The Nuclear Family Pt. 01

We looked at each other, then smiled at each other. But, of course, we both knew that none of that was not going to happen.

"On a more upbeat note, I was thinking about buying a house, so I suppose next I need to find a job once the divorce is complete," I said.

Amy nodded, "What of your family? Are you going to talk to them and bury the hatchet?"

I glared at her. Amy sat back quickly, "That bad, huh?"

"If I never talk to one of them again before I die of old age, it will be too soon." I declared, then I looked at Amy. "Why, was there a different motive for coming with Joanna this morning?"

She held both hands up in a surrendering gesture. Then put them down and sighed, "When Georgia cried to Mum and Dad about how you had abandoned her, the story she told made me really angry at you. The Robbie I know would never do what you did based on what Georgia told us. You pissed me off, Robbie."

I cocked an eyebrow, I could understand, but there was more to this story than the apparent parts.

Amy Sighed, then glanced at me quickly over her salad. "You might not know this, but I have had a crush on you for years." Although she blushed, I suddenly swallowed. "When Georgia first bought you home, you were polite to Mum and Dad. You even spent time with me. Then, as you both started dating, I saw a man who was considerate of my sister's needs. I saw you make a real effort to ensure she was happy. But you also thought of her family. You even bought me gifts on my birthday. I don't know many brothers-in-law who do that."

I shrugged, "I'm good at operations, Amy. The detail of a plan makes me good at what I do. And making sure my girlfriend's little sister is in my good books only helped your family like me back then."

"I know, Robbie, that's the point," Amy told me. "You were wonderful as my brother-in-law. It didn't make sense when I heard the story about how you had just walked out on Georgia and how she was falling apart because you left. So, when I was offered the opportunity to come to talk 'some sense' into you with Joanna, I jumped at the chance."

She looked at me seriously, "If you had walked out on her just because you fought, I would have lost faith in all men and relationships."

"I mean that much to you?" I asked in curiosity. Amy nodded.

"Robbie, what Georgia and your family have done to you is horrendous," she said, looking out the window of the café we were eating at. "They hid their oldest son having an affair with the wife of their youngest son, then adding insult to injury, knowing the older son had knocked her up, they were perfectly fine with letting it be.

"Then when you find out and confront them, they claim it was for operational profit." She reached across the table and put her hand on mine. "If I were you, I would not have just walked away; I would have moved countries and found another career!"

I smiled, "don't think I haven't thought about doing just that more than once. I just don't have the money yet. I hoped to mope for a bit, find a new job, and save enough money to leave it all behind."

We again lapsed into a comfortable silence. I finished up my chips, mopping up the gravy on my plate. I knew Amy had something she wanted to ask, so I waited. She took a deep breath and nervously caught my attention.

"Robbie," she had a sparkle in her eyes. "If I asked you, would you run away with me?"

"Amy, she might be a cheating slut, but my ex-wife is still your sister!" I chuckled in reply.

"Half-sister," Amy giggled in return. "Despite the cheating slut she is... you're not staying married to her, and as you're almost single, there is no law against me asking."

I nodded, "True."

"Perfect," she smiled, "then you can run away with me."

I laughed, then looked at Amy; her expression was solemn under the smile. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Amy told me, smiling at me seductively.

"Amy, I can't do that."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing, money, I don't have enough to uproot everything and run away," I pronounced.

She sagely nodded her smile still there.

"And two, I'm still married," I told the now noticed, good-looking woman across the table from me. "So even if it is only for the next little while, I think I should be here for the legal side of things to end my marriage to Georgia."

Again she nodded, still smiling like she knew something.

"And lastly, Amy, you're Georgia's sister," I pointed out. "Wouldn't it be weird if I was to run away with you?"

She grinned yet again.

"All good points, Robbie, but again, Georgia and I are only half-sisters," she told me for the second time in two minutes.

"Of course," I replied. Georgia and her older sister Ruth had the same father. However, right after Georgia was born, their father, Steve, ran away with another woman. Their mother, Rayne, met and married Peter Brown. Shortly after that, Amy came along. I had always thought Peter and Rayne had a great marriage. I guess Georgia got the cheating genes from her father.

