Forever and Always

Chapter Fourteen: Dylan

Dylan

I walked out of the back door and handed Jo a bottle of water before sitting down with her and the rest of the gang, and when I mean the gang, I mean all of them. It’s been four days since the blow up at mom and dad’s house and things have been a bit of a s**t show.

We have all been trying to get a hold of Archer to talk to him, but he’s avoiding us and, frankly, it’s pissing me off. When he’s at work with Gage and Aiden, they don’t bring it up, but I know Gage wants to clear the air and tell him everything, but Archer shuts it down. We have all bene trying to call and text him, and he sends us one-word responses.

Even Jo sent him a few messages asking when they could talk and clear the air. He hasn’t responded except with a few shrug emojis. He’s being childish, and it’s about time we knocked some sense into his thick ass skull before he does something he regrets.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Taylor asked as she laid her head in Gage’s lap while Drew took her feet into his, taking off her flip-flops and started to massage her feet.

“You are living the life.” Ava laughed, watching her two guys spoil the hell out of her only to hear a grunt from Art.

“I spoil you just fine.” He mumbled.

“Oh, you’re more than enough, baby. More than I can handle at times.” She winked and he grinned. I'm surprised those two don’t have more kids than just Luke and Phillip. They get at it like rabbits, and we’ve all walked in on them at some point over the years to the point we know to never, ever assume they are dressed when there is a shut door, and they are missing.

“Back to what you want to do,” Gage said as he looked over his shoulder at me, “Can I help with this? I tried to tell him about Jamie years ago, but he almost chocked the s**t out of me.”

“Dad even tried and he stopped him.” I sighed, “I’m trying not to take it personally. I mean, looking at Jamie, we do look alike. We are family after all, but I think Archer is forgetting that he looks the same too.”

“You have to remember he never even knew I was pregnant if what everyone is thinking is true...” Jo spoke after being quiet, referring to how everyone thinks Tara had something to do with their separation. It has been hard on her and I feel terrible.

She has been patient and kind, telling us to give him the space he needs to wrap his head round everything. He’s hurt and this is what he does. He lashes out, becomes a bit of a hermit, gets angry and then the realization hits him. That’s what happened to us in the past, hell, I did the same s**t once upon a time.

I spoke with mom before the dinner and told her that someone should tell Archer that Jo was going to be there, so he wasn’t surprised. I told her that if we didn’t say something, it was going to hurt him more because he was going to think we hid the fact that she was home, on purpose. He’s going to feel like we didn’t support him even though he was hurting and has been consistently hurting for the past five years. She agreed, so I was hopeful that this would have been okay by the time that dinner happened on Sunday.

But I was wrong.

I realized that when Archer started to take away a plate at dinner. When he did that, I looked right at mom, and she shook her head and I knew that night was going to be a s**t show. I just didn’t expect him to start accusing me of cheating on my wife and having a secret child. I let him though, because he needed an outlet for his anger. I don’t take it personally because I know when he finds out the truth, we will be okay.

But he has a lot to make up for.

Especially with Jo. When she showed up, and he went ghostly pale and then ran off, the words he spewed at her, I could tell hurt both of them. He only spoke his truth. He told her how he felt, and it was something we saw. She did destroy him in every way possible. She ran off from him when he needed her the most. And in his eyes, that was the ultimate betrayal. I can see where he’s coming from. He hasn’t had a chance to voice how he truly feels, and they have a long way to go.

But right now, he needs some tough fuckin’ love, and I’m going to give it to him.

“That doesn’t excuse what he said, though,” Ray told Jo.

“He never should have accused Dylan,” Gage mumbled.

“You’re right, he never should have, but I can’t be completely mad at him. He felt that connection to Jamie when he saw him.” I looked out in the backyard, smiling at all the kids running around and laughing. When Jamie met his cousins, he was in absolute heaven, and they all have been spending their time together and welcoming him with open arms. I felt that connection the first time I saw him too, when Jo brought him to another one of Miles' hockey games a few days later.

