《The Tattooed Devil Wears Chucks》Chapter 63: The Rehearsal
Advertisement
.
"Felix?" I blink back tears as my head shakes frantically. "No way Jax, he's an asshole but he would never hurt Zo. Or Courtney..."
His knuckles are completely white as he clutches the varsity jacket. I didn't even know Felix owned one of those. He was on the varsity team and it was in his closet. The patch of green felt that they found stuck to Courtney's ring, it was a pocket. The pocket of my brother's jacket.
Oh my god Felix, what the fuck did you do?!
"Gabby, give me your phone." He holds his hand out and motions his fingers for me to hand it to him.
The voicemails continue to play but I'm not even listening to them anymore. I hold the phone to my chest with hesitation. "Why? Jax, what are you going to do?"
"Just give it to me." He takes a deep breath and I know he's trying to keep his anger at bay. I don't argue. I hand him the phone. Felix is my brother and I love him, but if he did something go Courtney, Jax or our child he needs to be caught.
This isn't happening.
Jax holds the phone and begins texting from it. I sit on the bed and bury my face in my hands. What the fuck is happening? My brother killed my best friend? Why? How could he do it? How could he kill his own girlfriend? Why would he try and hurt Jax and Zooey?
"Here." He hands my phone back and kneels in front of me taking my hands into his.
"What are you going to do?" I hiccup due to my crying.
"I need him to admit it. I texted him as you and told him your car wasn't working and you needed a ride. I need you to record him Gabby. Everything he says you get it with your phone. If he makes any type of move toward you I will drop him, do you hear me? I won't hesitate."
"Don't hurt him, Jax. Please." My entire body is shaking in fear. Am I afraid of Felix? He's my brother, I really don't think he would hurt me. I know I'm not afraid of him. I just don't know what to think.
"I need to hear him say it. He took Court from me. He took my baby sister. He held her under the water until she couldn't breathe Gabby..." He begins to cry. We are both going to lose a sibling out of this. I set my head against his and we stay like this until we hear the door downstairs open and close.
"Gabs? You ready? You're like an hour late!" Felix's voice calls up the stairs. Jax's body goes rigid. "What's with all the mud? Mom's going to be pissed!"
"Keep calm Alfie, please keep calm. I'll record it and then we will turn him in."
He nods and pulls away. "Get him up here."
I swipe away my tears and stand from the bed. "Felix, come up here for a second!" I call out the door to him. Immediately I hear the familiar sound of him taking the old wooden stairs two at a time. My chest begins to heave as I hyperventilate.
Advertisement
"I won't hurt him unless he tries something." Jax rubs my back. I don't feel very assured by that. I know what he did to Courtney's rapist. It terrifies me to think of what he would do to her murderer.
"Why are you in here?" Felix walks into the room. "Holy shit." His eyes immediately go wide at the sight of Jax. "You're alive! Holy fucking shit where have you been?! Gabby did you know?!"
His questions don't stop. It's as if he's actually surprised to see him. He's a better liar than I thought. Jax stands in front of him, quiet. I hit the record button on my phone and don't answer him.
"What the fuck you guys? Are you still together? Does Kane know he's alive? Does dad?"
"How could you do it?" Jax picks up the jacket. "You murdered my baby sister. You said you loved her..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Felix stands there confused. His face scrunches as he looks between Jax and I. "I would never hurt Court. Why would you even think that?"
"You tried to kill me! What did I do to you? And my daughter? A six year old, what did Zooey do to you?!" Jax's anger is increasing.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Felix is shaking his head. "I wouldn't hurt Zo, or you. Fuck Jax, I didn't know you were even alive!"
Jax tosses the jacket to him. "The pocket is missing. That's because Courtney tore it off her murderer. The only piece of evidence they actually found."
I can't stomach this. He's my brother. I can't even watch what is unfolding before my eyes. Felix killed my best friend. I feel as though I'm on the verge of being physically sick.
