Damaged Souls (Broken Man)

chapter Fifteen


“Hey, Greg,” Jack was surprised to see him as he stepped onto the screened porch. “What are you doing up so late.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Greg replied as he sat down at the table. “My schedule is all screwed up. How about you.”

“Couldn’t sleep either,” he didn’t go into details. “You want a drink.”

“The doctor said I’m not supposed to because of my medication, but I don’t think one will hurt.”

“It should be okay,” Jack approved as he got up and walked behind the bar. “What will it be.”

“Just a beer I guess,” Greg paused as Jack returned with his drink and sat back down. “Jack, can I ask you something.”

“Sure, Greg.”

“You think anything is going to happen with Mitch.”

I doubt it, Jack thought to himself as he considered how to respond and why Greg was asking the question. “We’re trying Greg, why do you ask.”

“I don’t know,” he responded as he tried to figure it out. “Maybe it would be better if we just dropped it.”

This doesn’t seem like the Greg I know. I wonder what’s going on with him, Jack tried to figure out his motivation as he attempted to put himself in Greg’s shoes.

“Are you worried about earlier,” Jack questioned him as he watched for a reaction. “I know that was difficult for you and Delaney, but it had to be done. What Mitch did to the two of you was wrong, and he needs to be held accountable.”

“I get it, Jack,” Greg seemed almost short in his response. “It’s just that Delaney is doing better and I don’t want her to have to go over it again and again. You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Jack understood Greg’s point of view as he remembered Delaney’s interview with Mike earlier in the evening. “But, I can’t just let Mitch walk away, that wouldn’t be right.”

“I think he learned his lesson,” Greg took pride in his defense of Delaney. “He’ll think twice before doing anything like that again.”

“Maybe he will,” Jack wasn’t sure he should tell Greg about what happened when they picked up his truck. “But guys like Mitch and Mitch’s father for that matter never seem to learn.”

Jack sensed something was wrong as he watched Greg suddenly close down. What did I say? I’m not going to make the same mistake I made before, he decided not to let it go as he pursued a new line of questioning. “Greg, is there something you’re not telling me.”

“No, it’s okay,” he replied as Jack could tell he was hiding something.

“Look, Greg, I know it’s not easy and I know it’s a bit uncomfortable, but I need to know everything. I’m not going to screw this up again.”

“What do you mean.”

“This entire mess is really my fault. I’ve known Mr. Caldwell for a long time and I know the kind of man he is. I should have never let Delaney go anywhere near that son of his. If I had done my job, none of this would have happened.”

“That’s not true, Jack,” Greg explained his faulty logic. “You can’t keep Delaney locked up her entire life and you didn’t know what Mitch was capable of, what was going to happen,” Greg’s voice suddenly trailed off.

There is something he’s not telling me, Greg’s hesitation confirmed Jack’s suspicions as he tried to figure out what it was. “Greg, is there something you want to tell me.”

Jack realized he had lost him, and he watched as Greg took a sip of beer and seemed to drift away into his thoughts. This poor kid, Jack again felt guilty as he realized all he had been through. I should have done more for him.

“It’s a long story,” Greg suddenly returned to the present but still seemed hesitant to share.

“You can tell me,” Jack reassured him as he put his hand on his arm.

Greg looked intently at Jack as if to measure an opponent, still not quite able to open up. “I don’t think I ever really told you, but Mitch and I were best friends growing up. My dad handled the legal matters for Caldwell Development, and we played football together and our families were very close. I thought we would be friends forever.”

“What happened.”

“Everything just changed when my father died,” Greg brought up a subject he had never before discussed with Jack. “Everyone just disappeared, and my Mom and I were left alone to figure things out. She basically fell apart and I had no idea what to do.”

“That must have been tough,” Jack felt badly as he wondered where this was leading and he could sense Greg becoming emotional.

“It was, especially for her. Anyway, I had to take care of her, so I stopped playing football and pretty much any other activity. Mitch didn’t understand and we slowly drifted apart. Over the years, I watched from the sidelines as he became a different person, as he became more and more arrogant, more inhuman. I knew what he was when he asked Delaney to the prom and it was me who should have done something about it,” he paused and looked at Jack, almost as if asking for forgiveness.

“Let’s stop blaming ourselves for what happened, okay,” Jack reached an agreement with Greg as he realized there was still something he wasn’t telling him. “Greg, what is it you want to say,” Jack decided the direct approach was best.

“I don’t think it even matters.”

“Everything matters,” he tried to explain. “Look, I know I haven’t done a great job of communicating with you, and it’s something I regret, it’s something I’m going to change. If anything, if we had just communicated with each other, none of this would have happened,” Jack identified the true culprit. “What I’m trying to say is that I haven’t set a very good example and I’m not going to be that way anymore.”

“That’s not true either, Jack,” Greg again disagreed with him. “You set a great example for me, you never had to say anything. I just watched how you were with Amanda, Delaney, and Logan and I tried to copy you. A lot of who I am today is because of you.”