"Good," Amy stated. "Because from this moment onwards, I want nothing to do with that slut, the less relation I have to her, the better." I nodded in appreciation that someone got what I was on about.

"To respond to your other two questions," Amy told me, the gleam in her eye growing. "What if money and legal resources were available to make both issues disappear?"

She still had that gleam in her eye that told me she was serious.

"Amy?" I paused, "Are you serious, you think you can make it all go away? If you can, I'll run away with you."

"I am serious, Robbie. I know I can get the costs and legal sorted, but Robbie. I want you to come with me."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because Robbie, if you are free, I want the chance to see if there can be something between us. I think, given that chance, I can be everything that my stupid older sister is not."

Amy then shrugged, but at the same time, gave me an earnest look. "I also know if it doesn't work out that I have helped someone I care about very deeply get as far away from a toxic situation as possible."

"Can I think about it?" I asked.

She laughed, "Of course, the offer is good anytime; you just need to call me. But I'm only visiting my parents for another week before I head home, then, soon I need to head overseas. I'd love to have you go with me." she raised her eyebrows.

The rest of lunch flew by. I think Amy knew she had thrown me a curveball from the looks I kept giving her. But she kept the conversation lite-on, no real topic. We caught an uber back to Darren and Toni's before she gave me a huge hug getting the car to take her to her parents. I could feel she wanted more but wasn't pushing. I noticed in the hug that while she felt similar to Georgia, she also felt warmer. It was like her aura was trying to reinforce mine, not absorb what it could take like I often felt Georgia did when we hugged.

That night I had dinner with Darren and Toni. First, Toni and I told Darren the story about Joanna's visit; then, I told them about lunch with Amy and her strange offer.

"So, do you think she's serious? Could she really do that?" Darren asked once I explained what she said she would do if I 'ran away with her.'

"I'm not sure," I responded. "None of us knows what she does. All we know is just over a couple of years ago. She got a job where she travels a lot. She lives somewhere on the Sunshine Coast a few hours away, driving down to see family every few months. If she can afford that, I think she may help me relocate at the very least. I'm not sure about the legal, but she tells me she wants a chance to win me over since I won't be getting back together with Georgia."

Toni snorted. "That girl is head over heels for you." Darren and I turned towards her.

"How do you know," Darren asked his girlfriend.

"When tall, dark and handsome here," Toni said, gesturing to me. "Explained why he left the pregnant slut. Amy didn't fall to the ground crying because her sister was put out. She fell to the ground sobbing, holding her hand to her heart; her eyes never left Robbie." She shrugged, "That girl has had a thing for you for a long time."

I nodded, "She kind of hinted that to me at lunch. I always thought she was cute, but I was married to her sister. But let's say her offer is good. There is still the fact that she is Georgia's sister and I'm pretty messed up when it comes to thinking about relationships right now. I'd hate her to do this for her just to be a rebound."

Again Toni snorted. "Robbie Other, how long have we known you?"

"Perhaps eight, no nine years," I responded.

"Long enough," Toni nodded. "Well, mister clever-clogs, let me tell you, that girl ain't no rebound. Sure, you're hurting, but something tells me you let that girl into your heart. She is never going to let you go. So while I would hate to see you leave us here, I think you should take the chance."

We looked at Darren for his thoughts. He took a sip of his beer, looked at the remains of the Thai food we ordered, then looked back at me.

"I think I've met this girl a couple of times, shorter than Georgia, really dark hair and really stacked, unlike her sister." I chuckled; Toni playfully hit him in the arm. "I think I agree with Toni that she does have a thing for you. Honestly, though, even if it's all horseshit. Besides us, your amazing friends, nothing is keeping you here, no job, no family. You may never get an opportunity like this again. I think I am with Toni. Go with Amy."

We talked for a few more hours, I hadn't decided, but I was leaning towards yes.