Felix looks at the jacket confused and then lifts his eyes to me. "This isn't mine?"
"The fuck it isn't. Varsity football and in your closet!" Jax yells. His face is red, veins are appearing in his neck and forehead. He's losing his temper quickly.
"Oh my god." Felix's eyes fill with tears. He turns around and swings open the closet door to begin digging through boxes along the top. He pulls down a small plastic black box and tosses it to me. I open the box and pull out his senior pictures.
"What am I supposed to do with these?" I begin sorting through them. They are familiar, mom has most of them hanging up on the wall with mine and Sydney's. Then I see what he wants me to see. I look back up to him. "Yellow?"
"My jacket was yellow and it is currently hanging in my closet at my apartment with both yellow pockets still attached. They alternate colors each year. That is not my jacket."
"Whose is it?!" Jax demands.
Felix looks to me with eyes filled with tears. No words needed, I know who's jacket it is and so does he. One other person occupies this room. "Oh my god" I put my hand to my mouth. "No... no, no, no..."
Advertisement
"WHOSE IS IT?!" Jax yells.
Only two words fall from my lips before I begin to vomit.
"It's Kane's."
<><><>
My entire body is shaking so hard it's painful as Jax speeds our way to the rehearsal dinner. He's got my car going well over 100mph. The rehearsal dinner is being held in the basement of a restaurant twenty miles outside of town.
The jacket belongs to Kane. My Kane. The Kane I've been in love with since I was a little girl. The Kane I've been sleeping with for two years. The man I trusted with me and my daughter. The Kane I was supposed to marry tomorrow.
I haven't seen Kane wear the jacket in years, likely since the night of Courtney's party. He always wore it to Luxberg games or in this case, a Luxberg High graduation party. But do I remember seeing him wear it at the hospital later that night? I don't remember. I was so traumatized by seeing Courtney and almost losing Jax that I wasn't paying attention to what people were or were not wearing. I know that jacket wasn't in Minnesota with him. He's been emptying his childhood bedroom, that's where it came from.
What was his motive? It makes no sense. He was her boss and that was really the only time I had seen them together. The only other connection was that he was Tyler's brother and he had a sticker in the book. Even I had a sticker though.
Jax's hand stays firmly gripped in mine as he speeds to the rehearsal. He weaves between cars on the highway, flying past them. They become nothing but specks in the rear view mirror within seconds.
"We need to talk to Lily." It comes out in panic. "I need to know what the stickers mean! Kane has a sticker. Somehow this ties in, it has to. I need to know."
"Lily?" Felix asks from the backseat. "What stickers? Are you talking about my yearbooks?"
"You know about those?" I turn in my seat to Felix.
"How do you know about those?" His eyes go wide.
"We can deal with those later!" Jax grits through his teeth as he puts the car into park. "We're here."
It feels like there is an elephant on my chest, it's tight and hurts to breathe. I'm not sure I can go in there and look Kane in the face. I trusted him, I loved him.
I step out of the car and immediately Jax's hand is back in mine. The three of us are practically running into the restaurant and down to the basement that is booming with the voices and laughter of friends and family. That laughter completely diminishes when people see me walk in with the formally-deceased Jackson Parker attached to my hand. That's when the whispers and gasps begin.
My eyes scan the room for any sign of Kane but I don't see him. My parents stand near the head table and my dad's eyes finally catch mine as we barrel towards him.
"What the hell? What are you two thinking?"
I clutch my dad's arm in my hand and drag him as my mom begins to scream at the fact my dead boyfriend is here. I push open the bathroom door, drag my dad in and Felix and Jax follow. Jax locks the door behind us.
"Dad, where is Kane?!"
He looks between Jax and I and sighs. "I paid for a wedding that isn't going to happen, right? Gabby, I'm glad you picked Zooey's dad and that you will be happy, but you put us all in so much danger. Now what do we do?"
