Part 29 (2/2)

Eden, meanwhile, had recoiled as surely as if Dan had slapped her. But she immediately fought back. ”So nice of you to just take John's word for what happened-without even asking asking me! Of course, right, I was thirsty, and I figured why not trade my virginity for a beer. That's exactly what me! Of course, right, I was thirsty, and I figured why not trade my virginity for a beer. That's exactly what every every teenage girl dreams about!” teenage girl dreams about!”

”I didn't need to ask,” Dan shot back. ”It was Sandy, all over again!” Sandy, their older sister, had become addicted to both alcohol and drugs at an insanely early age.

”No,” Eden shouted back, ”it wasn't! Because I'm not not Sandy!” Sandy!”

”Yeah,” Dan said, his voice breaking with his frustration and anger, ”you're worse! worse!”

Both Jenn and Izzy moved at that exact moment, both of them speaking simultaneously-Jenn saying, ”Danny, stop it!” while Izzy went with, ”Gillman, just shut the f.u.c.k up!”

And it was then that it happened. And it happened so quickly, but despite that, Jenn knew exactly exactly what went down. It was an accident. Completely. It was as much her fault as his. She turned toward Danny, whipping her head around to add, ” what went down. It was an accident. Completely. It was as much her fault as his. She turned toward Danny, whipping her head around to add, ”right now,” just as he reached to physically pick her up and move her out from between himself and Izzy. He was going for her shoulders with both of his hands, but because she turned the way she did, his left hand connected, hard, with her face. now,” just as he reached to physically pick her up and move her out from between himself and Izzy. He was going for her shoulders with both of his hands, but because she turned the way she did, his left hand connected, hard, with her face.

It sounded as if he'd slapped her, and G.o.d, the force of the contact actually made her ears ring and her teeth rattle, and shoot, she must've cut the inside of her lip because now she even tasted blood.

She staggered and stepped to steady herself, but the edge of the air mattress was right there against her ankle, and she tripped and went down. The mattress broke her fall, but they'd filled it a little too full, so she bounced and rolled off the other side onto the carpeted floor with a very loud thump.

Dan scrambled to help her, and she should have paid more attention to the look of absolute horror that was on his face, but her temper flared, because this this was what happened when people had discussions about volatile topics when they were overtired, and he was what happened when people had discussions about volatile topics when they were overtired, and he had had agreed to wait until the morning but apparently he'd lied just to get her to shut up about it already, so she smacked at his hands as she pushed herself out of his reach saying, ”Get away from me! Don't touch me! You've done enough, Dan, just... agreed to wait until the morning but apparently he'd lied just to get her to shut up about it already, so she smacked at his hands as she pushed herself out of his reach saying, ”Get away from me! Don't touch me! You've done enough, Dan, just...don't!”

Izzy and Eden were frozen there, shocked, but it was Eden who moved first, roughly pus.h.i.+ng her brother out of the way as she came to help Jenn sit up.

Dan didn't resist, he just let himself get shoved off the mattress and onto the floor with an equally loud thud.

Eden had tears in those eyes that were the same rich shade of brown as Danny's, and as she looked at Jenn's face, she caught her lower lip between her teeth. ”Izzy, we could use some ice. There are dish towels in the drawer, second one down, left of the fridge...”

But Dan pushed himself to his feet. ”I'll get it,” he said in a voice that was so tight that Jenn barely recognized it. He swiftly went into the kitchen.

With him gone, Eden didn't waste any time. ”Has this happened before?” she asked Jenn almost silently, her words nearly hidden by the crunching sound of Dan grabbing some ice from the freezer.

”G.o.d, no,” Jenn said. Did she honestly honestly think...? ”Eden, really, it wasn't...I got in his way.” think...? ”Eden, really, it wasn't...I got in his way.”

”Yeah, like that's that's a new one.” Eden didn't look convinced as Dan came back in with ice wrapped in a white-and-blue dish towel. He looked as if he were either going to cry or be sick. Or maybe both, simultaneously. a new one.” Eden didn't look convinced as Dan came back in with ice wrapped in a white-and-blue dish towel. He looked as if he were either going to cry or be sick. Or maybe both, simultaneously.