When she walked up with him holding her hand, it was like my world stopped for a moment. It was like looking at my little brother all over again. Archer may say he looks like me, but I can see him all day. He has Archer’s smile and that right there would melt the largest iceberg. He was wearing a jersey with Miles’ name on it, happiness and excitement beaming from his little body. It was Archer, one hundred percent, and I knew at that moment, I would do anything for that little boy, my nephew. Jordan saw the look in my eyes when I saw him. He gripped my shoulder and grinned, congratulating me on being an uncle again.

And that whole night, Jamie stuck by my side while I explained the game to him and showed him where Miles was every time he was on the ice. I had him on my shoulders, walking him around everywhere. I would have done almost anything to hear that laugh that I missed so much.

“And when he does realize there was a reason for that connection, things will change. I know it. Archer is trying to wrap his head around everything. Everything was thrown at him all at once and he didn’t know how to handle it. He’s never had to do this before. He is usually the supportive one and right now, he needs us. He will be sorry and he will make up for what he said. I know it.” I finished.

“And with that being said, are you still going down to the rink?” Gage asked, “That’s where he is right now.”

“And how do you know that?” Drew questioned.

He grinned at everyone before Ray groaned, “Because he tracks all our phones.” She shook her head, “Creeper.”

“You know it.” He laughed, “So, what’s the plan?”

“Jo, do you have that box with you that you were telling us about the other day?” I asked. She told us about the box she had and the two photo albums that her and Nick made. She gave me a slow nod and I just smiled.

Perfect.

“Why?”

“Because, I’m about to take that foot Archer shoved up his ass the other day and shove it down his mouth. No more waiting. No more of anything. He wouldn’t listen to Gage. He wouldn’t listen to mom or dad. He wouldn’t listen to you. I’ll make him listen to me.”

“Do you want us to go with you?” Jordan asked. He’s been quiet the entire time. I know he feels for Archer, but he also has a soft spot for Jo. This whole situation is a mess.

“No. I think this has to be something that happens with just me and him. He’s going to be even more emotional than he was before and when he realizes the truth, he’s going to need me and I’m going to be there for him.”

“Even after what he said to you?” Aiden asked.

“Especially after what he said. I don’t hold it against him. I should, but I don’t. At the end of the day, he’s my little brother. He’s been there for me when everything happened with Ray and now, it’s my turn to be there for him. Can I have those books?” I turned to Jo. She looked at me and stood up, walking into the house only to come out a few minutes later carrying both scrapbooks in her arms.

“Can you ask him to please listen to the voicemails I left?” she asked me, “I know he doesn’t listen to them. I don’t know why I thought he would when I called all those times the past couple of days, but I know for sure once he heard those, he would be here.”

“What did you tell him?” Ray asked.

“The truth.” She sighed, “I told him a little bit each time I called and yesterday, I told him that at the end of the day, he has a son and he couldn’t wait to meet him whenever he’s ready.”

“Well,” Gage said, tapping Taylor’s shoulder, telling her to sit up so he could stand up, “I have work to do with that cell phone of yours.”

“You haven’t done it yet?” Jo asked.

“Nope. I’ve been a bit busy dealing with psycho Archer at work, but give me, say forty-eight hours and I’ll get it all figured out even though we already know the truth.” He turned to face all of us, “I’ll see you all later and Dylan, if you need help, call me and I’ll be right there.”

A little while later, with the books in a backpack, I walked into the arena and walked straight to the back where they had the boxing s**t set up. I was determined to get this resolved and I knew we both were going to walk out of this today with at least a black eye.

I leaned against the opening of the door, watching Archer destroy the bag in front of him. His knuckles were bleeding, leaving smears on the bag. He had his shirt off where you could see bruising on his arms and back, making me glare.

What the hell did he do?

“Who is she?” I snapped, making him stop mid-punch, grab the swinging bag and glare at me.

“Excuse me?”

“Who the hell is she?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The marks on your arms, the bruises. Who gave them to you and what do I need to tell Jo so she’s prepared when you show up at a family dinner with some woman on your arm.” I knew it wasn’t a girl. I was making him pissed to prove a point.

