Me and Mr. Write (16 page)

I know nothing about what just happened but everything sounds distant, like when you listen to a shell to hear the sea. I push myself up from the ground as my world starts to return to normal and look around to see Matthew fighting with someone, there’s a guy sitting a few feet from me holding his nose, there’s blood pouring through his fingers. I jump up as I realise what’s happening and I’m hit hard with something across my upper back.

I turn
to see the mouthy little shit from the pub throwing down a cricket bat and lunging toward me. All of the anger I felt toward him earlier rushes up inside me as I surge forward and the adrenaline kicks in. My fist connects hard with his cheek bone and he steps back, he is off balance and I step forward to push him backward, I manage a kick to the ribs before I’m pulled backward by the arm and punched hard on the jaw. Bloody nose has stepped up to defend his friend and it only fuels the fire in me more, I laugh as I push forward…

After Mum died
, drinking, fighting and sex were my release. I was angry, and the power that I felt when I fought or fucked someone was addictive. I loved the feeling of being in charge, either in a dark car park or whatever bed I found myself in. A rush of adrenaline would surge through my veins and I’d lose myself in the moment…

“OI…Fucking stop! Right now or I’m calling the police!” Ben has picked up the cricket bat and is charging toward us. The group backs off immediately which surprises and amuses me. I can’t help but laugh at the fact that the two of us came out on top of the three of them. They’re pretty badly beaten up, but we haven’t come off unscathed.

“What the fuck lads?” Ben seems angry as he approaches Matthew and I and starts to check that we’re alright,

“They jumped us mate, what are we meant to do?” Matthew responds as I run my tongue across my cut lip, “I’m gonna look a right twat on my wedding photos!”

“
They’re scum! Sorry guys I should have expected they’d do something like this, shall I call the police?

“
No Ben, it’s done, don’t worry about it! Come on, let’s get home and face the music!”

When I Matthew and I enter the Alvez house we take a breath before walking into the living room. Bernie is the first to look up and gasp as she leaps out of her chair, causing Rosie and Rafe to follow suit,

“What the hell happened to you?”
I can’t hear Rafe and Matthew’s conversation over Rosie’s questioning, my hears are ringing and I shush her before I realise I’m doing it, “Jackson don’t you dare shush me! Start talking now!” she is annoyed and wide eyed,

“We got jumped Rosie,
its fine. You should see the other guys!” When it hurts me to wink I realise that I took a few more hits than I knew about.

I feel a sharp pain at the back of my head and remember the initial blow, I
realise that the fight started with me being hit on the back of the head, with the cricket bat I guess. I put my hand to back of my head and can feel blood dried in my hair, I’m not still bleeding so I don’t worry too much.

“Who was it? Tell me Jackson!” as she asks the question Rosie looks at
Rafe, who returns her gaze,

“
Just some mouthy homophobes from the pub” Matthew answers and I watch a fire ignite in Rosie’s eyes, she knows him.

Rosie jumps up and heads for the door, Rafe follows her and I stand to do the same. My head is a little fuzzy and I need to sit back down.
I can’t hear what they’re saying and presume for some reason that they are whispering until Rosie bursts back into the room with the phone in her hand,

“I’m not having this Rafe, look at them!”
Rosie points the phone at me and Rafe holds her arms,

“I’m not arguing with you Rosie, but
let’s make sure they’re ok first. The police can wait ten minutes” She is pacing; the only other time that I have seen her like this was when I told her about Sasha.

“Right then
you, come on let’s get you cleaned up” Rafe holds out a hand to Matthew and they head up to the bathroom.

“Rosie, you’re not calling the police. Matthew and I came out of top I promise. I just want to go to bed” I hold out my hands for hers and as she takes them she relaxes
slightly,

“I just
can’t bear looking at you like this Jackson; I want to kill the person responsible!” She starts to tense up again as I pull her down to sit on my lap and stroke her hair from her face. She starts to cry and it breaks my heart.  “I just don’t want anything to happen to you, we’ve been through too much already. I can’t lose you”

“I’m going nowhere Rosie, and
it’s my job to protect you, not the other way around” I guide Rosie’s face downward and wince slightly as I kiss her, “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

I
can’t sleep, Jackson is breathing softly next to me but I can’t relax. Party concerned that if I drift off I won’t hear if he stops breathing but mostly because I am too angry to sleep. I promised Jackson that I wouldn’t get the police involved and I won’t, but I know who did this and I won’t drop it. I know it was him.

“Are you sure you’re ok to drive? I don’t mind dropping you to the station” Jackson is popping up to see his Dad today but he’s in pain from last night and I’m worried that he’s going to pass out at the wheel,

“Rosie, I’m fine baby.
I’ll let you know when I’m there and when I leave to get back”

I wave him off at about midday and take a deep breath, I hope he’s ok, and I
hope he doesn’t get back early. I promised him I wouldn’t pursue his attack last night but I lied.

Mam and Rafe have taken Audrey to
Manchester with Matthew for suit fittings and a matinee performance of some musical that Mam wanted to see, and Dad is at the bar sorting out the canapés for the champagne reception on Saturday. Jackson is due back about eight and Pip, who has had to go to Liverpool for a shoot has already told me that Ben isn’t starting work until six today, so I just need to bide my time until then, he’ll be able to confirm my suspicions.

As I walk into the pub just after six pm Ben looks up at me and shakes his head,

“No Rosie, you need to leave” by the tone of his voice he has already answered my questions,

“Where is he Ben?” my voice is monotone but louder than usual.  I am glad that it sounds strong and no nonsense. Ben doesn’t answer and I repeat myself through gritted teeth, “Where is he?”

