Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game (24 page)

I had to say I was pretty sad to see the check come.
All the awkwardness that I imagined seemed to melt away. It made me
wonder what the hell all the conflict had been about to start with.
But I knew it was more than that. This wasn’t a sitcom where
everything was wrapped up in a neat, tidy package in a half an
hour. It was going to take a lot more time to work through the
issues of the last seventeen years. But deep down, I still wanted
to try. In a weird way, I think Jake would have wanted me to try as
well. His “new” side would have totally dug the acceptance and
forgiveness between Joe and me. So for myself and for Jake, I
thought I would see where it went.

As we started to the car, Maddie and Josh walked
ahead of us with Joe and me trailing behind. Breaking the silence,
Joe said, “I hope we won’t go ten more years before we see each
other again, Noah,”

“No, I don’t want that,” I answered honestly.

“I’d really like to keep getting to know you. Would
you object to getting together when I’m in town?”

Shrugging, I replied, “Sure why not.”

“I could even fly you out to San Diego. I could show
you the sights, introduce you to your step-mother and
half-sisters.”

Scuffing the pavement with my shoe, I finally bobbed
my head. “I’d like that.”

Joe smiled. “I’d glad to hear it.”

After silently debating whether or not to ask him, I
finally blurted, “Speaking of getting together. I’d really love for
you to come to my graduation in a few weeks. I mean, if you
can…”

“I’ll make it work.”

We then hugged each other one last time. “So, I’ll
talk to you soon,” I said.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

***

Josh was out cold by the time we got on the
interstate. Maddie looked back at him and grinned. “I can’t thank
you enough for today, Noah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so
happy or excited.”

“I’m glad he had a good time. I want to thank you
guys, too.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have had the courage to call my dad
if it hadn’t been for you guys,” I said.

“Then I’m glad we could help. Your dad seems like a
really nice guy,” Maddie said.

“Yeah, he does.”

Maddie was quiet for a minute. Always playing the
peacemaking Dr. Phil she asked, “Do you think you can forgive
him?”

I took one of my hands off the wheel to rub my eyes.
Once again, she was totally intune with what I was thinking and
feeling. I kept wondering myself if I could forgive Joe and move
on—if he could actually have a place in my life as a father.
“That’s a hard one.”

“Yeah, forgiveness is a hard,” Maddie murmured.

I sighed. “I really want to forgive him. I mean, he
is totally changed from the jerk who knocked up my mom and ran off.
It would be nice to have him in my life. I guess we can start
over.”

Maddie smiled encouragingly at me. “It’s never too
late.” As she turned to stare out the windshield, her expression
momentarily darkened. “Sometimes it’s easy to forgive. It’s
forgetting that’s harder.”

I raised my eyebrows. I wanted to know if she might
be talking about Jake, so I pressed her for information. “Who have
you had to forgive?”

Maddie didn’t answer me. She stared ahead into the
dark night. “Maddie?” I prompted.

“My brother Will.”

“Oh, I see.”

“He’s hurt us all so much—my parents especially.
Sometimes I want to hit him really hard for what he’s put them
through.” She glanced down at her hands folded in her lap. “But in
the end, I always forgive him…I just can never forget everything
bad.”

“I’m sorry.”

She turned to me and smiled. “Thank you.”

We spent the rest of the drive in silence with only
the muted sound of the radio filling the car. When I pulled into
her driveway, Maddie’s house was still dark. “Where are your
parents?”

“My dad had a wedding tonight. They won’t be home
until around eleven, I guess.”

I hopped out of the Jeep and pulled Josh to me. He
snored slightly as I carried him up the front stairs. Maddie held
the door open for me. At the thoughts of taking him up the flight
of stairs to his bedroom, I groaned.

Maddie must’ve read my thoughts because she giggled.
“Just put him down here on the couch. He sleeps better there than
he does in his own bed.”

I nodded and eased him down. When I turned around,
Maddie was gone. She returned in an instant with Josh’s
pajamas.

“Can you help me?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

I pulled Josh into a sitting position. Maddie lifted
his shirt over his head and then eased the pajama top over him. She
noticed my hesitation at his shorts, so she unbuttoned them and
slid them off. I had to bite my tongue from laughing. He was
wearing Scooby Doo underwear.

Once she was finished, Maddie pulled the blanket over
him.

A noise in the kitchen caused us both to jump. “Wait,
I thought you just said your parents weren’t going to be home until
eleven,” I whispered.

“They’re not.”

I grabbed the poker off the fireplace and started for
the kitchen. Maddie was right behind me, her hand rested on my belt
loop. When I flicked on the light, a disheveled-looking figure
stood with the refrigerator door open.

“Hey Maddie,” a slurry voice said.

I glanced over my shoulder at Maddie. Her eyes
widened. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Who is that?” I demanded.

Maddie blushed. “It’s Will.”

Speak of the devil. I stared in disbelief at the
ragged figure before me. Somewhere in his dirty face I saw some
semblance of Josh. I couldn’t believe he was really standing in
front of me.

She shook her head. “You have to leave, Will.”

Cocking his head, he challenged, “Now is that any way
to treat your big brother?”

“But you know the rules. Until you get clean, you’re
not allowed to be around me or Josh.”

At the mention of Josh, Will’s face flooded with
concern. “How is he?”

Maddie sighed. “He’s better. The doctors think the
treatment is going to work.”

