Page 4 of Broken Silence
“I mean it, Jasper. If either of you doesn’t want to come, it’s fine with me. I understand if you don’t want to see them. It’s just…Ihaveto.”
“We’re doing this together, honey. I made that promise to you four years ago, and I’m not going to break it now.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, swallowing the urge to cry.
It meant so much that they would come. I knew how hard it was for them, especially Mum. She blamed herself for not seeing the man she’d married for what he truly was. Dad fooled everyone.
What had happened was nobody’s fault but his.
Jasper clenched his jaw, trying to contain his anger. I knew he didn’t want to see Dad again, and my stomach churned at the knowledge that I was making him.
“Jasper? You okay?” Mum asked. “Oakley’s right. You don’t have to come.”
“I’m going,” he replied, putting his mug down and folding his arms under his chest like a stubborn child. “I just don’t know how I’m going to stay in control when I see his face again.”
I was sure my brother hated our dad more than I did.
“Maybe you should come to therapy with me. I’m sure Martha could fit us in for a joint session.”
“No, thanks,” he muttered in response.
Therapy was something that Jasper always refused. I’d started seeing Martha shortly after we’d arrived in Australia, and Mum used to see someone, too. Jasper had his own way of dealing with things by bottling it up and letting it explode in a fight, reaching the bottom of a bottle, or getting lost between some random’s legs.
“Asking for help doesn’t make you–”
He stood abruptly, cutting me off. “I don’t need help. I just need to help you two.”
Mum and I exchanged a glance as Jasper left the room. I wanted to run after him, but I knew he needed to be alone to cool down. He saw therapy as a weakness and wouldn’t do it because he had to be strong for Mum and me.
My stupid, sweet brother.
“He’ll be fine. He knows we’re here, and I’m sure he’ll ask for help when he’s ready for it.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I nodded along with her, anyway. “Burying it is much easier than facing it.”
It had taken me more than a decade of pretending everything was fine before I had spoken up. It would be hypocritical of me to push Jasper into anything.
“Are you going to tell Jenna that we’re coming? I think you should warn them…”
By them, I meant Cole. He had to know I was coming back.
It had been too long. We’d gone years without speaking. I couldn’t spring that on him.
He probably didn’t even want to see me.
Mum nodded and wrapped a tartan blanket around herself, which I assumed she used to protect herself from our conversation rather than the temperature since it wasn’t cold.
“She emailed yesterday. I haven’t replied yet, so I’ll mention it. How do you feel about seeing Cole again?”
I looked out the window, my heart heavy as steel at the sound of his name. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay,” Mum said. “I’ll call Ali. You get the laptop and look up some flights.”
Within an hour, Mum had spoken to Ali, and our flights were booked. In a week’s time, we would be back in England. I emailed my lawyer, Linda Rake, to explain that I had changed my mind, and I would call her tomorrow to discuss it.
She would be pleased, I thought. A while ago, she’d suggested that I think about appearing in court in person, but I’d said no.
It might have a bigger impact on the jury if I was there, though. I wasn’t so sure, but I wasn’t doing this for the jury.
