HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
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Chapter Thirteen
Broken
I passed by many faces as I followed behind Paul as closely as possible. I wanted Jack to be at my side when I was to see the Keepers again. But Jack was nowhere in sight. He was furious when I last saw him close to our table. He might have gone outside or for a walk. He usually left when he was mad. I just wished it wasn’t when I needed him. I could feel my heart pounding painfully in my chest as we left the huge main room and entered the hallway. Only he and I were in the hall. It made me even more panicky to think that no one knew I had followed Paul out here. What if they decided that my decision wasn’t acceptable? What if they decided to go through with the procedure without my consent? They’ve done it before. Why should I expect anything differently?
We went further through the building, ripping me away from my family and friends. I felt so vulnerable by myself. My hands were trembling and I was going over different ways to break someone’s wrist. Jack taught me all of the ways. But there were five Keepers and one me. I kept thinking of different strategies to take them on. There was always running. I knew without a doubt that I’d be able to outrun them all. Running was my strong point. As cocky as it sounds, I was the best runner out of everyone I knew. I’ve run in these halls before. All I’d need to do is run and find Jack or Zach.
“In here,” Paul spoke as he opened the door for me.
Hesitantly, I stepped inside and checked my surroundings. It was a room I knew too well. It was the room I had shared with Zach many moons ago. This room was made for me back when I was pregnant with Cassie. I took in the blue walls that were all different shades. Seeing the room was like being pulled back to that time when I was terrified and vulnerable. Actually, things were pretty much the same right now. Back then I was slowly becoming comfortable with Zach, to the point that he slept next to me in the bed because I felt bad for him having to sleep on the couch. We became really good friends. And then I began to fall for him. It was all in this room. I’m pretty sure our first kiss happened in here. My face burned at the memory.
“Samantha, please have a seat,” said Destin, who sat on the black leather couch I once used to spend hours on.
Everyone was here. They all managed to squeeze on the couch. I took a seat in a chair that was originally by the table I used to eat every meal at. It’s amazing how much things have changed since I was here last.
“Of course you know why we asked you here,” Destin broke the silence.
I nodded, still unable to find my voice.
“We hope you have thought considerably over this vital decision.”
I cringed. This was it. I glanced over at the door to judge the distance. I could make it in two seconds flat. “I have.”
They all stared at me with this intense look in each on their eyes.
“I’ve decided not to do it.”
I might as well of told them that I was going to kill them. Their eyes melted from a pale green to crimson in a matter of seconds. It was frightening. “May I ask of your reasoning?” wondered Paul.
I cleared my throat and stared at my feet. “I’m happy with my life right now. I don’t want to complicate it more than it already is. I can’t do it to Jack.”
“Is this your final decision?”
“I’m afraid so. I won’t do it.”
Destin nodded to show that he heard me. “That is highly disappointing. You do know how important this is?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I do. But I won’t do it to my husband. I love him too much to hurt him.”
“But this is vital for the Twiad—“
“She has made her choice,” Paul interrupted Destin before facing me again. “A decision that may be changed at any time.”
“It is a selfish choice,” Destin snapped.
I stood up without even meaning to. “I have to go. My family is waiting for me,” I said dryly while turning towards the door, but paused right there. “You wanted me to come in this room in hopes of changing my mind, didn’t you?”
They all fell silent.
I continued my way towards the door when Paul stood up.
“I’ll walk you to the main room,” he muttered.
I was about to say that it wasn’t necessary, but he was already at the door. We stepped out into the hall and left the others back in the room. I wanted to be alone. Paul fell into step next to me, keeping up pretty well considering I was walking so fast. “You must care deeply for Jack.”
My feet skidded to a stop when he spoke. “Huh?”
“You must care deeply for Jack. You kept mentioning about hurting him and how much you loved him.”
I raised an eyebrow out of confusion. Wasn’t that already obvious? “I really do.”
He nodded with a smile. “Jack is good with you. He’s much calmer now, in a way.”
I had forgotten that Paul knew Jack long before I knew him. In fact, he might have known Jack’s parents. “Well, right now he’s probably still pissed that I tried to drag him over to his father’s image.”
My language made him flinch. “He will forgive you or apologize. He isn’t one to let things fester for long. He prefers to take care of things.”
“Did you know his father?”
Paul’s curious expression went cold. His eyes were suddenly an intense blue while his hands quavered just a little. “I did. Good man.”
