Bloodfire: Other Realm, Frost Family Series Book 2

Burn 23

Having put the kids to bed, Nisha stared at the door in front of her. Taking in a sharp breath, she tried the door handle. A little to her surprise, it opened without any resistance. Deciding there was no going back now, she pushed the door open all the way. Stepping around the door, her eyes blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dimmer light. To her far left was a large fireplace, a fire crackling in its maw, warming the study by several degrees. Directly across from her was a large desk, the only other source of light perched on the far left corner of the desk, a table lamp. Sitting behind the desk, a large bottle of whiskey, along with a tall glass in front of him, was Jack.

His head slowly lifted up from its bent position, half resting on his shoulder and chest. His blue eyes were glassy and a little darker than normal. "Nisha..." he said, looking startled. But then, quite suddenly, he began to laugh. It wasn't a humorous laugh though, the edges filled with an almost insane sorrow and bitterness. "Oh, of course. Of fucking course you'd come to me at my lowest moment, when I look as pathetic, as I fucking am."

Closing the door quietly behind her, Nisha stepped a little further into the room. "Jack...you're very drunk, from how empty that bottle looks. It's past time you stop and head to bed, alright?"

He let out another short bark of laughter. "What are you, my mother? You certainly aren't the love of my life. You're the damn curse that was placed upon me...Always, you haunt me, but you never let me rest. Can't you just leave me alone for once...to rot away in peace?"

She frowned. "What curse?" Wiping sweating palms down the sides of her shirt, she moved even closer to the desk. Jack's certainly out of it...Maybe I can use that to get some information out of him, she thought.

He blinked, looking a little uncertain for half a second. Then, shaking his head, he suddenly rose use to his feet. Startled, Nisha jumped a little, keeping her eyes trained on Jack's. "See, you don't care in the slightest...After all the things I've done for you...You just go and forget all of it!" His arms swung out, emphasizing his point, as he slowly began to round his desk. His steps were a little unsteady, but he made his way to stand in front of his desk. He reached out, catching himself on the edge of the desk. Shooting Nisha a glare over his shoulder, he reached across the desk and grabbed the bottle of whisky. He tipped back his head, downing another few swallows before slamming the bottle back onto the desk. "Damn it," he grumbled.

Feeling a little tense, Nisha kept a wary distance. She was in the middle of the study, about ten feet away from Jack and she planned to keep it that way. "This again, Jack?" she sighed wearily. "I've told you before...I don't remember anything about our supposed childhood together or the promise we made. Besides, it was years ago. Why do you always bring it up?"

He turned pale blue, burning eyes to her. "The fuck...? This is what I'm talking about. Always with the 'I don't remember' shit..." He sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm always the damn bad guy because I'm the only one who remembers. I'm the only one who gave a fuck about all the stuff that happened before and after your dad died..."

Head tilting slightly to the side, she stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He let out a small sob, clutching the sides of his head. "Damn it..." He lifted his head to stare at Nisha in anguished torment. "Didn't I tell you to learn to love me, that day? I told you...Gods, I'm begging now...Am I really so awful...such a monster that I can't be loved? You did it once, I thought, for a very short time...But now..."

"J-Jack, I-"

"I see how it is. Of course," he let out a broken laugh. "You've never loved me. You always loved him...You've never wanted to be with me. Just him. Always him. And when you couldn't have him, your mind twisted up Jacob as a substitute."