked grabbing his shoulder to stop him from walking.

“You don’t recognize me,” he said, offering me a smile.

“No,” I said, but he did look familiar now that I was paying more attention to him.

“Adam Ross, we graduated prep school together,” he said, offering his hand for me to shake. “You were top of the class and I barely got through.”

“Oh, we had Trigonometry together, right?” I asked, taking his hand and shaking it. He smirked snickering.

“We had every class together,” he answered and I frowned, but he only smiled wider. “It’s alright I only noticed you because you were the only one with the southern accent.”

“Fuck you,” I said turning to walk back to where Kenny had parked.

“I’m not messing with you Jason,” he said, turning to follow me, “do you really want some coffee, I’ll buy.”

“I don’t like coffee,” I said glancing at him.

“Anything then,” he countered, holding his hands out as if begging me to cut him some slack and agree to go with him.

“I can go for a milkshake,” I said and he smiled and we turned back around. He led me to a small coffee shop anyway and I glared at him when he held the door open.

“Trust me, they serve anything,” he said and I walked through the door. Once inside I followed him to the back corner away from everyone else. Most of the people there were so engrossed in their phones and tablets that they didn’t even look up when the bell dinged when the door opened.

It wasn’t long after we sat down that an energetic waitress in a black shirt, mini skirt and flip flops bounced over to our booth. She was young, probably just out of high school. She probably went to college close by or was a rich kid forced to live a little before she got her trust fund. Most of the people my age here were like that, me included.

“Adam, does Mom know you skipped out on your counselling again?” She asked her voice lowered, but she still looked happy to see him.

“Nope,” he said leaning back in the booth. I noticed his shirt rise exposing a few inches of his stomach. I could just see the edges of a tattoo on tanned skin. When I looked up I saw him smiling at me so I looked out the tinted window. “It’s not court ordered, the dumb bastards.”

“Well as long as you don’t skip your community service,” she said sticking out her tongue. “So what can I get you?”

“Usual,” he said, “and I think Jason here wants a chocolate shake.”

“Yeah,” I offered and she smiled and took away the laminated drink menus.

“I’ll be back in a second,” she said and she skipped away, her flip flops clapping against the tiled floor.

“Sister?” I asked and he rolled his eyes.

“That is my very angelic sister, not a naughty bone in her body,” he said leaning forward and resting his arms on the table stretched out in front of him. He looked completely relaxed with himself, it made me uneasy.

“I guess you’re making up for it?” I asked and he cocked an eyebrow slightly before he laughed.

“Or I’m just easily bored,” he answered shrugging, “either way, yeah you could say that.”

“What did you get busted for?” I asked and he studied me for a few moments.

“If I tell you, you’re buying your own shake,” he answered and I shrugged.

“Deal,” I said leaning forward despite my uneasiness.

“I mooned the Catholic church on 5th,” he whispered, not looking a bit ashamed of himself. If anything, he looked amused. Probably because I involuntarily snorted before I laughed.

“I’ve been to that church when Mom was looking for a new religion,” I said and he smirked.

“Who knew nuns were packing smartphones these days,” he said, “I was drunk and someone dared me, I don’t go around mooning religious places or anything.”

“They’re making you take counselling for that?” I asked, thinking that the story wasn’t true. I didn’t know anything about Adam, but he did look like someone that didn’t pass up dares too often.

“Mom is making me,” he said, “the court threatened to order it, not for that, but I weaseled out of it by accepting the community service.”

“But you’re still going to counselling,” I countered and he shrugged.

“Mom is a worrier, I don’t want to rile her up too bad,” he said, “I skip it most of the time, but as long as she doesn’t walk through the door where I’ve found myself ditching and catch me, I get away with it.”

“I’ll be jumped at the front door by mine,” I said then noticed Adam’s sister carrying our drinks back to us. His was a large mug with something steaming inside it. Mine was a tall glass, a chocolate shake with whipped cream topped with a bright red cherry.

“Thanks,” I said when she placed mine in front of me.

“You’re welcome,” she said, then turned to her brother and placed his in front of him. It looked like plain black coffee. She didn’t wait around to talk to her brother, instead she went back to stand behind the counter waiting to see if anyone needed her.

“So how’s the Colby billionaires these days?” He asked, getting my attention again.