Will bit down on his lip a minute before he finally
replied, “That’s good to hear.” He then turned his attention to me.
“Who’s this? Another punk playing you to get a little ass?”

Maddie gasped, and I stepped forward. “Hey don’t talk
to her that way!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Wow, another chivalrous
little douchebag, huh? Just like that last fucker. What was his
name? The one who blew himself up.” He chuckled harshly. “What an
idiot!”

“Don’t you fucking say a word about Jake!” I shouted,
shoving Will with all my might. His dark eyes narrowed at me.
“Easy, you don’t want to get me riled.”

Breathing harshly, I countered, “If you say or do
anything to Maddie, I’ll break your head it.”

Will quirked his brows at me before turning to
Maddie. “He must really be wanting you bad if he’s willing to take
up for you.” He then gave me a wink. “I wouldn’t waste my time,
ace. Her legs are locked together at the knees like a good little
girl!”

“You bastard! Don’t you dare say anything shitty like
that about my Maddie!” My anger momentarily faltered as I realized
my slip-up. I’d called Maddie mine. Was she mine?

My thoughts were interrupted by Maddie’s cries. Her
sobbing pierced through to my soul. With clenched fists, I stepped
forward. “Look, she asked you nicely to leave, and now I’m telling
you. Get out!”

“Fuck you!”

Maddie gasped and stepped in front of me. Tears
streamed down her cheek, and she was trembling all over. “Please
don’t do this, Will? Why do you have to be this person? You’re
breaking Mom and Dad’s heart!” she cried.

Will’s eyes flashed angrily. “What do you know of
anything? I see you. You’re just a cardboard cutout—Mom and Dad’s
beautiful little princess.” He snorted. “You make me sick.”

As the tears streamed down her cheeks, Maddie’s fists
clenched at her side. “Get out!” she shrieked.

I took a step towards him. “You heard her. Get out,
man. Right now before I call the cops.”

Will’s dark eyes gleamed. “Why don’t you make
me?”

Before I knew what was happening, he’d lunged forward
at me. I ducked. Then I popped back up, pummeling him once in the
chin and then in the ribcage. He moaned and fell over.

“Now get out,” I growled.

When I turned to check on Maddie, Will lunged at my
legs, knocking me to the floor. On the way down, I busted my lip on
the edge of the table. We started kicking and scuffling on the
kitchen floor.

The next sound I heard was the unmistakable click of
a gun. Will and I both gazed up to see Maddie standing over us with
pistol. “Get out, Will,” she commanded.

He shook his head before pulling himself to his feet.
“Bitch,” he mumbled and then he stalked out the back door, slamming
it behind him.

Maddie dropped the gun on the table. “Noah, are you
all right?”

I wiped the blood off my lip. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not, you’re bleeding!”

“It’s okay, Maddie. I’ve had busted lips before.”

“Wait, I’ll get you some ice.”

“Frozen peas or vegetables work better.”

She nodded and ran to the freezer.

I was finally coming out of my stupor. “Um, since
when do you know how to use a gun?”

“Daddy made me and my mom take a gun class when we
were living in Memphis. I was just fourteen at the time, but I was
one of the best shots around.”

I pulled myself into a sitting position. It was
certainly turning into an interesting night.

Maddie came back over to me. With shaky hands, she
thrust out a bag of black-eyed peas. “Will this do?”

“Maddie?” Josh’s drowsy voice questioned from the
doorway.

I exchanged a horrified glance with her before she
replied, “Uh yeah?” She quickly stepped in front of Josh so he
couldn’t see me on the floor.

Grinding his eyes with his fists, he said, “I thought
I heard voices and fighting.”

With a nervous laugh, she went to his side. “I think
you must’ve been dreaming. You better get upstairs and get into
bed. You don’t want Mom and Dad to catch you still up.”

“Okay,” he replied.

I didn’t breathe, let alone speak, until I heard the
patter of his feet on the ceiling above me. “That was close.”

Maddie rubbed her face with her hands. “Yes, it was.”
Glancing over her shoulder at me, she grimaced. “You need cleaning
up.”

She hurried over to the sink and then came back with
a wet rag. “Here, let me.” Tenderly, she wiped the blood off my lip
and cleaned the cut.

“I had no idea Will was that bad,” I said. At her
surprised look, I replied, “I mean, I know you told me he had been
in and out of rehab, but I just didn’t expect…”

Maddie gave me a tight smile. “For him to be so awful
to me?”

“Yeah.” I gripped the bag of peas tight. “Even if he
is your brother, I could’ve punched his lights out even more for
the things he said to you.”

“My Knight in Shining Armor,” Maddie murmured.

“I guess.”

She shook her head sadly. “I hate you had to see him
like that. He used to be such a good guy.”

“Yeah, that happens when you get hooked on drugs,” I
said lamely.

Maddie didn’t say anything. I had wanted to wait for
a better time to give her the money, but now seemed like the best
opportunity. I reached into my wallet and pulled out the check my
dad had slipped me at dinner. Once I’d seen the amount, I knew why
he’d given it to me then—I couldn’t protest loudly in front of the
others at the amount. I did a good enough job silently when my eyes
bulged from their sockets.

“Maddie, I want you to have something.”

“What?” she asked.

“It’s some money from my dad—you know for your
parents.”

I handed her the money. Her eyes widened. “But Noah,
this is too much!”