Jason sniffed and Veronica leaned forward, kissing him. He kissed her back, the two holding one another in a lover's embrace. She felt her feet rise up off the ground and in her heart knew that everything was going to be okay.
Suddenly, behind her, a car door slammed.
"What the fuck is this!?" a familiar voice shouted.
Veronica's eyes burst open. She pulled away from Jason immediately, spinning around. There was Greg standing in front of his car, stopped in the middle of the parking lot. His face was livid as he looked at the two people in front of him.
"Greg!" Veronica called out. She sensed Jason stepping to the side but didn't look around. "What- what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" Greg repeated, still yelling. Some people in the parking lot were turning their heads to look. "There was a call at my office last night. Someone left a message, some woman named Nancy. Said that I would be able to find my wife Veronica with another man if I came to this park today at one-thirty. Well, here I am, and here you are. So perhaps you could explain to me just what the fuck is going on?"
"She doesn't have to explain anything to you," Veronica heard from behind her.
She turned to look at Jason. His eyes were dry now and his jawline was set. He stared at Greg with something resembling hatred on his face. She'd never seen this side of him before. It scared her.
"Oh, you must be the guy my wife is fucking on the side," Greg said, turning his attention to Jason. He took a step forward and so did Jason, past Veronica. She saw his hands clench into fists.
"That's right," Jason said. "And you must be the shit heel husband who forces Veronica to make him breakfast every morning before she's allowed to eat."
Greg's eyes narrowed and he took another step forward.
"Be careful what you say to me, you piece of shit," Greg said, his voice low.
"Or what?" Jason replied, taking another step forward as well. "What are you going to do?"
Veronica's throat seemed to unstick as she finally found her voice.
"Jason, Greg, stop!" she said, but her words fell on deaf ears. Neither man looked in her direction, each keeping
his eyes on the other. They were about 4 feet away from one another.
"You don't deserve Veronica" Jason snarled. "You're a fucking bastard and you know it. You just can't stand that you've lost the best thing that ever happened to you."
"You shut your fucking mouth," Greg snapped, taking another step forward. "I didn't lose Veronica. We're still together."
"Is that so? Then why was it me she was kissing just a minute ago?"
That was too much for Greg. He let out a yell and took a swing at Jason, but was too slow. Jason moved his head back with obvious experience, letting Greg's fist take him into a turn. As Greg fumbled, Jason brought his own balled fist around and caught Greg square in the eye. Greg's head snapped back as he stumbled, his hands releasing themselves and lifting to cover his face.
"No!" Veronica screamed. People were standing and watching now, keeping a safe distance but pointing and muttering to each other all the same.
"You fucking shit!" Greg cried out and he charged at Jason. Jason side-stepped him and grabbed onto the shoulder of Greg's shirt, spinning him around. As Greg moved in a circle, Jason's fist came down again, hitting him in the face once more. There was a sickening crunch and Greg went down, his knees collapsing beneath him as his body dropped forward onto the pavement. His nose was dark and bloody now, obviously broken while one of his eyes was turning a deep hue of purple.
"Oh my God, Greg!" Veronica screamed. She ran over to Greg's crumpled frame and dropped to her knees, picking his head up as he rolled over onto his back, coughing up more blood. She held him as he bled out onto her sleeves. He looked semi-conscious, all the fight gone out of his body.
Veronica began to cry and she looked up at Jason, standing over the two of them, his hands still balled into fists. He hadn't broken a sweat but his face was red and he was breathing heavily.
"Why did you hit him?" Veronica cried. "Why did you have to do this?"
"Babe," Jason said, but Veronica began to sob and the words left his mouth.
"Just go!" she cried, tears running down her face now. "Go!"
Jason blinked, a lost look on his face as he watched Veronica cradle her beaten husband. His hands relaxed and he took a step back. Without saying anything else he turned and went quickly to his car, opening the door and getting inside. He shut the door too loudly and Veronica heard the engine roar to life. She closed her eyes and lowered her head to Greg as Jason backed out of the parking spot, switched to Drive and sped away.
Tears ran down her cheeks. She could hear Greg breathing, a wet, rattling noise close to her ears. He lifted one hand and placed it numbly on her arm. She grabbed onto the hand and held him close, her eyes still closed, and in the distance she heard the approaching sounds of police sirens.
Chapter 17