“We’re not billionaires,” I answered, putting my straw in my shake. “And I don’t really know. I’ve been gone for awhile.”

“Traveling?” He asked, picking up his mug I watched him take a small sip and set it back down.

“You can say that,” I answered and he seemed to understand my tone and just nodded his head glancing out the window. “What do you do for community service?”

“Help build houses for the tornado victims, I go about a week every month,” he said, “complete shitty fucked up mess.”

“Yeah,” I said, “but unlike you, my Dad made a killing off all that rebuild.”

“Figures,” he said, but he didn’t sound as bitter as I did about it. Like he accepted that it was just how things went. “Of course the people I work with couldn’t afford the services of the fine Colby Construction.”

“Of course not,” I said smiling.

“Are you going to eat your cherry?” He asked, catching me off guard. I looked up at it to see that it was drooping lower as the whipped cream melted around it, leaving a pink mixture of cream and cherry juice.

“I don’t really like them,” I answered and before I could offer it to him he reached over and plucked it carefully and popped it into his mouth.

“Thanks,” he said as he chewed.

“Didn’t really offer it to you,” I said and he smiled.

“I knew you wanted to though,” he countered, winking. “Are you done?”

“We just got here,” I said looking down at his full cup of coffee.

“I don’t really like coffee, I just wanted to keep you from bolting,” he said rising out of the booth. He opened his wallet and put two twenties on the table.

“I thought I had to pay,” I said and he looked down at me as I took a few more drinks of my milkshake before I stood.

“You do,” he said, “I tip Lexi nicely because none of these other cheap fucks do.” I looked around to see if anyone overheard, if they did they didn’t seem too upset by it.

“Alright,” I said and I pulled the money that Mom gave me for this morning and shoved it all onto the table. His eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t say anything.

“Lexi,” Adam shouted and a few people jumped. She shot him a glare as she walked around the counter, her bounciness gone from her stride. Instead she looked like she was about to kick his ass.

“What did I tell you about yelling?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“We’re leaving,” he said moving away from the front of the counter when she saw the money she brightened back to her old self and turned to me.

“Thank you,” she said and she surprised me by offering me a hug. The force behind her hug caused me to groan and involuntarily take a step back.

“Sorry,” I said when she broke the hug, “I’m recovering from a rib injury.”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry,” she said reaching over and patting me on the shoulder.

“You didn’t know,” I countered gently and Adam sidestepped her to stand beside me.

“Tell Mom I’ll call her tomorrow,” he said and she studied us for a few moments before smiling and nodding.

“Keep him out of trouble Jason,” she said and he flipped her off, she shook her head and looked around the place, probably to make sure her boss didn’t see him. Then he grabbed my shoulder and led me towards the exit.

“Now I know why you tip her a lot,” I said when we were back out on the street. “One of these days you’re going to get her into so much trouble they’ll fire her.”

“No,” he said waving his hand, “they love her there.”

“Is she going to college?” I asked and he nodded his head.

“Yeah she’s an elephant, taking the semester off campus though” he answered smiling. “I ended up at Auburn.”

“What did you study?” I asked and he looked at me.

“Why are you shooting me with all these questions?” He asked, but he didn’t seem annoyed, just curious.

“I have been the one asked a lot of questions lately, guess I’m tired of it,” I answered and he reached up and roughly patted me on the shoulder. I expected it to hurt, but it didn’t.

“How did you hurt yourself?” He asked and my stomach twisted.

“I didn’t,” I answered and I watched his eyes narrow.

“So you just brushed off my sister’s affection?” He asked, “Don’t worry, I do it too, but not with a lie, I just sort of hold my hand on her forehead and she can’t get to me.”

“I didn’t lie to her, I didn’t hurt myself either,” I answered, “I didn’t have a car accident or anything.”

“What aren’t you saying?” He asked squinting, “Were you attacked?”

“Mugged,” I said, “about two months ago.”

“That’s fucked up,” he said, shaking his head. “Probably why you were in to see that idiot Morris.”

“I thought so, but Mom gave him the talking points it seems,” I answered and then I glanced down at my watch. “Shit.”

“Your ride is probably waiting to take you back to your castle,” he said glancing back up the street. We were too far away to see if Kenny was standing by the car or not. When I looked back at him he seemed anxious.