“Don’t be a d**k you cheating asshole.” He snapped, “You know damn well I haven’t even had another woman touch my d**k in five goddamn years. Why the hell would I do that now?”

“Revenge.” I shrugged, “The woman that broke your damn heart and destroyed you did the one thing you wished for every damn day, and it scared the crap out of you, so you, being the stubborn fool you are, stormed away and got piss ass drunk to drown out your feelings, probably at that nasty bar in Silverlight, saw some pretty little thing and you took her to bed and had a wild night.”

“f**k you.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, because those bruises in the shape of fingerprints are telling me that’s what happened.”

“You don’t know shit.” He yelled and turned towards me, pointing his finger at me, “You’re assuming s**t you know nothing about. I was never with another woman. I didn’t go to Silverlake and get drunk, s**t, I didn’t even drink. I’ve been sober this entire damn time trying to wrap my head around why the f**k you would cheat on your wife and have a kid!”

I shrugged, “And how does that make you feel?” He was slowly getting there. Just a bit more...

“I’m pissed. I’m pissed you would do that to her. I’m pissed you wouldn’t tell me about it and tell me I had a damn nephew. I’m pissed that another man had him in his car and is probably raising him as his own son while you live your damn life here, happy and s**t. I’m hurt that she came back!” he snapped as tears welled in his eyes.

“But she did…”

“She left me five years ago.” He screamed, turning and punching the bag as his face winced in pain when his knuckles left another smear of blood, “I needed her. I needed her there for me during one of the worst times of my life where that b***h destroyed everything good that could happen with her fuckin’ lies. I needed her and she ghosted me. She blocked me. She told me to move on and take care of Tara. I tried to find her. I did find her and she was in the arms of another man. How could she?” he cried out, “How could she move on when I know what we had was more than that high school fuckin’ puppy love everyone talks about.”

“Keep going.”

“I’m angry!” he screamed again, punching the bag, “I’m angry at you and I just want to deck you in the face. You assumed that after seeing her I would run out and f**k some other woman? No! You assumed wrong! I would never do that!”

“Yeah, and how does it make you feel that I assumed you f****d around?” I raised my voice, waling towards him as I dropped the bag next to my feet, “How the f**k does it feel to hear me assume something you know for sure isn’t true? How does it feel that I assumed the worst of you?”

“It makes me pissed! It makes me want to fuckin’ hurt you!” he turned towards me.

“Yeah! That's how I feel when you said that s**t because what you said about me isn't true! But I'm the better person, and I'm going to let that go, so tell me little brother, how are you going to release that anger? How are you going to let go of that anger you've built up over time? Huh? Are you going to punch me, Archer? Are you going to try to fight me for Ray and defend her honor because I’m the d**k who hurt her, who cheated and had a kid with some woman in another town, only to ignore that fact and let her raise him on her own? Come on!” I goaded him, “Show me how mad you are! Punch me!”

His nostrils were flaring as his hands clenched into fists. Tears were streaming down his face while his skin tone turned cherry red as he tried to hold in his emotions. I was prepared for a punch to the eye, the gut, somewhere. It would hurt like a b***h, but I would let him get one out to make him feel better, then all bets are off. But much to my surprise, he didn't touch me. Instead, he let out a sudden scream, but instead of turning to me and punching me like I thought he was, he turned and started to punch the bag, over and over again, screaming and letting out his built-up emotions.

Seeing this broke me. Tears started to pour down my face as I watched my baby brother hurt himself because of how hurt he was. He’s hurt for Ray for what he thinks I did. He’s mad at me for doing it, even though we know I didn’t. He’s angry at Jo for leaving, and I know what he’s really feeling right now.

Fear.

He’s terrified that now she’s back, that she’s going to leave again and if she does, he’s not going to be able to handle it this time. He loves her, he never stopped, and we all know this. I let him punch out his emotions for about five minutes before he stopped, his chest heaving as he dropped to the ground on his knees, falling on his hands.

His shoulders were shaking as he started to pound his fist into the mat on the floor, “How could you do this to her? How could Jo come back and act like nothing happened? How could she waltz back here and just say hi? I can’t…I can’t do this again, Dylan. If she leaves…I don’t know what I’ll do. I barely survived the first time.”

