Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

85 | Cherry on top

Chapter 85: Cherry on top

Sometimes, superheroes can't save everyone.

These days, caped figures are often more creepy than inspirational. I would love to be rescued. But maybe a more realistic superpower is, just, surviving.

No glitzy rescue or grand display. There's an incredible strength to being able to keep a head above water. Being able to accomplish the extraordinary, with nothing but the ordinary...

That's heroic to me.

Jake covered his eyes with his left hand as he looked away from us. Charlotte was crying, holding onto her mom. And Luke stood in front of me, his back facing the doorway. He hadn't let his father leave until we got our answers.

I stared up at Luke, wondering what I could say. What was there left to say? He came over and kissed away the tears on my hand. His lips tasted my salty tears.

With Luke, actions always speak louder than words.

Mrs Dawson petted her daughter's hair before standing up. She pressed the creases on her dress and opened her mouth to address us. Then, she decided against it and abruptly walked out.

Jake chuckled beside me.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked him quietly.

Jake lowered his hand from his eyes and looked back at me with a pained smile, "She was about to cover up this mess with some sh*t excuse, before she gave up."

Charlotte complained, "Jake, do you really want to go there right now?"

"Go where?" Jake asked, "Look around you. We're already here. Dad's owning up to his mistakes, but what about Mrs Dawson? Not a squeak comes out of her. She tore apart a family."

"You don't know when to stop," Luke said darkly.

"Luke-"

"Get it through your watermelon head," Luke laid it out simply, "You can sh*t on my dad because he's your dad too. But you'll respect my mom."

"She's the one trying to make this family a family," Charlotte agreed, "She wants you here. It was her idea to bring you, look after you and-"

"You know what neither of you realize?" Jake answered, not backing down, "We have the same values there. I also respect my mom... by holding yours accountable for the disrespect she caused. A nice house doesn't make this place a home. I'm f*cking seventeen so I didn't come here by choice."

Charlotte had a pained expression on her face, "Why can't this drama ever end?"

Jake stood up and walked to Luke. "One more thing," he said, "Call me watermelon head one more time and I'll show you what stitches feel like."

Luke smirked.

I hated that smirk, like he tempted Jake to even try. Like he was so confident he could take his brother down.

Luke raised his hands in fake innocence and said, "Waterm-"

"Luke!" I yelled and threw a pillow across the room to stop him.

He caught it with his left hand while Jake stormed out of the room.

"I'm out," Charlotte raised her hands in the air, picking up her phone and house keys. She gave me a sad smile and, as she passed her brother, she rested her hand on his shoulder. "We have each other, little bro. Even though you're unbelievably stubborn sometimes."

**

With only the two of us in a room, it felt so strange to have Luke on the other side of it. I wanted him close.