Fight

Jason searches Katie’s eyes just for a moment to be sure she’s telling the truth, then nods. “Okay. I’ll be back in a while. I got my phone with me.” He grabs his bag and heads out, throwing one last glance over his shoulder before closing the door for their privacy.

Jay slowly sits down in a chair, finding it just a little difficult to meet Katie’s eyes. “I’m…I’m sorry, Katie. I guess I said all I thought I could in that email of mine, and then I wasn’t sure if you were really okay or if you still hated me, so…so I let the subject drop…again.”
He sucks in his breath as an unexpected tear surfaces, and he forces a short laugh, trying to regain control. “This is harder than I thought, ya know?” He shakes his head. “And it’s still all coming out wrong. I just…I just don’t know what to say…there’s nothing I can do to ever make up for what happened…I was wrong, I was stupid…and I was scared. And now…I thought I really had lost you…” He swallows hard. “And just seeing you here makes me realize just how much I’ve missed.”


Wyatt is suddenly alert as he spots Jason exiting the hospital and getting into Hal’s truck. “There you are.” He sits up straight and starts his jeep. “Where you headed, hmm?” He pulls out cautiously, keeping a safe distance away from the truck, but close enough not to lose track as they merge into traffic.

Jason heads to the edge of town, continuing to glance in the rearview mirror. He grips the steering wheel tighter. Wyatt must’ve really thought he was smart to pull a stunt like this. Was he stupid to think Jason wouldn’t have noticed he was being tailed? This was ridiculous. Did he have no rights anymore? No privacy?
Deciding to play the game, he speeds up and starts taking bogus turns.

Wyatt struggles to keep up, and loses Jason twice before gaining ground again. Where on earth was he going? Suddenly the truck disappears. Wyatt slows, looking all around, and down the side streets. Where had Jason gone?

Jason was fed up. Wyatt had no right to be following him. If he wanted to question his whereabouts he should have just asked instead of tailing him as if he were a wanted suspect of some sort of crime.
Jason dodges traffic and takes a hard right, then a left, losing Wyatt for just a moment. Hitting the accelerator, he takes a route that will swing him back around to the road he’d been heading down. Pulling out of the sidestreet, he doesn’t stop, but pulls directly out into traffic and slams on the breaks to block the right lane, risking getting t-boned.

Wyatt’s eyes widen as Hal’s truck comes out of nowhere to block his path. Breaks squealing, he applies the breaks and jerks his steering wheel around, skidding in a circle, barely missing the truck.
His heart racing, he takes just a moment to catch his breath, glad that for the moment, the street was deserted except for them.

Jason grits his teeth and exits the truck, anger flashing in his eyes. Seeing Wyatt get out of his jeep, Jason wastes no time. “What in blazes do you think you’re doing?!”

“Me?!” Wyatt throws his arms in the air. “You’re the one driving like an idiot!”

“Why were you following me in the first place?”

“Don’t I have a right to if I want?”

“Don’t I have the right to a private life?” Jason counters.

“Is that what you call it?” Wyatt stands up to him, despite needing to look up to see his eyes. “Sneaking around? Being evasive? You’re hiding something, Jase, and I want to know what it is.”

Jason’s face reddens, more from anger than embarrassment, though he feels stupid for allowing his actions to show more than intended. “I’m not hiding anything. Get off my case.”

“I want to know what’s going on! Why were you with the Houser County sheriff yesterday, huh? What’s with your roaming around without telling anyone where you’re going?” Wyatt sees the surprise in Jason’s eyes. “You should know better than to think you’re not being watched. So what is it? You in some sort of trouble? You double crossing someone? What?”

Jason’s hands tighten into fists. “Off me, Wyatt.”

“I want some answers!”

“Is this really about me?” Jason defies Wyatt’s authoritative tone. “Or are you just mad at me in general now because of Katie?”

Wyatt’s eyes narrow at the low blow. “Do I have anything to be mad about?”

“I don’t know, do you? You seem awfully bent on making me out to be the badguy all of a sudden. Ever since I got back, you’ve been breathing down my neck.” Jason pauses, not thinking before the next words fly out of his mouth. “Or is this really about Katie? You sure you’re not reliving something else? Like your infamous past with Crystal?”

Wyatt’s body weight shifts, his muscles instantaneously preparing for the thrust of his fist.