These Violent Ends

Chapter Nine

It sucks that I don't remember whose idea this even was. Who decided to grab that gun? Who decided to hunt this man down? But my mind flashes back to that night. Caley's bloody and bruised face. The bullet hole in her chest. There was the part where they tried to assault her. And I really cannot just let that go.

"What happens after this? After we take them all down? Are you going to kill me too?" I ask, backing away from him slightly.

"Are you going to kill me?" He chimes back. I narrow my eyes at him. "Answer the question," I say.

Jason sighs, fumbling with the end of a blunt butt on the counter. "We have to be in this together and trust each other. We have to be well in tune with one another. I suggest maybe some couples therapy-"

"Couples therapy? Are you insane, Jason?!" I cry out. "I haven't dated you since the tenth grade! And we fucked once and that was last night."

"Three times actually. Last night." He points out. I point a finger at him, scoffing. "Don't start." I say.

"How about you take me on a real date?" I suggest. "A normal date?"

Jason smirks and pulls his phone out. "I was hoping you would say that." He then holds my phone out for me. "I was looking at the security photos and recognized one of the assholes as a guy I knew in college. One of them is Michael Harmbroke. He is having a party at his daddy's penthouse in a few nights." He says.

I grab his phone and read the Facebook post. I glance up at Jason and hand his phone back. "So how are we going to do that? There will be hundreds of people there." I say.

"So we do this subtly. We make him give us names and locations for the others. And then... um..." He trails off. I look around my kitchen and in my view I see salt. Then the idea hits me. I begin to make some tea, pouring the hot water from Caley's automated timed kettle into a cup and grabbing my tea bag. "Sulfur. It can irritate the stomach." I suggest, making Jason a coffee and handing it to him. "I don't know how you like your coffee." I say. He thanks me and starts grabbing the milk and whatever else he likes.

"Sulfur can also irritate the eyes, we could always toss it at him." He suggests.

"How? In front of literally everyone?"

"No," he says, sipping his coffee. "We spike the drink first. We both can strike up a conversation while the other accidentally spills their drink on him. While he's distracted one of us can dust his drink-"

"People will see we spilled on him. It'll cause a scene. Needs to be way more subtle." I say.

Like using me as bait. My eyes flash to him and he immediately shakes his head. "I lost Caley I am not losing you too. You won't be alone with that creep." He says. I sigh, placing my hand on his chest. "I take him to the dance floor to dance. We leave our drinks with you. You can spike his drink. I'll wear him out enough that he will want to take a sip." I say.

"That could work." He says. His hand comes up to mine, stroking my knuckles. "Just be careful." He says. That's the second time he's said that. "Why do you care?" I ask. He sets his cup down and then takes my own to place beside it. He takes my hands and pulls me out to the living room, pulling us into a sway. "Because I actually do care. I want to make up for what I did," he says.

"And you expect me to just automatically trust you again?" I ask. I look around at my apartment. What was once Caley is gone. Discarded by lines of cocaine and empty beer bottles. Jason is a drug. He can give you temporary relief, sometimes well-needed. But in the end, he just fucks up my life. Someone else may need relief through this type of deadly drug. But not me.

I don't need Jason Walsh. But, he is just too tempting to not try again.

I step back, glancing up at him. "If you want to make this work, I am willing to hear you out. But no... we aren't avenging Caley this way." I protest.

"Tess, if we don't... they will kill us," he says, grabbing ahold of my shoulders. I step back, pushing his arms off me. "Then we defend ourselves. Mace and arm ourselves. But I will not be another Bonnie and Clyde. I will not spend my life behind bars where I cannot reach Caley or my family." I say. I cross my arms and move toward my room. Jason stands there, gobsmacked.

"If you want to make things right, better even, start with cleaning up the drugs and the bottles. Come back and pick me up tonight for a surprise date." I say. Jason smiles, nodding.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I wait outside for Jason, the clock has just struck 8 PM. I look around, hoping to see Jason sometime soon. I swear to God if he's late I will strangle him.

Finally, I see him across the street, us staring at one another as cars pass by. His brown trenchcoat is pulled up to his ears, a black beanie on his head. "Coming?" He asks. I nod and cautiously walk across the street. When I get there Jason pulls out something from behind his back. "A purple rose?" I ask. He smiles as I take it, smelling it. "How did you know?" I ask.

"I learned my lesson from high school," he says. I smirk, taking his arm and we begin our walk. "So, what does the infamous Jason Walsh have planned for tonight?" I ask.

He snickers, taking us down a pathway of lights.

"Do you like seafood?" he asks.

"Occasionally," I answer with a smirk.

"Good, because there is a seafood place at Pike Place you will like. You can smash crab on the table." He says.

Ah yes, because what I wouldn't give to smash something with a mallet right now.

We make it to the restaurant and sit outside by the water. The winter air is chilly, but luckily my brown sweater under my coat is keeping me warm enough.

Jason orders us both some wine and the 'Seafood Bowl x2." And oysters to start. When the waiter leaves I grimace at the thought of oysters. "You will love them." He says.

"I don't really care for the slimy texture of oysters, to be honest." I say.

"But you like my texture by the looks of it," he says, smirking. I start to turn red. Hiding my self quickly behind the dessert menu. "They have cake." I mumble, changing the subject.

Jason loops his finger on top of the menu and pulls it down. I glance up at him and the smirk he has plastered on his face. "I wouldn't mind cake." He says. I roll my eyes and put the menu down. "Jason, listen." I start.

I take his hands into mine, meeting his eyes. "We started this wrong. We started this with a hook up, and drugs, and some really bad Bud Light and pizza. I want to- I want to slow our roll a little." I say. As much as I hate to say it, we need this.

Jason nods, smiling and tightening his grip on my hands. "I am content with sleeping on the couch." He says. Ever since Caley's death sleeping alone has been an impossible task for the both of us.

"She hated this type of thing, you know." Jason says. "I loved her, but she didn't like basic restaurants. She wanted fancy." He says, looking out to the ocean.

I half smile, pulling myself closer to him. "How do you feel about this?" I ask. "Being here with the salty fishy air, the cold Seattle breeze. The over priced T-shirt's on the street. Seriously I saw a shirt for $15 back there that had a stock picture of a whale on it." I say. Jason snorts when he laughs, his wine dripping to his chin.

"That was 100% a stock photo." He comments, laughing. He pauses after a while of laughing and looks back at me. "Seriously, though. How do you feel about this?" I ask.

"It feels like home."

He leans forward, dipping his chin to meet my lips. "You feel like home. I feel comfortable. And like, this could be something. I don't feel pressured with a timeline." He says.

"I don't want kids if that's what your insinuating." I say, chuckling. He laughs along, nodding. "Thank god." He says. He then kisses me, tracing my jaw with his fingertips.