”It was an accident,” Jenn told her, told Dan, too, even as he spoke over her. ”Jenni, I'm so so sorry. I'm-” sorry. I'm-”

”It all just comes sailing back around, doesn't it?” Eden interrupted him as she took the ice from him and showed Jenn where to hold it against her cheekbone. ”You try to break the cycle, but it's harder than it looks, because we learn these terrible things when we're children, and then, somehow, here we are, and it's okay to hit your girlfriend as long as you cry convincingly enough when you say you're sorry afterward.”

”Oh, my G.o.d,” Dan said. ”Jesus, no, that's not what happened. Jenni, Christ, I didn't-”

”I don't think you're allowed to talk right now,” Eden cut him off.

”It was was an accident,” Jenn said again, but Dan had already turned away, his hand over his eyes, because he actually had started to cry. an accident,” Jenn said again, but Dan had already turned away, his hand over his eyes, because he actually had started to cry.

”It starts that way,” Eden told her grimly. ”Daddy would cry and apologize, and maybe it was was an accident at first. Maybe it started because he wasn't careful. He moved too fast. He got too angry. His hand slipped. At first.” an accident at first. Maybe it started because he wasn't careful. He moved too fast. He got too angry. His hand slipped. At first.”

”Yeah, well, this is not not going to happen again.” Dan was adamant. going to happen again.” Dan was adamant.

”He'd say that, too,” Eden said.

”How could you possibly remember that?” Dan asked. ”You were a baby when he left.”

”Sandy told me,” she informed him. ”Back when she was still talking to me. And I do do remember some of it. All these mysterious uncles who'd come over to pick Ivette up to go out for dinner while Daddy was overseas? It's amazing that Ben's the only one of us who doesn't share the same father. And Daddy would come back and he'd find out, because she really didn't give a s.h.i.+t, because it all started because remember some of it. All these mysterious uncles who'd come over to pick Ivette up to go out for dinner while Daddy was overseas? It's amazing that Ben's the only one of us who doesn't share the same father. And Daddy would come back and he'd find out, because she really didn't give a s.h.i.+t, because it all started because he he didn't keep didn't keep his his pants zipped. He slept with her best friend. pants zipped. He slept with her best friend. He He told me that. While I was living with him, in Germany, last year. It was right after they got married, when Ivette was pregnant with Sandy. And she was too young and stupid to know that was it. Game over. He wasn't going to change. He wanted to own her without giving up his own freedom. And she said she still loved him, so she stayed, but I really just think she didn't have anywhere else to go. And even if she told me that. While I was living with him, in Germany, last year. It was right after they got married, when Ivette was pregnant with Sandy. And she was too young and stupid to know that was it. Game over. He wasn't going to change. He wanted to own her without giving up his own freedom. And she said she still loved him, so she stayed, but I really just think she didn't have anywhere else to go. And even if she did did love him? She also hated him, so h.e.l.lo Uncle Mike and Uncle Steve and Uncle George. And then Daddy'd come home and get drunk and call her names. b.i.t.c.h and s.l.u.t and wh.o.r.e. And love him? She also hated him, so h.e.l.lo Uncle Mike and Uncle Steve and Uncle George. And then Daddy'd come home and get drunk and call her names. b.i.t.c.h and s.l.u.t and wh.o.r.e. And that's that's like hitting, too, you know, Dan.” Her voice shook. ”That's abuse. And you didn't break like hitting, too, you know, Dan.” Her voice shook. ”That's abuse. And you didn't break that that cycle, at least not with me, so if I were you, I'd be thinking long and hard about the fact that it's highly probable that you didn't break the other one, either.” cycle, at least not with me, so if I were you, I'd be thinking long and hard about the fact that it's highly probable that you didn't break the other one, either.”

Jenn couldn't stay silent any longer. ”I disagree. What happened here was was an accident”-she pushed herself up so that she was standing-”that absolutely came about because Dan was being an idiot. But he's not a girlfriend-beating idiot. I know him.” She dropped the towel with the ice and put her arms around Dan, but it was like holding a statue or hugging a tree. He didn't respond at all, as if he were afraid to touch her in return. an accident”-she pushed herself up so that she was standing-”that absolutely came about because Dan was being an idiot. But he's not a girlfriend-beating idiot. I know him.” She dropped the towel with the ice and put her arms around Dan, but it was like holding a statue or hugging a tree. He didn't respond at all, as if he were afraid to touch her in return.