“That means a lot to me, Greg,” Jack said quietly as he fought away tears.

“I needed someone,” he continued as Jack realized he wasn’t done. “I needed someone after my father died. No one was there until you, Delaney, and Amanda came along. I remember the one time I thought someone was. It was a few months after my father died and I came home early from school one day. I remember seeing Mr. Caldwell’s car in the driveway and thinking he was there to help.”

Oh no, Jack didn’t need to be told what happened as he saw the tears form in Greg’s eyes and he felt his anger. I’m going to get that bastard, Jack recommitted to his cause as he tried to console him. “Greg, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s okay. When I saw him with my mom, something happened, it’s kind of hard to describe,” Greg tried to find the right words. “I think I gave up on people, if that makes any sense. At least until you guys came along.”

“Come here, Greg,” Jack stood up and took him into his arms as he felt him crying and understood his pain. “It’s okay. None of that was your fault, and it’s not your Mom’s fault either. It’s hard to lose someone you love and your mind does some funny things,” he did a poor job of describing his mother’s state of mind as he tried to comfort him.

“How do you mean,” Greg tried to regain his composure as he let go of Jack’s embrace and sat back down.

“I know how your mother felt,” Jack paused as he again felt the pain. “After Delaney’s mother passed away, I was a mess. I didn’t even know what I was doing, I wasn’t thinking rationally. I’m sure your mother felt the same way, and that prick took advantage of her. Don’t blame her, Greg.”

“I don’t,” he replied before shifting the focus back to Jack. “How did you recover.”

“I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I really did. I just couldn’t get her out of my head, even though I tried. Even now when I see Delaney sometimes, it reminds me of her and it still hurts,” Jack paused as he remembered Brittany. “I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t met Amanda. I guess I was just lucky to find love twice in one lifetime.”

“Jack, can I ask you something.”

“Sure, Greg.”

“Did you ever meet my father.”

I guess we are going to talk about all the things we never addressed over the years, Jack thought to himself as he considered Greg’s question. “I met him once, it was actually at one of the Caldwell’s parties.”

“What was he like.”

“We only talked for a minute, but he seemed nice,” Jack reassured him as he understood what he was really asking. “Greg, working with Mitch’s father was just a way for him to making a living. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. Your father was nothing like that a*shole.”

“I know, Jack. I can still remember him. He was a good father and he really did love my mother and me. I still miss him sometimes.”

“And you always will,” Jack again became choked up as he thought of Brittany.

“I better get back to bed,” Greg interrupted his thoughts as he stood up and seemed to realize they had talked enough for one night. “Thanks for talking with me.”

“No problem,” he responded with a greater appreciation of Greg than ever before. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

They shook hands, still not quite comfortable with the intimacy they had shared earlier. As he watched Greg slide open the door and walk inside, Jack thought back on their conversation and found a glimmer of optimism as he discovered a weakness in his opponent’s defense. Suddenly, he felt better about their chances, finding a fresh perspective as he plotted a new strategy and planned the coming week.

Maybe this isn’t so hopeless after all.

* * *

That was an interesting conversation, Greg thought to himself as he laid in bed, still unable to sleep.

It certainly wasn’t what I had planned to discuss. I wanted to talk about Delaney, but who am I kidding, I am never going to be able to talk about my feelings for her with Jack. No, that would be too strange, too awkward a conversation. Sure, if it was some other girl, it would be no problem, but Delaney is practically his daughter. It just wouldn’t be right.

I’ve never told anyone what I just told him. It feels good to get it off my chest, to get it out of my system. I don’t think I ever truly understood how much it bothered me until now.

But, it did. I guess the worst part is the betrayal. Here was this man who could have stepped up, who could have looked out for his deceased friend’s son. Mr. Caldwell could have done the right thing, he might have even been a father figure to me. But instead, he decided to violate any trust I may have had by taking advantage of my mother. What kind of a man would do such a thing?

Certainly not Jack, Greg was reassured as he rolled onto his side. Jack had been under no obligation to take me in or to look after me. I was just this awkward friend of Delaney’s when I first met him five years ago, he didn’t know me from Adam. It would have been easy for him to simply ignore me as everyone else had.

But, he hadn’t. He had somehow known how to get through to me without pushing too hard. Jack had managed to find the right balance, leading more by example while occasionally lending guidance with his words. I was lucky to have this man come into my life at such an important age and just when I thought it would never happen.

I don’t know why Jack doesn’t feel like he did a good job. Maybe I should have been more open about how I felt, how much I appreciated everything he did for me. I’m going to do a better job of that in the future.

Jack is a lot like my dad, they are so similar. Smart, ambitious, both with a good sense of humor. It’s too bad they never got to know each other, Greg thought about the two of them together as he closed his eyes.

I think they would have been friends.