Days Behind - Chapter 19
Steve kicked the bottom of Jensen’s outstretched foot as he walked by him. “What the hell is wrong with you, Princess?”
“His name was Chad. And he was an asshole. How could I not put two and two together?”
Steve took the seat across the table from Jensen. “Aaaaand we’re talking about what again?”
“I guess I just thought the douche-baggery went along with the name.”
“Yeah, what are the odds?” Steve shrugged and rolled his eyes.
Jensen stared at the table for an answer. “Obviously not as good as I thought.”
“You know what I wish, Jensen?”
“What’s that, Steve?”
Steve motioned for the waiter to bring him a drink. “That I knew exactly what the hell we were talking about.”
“Oh. That’s easy.” Jensen paused to take a drink from the amber bottle on the table in front of him. “We would be talking about my baby sister and that fucking moose liar.”
“Okay, whoa,” Steve held his hand up and put himself in Jensen’s line of sight. “I think I missed a chapter or six.”
Jensen narrowed his eyes as he sat the bottle back down. “Steve, you’re a really good friend.”
“Thank you.”
“And, being such a good friend, I think that you should know that I make very poor choices in who to date. And that you need to stop me the next time I try to go out with someone.” Jensen lowered his head for a moment, almost as if he was going to take a small nap before looking slowly up again. “No! How about you can pick the next person I date. You never seem to make a stupid decision.”
Steve chuckled to himself for a moment before answering. “Jensen, what are you doing?”
Jensen looked around. “Sittin’.”
“In an airport bar?”
“Uh huh.”
“And you’ve had a few of those, haven’t you?” Steve indicated the beer bottle.
Jensen nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Man, that’s not you.”
“Sure it is.”
“Since when?”
Jensen fumbled for his phone and managed to flip it open. “Since about four.”
“Goddammit, Jensen!” Steve resisted the urge to punch his friend, but just barely. “I get enough of this out of Christian and now you’re pulling it? This is bullshit.”
“I only came in here to get a drink to take the edge off flying. I hate to fly, Stevie.” A big, dopey grin spread across Jensen’s face. “It makes my arms soooo tired…”
“All right there, funny guy, I think you’ve had enough.”
“I have had enough, Steve.” Jensen’s voice became shaky. “I’ve had enough of people I care about lying to me.”
“And since I still don’t know what the hell you are talking about, we’re going to go and splash a little water on your face and see what we can do about getting on our flight.”
“Stevie, you go. You go and do that. You can have my face. I need to make a call.”
Steve stood, looking down at his friend. “No, I don’t think that’s how it works. Get up right now because we have to go and tell Chris and Misha that you and I are getting on another flight.”
Steve walked into the terminal and saw Misha bent over his Kindle chuckling to himself. “Hey, Misha, man, I hate to interrupt you, but…”
The man looked up, the smile still on his face. “No, Steven, it’s fine. What do you need?”
“Um, I’ve got a drunk to deal with.”
Misha put the tablet aside and made to stand. “What did Christian do this time?”
“He packed his bags and got here on time?” A confused drawl came from behind Misha.
“If it’s not Christian, then…” Misha scratched his head.
“Where’s Ackles?” Christian asked, taking a mental head count.
“Right…shit.” Steve sighed and looked around. “Now I have to go find the bastard.”
“Whatcha want us to do, Carlson?”
Steve scrubbed his hand over his face. “I want you two to go on this flight. We were gonna be a day early anyway.”
“This is going to mess up our routine,” Misha half-complained.
“Yeah, well,” Christian sighed. “At least it’s not me this time.”
Misha and Steve stood silent, exchanging wordless glances, afraid to say the wrong thing.
“Oh, come on. Ya’ll were thinking it.” He adjusted the backpack he was carrying. “Now let’s get on this flight, Collins. We can still do our day-before city tour. Don’t need them to have fun.” Christian slung his arm over Misha’s shoulder.
“Uh…” Misha’s eyes grew wide. “Sure?”
“Have fun, you two,” Steve offered, turning. “I have to go find Jensen. Ideas?”
“The ladies room powdering his nose?” Christian offered over his shoulder in his least helpful tone.
“Thanks for all your help.” Steve held in the urge to flip him the bird.
“Anytime.” Christian grinned widely “Let us know when you find him.””
Jensen tucked himself into the corner of the bathroom, cell phone to his ear. “I just don’t understand I guess - ”
“Jensen?” The voice from the other end of the phone asked.
“Yeah?”
“Um, what are you talking about?”
“Mac, Mac.” Jensen leaned his head back, listening to the echo off the tiles.
“Yes?”
“I have many questions for you.”
“Great. Can they maybe wait until tomorrow? I just got Amelia to sleep.”
“Ahh, Amelia my adorable niece. My adorable only niece…or so I thought.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Mackenzie Joan Ackles Stauffer. You sneaky, sneaky little liar. You know exactly what I’m even talking about.”
