Disgrace

I sniffled and tried my best to hold my emotions together. “Sorry, it’s just that Rosie and I have been through a lot.”

“Stop calling your car a human name.”

“Stop calling me princess.”

“No.”

“Then Rosie stays, too, and I’m going to call you Oscar.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

“Because you’re grumpy—just like Oscar the Grouch.”

He gave me the blankest stare. “Oh, how creative, princess.”

“Thank you, Oscar. Because ya know, calling a woman princess is really outside of the box,” I mocked.

“You’re annoying.”

“And you’re a grump. But…” A knot formed in my gut, and I rubbed my hands against the back of my neck. “I am really sorry, ya know. About your foot. If you want, I can have—”

“Nope,” he cut in.

“What?”

“I said no. We aren’t doing this. Let’s make something clear, this isn’t something—our back and forth interactions. This isn’t a thing.”

His response perplexed me. “I never said it was a thing. All I was saying was—”

“Don’t. Don’t say anything.”

“Stop cutting me off!”

“Then stop talking. You think I don’t see how you look at me every time you’re in that bookshop? Like there’s something about me that you can’t figure out? Well, there’s not. So if you could just please leave me the hell alone, that would be great.” And, like normal, he grumbled once more. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Crying.”

What? Dangit!

“Hot. Mess,” he breathed out. “Just wait for Alex to get back,” Jackson muttered. “I don’t want to deal with you anymore.”

Wow.

I think I hate you.

I went to the waiting area and sat down, leaving my purse on the table as I waited for Alex to come back. When he walked through the front door, he gave me that same bright smile. “Hey, Grace! Thanks for coming in! Have you been helped yet?”

“Not really. I mean, Jackson spoke to me, but he wasn’t really helpful, per se. He told me the car was a piece of crap and not worth saving.”

Alex crossed his arms. “Where is he?”

“He’s outside banging a sledgehammer against some car like an insane man.”

“Oh.” Alex frowned and shook as if a chill had run over him. “Don’t take it personally. He’s having a bad day.”

I sarcastically laughed. “How can you tell? It seems as if he’s always in a mood.”

“Yeah, but…” Alex frowned. “When he’s out there, hitting those cars, it means he’s in a bad mood. Like, really bad mood. There’s no getting through to him when he’s like that.”

“He’s not the easiest person to deal with.”

“That’s true, too.” He snickered and nodded, walking toward my car with me. “He’s not as bad as everyone says.”

“No,” I agreed. “He’s worse.”

“That’s just because you don’t know him. The Jackson I know is one of the nicest guys, but he doesn’t show it the same ways as others do. If you watch closely, you’d see it every now and then.”

“So what you’re trying to tell me is that somewhere inside that person’s body over there is an actual heart?”

“Yes.” Alex smirked and leaned in toward me, whispering. “And sometimes it even beats.”

Wow.

What an odd concept.

“Listen, I know the shit people say about him, and I know the rumors that get tossed around, but those lies aren’t Jackson. The truth is, he’s one of the best humans on this here Earth. It’s a shame the world is missing out on knowing him because they are so stuck in their false realities of the man that he is. He might be my only nephew, but if I had more, he’d still be my favorite.”

“He’s your nephew?” I asked. “Mike is your brother?”

“No.” He shook his head. “His mother was my sister.”

Was. That word hit me so hard, and my next breath was stolen from me. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. It’s been over fourteen years. Hannah was…” His words faltered, and he cleared his throat. For the first time, I witnessed Alex frown, and it was the saddest moment. His always happy eyes became a bit dimmer. “My sister was a good person. Not a day passes that I don’t think about her. Not a day passes when Jackson doesn’t, too.”

“I’m truly sorry. I couldn’t imagine what going through something like that is like.”

“It’s worse than anyone could ever believe. What Mike and Jackson both went through…” He took a deep breath. “No one can understand that kind of suffering. Not even me.”

It made it seem as if there was a lot more to the story, but I didn’t ask any questions. It wasn’t my place.

He shook his head back and forth and washed away his somber stare. “But listening to my family’s woes is not why you’re here. Let’s talk about your car.”

“Oh yeah, the car,” I muttered, still somewhat thinking of the monster that had greeted me.

“Do something for me.” Alex scrunched up his nose, rubbed the back of his neck, and then tossed me the set of keys. “Give the engine a turn.”