Harleigh
“What the fuck is she doing here?”
His cold, callous words clanged through me.
“Joe,” Jessa gasped, still gripping my shoulder. “Don’t be so rude.”
“It’s okay,” I forced out, staring at the ground, wishing it would swallow me whole. “I’m just leaving.”
“Like hell you are,” Nix hissed. “Birdie is with me. I want her here. Don’t fucking speak to her like that.”
“Or what, kid? What the fuck are you going to do about it?”
A ripple went through the air as father and son glared at each other. It wasn’t the first time I’d witnessed Joe Wilder’s wrath or his obvious disdain for his son, his own flesh and blood. But I’d forgotten how much it hurt seeing it firsthand.
“Joe, please.” Jessa moved toward him. “Why don’t I make us all some breakfast and we can—”
“For the love of God, woman, will you just stop your fussing.” He threw his hand up in the air and caught her smack in the face.
The crack of the impact reverberated through the room and I yelled, “Jessa,” as she stumbled back, blood exploding from her nose.
“Shit, baby, fuck, I didn’t—” He tried to reach for her, but she darted out of the way, grabbing the damp towel and pressing it to her face.
“Jessa, baby, let me—”
Nix stepped between them, shielding her. “You need to leave.”
“Like fuck I am. This is my place, kid. If you want to go, there’s the door.”
Nix closed the distance between them. “I said, you need to leave.” The icy tone to his words made me shudder.
Jessa’s pained sobs filled the trailer and I managed to slip around Joe and Nix to get to her. “Come on,” I whispered, taking her arm in mine, “let’s get you cleaned up.”
Guiding her over to the couch, I took the towel from her trembling hands and leaned in to inspect the damage. “Does it feel broken?”
“I-I don’t think so. I don’t— Nix, no!” I glanced up in time to see Nix grab his father by the collar of his t-shirt and shove him toward the door. Joe cussed, clearly in agony as he staggered into the wall.
“Jessa, baby, it was an accident. I didn’t mean—”
“Just go, please,” she cried.
“You heard her,” Nix seethed. “And don’t come back until you’ve figured out how to fix this.”
Heart in my throat, I watched as Joe glared at Nix, hatred burning in eyes like the heat of a thousand suns. I’d never understood why he hated Nix so much, but the bitterness between them had only grown over the years.
Joe cast Jessa a guilty look, but it didn’t stop him from grabbing his jacket off the coatrack and slipping out of the trailer.
“Fuck.” Nix punched the wall and I screamed.
“Go to him,” Jessa said, elbowing me. “Something tells me he needs you more than I do right now.”
I nodded, completely numb as I got up and went to him. Nix pulled me into his arms, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder.
And I was sure I felt the wetness of tears there.
“She’s resting,” Nix said, pulling the door closed on Joe and Jessa’s bedroom.
“Will you let me look at your hand now?”