Curiosity got the better of me. “What was he like? Jack, err, can’t remember him.” That wasn’t exactly true. Jack just couldn’t remember past what his father had done.
“Gordon was a man that sought adventure.”
“Gordon?” That was his name? It seemed so strange to hear it.
“Yes. He was always trying to find something exciting to do. He must have gone to earth dozens of times. He would come back and boast about what he saw while he was away. I think he enjoyed the attention.”
I leaned against the wall, no longer wanting to go back. I wanted to hear more about Jack’s history and his family. He never talks about them. “So he met his wife, Joanna, on earth?”
He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. “That man was already married before he even came back to Renton. She was his greatest adventure of all. He treated her like a precious porcelain doll that might break at any second. It was different from how the other married couples were. He was bewitched by her.”
“He really loved her, didn’t he?”
“Absolutely. He rarely was alone. He always had to bring her with him everywhere he went.”
I pictured them being happy and in love. It was a strange image because I kept thinking about what Gordon did when she died. “She loved him too, right?”
“About as much as he loved her, yes. They were inseparable. Gordon received much grief over the fact that he married a human. Joanna didn’t hear most of the talk because Gordon challenged anyone that dared to say anything bad about her. When Joanna became pregnant with Jack, Gordon was thrilled. Twiads all around, however, were becoming more verbal about how they felt.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “What do you mean?”
He sighed long and hard as he stared at the wall behind me. “When Jack was born, well, he was treated different.” He swallowed hard as if he were nervous about telling me this. “The children treated him as if he were beneath them, all because his blood was mixed. He fought in school, just like his father, only Jack seemed more bothered by all of the talk. Even when he was five he would attack someone for saying something bad about him or his mother.”
This was new news to me. I felt even more intrigued by all of this. “Jack fought even then?”
He gave a nod. “Jack was different from the others. The way he acted was strange. He wasn’t good in school, he turned to violence when it came to getting things done, and he let things bother him. All of this because the mix of human blood in his veins. It made him more emotional like a human.”
“That’s horrible that they treated him differently than the others. Everything must have really changed him after his parents had died.”
“He did change that day. He has been through a lot.” His expression held sorrow and remorse when he thought of Jack.
“I can’t believe his dad just killed himself because his wife had died. He didn’t even think about his own son.”
Paul rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. “I cannot say that we did not foresee it happening. We knew how much he adored his wife. His attachment to her was unnatural. When he heard the news of her death…” He swallowed hard and tightened his arms around his torso. “It destroyed him.”
“It’s just…How could he do that?”
He gave a light shrug of his shoulders. “Love is powerful. You of all people should know that.”
I gave him a look. “Why me of all people?”
“Jack is exactly like his father. He loves a challenge. Maybe that is why he became intrigued by you. You were his challenge. Also just like his father, he has become highly attached to the one he loves.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you mean ‘too attached’ to me?”
“Jack is blinded by love. Isn’t that obvious? His attachment to you is strong. He always wants to see you and go home to you. He worries about you constantly. That is obvious. He would die for you.”
Jack would die for me. But only if I were in danger. “There’s nothing wrong with loving somebody a lot. It’s life.”
“But Jack is too similar to his father. If anything were to happen to you, Samantha, I believe that it would destroy him.”
My expression fell at the intensity of his words. Most would be thrilled to know someone loves them this much. But knowing what happened with Jack’s father and what had resulted after that. It wasn’t a thrilling thought. “Jack wouldn’t be that way. He’s different. He’d know to take care of the children and to continue on. He’s not like his father,” I said as strongly as I could.
Paul’s wrinkly lips pulled into a frown. “If you say so. He has already proven how much he worries about you. How long did it take him to get to the medical office after you were injured? He probably did not fly safely.”
I wrapped my arms around myself as I tried to defend Jack. I felt compelled to prove that he was different from his father. I had to know that he was different. If anything were to actually happen to me I wanted to be positive that Jack would carry on for the kids, for me. I couldn’t even imagine him doing what his father had done. It was an agonizing thought. Daniel needed his father, just as Jack really needed his own. “You’re wrong. I did die once. Jack didn’t do anything dangerous.” I was going to win this debate.
“That was back when you two were just friends, correct?”
I scowled. “He cared deeply for me then. I may not have returned those feelings, but he still didn’t do anything when I died. He carried on.”