”Danny, I know you,” she told him. ”I know you would never intentionally hit me. And you know this, too. You're not not your father. You'll your father. You'll never never be your father...” be your father...”

He broke away from her, bolting for the bathroom.

And when Jenn started after him, Izzy, who'd been uncharacteristically silent all this time, stopped her. ”Let me,” he said.

”It was an accident,” Jenn said again.

Izzy looked from her to Eden and back as he nodded. ”I know that,” he said. ”But I think he's going to have a little trouble believing it from you.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Jenni, G.o.d, I'm so sorry,” Danny said as Izzy closed the bathroom door behind him. The other SEAL was on his knees, eyes tightly closed, bowing to the porcelain G.o.d, having just sacrificed his dinner into its murky shallows. Izzy helped them both out by reaching forward and flus.h.i.+ng the monster.

”She knows that,” Izzy told this man who, despite trying as hard as he had, had never managed to become his friend.

Dan didn't open his eyes. ”Leave me the f.u.c.k alone.”

”Yeah, well, small apartment, single bathroom,” Izzy pointed out. ”I kind of need to go. Don't move-I'll just p.i.s.s past your head.”

Danny did more than open his eyes at that-he actually hit the pause b.u.t.ton on his current state of sheer misery as he turned to look at Izzy in disgust and disbelief.

Izzy smiled back at him as he hoisted himself up to sit on the counter of the sink. There wasn't much counter, so he was half in, half out of the sink itself. Still it was the proper visual aid to rea.s.sure Dan that he was only kidding about that p.i.s.s-past-your-head thing.

”I'm on Team Jenn for this one,” Izzy told Dan. ”You're not your father, Gillman. Never have been, never will be.”

Dan didn't want to hear that-and he tried to slip back into his post-vomit, beat-himself-up state. ”Seriously, Zanella, I don't need your bulls.h.i.+t right now.”

So Izzy reached over with his foot and gave the man a not very gentle push, making him lose his balance and b.u.mp his shoulder into the wall near the toilet-paper holder.

”Hey!”

”f.u.c.k you for the way you treat your sister,” Izzy told him. ”You're an a.s.shole and a total d.i.c.k, and if you weren't so pathetic with your I'm so tired I'm so tired and your and your I'm so jet-lagged I'm so jet-lagged and your and your Poor me, I almost lost my leg and now I have an ouchy boo-boo Poor me, I almost lost my leg and now I have an ouchy boo-boo, and Don't let me tear open the st.i.tches because I still might bleed out and die Don't let me tear open the st.i.tches because I still might bleed out and die, I'd kick your a.s.s down to the street and pound you black and blue.”

And okay. Maybe that was too much, because now Dan was getting angry back at him and was about to issue a challenge for Izzy to just f.u.c.king try it.

So Izzy pushed himself off the sink and did exactly what he'd threatened. He unfastened his pants and took a leak right there in the empty bowl.

And instead of standing up, Dan pushed himself even farther back into the corner, against the wall, to stay out of the splash zone. ”Jesus!”

”There are times,” Izzy said, raising his voice a little to be heard over the pleasantly tinkling waterfall, ”when I f.u.c.king hate the things you say and do. But I do do know that you would rather die than hurt Jennilyn. I know how much you love her-h.e.l.l, I probably know that better than she does. And I also know, as flipping crazy as you drive me most of the time? You would never intentionally hit your woman. What happened was an accident. And I believe what you said-that it will know that you would rather die than hurt Jennilyn. I know how much you love her-h.e.l.l, I probably know that better than she does. And I also know, as flipping crazy as you drive me most of the time? You would never intentionally hit your woman. What happened was an accident. And I believe what you said-that it will never never happen again.” He shook himself off, zipped up, flushed the toilet, and went to the sink to wash his hands. ”In fact, I'd bet my life on it.” happen again.” He shook himself off, zipped up, flushed the toilet, and went to the sink to wash his hands. ”In fact, I'd bet my life on it.”

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