Stall

Chapter 85.

"The devil's gonna make up my dying bed

Meet me, brother, meet me
For I have so much to say
He might as well come and take my soul
'Cause I won't need it on my dying day"

***

"So you're saying, if you didn't do what he said - he was threatening to kill you and then Abby?" Harry grits, sounding like the last part of his sentence burnt his tongue as he said it.

Maurine nods slowly, wiping at her eyes again as she tries to settle her emotions and nerves "Yes - If it were only me he threatened..."

She sighs heavily, giving us a small mournful smile "Look I've lived my life, I'm only 55 but I've had a long full life and if it ended tomorrow I wouldn't feel unfulfilled, but when he said he would go after Abby... I couldn't let that happen"

Harry is tense beside me, holding me closer and I just stare at Maurine trying to decipher it this is the truth or not, that to make of any of it.

But Harry is going to need a lot more to be convinced, he's not having a bar of it, he's staring at Maurine like she's a snake ready to bite him any second.

"You still made the choice to take those pictures, you could have told us - me, you could have told me. Telling me is no different to leaving those pictures on the table. There's no excuse for what you did" he throws back harshly.

"I know that..." Maurine agrees without hesitation "And I have to accept that and live with that choice even if it was the wrong one to make - I don't expect either of you to want anything to do with me again, but if that keeps her safe I can live with that. I was scared, I didn't know how to tell either of you - I didn't know if I'd make it worse, put Abby in more danger"

Harry shakes his head, narrowing his eyes and gives her a once over like he's trying to size her up and decipher what she's saying "It sounds to me like you were just trying to save your own ass"

Maurine holds her hands up in surrender, looking between us and keeping her scratchy voice earnest as she says "You can think that Harry, I understand why you do. I don't blame you for not trusting me, I care about you too, but I know how much Abby means to you. Unfortunately so does David"

I'm so beyond done with David, I'm done with that fact that every time his name is mentioned it's surrounded by intention to hurt people I care about. I'm over him trying to use me to hurt Harry, all of this hurt and confusion is flashing back and forth between grief and anger, and I swear I've never hated anything the way I hate that man.

"Why is David doing all of this to me? To Harry? Why does he hate me so much? It can't just be because Harry cares about me - this is insane" I speak up, looking to Maurine for answers. She's the only one aside from Harry, and Jimmy that seems to know a damn thing about David and out of all of them she's known him the longest and probably knows him the best.

I'm still trying to question whether I should actually believe what she says though.

"He doesn't hate you" Maurine says shaking her head, but then she pauses and gestures her hand to Harry with a sad expression "He hates him, he wants to hurt him and you're the perfect way to do that. But I can't figure out why, I didn't even know Matthew had a son until he told me, David didn't speak to me the entire time he was in England and for years after he came back"

Maurine focuses her red eyes on Harry, furrowing her brows in question, her arms dropping by her sides.

"Why does he hate you so much? What happened? I've seen my brother be vicious and spiteful, but nothing like what I've seen with you. Matthew was his closest friend, I can't understand why he would despise his son so much"