Break on Me

“How did he take it?” Luke said looking at me, as I walked into the room. A small hint of disappointment clouded his face when the realization that I was alone set in.
“Let’s talk about that when we get you home, yeah?” I said with fake optimism soaking my words.
He shook the disappointment off of his face and gave my hand a small squeeze when I reached the side of his bed.

“I’m sorry I tried.” I said sighing, trying to hold it all together.

“Hey- look at me,” Luke said sternly, “that’s all that we can do. He will come around. Right now that man? That’s not him, and we need to be patient. Kip will come around when he can find himself again.”

Another sigh escaped my lips, “god we’re twins and it seems like you’re 20 years older than me. I know that you’re right, but I can’t seem to let go of that anger. But I promise that I’ll work on it.” I smiled now a genuine one.

Luke returned the smile, when I looked up and saw the man from earlier.

“Uh I’ll be right back okay?” I said to Luke before quietly excusing myself from the room.

“Is that your brother?” The blue eyed man said to me, his stare was going right through me and landed on Luke in the bed.

“Yeah. Yeah he is.” I said with slight confusion to my voice, not knowing where he was going with this.

“I’m sorry half-sack is being a dick.” He finally said.

“Yeah me too..” I trailed off, “ I don’t mean to be rude but why are you coming here?” I asked getting anxious and wanting to retreat back to Luke’s room not wanting to discuss the events from earlier in the day.

“I never got your name, and I assumed you didn’t know mine either. It’s Jax by the way.”

He continued,

“Also, I just was heading out and wanted to know if you wanted a ride back to the shop, your car should be done by now.” His voice was rough, definitely intimidating, but with a hint of something I could not figure out.

Before I could answer I heard Luke call my name followed by the harsh sound of retching.

“Shit, I forgot about my car.” I said as I put my hand on my head and turned around.

“I’ll figure it out, but thank you. I have to go help him right now.” I said not really knowing if I had completed a full sentence.

Before I could reach the room Jax spoke out, “I can have someone bring it by with me later tonight. I have some things I have to get done, but I can have it here by 11.”

A small weight felt as if it had been lifted off of my shoulders, “That would be so helpful thank you so much.” I said looking into his eyes hoping he knew how much he was actually helping.

He gave me a small nod, signaling that he understood.

I entered the room to find Luke gripping a pan between his legs, still throwing up the poison from his body.

“hey I’m here you’re okay.” I said rubbing his back not knowing whether or not I was saying it for him, or really for myself.

After about an hour of on and off vomiting Luke finally went back to sleep and I sat alone in the room, feeling myself grow tired as well.

I don’t know why I felt the urge to open my eyes but something had woken me up from the dreamless sleep. I grabbed my phone off of the table next to me and checked the time 10:47. I remembered my conversation with Jax earlier and decided that it would be rude to not properly thank him.

I grabbed my purse, checking to make sure Luke was actually asleep, and walked out of the room.
I made my way outside to the visitor parking lot and sure enough a black suv pulled into the lot with my car in tow. Both cars parked and when jax saw me walking over to him ordered the other man to get into the car. He met me halfway with my keys in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.

“I really honestly cannot thank you enough-“but before I could finish my sentence I noticed a patch of red peeking through jax’s cut.

“Are you okay? What is that?” I said reaching out to examine what was on his shirt.

“Nothin, I’m fine.” Jax said shortly.

“Are you sure? That doesn’t really look like nothing.” I said reaching out again. Only this time my hand was stopped.

“I said I was fine, here’s your keys.” Another short reply caught me off guard, especially because of how friendly he had been early.

“Oh um, yeah thank you,” I said putting the keys into my pocket and reaching in to grab money.
“It’s on the house don’t worry about it. Family discount.” The personality coming back into his words.

Not really sure how to handle his changing moods I just simply mumbled another thank you before turning back towards the hospital doors.

The screeching of tires behind me was loud against the quiet night.

Luke was being released today and I couldn’t be any happier. I grabbed all of his medications and bags and got him into a wheel chair.

“Hey I have work tonight but do you think you could handle having Neeta come over for a little bit while Im gone?” I asked as we navigated through the hallways.

Neeta had watched us when we were kids, and was now a home care nurse so she became almost as a second mother to us over the years.

“Yeah of course, hopefully she makes some lasagna. If I have to look at jello again I’m going to throw up..” I laughed at his joke and got him into the car.

Turning into our small driveway I parked the car and got Luke out.

After about 20 minutes everything was settled and neeta was knocking on the door.

“well hello miss Lilah, you sure do get prettier every single time I see you” Neeta said when I opened the door, I hugged her immediately and I felt her squeeze me back.

“Hey what about me,” I heard Luke call from the kitchen. “you too baby you’re twins its one in the same” Neeta joked making us both laugh.

“Hey I have to go get ready, all of his meds are on the counter and he knows when to take them. Thank you so much for coming over.”

“Honey, I will be here whenever you need me just know that.”
God, I loved this woman. I nodded and squeezed her hand and turned to my room to get ready for work.

I threw on the ratty old t shirt that read, “Hairy Dog Bar,” as well as a small pair of jean shorts that had a few holes in them. Throwing my hair into a pony tail and grabbing my purse off of the couch, I waved to the only two people I loved anymore.

Work was slow once again. Barely any tips were made on the account of the fact that many of the customers were just old men, who were already passed out drunk in the booths.

“Hey Lilah, it’s a slow night. Do you wanna get up there?” Jack, my boss, said to me pointing to the stage.

My heart had jumped at his words, I hadn’t realized how much I was itching to play.
“I would love to thank you so much.” I jumped over the bar and grabbed my guitar from the back room.

Although there was barely an audience, I still can lose myself whenever I play, and I was desperate to get lost.

JAX’s POV

“Jackie-Boy are you sure you want to do this?” Chibbs asked from behind me.
It had been two weeks of dead ends on who had sold Wendy the drugs that landed her and my son in the hospital. Nothing ever took this long, but we finally had the guy and I was ready to kill him.

“Are you kidding me? The bastard sold my ex-wife crank, knowing that she was pregnant!” I said anger heating me from the core.

“Alright kid, let’s get this done then.” Bobby said gripping onto my shoulder as he followed me into the sleazy bar.

I heard the strum of a guitar from somewhere in the corner, but pushed any distractions out of my head as I made my way to the pool tables in the back.

I walked right over to where the douche was standing and grabbed the nearest cue I could find. Before any of his guys noticed what was happening I drew the cue back and broke it across his face. Blood already flowing I grabbed him by his shirt and began hitting him where the cue had already been.

He fell over when I grabbed the cue stick again that was already broken in half. My mind was focused on the shithead laying in front of me and nothing else.

“Selling crank to my pregnant ex-wife?” I said to the guy who could now barely even hold his eyes open. I drew the cue back once again only this time jabbing it into his leg only missing his dick by an inch. By now the anger had completely taken over, as I brought my foot down repeatedly on his stomach.

I felt strong arms grab me from behind followed by an irish accent saying, “that’s enough. I think you proved your point.”

I spit in the direction of the man that’s breaths were now shallow, and pulled myself away “stupid peckerwood shithead.”

I heard a small gasp from behind me and turned around now fully away of my surroundings.

“fuck.” I said and saw Lilah in the corner, her guitar on the ground.