Forsaken Son

Xavier took a deep breath, his hands curled around the bars of the jail holding cell he had just been confined to and all he could think about was how he got here. 

The charges against him were murder. 

The murder of his best friend. And sure he had done illegal things, mostly petty robberies but murder? He could never hurt anyone, especially his best friend… his partner in crime.

He was still reeling from the fact that Gavin was dead, they had been friends since they were kids. How was Gavin dead?- He thought- How was he locked up for his murder?

The answer came a moment later when the arresting officer walked into the hall and toward his cell. 

It was at the moment their eyes locked that everything had finally made sense.

Revulsion set in as Xavier stared at him. “It was you?”

The officer looked deep into his eyes and smiled so evilly it sent chills down his spine.

“Yeah,” he said proudly, “it was me.” The words angered Xavier even more than he already was, his hands tightening around the bars that held him back from this man.

The man who had killed his best friend.

The man who had betrayed him and framed him.

The man whose eyes were the same as his.

His older brother, Jude.

Xavier’s eyes narrowed as his heart broke. 

“I guess you’re not the golden boy anymore, are you?” Jude laughed as he winked and walked away.

“Come back here,” Xavier shouted, panic setting in. “Get back here, I demand my phone call!” But Jude continued to walk away laughing maniacally.

*

It was hours, hell it could’ve been days before Xavier was finally granted that phone call- it sure felt like days- time seemed to stand still in this place he found himself in.

Both physically and mentally.

As he waited he could only think, dwell… on how this had happened.

He thought about the moment he found Gavin’s body, there had to have been a clue there. He thought about his time on the run… had there been something he missed.

And he thought about the smug look on Jude’s face just now.

There was something about the look in his eye, the smile on his face. How could he be happy about his own brother being arrested? How could he be happy about murder?

And then it hit him… it was about her.

It had always been about her.

***

2 months earlier…

Xavier was woken up to the sound of a knock on his door. He rolled over and ran his fingers through his hair, not fully registering the sound; until he heard it again.

He reached for his watch on the night table to look at the time. It read: 4:08 am.

“What the hell?” He mumbled to himself as he dragged himself out of bed. Another knock was heard. “I’m coming, keep your pants on,” he shouted. When he pulled the door open he was surprised to see who was standing there.

“Harper,” he said softly and she smiled. 

His former longterm girlfriend.

His brother’s current girlfriend.

“What are you doing here?” 

“I was thinking about you,” she said softly. “And not just tonight, I’ve been thinking about you for months,” he nodded because he understood that feeling. 

“I’ve been thinking about you too,” he admitted. He had never stopped loving her and he had tried. He tried so many times to be better, to become the stand up guy she wanted him to be, yet he constantly failed. 

“So are you going to invite me in?” Her eyebrow was arched and he certainly recognized that look in her eye. He stepped aside and motioned for her to enter. Once the door was closed and locked he turned to face her and found her standing within inches of him. So close that he could feel her breath.

“What are we doing Harper?” He asked cautiously. “I mean I love you, you know that… I always have,” she nodded because she did know that. “And I know you love me,” she nodded again. “But the reason why we always break up is because I can’t be the man you need me to be,” he took a deep breath. “I can’t be Jude.”

“I know that.”

“I hate that you’re with him… like I want to rip those thoughts out of my brain so I never have to think about it again,” she frowned. She hated that her actions had and continued to hurt him. “But I also know he’s stable, and can give you the kind of life you deserve.”

“But that’s just it X,” she cut in. “That’s what I thought too, that’s why I allowed him to gaslight me into thinking he could give me what I needed but what I’ve found over these very long three months with him is that he is possessive, and angry.”

“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”

“No, no, no,” she said quickly. “But he has broken several things in front of me when he is angry about work, or…” she trailed off.

“Or?” 

“Or whenever your name comes up,” she finished and he nodded knowingly.

“Well Jude and I always had a bit of a rough relationship, since mom died.” She knew that; she had been dating Xavier when their mom died. 

She knew Jude was a Momma’s boy and Xavier was the apple of their father’s eye.

“I know,” her words were hushed.