I dropped to my knees and gripped his shoulders as he looked up at me with his blood-shot eyes, “First off, I never, ever, cheated on Ray. I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to. Ray is my world, my life, my everything and I would never do that.”

“But this kid…he looked just like you.” He whispered.

I reached for my bag and pulled something out. I took out a couple of pictures that mom gave me from when we were younger, “Do you see this?” I asked him as he took it in his hands once he sat down, “This is you at five. This is me, the same age.” I said as he held both pictures. He looked between both and his eyes went wide.

“Shit.” He whispered, “I didn’t…what does…what does this mean?” he looked confused, his mouth opened and not able to say anything else.

“There’s more.” I gave him a sad, half smile as I reached into the bag again and pulled out two books, “Open that one first.”

His hands were shaking as he took the purple scrapbook from my hands and opened it. On the first page was an ultrasound picture, the only copy Jo had, of Jamie when she first found out. The second page was another ultrasound picture of him at about twenty weeks.

And every page after that was a picture of her with a tape measure, measuring her pregnant belly until she popped and at the end was the birth announcement.

With every flip of the pages in that book, his hands were shaking. He didn’t say a word, he didn’t blink, he just kept looking at her.

“Archer…” I whispered, “Talk to me.”

“Dylan…why are you showing me this?” he stuttered out as his lips trembled, “Are you trying to hurt me more? Are you trying to tell me she moved on and has a kid with someone else by showing me this? I…why would you do that to me?” He didn't scream. He didn't raise his voice. Instead, he asked softly, broken, hurt, it was all evident in the tremble of his words.

“Open the second book and that will explain everything.”

He reached out and opened the next book and his face went pale as he looked at the first page. He looked up at me and then back down, “No…”

“Arch…”

“No…no…no…no…no!” he yelled as he flipped through the pages, one by one, he started to sob harder, “How could she…she…this is…oh my gosh.”

“Archer…that kid in the car…he’s not my son…”

“He’s mine…” he whispered as he dropped the book on the ground and fell back on his hands and knees, his head on the ground as he started to pound his fist on the group, over and over, crying, screaming, letting everything out.

And I just held him. I held my little brother while he lost all his composure, all his sense of self and everything he knew. I held my brother while he cried and screamed, realizing that the woman he has loved this entire time was raising his son without him. I held him while his body shook from pure adrenaline. I held him until he passed out from hyperventilating and saying incoherent nonsense I couldn’t understand.

So, while I held my little brother who just had his heart shattered and destroyed while slowly getting it put back together at the same time, I took out my phone and called dad.

“Hey.” He said on the other line, “Everything okay?”

“No. Are you guys home?”

“Yeah. We leave in a couple of days for California. What’s up.”

“Archer knows.” And I told dad everything that happened. I told him every single detail that had just happened and how Archer was passed out in my lap as I held him, protecting him from himself.

“I’ll be right there. He’s going to need us.” He sighed, “There’s more Dylan. She wrote letters and once Gage finds out what happened, s**t is going to go down.”

“Thanks. We can take him to either my place or yours.”

“Mine. We will put him in his room until he wakes up because I think, the next part, your mother should be there so she can explain things from a woman’s perspective.” He sighed, “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

I looked down at Archer again, taking him in. He’s broken, damaged, hurt, angry, sad, pissed at the world, but I knew him. He would face this like anything else, “Yeah. I think he will be once he hears everything.”

“And you two? After what he said about you and Ray…”

“Water under the bridge.” I shrugged, “I was never really that mad at him for it. I mean, Jamie does look like me, but that’s because Archer does too, so I can see what he thought everything he did, especially since I do travel with Ethan, and he didn’t know about her pregnancy. I was always going to forgive him, same with Ray. He’s family, my brother, and nothing will break that bond.”

“I’m proud of you.” Dad said, and I could hear him smile on the phone, “So, how much blood do I need to clean between the two of you?”

“Surprisingly, we didn’t touch each other, but him, he was boxing again without gloves…”

“s**t…”

Yeah, and this is just the beginning.