“What are you - Jensen Ross Ackles! Are you drunk?”
“Nooo - ”
“Dammit, Jensen! What are you playing at?” Mackenzie snipped into the phone.
“Macky, why do you hate me?”
“I don’t hate you, Jay - ”
“Then why did you lie to me?” Jensen’s voice cracked.
“I never lie to you - ”
“But you did, Macky, you did. You lied. You lied to me big. And it hurts.”
Her tone softened. “Jensen, honey, when did I lie to you?”
“About 4 years ago. You lied about college. Why did you lie?”
Mackenzie huffed. “What did I lie about exactly?”
“I have,” Jensen paused to count his fingers. “One…two…three? Yes, I have three nieces. Two you never told me about.”
“I’m not sure - ”
Jensen cut her off with a hoarse whisper. “Macky, I know your secret.”
“What secret?”
“I know who Eleanor and Addison are.”
“You mean Jared’s girls?”Jensen could hear his sister frowning over the line. “I sure hope you know who they are.”
“Mackenzie. I need you to stop.”
“Jensen, you call me out of the blue, clearly drunk off your ass expecting me to know exactly what you are accusing me of. Maybe you need to sleep it off and call me back.”
“No, Mac. I wanna talk now. I wanna talk about you in college. I wanna talk about Jared in college. But I really wanna talk about you and Jared in college.”
“Ah dammit.” There was the sound of the phone being pressed to material and then her voice returned. “Okay, Jensen - you want answers, start asking questions - ”
“First, why?”
“Because, Jensen, what would Mama and Daddy have said? Do you think they would have been doing cartwheels that their baby girl had gotten herself knocked up after an accidental one night stand?”
“Uh - ”
“The great one is speechless now?”
“Mac, you could have at least called me - ”
“No, Jensen, I couldn’t.”
“Why not? I’da helped.”
“What was I supposed to tell you, huh? That I was having a baby with your best friend from high school?
“Yes - you - wait. What?”
“Mike, Jensen - ”
“What about Rosey?”
“Those girls don’t belong to Jared, honey.”
“Okay, this is too much.” Jensen pushed his face into the tile.
“No way, big brother, you wanted this. You called my house all weepy and drunk and demanding answers. So you are going to listen. First, none of this is Sassy’s fault.”
“Sassy?”
“Sorry - Jared. We called him Sassy. It was short for ‘Sasquatch’.”
“Oh - I always thought Sassy was a girl.”
“Figures,” Mackenzie sighed. “Also explains why you didn’t ask anything when I told you the night after Chad broke up with me I woke up in Sassy’s room mostly naked.”
“Stop.”
“No, Jensen, you wanted to hear why. You need to hear why.”
“Now I don’t wanna. This is making me sick.”
“Drinking is making you sick.”
“I gotta go.”
“You have six hours then I’m calling you back to finish this.”
“Won’t be awake.” Jensen murmured.
“Tough. Now go sleep it off, you alcoholic.”
Jensen wanted to correct her, but the line was dead. As he closed his phone, his eyes caught sight of Steve, arms crossed on his chest.
“I hope you know that you and I are stuck here until tomorrow.”
“Oh. Uh, sorry?”
“God Dammit, Jensen!” Steve hauled the other man up under his arms. “We’re going to get a room and I’m throwing your ass in an ice cold shower.”
“I’m gonna be sick, Steve.”
“Of course you are, dumbass. You just drank more than I think I’ve ever seen Chris drink. You are going to be feeling this shit for a week.”
“No, no - it’s not that. I think I fucked up.”
“You did.”
“Okay, I know you know I fucked up. But I fucked up more than you know.”
“Jensen?”
“Yeah?”
“Why don’t we try this again when you’re sober?”
“Because then it’s going to hurt more.”
“Good. I hope it does.”
The alarm that woke Jensen sounded suspiciously like Steve Carlson singing showtune standards at the top of his lungs.
“All the sounds of the earth are like music.” The sentence cut through the peaceful sleep Jensen had somehow managed to slip into. “All the sounds of the earth are like music.” Jensen pulled the pillow over his head to escape further onslaught. “The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree and an old weepin' willer is laughing at me…”
“Steve!” Jensen yelled, immediately regretting the decision as it rattled his brain in new and painful ways.
Steve looked up from where he was writing. “Yeah?”
“Why are you singing?”
“Sorry, does it hurt your hungover head?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, what a beautiful morning!”
“Steve…”
“Oh, what a beautiful day!”
“…Steve...”
“I've got a beautiful feeling…”
“…Steeeee-eveeee…” Jensen whined, pulling the pillow over his head.
“Everything's going my waaaaaaaaaaaaay!”
“I fucking hate you. Fucking Oklahoma.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get your shit together and call your sister will ya? She’s called you twice and we’ve got a plane to catch.”
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