“So not all of his anger about me is because of my past with you… it goes way back. But my point is… he is the kind of man you need-”

“No he isn’t,” she cut him off, his eyes widened. “Yeah sure on paper he and I would be the perfect power couple. But in reality he is boring,” Xavier laughed. “He is controlling in a way that makes me want to get as far away as possible, and he is not you.” He couldn’t hide the smile. “And this is real life, it’s not perfect and it’s messy.”

“Yeah it is,” he agreed.

“And Xavier,” she reached up and circled her arms around his neck. “I want the mess,” she licked her lips gently pulling him closer. “I-If you’ll have me back.”

“For me, it’s never been over,” he said before he pressed their lips together in a loving kiss that said more than he could ever find the words for.

The kiss broke a moment later but she didn’t let him move too far away, “even when I was with him, I was still yours… I always have been,” she whispered before their lips crashed together again. The second kiss was passionate and leading which is exactly what happened a moment later when he lifted her into his arms and led her toward his bedroom. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling like herself for the first time in months. She was finally back home.

*

Again, Xavier was woken up to the sound of a knock on his door. This one was louder, banging, and constant. He looked over at Harper who was beside him, also awake. 

“You think?” 

“Yeah probably,” she shrugged. “I mean when he got home and saw I wasn’t there.”

“Okay,” he got up and pulled his pants on. “You stay here, I’ll handle this.” She nodded.

The banging on the door was incessant by the time he pulled it open and sure enough it was Jude.

“What do you want?”

“Where is she?”

“What are you talking about dude?” Xavier played dumb as he hoped to not cause a scene, but Jude merely pushed past him and into the apartment.

“She’s mine Xavier and if she’s here,” he walked directly to his bedroom. 

“She’s not yours,” Xavier followed him. “She’s no one but her own, and she chooses who she wants to be with, we don’t.” He tried to reason with him but he saw that Jude had stopped at the door, staring at her in his brother’s bed.

“I’m sorry Jude, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said softly. Xavier reached for his brother but the second Jude felt the hand in his arm he turned quickly and slapped the offered hand away. Their eyes locked and Xavier could see the hate burning in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, she loves me and I love her.” He watched as Jude clenched his jaw and steadied his breathing. 

“I will make you pay for this,” he pointed at him, looked back at her, and then back to Xavier. “I will make you both pay.” Both watched as he walked away and out of the apartment without looking back.

Neither knew just how much he meant those words.

***

2 weeks earlier…

Xavier was hanging out with his best friend Gavin at his place after they had done a job together and gotten some quick cash. Gavin was another long time friend of his- since middle school- and was well aware of the brothers tumultuous relationship. He was also very aware of the long term, also tumultuous, relationship Xavier and Harper were in. He was there when they started dating and knew that regardless of how they have hurt each other over the years they were meant to be, he was the one who always told them how perfect for each other they were. 

He filled Gavin in on his and Harper’s once again rekindled relationship as they watched a game and had some beers. 

“Okay bro,” Xavier got to his feet when the game was over. “I had a good time but I have a girl to go home to… again,” he laughed and Gavin smirked. He was happy for them. 

He always would be.

He also got to his feet, “okay enjoy that my man,” they fist bumped. “But don’t sleep on Jude’s threats, that man is going to lose his mind one day… he is wound way too tight.”

Xavier chuckled, “nah man, deep down he is too much of a coward, he might lose his mind but he doesn’t have the brass to do anything about it.”

Gavin nodded in agreement, “I guess you’re right, but please don’t drive home, and tell Harper I said hey,” they shook hands and hugged.

“Will do, I’ll walk home and grab my car tomorrow.”

“See you then,” and with that he left.

He had no idea that Jude was there, hiding in the shadows, watching him.

He had no idea it would be the last time he’d see Gavin alive.

*

The next afternoon, he walked back to Gavin’s place; remembering he left his keys there, and that Harper had to let him into the apartment the night before. He went up to the apartment and when he got to his door he noticed the door was not fully closed; instantly causing a fear and panic to settle in his stomach.

“Gavin,” he called as he slowly pushed the door open. It was the smell that hit him first, the smell of blood and death.

He felt bile in his throat.

And once inside he saw Gavin on the floor, two bullets to his chest and once between his eyes. He didn’t need to touch him to know he was gone. His first instinct was to call 911 but that was when he saw the murder weapon, on the floor several feet from the body.

