Chapter 25: Last Link

Ghoulies!!!! ;-(

Daddy Dearest is coming to an end.

Still feeling guilty because I took this long. I hope you forgive me. Truthfully, I was distracted this month because I had an Anime con to go to. I had to do my cosplay from scratch so I had to dedicate a bunch of my time to that.

Anyways, but like I promised. Double feature. Here comes the last links before the final chapter(s)--> We'll see. fufufufu

Enjoy!!!!!

Onee-chan

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Blake's POV

No one got seriously hurt and that's all that mattered to me.

The first person I wanted to see was Jaden. In my comatose state, all I kept seeing was Jaden.

His expressions played in my head like a film. His smile, his every laugh, his pout, his eyes that glowed whenever he looked at me. I wanted to tell him how much I really loved him; not like family or like a son, but as a man. I remembered all the times he'd pull that sad expression when I would steadily turn him down. I wanted to confirm my feelings to him so much so, that it became a shock to me, when instead of Jaden, I saw none other that my own mother walking into my quarters.

For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.

The first thing that came out of my mouth was Jaden's name. She gave me a smile that I hadn't seen... for decades. Her blue eyes glossed over as they rest on me.  In all honesty, I hadn't even seen her over the last seventeen years. I was nearly moved to tears that she decided to see me again.

"Look at you; you're a grown man but having all these people worried sick for you," she chastised softly.

I smiled at her warmly and said, "I missed you too Ma'." Looking behind her, I expected to see Jaden but he wasn't. "...and Jaden?"

With that she closed the rest of the distance and embrace me tightly in a hug. It felt like the longest since she let go. "Funny. The last thing Jaden asked is to tell you that he was fine and for you to worry about yourself. He'll be given a day to rest, but he'll then be escorted to the main house until your full recovery."

She hadn't changed much over the years; but there was this softness to her that was evident.

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After waking up, I learnt that everyone had been making a big deal out of me or maybe I was just trivializing what had happened.

I don't think I'd ever had this much people looking out for me. Shelby and Jerome had taken to coming over once in a while, even after I had been released from the hospital into the hands of the Private Clinic. I felt so cared for and bubbly inside.

Yet, all I wanted was to share these bubbles with Jaden.

"I don't like that little nurse. Why is it that her uniform seems to be shorter every time she shows up?" Shelby would ask. That was something I'd expect Jaden to say. Speaking of Jaden; I just couldn't get him to come see me for a second.

Whilst I was still in crutches, I could get around on my own a little since I had complete control over my upper body. Still, he kept saying that I needed to fully recover or else he wouldn't come.

"Shelly, I never thanked you, you know," I said to her. "You know of the relationship between Jaden and I but you've never thought of it as weird."

She chuckled a little, looking in Jerome's general direction. He was visibly hitting on a male Filipino male nurse. "Oh well, I wish all type of love were accepted, but I guess some weren't meant to be by nature." She then gave me a sad smile and continued to look over at Jerome. "He's Bi but I've always wished he was straight up Gay. I'm strangely okay with loosing against a man... but it would kill me to loose him against a woman. When that time comes, I won't be able to stay by his side that I've been doing up to now."

I guess, we all were a little sick of being lovesick. I didn't even realize that Shelby had felt that way. How long had she?

My heart weighed heavily inside my chest as her eyes spoke volumes while looking at Jerome. He was close but far enough that she couldn't touch him.

It just made me want to see Jaden even more.

Flashes of him in that bloody T-shirt, with a bloody gash near his leg and his face all bruised and swollen, would sometimes appear in my mind. Half naked with that terrified look on his face as Brad threatened him. Did Brad have something on Jaden? I had so many unanswered questions. When I voiced them, Shelby would look uneasy and Jerome would pat my back saying that I shouldn't think to hard about it.

Jaden was just probably over worrying himself. Probably over thinking unnecessary things like he usually does.

As for me, all I could think about was his hitching breath as I ran my hands through his hair. I wanted to see his bright brown eyes half lidded and expectant as he savored my touch.

I know that they are things that he doesn't want to share with me from that night, but if it's enough to affect him like this, I needed to know...had I reached too late? Did Brad do something to him? Had I lost him again? I didn't know what to think since I was left in the shadows.

How was he doing at the main house? Was he being treated well? It was like everyone knew something that I didn't; everyone, except me and it was driving me crazy.

*       *   5 Months Later  *       *

"I don't know man. This doesn't seem like a good idea to me," Jerome said for the umpteen time.

After day in and day out of constant physiotherapy, I was finally provided my release certificate. Jaden's 18th Birthday had come and gone but he still didn't come visit me at the clinic. He sent me little letters and called me, but we never really talked about the things I actually wanted to hear.

It was only due to Jaden's kindness that Brad didn't get sent behind bars. Not like the public even heard of this. The Arons had the power enough to keep all this under the radar. The team moved in and helped restrained Brad and cleaned up the mess. That's how the Arons Guards operate. That's how the Arons have escaped from many of their public indecencies.

"Look, you guys obviously don't wanna tell me why Jaden's been acting funny, and Jaden tends to keep his emotions all bottled up inside. I need to know what happened to him in that place," I replied to an anxious Jerome. "If he won't tell me, I know who will."

He sighed. "Jaden asked us not to tell you, so I assume that he wants to tell you himself."

"Maybe it's something he can't say. I don't distrust Jaden, but I know how he is. He won't tell me what's bothering him because I'm like this," I said shaking my clutches for emphasis.

"I agree, but then again, you shouldn't be worried about anything apart from getting better," Jerome stated gruffly as we headed to the front desk area.