"Dan, we need to find Kane... RIGHT NOW!" Jax yells.
Dad looks to him with confusion and begins to stumble his words. "He got a call that he said he needed to take care of it quick and Zooey was getting antsy. He- he ran her back to the house to get some books and run some errand since you were late anyways. Why?"
"Oh my god!" I look to Jax and he shares the look of complete horror on his face. The call had to have been from Mike. Everyone else is here. "Jax he has Zooey..."
"What's going on? He said they would be right back. They just left."
Felix hands him the jacket. Dad rubs his hand along the green felt and where you can see the stitching was pulled, causing his eyes to light up.
I pull my phone back out and select Kane's name. I tell everyone to shut up and put it on speaker. The bathroom becomes silent.
"Hey, babe." Kane answers calmly. Thank god, he doesn't know we know.
"Hey handsome." I try and keep my shaky voice settled. Jax cringes at my term of endearment. "Felix got my car to start. I'm here and ready to walk down this fake aisle with you. You almost here?"
He begins to laugh. A laugh that I've never heard before, almost... sadistic. It gives me chills.
"No. I think I'll skip it. I'm hanging out with Zo."
I begin to cry. He has my baby. He knows I know and he has Zooey.
"Oh, where at? I'll meet up with you. We don't have to do this rehearsal. I can marry you without it."
"Somewhere I know thug can't follow."
The line goes dead and I fall into Jax's chest and cry. "He has our daughter. We need to find him."
"Dan..." Jax's voice cracks. "Kane killed Courtney and he has your granddaughter..."
"Where is he taking her that you can't follow?" My dad clutches his arm in panic.
I look up to Jax, pondering the same question. His eyes widen at the same time as mine. Raspberries.
He's taking my baby into the woods.
To the lake where he killed Courtney.
He's making my worst nightmare come true.
Advertisement
-
In Serial22 Chapters
Warden of Time
Already on edge from a series of increasingly strange occurrences, student practitioner Juniper Lorn is not surprised to see her fears validated when the world is upended before her eyes.The literal end of the world, however, had not been on her bingo card. Finding herself one month in the past perfectly safe and sound, even less so.Faced with an insurmountable task, Juniper must now uncover the secrets of the time loop and find a way to escape and somehow save the universe in the process. //A hard progression time loop story with cultivation elements.Schedule: Wed-Fri-Sun, with occasional extra chapters.
8 206 -
In Serial129 Chapters
The Legend of the Fake Hero
*I don't own the cover image**This has the Tragedy Tag; please no genre hate. Bad things can happen to good people, just like in real life (not that they will. I almost didn't put the tag there as it doesn't really fit the genre. I like happy endings.).The year is 201X, and the line between reality and the imaginary has become blurred. Approximately nine months ago, the event which became known as "The Convergence" occurred. People on Earth began to obtain powers. Some received them for seemingly no reason while others had obtained them after they had returned from the many different worlds that they had unwillingly been abducted to. These new worlds existed beyond time and space, and many could have different rules different from what we know as standard reality. That is because these many worlds seem to have traits taken from imagination. Things from stories and myths, like magic and plots, existed in these worlds as if they were inspired by them, and that was only a start.On earth, there was a young man. On appearance, he could be considered only slightly better-than-average. The only thing he was known for was his incredible mind that left him feeling bored and out of touch with reality. But soon he would leave this reality altogether. One moment he was lying in his bed. The next, he was face-to-face with a beautiful young lady who he had just woken up upon him falling into her bed. This young man has an incredible fate and will soon visit many worlds, gain many powers, and meet many women who, like the young girl whose bed he had fallen into, will blow him away.Upload Schedule (Updated 3/28/2021)Upload one chapter every-other-weekend PST (with rare exception, typically due to length).Breaking Fate/Origin Arc (Done) Albion Arc: Vol 1 - Origin, Vol 2 - Rise of the Red Dragon (Done) New Earth Arc: Vol 3 - New Earth (Done) Dealing with the Past Arc: Vol 4 - Ghosts of the Past, Vol 5 - The Dracul Descends, Vol 6 - War of FateBound Fate Arc Fake Hero Arc Vol 7 - Martel Side Stories #1 Shield Hero Arc Vol 8 - Second Chance Vol 9 - The Adventure Begins (Current) Vol 10 - First Quest Vol 11 - TBD (Writing [37%]) (Multiple Future Volumes TBD)Currently ONLY posting on Scribble Hub, Royal Road, and Wattpad (Same user name)If you find my work on other sites please let me know!
