Son for Hire Ch. 83-94

Alan opens the massive hood to reveal the huge engine within. Struck speechless I slowly walk around to stand beside him. Taking a wrench from the wall behind him he places it my hand. I hold it in a light grip struggling to make sense of what was happening. Why was Evelyn's cuckolded husband acting like this? Why was he being nice? What was his game?

I look down at the wrench as if it was some great mystery. "I...I don't know how to..."

"It's alright Donny." He says. "I do."

"Ohhhh Donny." I hear Kitty as she begins to explore the interior. "It's like a living room in here. You gotta see this."

Alan and I couldn't see my sister with the hood up but we could hear her as she peeps and hoots excitedly at all of the little discoveries she was finding. I didn't like how high her hopes had gotten. We hadn't agreed to anything yet. In fact...I didn't like this. Any of this. My heart burned with caustic guilt at Alan's gesture. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. He was the enemy. He was my rival. He was the big stupid idiot that Evelyn brazenly cheated on with me. He was supposed to be the bad husband and the asshole. None of this was as it was supposed to be. He had to have an ulterior motive. He wanted to put me into his debt or something.

His voice low and quiet Alan says for my ears only. "Kitty told me."

"Told you?"

"Mmm." He nods and shifts stiffly. "She told me that you two lost your...um..." He sighs, his stern face softening. "She told me and I'm...I'm sorry to hear it." He swallows hard, emotion simmering just below the stoic surface. "After Eugene we, um...shit. Let's just say that I understand how you're feeling right now. It's hurts like nothing else." He takes a long breath. "It's crazy how badly you can mourn for somebody that you never met, huh?"

No, no, no. NO! Why in the fuck did Kitty tell him that we lost a baby that never existed in the first place!? I didn't want sympathy from Alan. I didn't want to have sympathy for him either. I didn't want kindness from him. I didn't want ANYTHING from him. Evelyn was the generous one, not him! Evelyn was the nice one, not him! I just wanted him to be the villain. I liked it that way.

"The car isn't because of that." He clears his throat and continues. "I hate this thing but I've never had the heart to get rid of it. Her grandpa meant a lot to Evelyn. I think she'd be happier knowing that you two had it." He grins, a warm genuine grin. "She really likes having you two around. I can see the difference in her. You two are good for her."

Guilt, jealousy, anger, and pure petty spite roil in my soul. How dare he care about Evelyn! She wasn't his to care about...she was mine. MINE!

Kitty gets out all smiles and bobbing curls and comes around to see what we were looking at. "Ha! Look at this thing. Isn't it amazing."

"We...we don't need it." I whisper.

"The hell we don't!" Kitty chirps.

"I know you need it kid. I was young and broke once too. Go ahead Donny. Do something. Anything." Alan says. "I can't be here all the time but I can show you some things and teach you what you need to know."

"Teach...me?"

"Sure." He says. "Go ahead and try something. I'll let you know what to do as we go."

"Uh..." I look over the old engine without really seeing it.

His big hand comes to rest heavily on my shoulder. "It's okay son. Whatever you break we can fix again."

Rage!

"I'm not your son!" I snap. "I'm not your fucking son, okay? I told you before not to call me that. You're not my fucking father."

"I...I didn't mean it like that." He says.

"I never had a Dad, I never wanted a Dad, I never needed a Dad."

Alan pulls his hand away. "Alright Donny. I won't say it again."

I spin toward him, wrench gripped tightly in my hand. "You don't have to be nice to me Alan. I don't WANT you to be nice to me. We don't have to pretend. I know you don't like me, okay? It's cool. Okay? I don't like you either."

"Donny!" Kitty gasps.

Alan holds out a hand toward my sister. "It's okay Kit. Let him talk."

"I'm done talking. I don't need your pity! I don't need your fake kindness! And I don't need your fucking car!" I shout. "I'm not a fucking charity case."

"I never said you were."

"Donny..."

I turn and unleash my anger on Kitty next. "And you! How could you tell him...that!? What were you thinking!?"

Kitty's eyes go wide as I seethe at her like like I never had before. "Donny...I...I couldn't continue to let him think that I was..." Her eyes flit to Alan, scared to say too much in front of him. "I thought he should know. He was so nice about..."

"He is not nice Kitty! It doesn't matter what he thinks anyway. He is an asshole and he's purposely trying to..." I bite down on my bitter words. "We're done here." Alan stands with an infuriating calmness to his dumb bearded face. The bastard was still empathizing with me. He thought he understood me. He didn't know shit about shit. Little shrimp-dick mother fucker! I was sorely tempted to tell him right there and then what Evelyn and I were doing while he was away every day just for the satisfaction of seeing his reaction. I don't of course, opting instead for a simple. "Fuck you." I start to march from the garage. "Come on Kitty. We're leaving."

Even more confused than Alan she looks back and forth between us. "But...I want the car."

"We don't need the car. Come on! We're leaving!"

Kitty bristles back, her brows furrowing in anger. "No!" She says. "You're the only one being an asshole here Donny. Again!" She says, calling back to my last jealousy fueled blow-up in Eugene's room. "I'm staying."

"You're going to say that to me? After all we've...after all I've..." I huff and throw up my arms. "Fuck. Stay then. See if I care."

"Donny..."

"Let him go." Alan says, his low steady voice gentle yet strong. "Give him some time."

"You think you know everything." I glare. "You don't know shit old man." With that I storm off toward the street. I didn't know where I was going, just anywhere but here.

To be continued...