Since You've Been Gone. (boyxboy)

Chapter 25: Curtains

"Where is Jasper?"

☆

As Molly pulls up in front of her grandfather's old place, she sees Thomas already outside. He had an axe in his hand and appeared to be showing no mercy as he took the sharp edge to the old easy chair of his grandfather's. The four by four grinds to a halt, with Molly switching off the engine. It seemed Thomas was in a world of his own, as he pays no mind to her arrival. His energy appeared to be on one thing only, which was to end the life of that chair. 

She cautiously exits the car. The sound of the door closing, finally gets Thomas' attention, as he lets the axe slip from his grasp onto the ground. "I fucking hated that chair." He huffs, as sees her approach, carrying some material in her hand. 

"Grandpa's easy chair." She says, looking at the splintered mess on the ground. "Are you sure you hate the chair, or was it the man who sat in it?" 

Thomas emits a dry laugh. "You have a point, but I never hated him. Though he was a hard man to love. Why do we feel obligated to love people, just because they are related?" 

"That's a deep question Tom for 10 in the morning. That's more of a late night sat at a bar, slightly drunk kind of question." She laughs. "I hope you're not including me in that." 

Thomas smiles at his sister. "You're all the family I need. You and Jim." 

"And Jasper." Molly adds, looking around. "Where is Jasper?"

"At home with Beth, where he should be." Thomas replies, not wanting to get into a conversation about why he wasn't here. Instead he chooses to focus on what Molly was carrying. "What do you have there?" He points to the material with patterned triangles all over it in yellow and grey. 

"Curtains…. What do you mean 'at home?'  Don't tell me you've fallen out again!" 

"Curtains. Great! I'll hang them in my new bedroom." Thomas says, completely disregarding her attempts at engaging him in a converation he didn't want to have. He reaches out to take them but she pulls her arms out of the way. 

"Don't avoid my question Tom. I know you went over there last night. What did you do?" 

"Just give me the curtains." He reaches out again, with a tug of war commencing between the pair, with Molly refusing to let go as she cradled the material in her arms, her body rocking forwards and back as Thomas' continues to pull at the hanging cloth. 

"You're gonna rip them!" She shouts.

"Then fucking let go!" Thomas shouts back. 

"Not until you tell me what you've done." Molly's teeth clench as she speaks. Her hold so tight. 

"We fucked."  Thomas shouts, a little louder than intended, but it casues Molly to at least loosen her hold as the curtains now get into Thomas' possession.

Molly looks at Thomas with a frown, then a small smile, then begins to laugh. "Thomas, don't say things like that." She pushes his arm slightly. "Seriously, what happened?"

"I'm not joking." Thomas looks at her. He can see the disappointment growing in her eyes, making him feel like trash all over again. 

"You and Jasper…" she cautiously asks, with the guilty expression painted across his face, confirming it. "Thomas! Why can't you just keep it in your pants for once?" 

"Mol, I don't wear pants." He says with mild amusement, though the situation didn't call for cheap jokes, He clears his throat. "I know I messed up, but I've sorted it." Thomas inststs. "We are not going to see eachother any more." 

"And that's it? You both crossed the line." Molly says a little hysterically. "You think you can both carry on like it never happened? This kind of thing always leaves a scar in its wake. What you did isn't just going to have a knock on effect on you, it has probably damaged his relationship with Beth and whatever may come after. Aah you have given me such a headache." She begins to rub her temples.

"Then you shouldn't have asked." Thomas bites back. "I made the mess and I fixed it. You don't have to worry. I'm a grown adult. So is he. We will be just fine if we don't see eachother." 

"Thomas, Jasper isn't just anyone. He's Jim's nephew. It's inevitable that your paths will cross. And you are not fine. I can see by they way you demolished that chair that you are not fine. It doesn't matter how old you are, you're still my little brother, I still care. I still want you to be happy. "

"Then do you have a magic wand? Can you turn back time, so it never happened? So I never met him? I hate how he effects me." Thomas' head drops as Molly reaches forwards. Catching him in an embrace as his head falls on her shoulder. She wraps her arms around him as does his best to not bawl his eyes out.

"I can't do that for you." She whispers in his ear. "But I will always be right here." She pulls away, looking up at her brother as she cups hia cheeks. "I love you and Jasper too. I know he is not my blood but he is also family to me and I know he must be dealing with his own issues too right now, but it's not up to you to solve his problems, not this time. You need to look after yourself first." She looks down,"You don't have to tell me how it happeed. It happened and now you are here.  All you need to think about is what you will do now."

Thomas forces a smile as he looks down at the curtains. "I guess see whether these will look good in the bedroom." He again forces a smile as he heads into the house with Molly watching him go. She exhales a deep sigh. She takes her phone from her jeans pocket, dialing a number. "Jimmy...that situation we talked about...the one we hoped wouldn't happen..."