“I need to go to the courthouse to get my new license too,” I said, “so I don’t have to be driven everywhere I don’t want to go.”

“Meet me tonight then, right here,” he said pointing at the coffee shop.

“Why?” I asked and he crossed his arms glaring at me. I waited for him to smile and when he finally did I shook my head and pushed him just hard enough for him to check his balance.

“Because you want to,” He answered and before I could say anything he turned his back to me and started walking down the street.

After walking back to the car ignoring the glass paned door of Morris’ office, I wondered if he had called Mom yet. Kenny was waiting by the car, but he was surprised to see me approaching from the sidewalk and not from inside.

“Sir,” he said standing straighter, “did you skip your session?”

“Don’t call me sir,” I said and he smiled. “And no, it just went badly.”

“Oh,” he said, “you going back?”

“No,” I said as he opened the back door, “just take me to the courthouse and then home.”

“You sure you want to go home after walking out of your session?” He asked, and I nodded and slid into the back seat.

The courthouse was expecting me. I walked through the metal detectors and down the hallway. After they saw me through the window a man slid the license through and after telling me to take better care of this one, he turned back around and started talking with someone else in the room that I couldn’t see. Seeing my old picture made me miss my shorter hair, but I was also in the mood not to listen to my mother’s wishes.

After leaving the courthouse I leaned back against the seat and tried to relax on the ride home, hoping that Morris didn’t say anything, but I was already betting against it. I opened my eyes when I heard Kenny snickering from the driver’s seat. Looking up I saw Mom sitting on the front steps with an empty glass of wine sitting beside her with Sadie perched on the step below her. When Kenny pulled up he left the car in gear and glanced back at me.

“Good luck,” he said and I nodded, taking a deep breath. I opened the door and closed it behind me. Kenny didn’t wait around and started moving after I took a few steps away from the car. I glanced behind me to see him heading towards the garage probably to drop off our car and retrieve his own.

“And here you are,” Mom said, crossing her arms. “And with all that extra time I would think you would have gotten a haircut.”

“It’s really not that long Mom,” I argued wanting to walk past her, but she blocked the stairs. She wanted me looking up at her. Hearing her harsh tone Sadie gave a low growl and stalked down the stairs and out into the yard.

“Why did you walk out on Morris?” She asked taking a step towards me. “You don’t know what I had to do to get him to see you.”

“I have a pretty good idea,” I said, “he didn’t want to talk about me, he wanted to talk about you.”

“Don’t you think your behavior towards me is disgusting?” She asked, her voice wavering.

“I’ve given you all the chances I’m going to give you Mom,” I answered, “I don’t even know why you’re trying now.”

“Because I nearly lost you,” she countered, throwing her hands into the air. “I didn’t even know you were hurt and that bitch of a nurse told me you didn’t even want to call home.”

“I didn’t, why would I?” I asked and she ran her fingers through her hair. I could feel my anger breaking down watching her seemingly falling apart, it was difficult to stay angry when she was like this. I wondered if it was an act, she was so good at pretending.

“You didn’t give us a chance to come to terms with, with what you told us,” she whispered and I sighed when she actually looked around to make sure we were alone.

“You think the gardener is going to spill all our secrets?” I asked and she shot me a glare. “Would it hurt us so bad if they knew that I’m gay?”

“No,” she said, “I don’t know.”

“How about you stepping out on Dad with your therapist,” I whispered hoping that I could see denial in her eyes, because I hadn’t with Morris. Instead she looked behind her towards the front door. “I’m not defending Dad, I know about all his fucking around too.”

“I don’t see you giving him hell for it,” she countered, wiping her cheeks with the sleeves of her robe. She hadn’t bothered taking a shower and changing out of her pajamas.

“You sent me to talk to him, hoping he would convince me to forgive you for everything you’ve done,” I argued walking up the stairs when she stepped out of my way. “Are you even concerned about anything else?”

“Of course I am,” she said, “what would people think of you if they noticed how messed up you are.”

“Yeah,” I said, sighing and walked to the front door. I ignored her calling after me as I opened it and closed it behind me. Dad was sitting in the living room, I heard him shuffling the paper and when I glanced into the room I saw him looking at me. He motioned for me to come into the room, but I ignored him and jogged up the steps, ignoring the pain in my ribs.