Page 27 of Justified Lies

He tried to be angry with himself for getting sidetracked by Lianna, but just couldn’t muster the strength. Truth was, he lacked the energy or desire to push her away. After getting a taste of her this afternoon, he would never push her away physically again. Emotionally he would have to construct some walls, but he had been doing that most of his life anyway.

One thing was certain, she couldn’t know about Megan. Gabe shuddered at the thought of Lianna knowing where Jacob came from, where he came from. There was no way she would want anything to do with him, friendship included, if she knew how screwed up he was. And if Megan got custody of Jake, Gabe would be forced to move back home. It just wasn’t fair to Lianna to keep intruding in her personal life, but damned if he could stop himself.

The rumbling from his stomach finally convinced Gabe to exit the vehicle. He hadn’t made it two steps inside the kitchen before he heard the front door open. Jacob came bounding towards him. Dolores followed close behind, smiling as she set her oversized purse and a goodie bag on the counter.

“Dad! Perfect timing, we just got back from the party. Can we have a catch in the backyard?”

Gabe didn’t need to force his smile. His current life situation was far from perfect, but Jacob was.

“Of course. Why don’t you go warm up? I’m going to grab a snack and then I’ll be out.”

Turning to Dolores, he thanked her up, down, and sideways for helping out. Then assuring her that they had things under control, he watched her walk out towards the carriage home where she would hopefully spend the rest of the weekend undisturbed.

As Gabe microwaved leftovers, he watched through the kitchen window at Jacob running in circles, tossing the ball into the air then trying to catch it. Megan had passed down her light blue eyes and petite nose to the boy. Personality wise, Jacob was shy and reserved like Gabe had been as a child.

A dose of anxiety kicked in, almost stealing his appetite. Watching Jacob, he knew he needed to be proactive to prevent him from being taken away. It was clear to Gabe what he had todo next. After their game of catch, he needed to make a phone call to a number he always dreaded.

His parents.

****

For possibly the first time ever, Gabe felt better after talking to his mom and dad. Speaking with them was never a pleasant experience, but this go-round was bearable. They had been awaiting his call, having received one from the correction center themselves.

Rick, his father, confirmed that they would support him when it came to remaining Jacob’s primary care giver. They would write letters, testify, do what had to be done to ensure their grandchild stayed under his guardianship. That guaranteed absolutely nothing, but it was one small positive that he could latch on to. Dolores and some of the guys from the precinct could also attest to his devotion to Jacob. But having his parents’ support touched something deep inside him.

Beth ended the call by guilt tripping her son for not coming home in a while. Gabe appeased her with the typical response, assuring her they would try to swing it. They both knew he wouldn’t be swinging it. It had been years since Gabe had set foot in his childhood home and the idea of bringing Jacob there was less than appealing. Nothing positive had come out of that house and he didn’t want to inflict Jacob with the family curse.

Gabe closed his eyes, trying to remember when everything fell apart. When did his mom become so lonely, turning to a bottle for companionship? Why weren’t they enough for her? Rick was the faithful enabler, tiptoeing around Beth, apologizing, and excusing her actions. When things really got tough, his dad would conveniently leave town for work. Dysfunction was their normal, and he couldn’t remember anything other than that.

Apparently, Beth had nurtured and doted on them for a while, maybe that’s why he turned out okay. But once they were in school full-time and Gabe’s father would head north for the two weeks a month he spent as project manager on a copper mine in the Yukon, she started turning to wine to keep her company. Well, wine and his best friend’s dad, but that was another story entirely.

Crossing his arms behind his head, Gabe stretched his long frame out on the sectional. At the opposite end of the couch sat Jacob, spilling more popcorn on the cushion than in his mouth. They both stared at the flat screen perched on top of their open fireplace, searching for the best game to leave on.

“Eagles, Eagles, leave that one on,” Jacob exclaimed.

“Since when are you an Eagles fan?”

“I like their colors. And the quarterback is super cool.”

Gabe rolled his eyes but laughed at the kid.

Allowing himself to just watch Jacob, he couldn’t stop himself from seeing Megan. The boy’s animated expression was a mirror image of his mom. Today was the first time in a long while Gabe allowed himself to freely think of her, to really remember. His mind was accustomed to pushing all thoughts of her away. When necessary, he spoke of her almost clinically, devoid of emotion. But there were times he just couldn’t fight it, and this was one of them.

Regardless of what Megan had become, Gabe cared for her and hurt for her. She was such a beautiful, happy girl before a series of awful events turned her into a monster. But when it came down to it, he would always choose Jacob over her. He just wished she had someone in her corner willing to fight for her the same way.

Restless from traveling down memory lane, Gabe grabbed his phone and shot off a text to Dan. The way his weekend had gone, he was willing to beg for a workout partner.He had enough pent-up energy to get him through every lunch hour this week.

The sound of an incoming message surprised him. Usually, Dan was awful at responding to text. The words his best friend had written sent an icy chill down his spine.

Just heard from the rumor mill, Justine Starks’s body was found.

****

The sounds of the weights thunking to the floor was comforting. Gabe sat up on the bench, grabbing a towel from his leg to hastily wipe the sweat from his face.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Dan asked from his spotter position behind the bench.

“Whaddaya mean?”

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