8 169 -
In Serial31 Chapters
Of Demigods and Wizards
When Ron Weasley discovers that he's the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman, he has no idea of how much his life and the lives of his friends will be changed forever...
8 254 -
In Serial277 Chapters
Reincarnated as a World
Eridel Domicus was the trash of the Domicus family, an extremely powerful family that had dominion over a large part of the world, having riches upon riches and ways upon ways. However, it was their greatest pride turned biggest shame to have a young master that... no. Let it not be said. But one night, the 22 year old Eridel had incomprehensibly... died.But even more unfathomable was the fact that against all logic he began to see again. And what Eridel saw... terrified him.Or at least that was supposed to be how he reacted right? Why is it that... ------------------------ The first light novel of [ The Monarch ].
8 1764 -
In Serial167 Chapters
After Ragnarok (GL - Norse Progression Fantasy)
The Twilight of the Gods has come and gone Yggdrasil burned and the realms shook, but even endings end. Now the prophecies are over, the world tree regrows, the Aesir and Vanir stalk the empty halls of their once mighty realms as mortals grow and flourish, in this new age they have tamed steam and steel covering the nine realms in iron rails and grand castles, warm homes and busy foundries each grander than the last, this is the Age of the Dawn, and its already in danger. In this new age lives a a young vitki (wizard) called Erika who has just had an accident with some very expensive reagents. Now driven by a desire to avoid disappointing her mother Erika joins an expedition chasing rumors of an ancient relic that just might decide the fate of the age. As a prisoner from before Ragnarok strains at his chains, Erika will find herself in a saga of her very own leaving her with only one choice, grow stronger or fall. Norse progression fantasy, NOT litrpg, LGBTQ+ protagonist
8 182 -
In Serial12 Chapters
My Life As A Superhero Slash Supervillain
James Jude Jamison is experiencing something a bit odd. He was sitting quietly at his computer desk, playing some kind of RPG, he couldn't which one, although the fate of the universe rests on him remembering which (Oh well, it had to end sometime). So, anyway, suddenly, out of nowhere, he got a bit of a headachne, his nose started to bleed, he then proceeded to make a mess in the family room at the computer room. His mom shouted at him, then he died. Then he woke up. He was reborn. Only he had a UI screen suddenly at the edge of his vision. What the hell. He was meant to have some cool powers, like lazers that shot out of his nipples, maybe some mad dancing skills. He would finally be able to speak to girls without laughing in their faces. Sigh. So this is his story, of how he couldn't decide which career prospect appealed to him more. So he decides to give both being a hero and a villain a go. What could go wrong? *** Edit: 2017.06.18 - 03:08 am EST - JJ seems to have buggered off somewhere without telling me where he went. So I am going to have to piece together this story back from the start with the fragments that he gave me. I will leave the original chapters up, but I will be renaming them so they are obvious if new readers don't want to read them. I am currently trying to write chapter one anew. It will feature new reasons of why JJ starts with the villainous lifestyle first, and the reasons of why he is granted the power he was given. If JJ does come back, I will inform you thusly. Then it will be decision of writing from where he left off or telling him to go choke on his own c**k. If I do decide to take the story up, then it will be a decision of to split the stories in two, and if to keep my version alive and concurrent. Thanks.
8 178
