The Fallen One

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Where is he now?" Sherry's voice is low and filled with concern.

I stare at my reflection that is displayed on the warm glass. The hot sun making me sweat- or perhaps it's what we're about to do.

"Upstairs," I squeeze my cellphone tightly against my ear, "Jenny is talking to him now..."

"Tell me how it goes," she says.

"Chris, they're coming down now" Luke whispers from beside me.

I nod "I'll call you later".

The phone call ends and I take a seat around the table. John, Justine, Luke and I watch as Jenny and Ned emerge from the staircase.

"What the hell is this?" Ned folds his arms.

"This is an intervention" Jenny announces as joining us around the table.

"For fuck sake" Ned rolls his eyes then walks across the kitchen.

He begins making himself a smoothie while Blake joins us through a zoom call on my laptop.

"Ned it's time we do this" Jenny says as Ned stands behind the kitchen counter.

"We all think that it would be best if you got some...help" Justine begins, "maybe we could find you a therapist that could help you with your behavioural problems and the excessive drinking"

Ned ignores her. He has always shown Justine as little respect as humanly possible and over the years, I've grown tired of it.

"Sit down and listen for fuck sake" I cried.

"Fuck off" Ned hissed at me.

"Hi, Ned" Blake greets him from the laptop screen.

"Blake, you're supposed to be on my side remember" Ned snaps.

"This isn't about taking sides," Justine sighed.

"Please, sit down" Jenny begs.

"Ned now" Luke gave him a look that Ned knew to be trouble, as a result, Ned walked over to the table, dropped to his seat and sat beside Jenny.

"Well, go ahead" he rolls his eyes.

"Right, that's me" Blake starts as pulling out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. "Ned, we feel that you have been growing distant and falling deeper and deeper into your ways, we think that it's time that you join us adults in the real world-"

Ned folds his arms, "since when?"

Blake shrugged "Well, Jenny emailed me the script-"

"Anyway, Chris, you're next" Jenny reminds me.

I take a breath, remembering all my points that Jenny and I discussed last night. Ned has always been reckless and unthoughtful but at Gina's funeral, he took it way too far. He was out of line in every way. I don't know if I want a person like that around Cleo, but what would Elise say if she knew that I was keeping our daughter away from her brother?

I nod. "Ned, it's time you grow up" I beg, "We're not teenagers anymore, it's time you stop with the excessive drinking and the sleeping around and the reckless behaviour and until you change I don't want you around Cleo"

"Good an ultimatum" Jenny nods.

"You call not seeing Cleo an ultimatum? I don't want to see that freak of nature" Ned retorts, making my blood boil.

"What did you just say?" I jump from my seat.

"Ned, she's our blood" Luke clenches his jaw.

"That, and she's a child!" I cry.