The deciding factor came two days later. I was walking down the middle of the Gold Coast mall to update my driver's license when I passed a café. My entire family and Georgia were seated with a pram beside her, a tiny baby in her arms. My parents were fawning over the baby; Joanna had a big smile, while Brad jr was holding my soon-to-be ex-wife's hand, acting like an idiot. None of them looked upset that they had screwed me over. I must have stood there watching them for perhaps two minutes before my mother caught me staring. Once I noticed her looking, it scared me out of my idiot's trance, and I started walking away as fast as possible. I had made it almost two blocks by the time she caught up with me.

"Robbie!" I heard my mother yell. "Robbie, wait up, please, sweetie, please stop!" she was running down the street to try and catch me. I thought about picking up my pace or ducking into a shop to avoid her, but I knew it would only delay the inevitable. So I stopped, picked up my phone and dialled Amy.

Amy picked up almost immediately as I turned to face my mother, phone to my ear. "Alright, gorgeous," I spoke into the phone, "let's make it happen!"

Amy laughed, hearing my tone. "You've got it, handsome, but tell me, there is someone there you don't want them to know it's me, isn't there?"

"Mmmhmm," was my reply.

She laughed again, "Well, in that case, I'll pick you up at seven tonight; then you can tell me all about it," I smiled while looking at my mother. But my Mum knew the smile wasn't for her.

"Okay, see you then." I hung up.

I dropped my smile, looking straight at my mother. "What do you want, Hattie?" I said deadpan using my mother's name.

"Robbie, please," she pleaded. "This isn't fair. You can't treat us like this. You can't cut us off. We need you."

"Fair," I snarled, my repressed anger resurfacing. "I've told you what is not fair, having a family lie to my face for over three years, protecting the snivelling asshole who knocked up my wife while trying to make it appear mine. Does that sound fair to you?"

"But Robbie, It's not the same; we need you," she repeated.

"Like fuck you need me. What you need is someone to run your company for you. Someone to fix up all the mistakes your fuckwit of the eldest son creates. You want an acquiescent perfectionist that makes all your lives easy. You're not after a son to love. You want someone to keep your profits coming in!"

"That's not...." My mother paused, looking for another word, unable to find one. She changed tack. "Robbie. You know we all love you." It was the first time I heard my mother say she loved me since all this shit started.

I laughed, "You all love me! Seriously, you say you all love me." I dropped my laugh to a growl.

"Then tell me how deceiving me on almost every facet of my life is love. Tell me, Hattie!" I hissed.

Mum stood there looking down at the pavement, not knowing how to reply. People were parting around us, a few looked at us, but it was just another drama unfolding on the streets of the Gold Coast as they went from place to place.

"Because keeping you in the dark was protecting you," my father said, coming up behind my mother. Following a little further down the street, moving cautiously up behind him, was Joanna, Georgia pushing the pram, and of course, the fuckwit himself, my brother.

"We've been over this already Brad," I said, calling my father by his name. "It wasn't protecting me. It was building a debt of pain and betrayal in which I appear to be the only one suffering."

"You're wrong, Robbie," Joanna said. Gone was the snitty attitude from the other day. "We've all suffered keeping this from you, but now you treat us like shit; we're suffering too."

I glared at my sister, "Suffering? Pull the other one, Joanna. The other day when you stormed into Darren and Toni's place giving me what for then berating me for not forgiving the whore," I glared at Georgia, who shrank back, "as well as the lowest piece of shit on the planet," I said, turning to Brad Jr.

"None of you have the faintest fucking idea what it is to suffer. You think you are suffering because I'm not cleaning up after you. You think you are suffering because your profits are starting to suck. You think you are suffering because operations are a mess. I watched you all a few minutes ago. None of you has any fucking idea what it feels like to suffer the pain of being lied to, betrayed, then told to get over yourself. Well, fuck you all very much. I'm living in hell because of all of you, and none of you gives a shit about how I feel."

"Son, you never gave us..." my father started to say.

"A chance?" I interrupted my father. He hesitated, looking back at me. "You were going to say. I never gave you a chance to say you're sorry or that you understand how upset I am, or that you regret your actions. You were asking for a chance to beg forgiveness for screwing with me. Is that what you were going to say, Brad?"

He glared back at me.

"No, son, I was going to say you never gave us a chance to explain," my father said.