Paul shook his head lightly. “Jack barely carried on. You were not here to witness what happened after your death. Zach was in a massive depression while Jack was drowning his sorrows in some drink. If you hadn’t of come back, I doubt he would have lasted another week. Zach clearly would not have lasted another day.”
Zach. I thought back to the day I found him just broken. He hadn’t eaten, hadn’t had anything to drink, and he hadn’t slept. It was extreme. I knew I would have been the same if the roles were reversed, though. Even when I thought Jack had died I was a wreck. I carried on though. I was still convinced Jack would if anything were to happen to me. “I guess neither of us will ever be sure of what Jack would have done.”
“I’m sorry to have upset you. I promise I meant no harm.”
My mood was pretty down by that point. “What did you mean?”
“I meant to only warn you. Jack is likely to follow in his father’s footsteps. He is practically his father’s clone when it comes to personality, only Jack sees things at a more emotional point of view because of his mother. I think his father must have seen his wife’s death as tragic and saw no other way but death for himself. Gordon was a free spirit compared to most of the Twiads. I believe Jack got a double dosage of emotion.”
“Why would you warn me when I can’t do a damn thing about it?” I cried, startling both of us. I wiped away a few tears from my cheek that I didn’t even know were there. “I’m sorry. It’s a touchy subject at our house. Jack never speaks about his father. I know Jack wouldn’t do the same because he hates his father for what he had done.”
This was too much. He basically told me that if I were to die, Jack would kill himself, just like his father. All of this because Jack loved too much. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out,” I said to his a bit bitterly as I pushed away from the wall.
“That is not all of what I have to say when it comes to Jack.”
I turned to face him with a puzzled expression. “What else could there be?”
Paul ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Although you may be the best thing for him, you are also the worst.”
Anger boiled up inside of me. How dare him! Who is he to judge what is good or bad for my husband? “Excuse me?”
“I have known him since he was a baby, Samantha. I know what Jack is capable of. Not only does he put his heart first, his second biggest downfall is being overprotective. He has always been that way, even towards Zachary.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being protective towards someone. I know this already.”
“So you know that he will fight for anyone without a second thought? He fought for Zachary at a young age just because someone treated him wrong. He is a more dangerous man now when he has more to fight for.”
“I’m just as dangerous, sir,” I replied with a hard expression. “When it comes to the ones I love, at least.”
He nodded. “That has already been noted. But I’m more so afraid of what Jack is capable of. He is extremely protective of you, and clearly has shown that he is a jealous man.”
My eyes widened at the last part. “How would you know that?”
His expression faltered. “He had some words with Liam. You knew of this, correct?”
I leaned against the wall for support. Jack did what? I told him to leave this whole Liam thing alone. It was nothing. I told him it was nothing. “When was this?”
“The day of your injury. He spoke to him that night. I only know of this because Liam came to the Keepers to tell us of Jack’s threat. I cannot say that I am surprised.”
Jack threatened Liam? Was that why I hadn’t seen him since I was injured? The answer was yes. “I’ll be sure to talk to him about it.” I stared at the cold white tiles below my black boots, unable to look him in the eyes.
“We want to be sure that this jealousy does get him into some serious trouble.”
I shoved away from the wall out of anger. “Thank you for informing me what might happen with my own husband. You do know that I know him better than anyone, right?”
“Well, then you must know how dangerous he could be. Not to you, of course, but to others.”
I really hated Paul. He seemed to always want to hurt me in some emotional way. First he tells me that Jack would die if I did, which is something I can do nothing about and am pretty sure won’t ever happen. Next he tells me that Jack could seriously hurt someone out of jealousy. Just peachy to hear, especially when there’s nothing I can do about any of this. Of course Jack is overprotective! He lost his entire family in one day. He has a right to be overprotective. Of course he loves me and his family more than anything. It’s safe to say that we are his life, just like any other man with a family. Part of me wondered if Paul had told me all of this because he wanted to rattle my cage. He probably wanted me to turn around and agree to their plans, all because I couldn’t see straight and was angry at Jack. Jack didn’t have a right to threaten Liam, but Paul had absolutely no right to butt into our relationship.
I left Paul standing there because I had to be alone. I just wanted some peace and quiet in the hall. He shouldn’t have told me about Gordon and Joanna’s relationship. He shouldn’t have said that Jack and I were doomed to repeat what they had. He shouldn’t have told me that my own husband was a danger to society, and always has been. It made me hate the Keepers more and more. They played on my half-human emotions. They wanted me to second guess my relationship with Jack. They wanted me to be their puppet.