“Rosie, this isn’t a good idea…
” as he speaks I hear the sickeningly familiar laugh from the back of the pub and all of the hairs on my body stand to attention, Ben resigns himself to letting me past and stands aside,

“Well well well, Rosie Alvez, it’s been a while!” Jonah licks his lower lip as he looks me up and down and my skin crawls,
“Sit down, let’s catch up”

“Cut the shit Jonah, I just wanted to warn you that you’ll be back inside soon. I’ve informed the police that it was you that attacked my fiancé and
my brother in law, and let’s face it, with your history you’ll be someone’s bitch within a week!” despite my better judgement, I sit. Jonah is going to give some answers. There is silence for what seems an eternity as I gather my strength and Jonah stares at me in a way that churns my stomach.

“Well, go on then” Jonah waits for me to question him, sitting back smugly in his chair and never taking his eyes off me. I turn to look at Ben, the pub is busy and
he’s serving a line of customers at the bar,
‘You can do this Rosie!
’

“What is wrong with you Jonah, why are you happy to be such a waste of space?”  I ask but continue before he can answer,

“You need to grow up and learn to live in the real world. You’re not the big I AM that you think you are; you’re just a frightened little boy, still looking for people weaker than him to make himself feel powerful. But you picked on the wrong ones last night didn’t you?” I am finding my flow and lean back to mirror his posture, “Although I have to say, the freshly beaten to a pulp look suits you, you really should wear it more often, really!” I lean forward and stare straight into his eyes. Even through the swelling that’s closing one of them, I can see the dilation of his pupils, “Which can be arranged!”

I stand to leave and he watches me silently, I can see the anger in his face and it frightens me but I don’t allow him to see that weakness, not this time, this time
I’m in charge.

“Honey I’m Home” I call out playfully as I enter the Alvez house using the key from the plant pot on the doorstep, “Rosie?” the house is quiet and I realise that nobody is home.

Rosie didn’t text me back when I text to tell her I was on my way back from Dad’s early and when I call her and hear her phone ringing in the kitchen, I know why. I hear the door and head back out to the hallway.

“Jackson, you’re back early” It’s Joaquin, “Where’s my little girl?”

“I was just about to ask you?” I am confused; I thought Rosie was helping her Dad today,

“I don’t know, she’s been with you all day” Joaquin walks into the kitchen and I follow,

“No she didn’t come with me, she was helping you at the bar wasn’t she?” Joaquin looks up at me, his face full of concern as we hear the door again. Rafe, Bernie and Matthew are in high spirits as they enter the house, but as they sense the mood in the kitchen they fall silent. Bernie notices that Rosie is not there,

“Where is Rosetta?”

“I don’t know, her phone is here”

“But she went with you t
o your Dad’s didn’t she? She said she was” Rafe has become very tense and eager to know where his sister is,

“No, she told me she was helping Joaquin at the bar today. Pip is in Liverpool so she’s not with her” I put my hand up to scratch the back of my head and feel the cut from the night before, the sight of Rosie pacing comes back to me and panic washes across my face,

“What Jackson?” Rafe steps in front of my and is pressing me as though I’ve done something to her,

“She was angry last night, she promised to drop it and not pursue it but I don’t know….”

Rafe rushes for the door before I can stop him and I follow, Matthew joins us before I ask him to stay,

“Please, in case she comes back, in case they need you!” I point back to the house dreading the thought
of something so terrible happening to Rosie that her parents would need Matthew for support. He steps back into the house and I run to catch up with Rafe.

When we reach the pub Ben immediately stands on guard,

“No more trouble tonight lads please!” He knows why we’re here,

“Where’s Rosie?” Rafe is eyeballing the whole pub as he asks the question,

“She left about ten minutes ago, I think she said what she came here to say!” Ben stops serving the customer whose pint he has half poured, “Please Rafe, just leave it!”

“She’s not at home Ben” as Rafe looks at Ben the colour drains from his face and he heads out from behind the bar and to the back of the pub,

“Rafe, he was here, I
’m sorry he was right here. I didn’t see him leave”

Rafe turns on his heels and heads back toward the door and I follow,

“What is this about Rafe? Who is this bloke?” there is something that I’m not being told and it’s beginning to really piss me off,

“Not now
Jackson” he pushes open the pub door and steps out into the street; Ben has abandoned the bar to join us.

As
head away from the pub Rafe starts to call out Rosie’s name and I am worried. If Rafe thinks that she out here somewhere, and needs to be rescued then he has reason to. I am furious that he won’t tell me what’s going on but I forget my anger when I hear the scream.

I set off at a run in the direction that the screams for help are coming from; I can hear my blood pumping in my ears and the footsteps of Rafe and Ben hot on my heels but can’t process anything. Rosie needs me and I am ready to murder who or whatever is making her call out in fear and desperation.

As we turn down a side street I freeze momentarily,
Rosie is laying on floor with a man lying on top of her. Her arms are pinned to the ground above her head with one of his hands while the other is fighting underneath her skirt as she kicks and flails to get him off her.

On autopilot I run and pull him off, throwing him against the wall of an empty building to my left. I stand over him and realise at that moment how deep my anger can run... he is going to die.

As he looks up at me I notice that I recognise him and all of the sideways glances and wide eyes of the past twenty four hours make sense, Rosie knows this guy somehow. The homophobic drunk that attacked me last night, the reason she was so angry and why she lied to us all today, there’s history here, and I know right now that it isn’t good.

I lose myself as pull him up to standing a
nd start to rain punches on him. I hit him hard on the spot on his ribs where I know I hurt him last night and as he buckles in pain I don’t stop. I won’t stop until he is finished.