The girl at the front desk, greeted us brightly and asked who we came to see. When I mentioned my last name, her smile fell and she looked kind of nervous. "I'm not sure if that patient is legible for visits as yet."

"I'm his brother. I know what to expect," I told her, as I was set on seeing him. I passed her my identification along with a $100  note.

She hummed and hawed at first before letting out a breath. "My manager isn't here to confirm you're identification, but I'll let you pass this one time; only one of you. Follow me." My crutches were sorta hard to maneuver on the tiled floors, so I had to take my time behind her.

I nodded at Jerome as he stood waiting. The nurse and I passed through some spiraling hallways where doors were being slammed on by some really violent patients. The walls were painted in a sickly green color that briefly reminded me of my rehab days.

As we headed towards Brad's room, the nurse stated, "The patient's really unpredictable. Please try not to aggravate him. Everyone's a bit on edge with it comes to him; I mean, he speaks completely sane but sometimes he snaps goes into these long conversation with a Susan."

She reached a stop and opened a little window at the door for me. "Brad? You've got a visitor," she waited for a response and asked again "Brad?"

"A visitor huh? Thats sooner than I thought," a grave voice said in a sarcastic tone. The nurse seemed used to this and nodded at me to proceed. "Don't tell me. It's the big brother, isn't it?"

"Brad," I stated confirming his guess.

I heard him chuckled dryly. "How's my kid?" I grated my teeth. He was not 'yours', I mindfully seethed.

"There is no yours when it comes to Jaden. He is not an object," I curtly said. "He is my son."

He snickered like a kid. "Your son? Fathers don't have sex with their sons." My face heated as the nurse kinda fidgeted, pretending that she hadn't heard that. "I really don't know why Susan chose you to raise the kid. I keep asking her why she had to be such a selfish girl, but she refuses to answer me."

So this was what the nurse meant, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that he was really that unstable. After the conversations we've had over the past 17 years, and how he had a hand in Jaden's rehabilitation after the incident, I just could not believe he was indeed not mentally stable.

"Brad, I need you to tell me what happened that night," I said not wanting to be here longer than I needed to be. "What did you do to Jaden?"

"I did nothing," he replied quickly and relief washed over me. "Susan betrayed me... for trash like you... just to fuck you over in the end,"  Brad started laughing and mumbled something to himself. "It looks to me as if you still don't get it."

"What... what is it?" I urged him.

Brad laughed uncontrollably at the desperation in my voice. "Hear that Susan...This is priceless--- Were you always this clueless and dense. Listen well my brother, Jaden's not your son, he is mine. Meaning that, he is biologically of my gene. From my seed. Understand it yet? You're not that boys biological father, I am."

Whilst he gloated in a nonsensical fashion... the shock that Jaden was not biologically mine, started sinking into me like heavy bricks. So that's what he meant.

There was a time when Susan was pregnant, that I pondered if the child was mine, but after Jaden was born, that thought hadn't return to me again. It just weighed on me on how very different he was from me. Heck, we didn't even share any features in common.

I was speechless for a moment.

I would understand why the others wouldn't want to tell me this. In fact, Jaden's reactions was totally justifiable now. Did he perhaps get over me after finding out the truth? Was I no longer important to him? That thought had a crippling ache spread through my chest and I had to hold onto the wall for support.

"Sir? Are you okay?" the nurse asked as she hurried to me. "Maybe we should head back."

I silently nodded my head in agreement.

"Say hi to my son for me. Treat him well," Brad quickkly added in a more serious and sad tone just as the nurse closed the little opening.

After being lead back to the entrance of the building, Jerome kept giving me concerned glances on our drive back. The ride was silent as the thoughts in my head buzzed insistently. I blanked as negativity reared it's ugly head. Maybe Jaden got tired of me, it said. I wasn't needed anymore. The more these thoughts pestered me, the more the ache in my chest continued to spread to each finger tip. I felt like the ache was pulsing in my very veins.

After a period of silence -minus his radio playing in the background- I sighed out, "You were right. I guess I should've waited until Jaden told me himself."

Jerome exhaled a long breath I didn't know he was holding. "I'm sure he has his reasons. I can only imagine how Jaden feels. He's probably been beating himself up ever since you got shot," Jerome stated in a matter of fact.

To me, it sounded as if he knew a lot more of what he lead on but that didn't matter anymore. What mattered at this moment was Jaden, and how he felt now. I can't change the past, but I can try to make his future better. Yet, I had to ask myself... had I missed my chance due to my insecurities?

"His perception of me must be shattered. Now that he knows that I'm not his real father, does he perhaps think less of me?" I sighed frustrated.

Suddenly, Jerome started chuckling lightheartedly. "I highly doubt it. Even if you both aren't biologically related, it's scary on how you both think alike."

"What do yo mean?"

"Just talk to him. He is a legal man now," he smiled as he winked at me; reminding me that at one point this guy did have feelings for me. Maybe if I hadn't been so messed up in my younger days, I'd have wind up with him instead.

Because of the negative thoughts running through my head, my mouth ran away from me. I just needed a reason to distract him. Just being around Jerome was already a distraction because that energy of his.  I needed to talk about anything else to stop the negative thoughts from torturing me.

"Hey... I really don't remember what happened that night you know. I was tripping on a gummy pills and all I remember is us kissing-- and the next thing I remember is waking up semi-naked next to you," I said in a genuine manner.

"Psh, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Jerome answered with a flustered smile. "It's for me to know. Plus, wouldn't knowing only make Jaden sad?"

"It depends, did something happen?"

Jerome gave a hearty laugh. "Maybe. Maybe not. The world may never know. That's my punishment to you. You'll never really know who was actually your first man."