[MJ Fanfiction] Collide

CHAPTER FORTY SIX - SIBLINGS

My grandmother looked at me and I noticed how she clenched her jaw while her eyes got watery. She didn't speak another word to me, but instead she walked closer to Hayden. She was throwing daggers his way, and I still had no idea why.

"You," she said, stopping a couple of feet away from him. "I'd be curious to know what you told her about your past. For instance... Did you tell her about your little trip to rehab?"

Rehab? I asked myself frowning.

Hayden stayed silent, and his eyes widened a bit when Grams mentioned that. I examined his behavior closely, and his whole demeanor changed in a split second. It's like his whole body tensed up, his breathing got faster, and he moved uncomfortably, not knowing what to do with his arms. It was obvious that he forgot to mention something about his past.

"Apparently you didn't," my grandmother concluded. "I imagine you didn't tell her about your overdose as well, right? Or about how you met your wife at an AA meeting?"

"W—Wait," I raised a hand, motioning my grandmother to stop talking. "I thought you met Emma after one of your common classes in college?"

Hayden looked at me shamefully, as guilt appeared in his blue eyes. He didn't speak a word, but instead he looked at the floor and let Grams reveal his darkest secrets without his approval. She was humiliating him.

"Oh, I almost forgot that day where your father and his mother had to bail him out of jail because he got into a fight and destroyed the other man's face," she added. The more she was speaking, the more I could feel my chest burning with anger and utter shame, like Hayden's emotions were slowly transferring to me. "You understand now why I didn't tell you about him, Hale?" Grams asked me, but I couldn't take my eyes off of my brother who seemed to be in pain just reminiscing this part of his life. "He is a drug addict, a violent person and now, a liar. He may have the same gift as you, but he is nothing like you, and he'll bring only bad things into your life."

It was my turn to be silent. I had no idea what to say, so I just stayed there for some long seconds. The whole place was silent, the only noise that could be heard was the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. My heart was beating extremely fast in my chest because of the different strong emotions I had in me: pain, anger, sadness, shame... it was a mix of mine and Hayden's emotions, and I was trying my best to deal with all of them at once.

"You said Hayden was a liar, but for how many years did you lie to me, Grams? Huh? Twenty nine years. For twenty-nine years you looked at me in the eyes and told me I was your only grandchild. You told me I was Dad's most beautiful and only accomplishment."

"And I wasn't lying. You are perfect just the way you are. You both are completely opposite to each other."

Without speaking another word, Hayden took his leather jacket again, and walked to the front door. Even after everything that happened during the past few minutes, I couldn't bear the sight of him leaving.

"Hayden, wait!" I called, and ran after him, passing my grandmother in the process. "Don't go, please. I'm begging you."

"I told you this was a bad idea. She's right, I don't want to bring any drama into your life, I should have stayed out of your life," he shamefully said, once again, and my heart broke at the sight. A tear fell from my cheek as I took his hand in mine.

I didn't say another word but dragged him back to the living room where Grams was watching us from afar. I didn't bother wipe my tears away from my face, and looked at her deep in the eyes.

"You probably don't see it because you're blinded by your hate and your fear right now, but you're being a cold-hearted woman with no morals whatsoever. Do you realize what you just did to Hayden? To the man who has your son's blood running through his veins?" I asked her, but she didn't move an inch nor showed any sign of regret. "You mentioned that I was perfect, but there is not such thing as perfection. Every human being is flawed. You are. I am. Hayden is. And dad was. Dad was a cheater and a liar, and even though it pains me to say it, it is the truth and you know it. And you... You're just his accomplice in this, which makes you no better than him. You call yourself a Christian, but doesn't the Bible say to look at our sins before judging someone else?" I asked, and finally my grandmother's face seemed to change a little, even to soften slightly. "Hayden has made his mistakes in the past, but what matters is the present and the future, not the past. Now. And right now, I want to know my brother. I want to let him the chance to introduce me to the best version of himself."