He knew that gun.

It was his own gun.

Just as he realized the murder of his best friend was also someone framing him for it; he heard a phone text tone. 

It was Gavin’s phone.

Without thinking he grabbed it and saw that it was a text from him.

“What the?” Confusion washed over him, he hadn’t texted him. 

Which made him realize he hadn’t seen his phone since last night, when he was here. He had walked home, realized he didn’t have his keys, knocked on the door, spent a few minutes with Harper and then went right to bed, passing out almost instantly and never realizing he had forgotten it.

He opened the text; it read:  I’m sorry G, I had to because you betrayed me, I still love you man. -X

In that moment there wasn’t anything he could do but run.

He could figure out how to clear his name but he needed time to do that so he ran.

***

2 days earlier…

Xavier knew the one person that could and would help him was his father so he immediately made his way to Texas, where he lived. He bought a bus ticket and a burner phone and once he was safely on the bus to his dad, he called Harper and explained what had happened; she promised to meet him at his dad’s place.

She knew he couldn’t murder anyone, especially Gavin.

When he reached his father they came up with a plan, he was going to flee to Mexico and his father along with Harper would work to clear his name. But before he could get that chance he was cut off by the local police, and arrested, and sent back to Chicago.

*

Present Day…

Xavier waited in his holding cell for both an attorney to arrive and for his girlfriend to arrive; instead it was Jude again.

They stared intently, as close as they could be with the bars between them.

“One question Jude,” he said softly and Jude nodded.

“Why did you do this to me?”

“Oh please, you did this to yourself,” he spat. 

“How did I do this to myself?” 

“I mean you made it so easy, you left your keys. I was able to get your gun while you slept like a drunken fool. Our girlfriend was gone for work… because most people have actual jobs,” Xavier growled and lunged but the bars stopped him and Jude laughed harder. “You leaving the phone behind was even dumber bro… I thought I was going to have to forge your handwriting but once again your stupidity prevailed.”

“What did Gavin ever do to you?”

“Nothing,” Jude shrugged. “He was cool but you needed to be brought down from your pedestal.”

“What?” Xavier was fighting the tears. This angered Jude because he was tired of Xavier’s poor me attitude when he always got everything.

“You stole her from me!” he screamed, so close that Xavier could feel spit on his face. 

His eyes widened in horror. “She has her own mind and makes her own choices but if you want to treat her as a mere possession, my brother,” his own anger boiled within him. “You stole her from me, first!” Xavier clenched his jaw, again tightening his fist around the bars so as to stop himself from reaching out and strangling the man before him. 

Jude laughed, “Maybe that’s true, but she was just the catalyst. This was meant to happen.” His eyes narrowed. “Was always meant to happen.”

“And why’s that?” Xavier was confused.

“Because my brother,” he repeated his earlier words. “I graduated from college with honors, while you somehow stumbled your way through high school and yet you were still dad’s favorite. I joined the police academy while you were running drugs on the streets and still Dad said you were just misguided… I,” he was shouting now. “Became a detective and you became a petty car thief and once again…. Our father thinks you hung the damn moon,” Xavier chuckled humorlessly. “Now and finally I am going to be dad’s favorite,” he finished and Xavier couldn’t believe this was really happening, that was his reasoning for all of this. 

“Really? Really Jude?” He stared incredulously. “You murdered my best friend and pinned it on me all because Daddy loved me more?”

Jude clenched his jaw, he was so angry he was close to his breaking point, but he remembered his plan and he took a deep breath, calming himself down.

“You’re going away for the rest of your life,” he said, still angry, but his tone was much softer, calmer. He looked deep into the eyes exactly like his own. “And I will finally be free.”

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe,” he laughed again. “But after years in solitary, you will be too,” he winked before leaving and Xavier reached for him, if he was going away for murder he was ready to commit murder. But Jude was out of his reach.

***

2 hours later…

Xavier was still waiting for both Harper and a lawyer to arrive but what he didn’t know was that while Jude was being awarded a medal of bravery for not only catching a murderer so quickly but also for the courageous act of that murderer being his brother and still turning him in; Harper was lying dead in the back of an alley, her throat slit.

She had never gotten a chance to get him a lawyer.

She never had a chance at all.

Neither of them did.