"Explain?" I looked at him, glaring, the rest of the family watching. "Oh, you explained everything perfectly. I must be adopted because you're all insane to think anyone would accept the bullshit you're shovelling. Does the whore or the fuckwit regret fucking me over?" I looked at the family; none of them could meet my eyes for a moment.

"Thought not," I said.

Brad Jr stepped forward, suddenly losing his frown and grinning. 'Robbie, little Robbie, you need to get over yourself. Georgia and I have a beautiful baby boy here. If you suck it up, say sorry, then come back to work. We'll make sure you're the child's godfather. I know it's a consolation prize to it being your kid, but..."

He never finished the sentence. I've mentioned before that I do a couple of different martial arts. I fight in a few tournaments against guys who fight on a national professional stage, and I tend to win most of those bouts. But, unfortunately, we don't have the money for the professionals that the US does in Australia, so I make do with a bit of pocket money from my bouts. But some of those guys are good. And I can stand toe to toe with them. So my stupid brother never stood a chance.

As I finished touching down, Brad Jr had flown from the middle of the sidewalk to come crashing down into the wall of a building about six feet away, courtesy of a flying roundhouse kick. But, of course, no one saw it coming except me. My older brother was lying there unconscious.

I felt calm for the first time since my nightmare began. Then, after a stunned silence, everyone started screaming at me.

I was yelled at from all angles, everyone screaming at me as I watched a couple of cops complete their run over to us. They watched the escalating family drama and, seeing my attack on my brother, had moved to arrest me promptly. As they cuffed me, my mother crying, lying beside her fallen son, she looked up at me and asked why. I smirked, saying it loud so my family, the police, and a sudden crowd of onlookers would hear.

"I told my former older brother never to get close to me ever again after I caught him fucking my wife's ass and saw his semen running out of her pregnant pussy." I responded. "I told him that if he ever got close to me, I'd put him on the ground quicker than he could dump the third load in my cheating adulterous wife. Everyone knows when you make a promise; you keep it. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of thinking he could treat me like shit because he stole my wife and got away with having a child that should have been mine while I was still married. In trying to rub it in my face, the idiot got close enough to me that I was able to keep my promise." I paused, glancing at the crowd leaning into my mother, who looked at me sorrowfully. "But I've just kept my promise."

I turned to the officers, both of them were trying to maintain a serious attitude, but there was a smile in their eyes as they understood what I had just said. I held up now my cuffed hands. "Take me away, officers!"

They calmly escorted me to a waiting police car, driving me to the local station only a few blocks away. Once off the street, the escorting officers apologised for arresting me and cuffing me. It was procedure. I noted that was fine, I let them know I expected to be charged, but I wasn't going to take being criticised and being looked down on by my family, let alone an older brother who had done what he did.

While processing me at the station, they gave me my phone, letting me make a phone call as long as they could listen. I called Amy, and it went to voicemail. I left a message saying I had been arrested, asking if she could sort something out as I didn't trust my family.

I hung up, smiled, thanking the officer for giving me my phone. I let them log it with the rest of my personal belongings.

They put me in an interview room, offering me a drink and some biscuits. Apparently, word had gotten around the station quickly about what I did, along with why I did it. While they had to follow the law and procedure, no one blamed me for delivering a knock-out to Brad Jr.

I'd been sitting for about an hour when an officer came in telling me I had a visitor. I expected Amy or a lawyer, but it wasn't. It was Georgia.

"Hi Robbie," my soon-to-be ex-wife said as she gently sat in the chair on the other side of the table.

I grunted. Not having anywhere else to look, I gave her a once-over. She still had a large amount of baby fat on her. I assumed her usually small breasts were large with milk. Her usual tight ass was round and jiggled slightly. If she exercised like she usually did, she'd lose it all within a few months for what would be an attractive MILF body. Despite everything this woman had done, she was still beautiful.

"So tell me, what does my betrayer want with me? Haven't you done enough?" I said with what I hoped was enough menace in my voice.

"Robbie..." she started, then deflated, her shoulders slumped. She looked down at the table. "I'm sorry, alright, I'm sorry we all did this to you. You didn't deserve any of it." She paused and looked up at me. "I should never have..." she stopped then looked back up at me, anger in her eyes.