Crystal Lies - Melody Carlson [10]
As I stood there waiting my turn, it occurred to me that Geoffrey hadn’t even inquired why Jacob was in jail. Did he even care?
I paid them my money, got my bond receipt, signed some legal papers, and then sat down to wait for my son. It was nearly four in the morning when he finally came out, looking blurry eyed and sleepy.
Naturally, I thought that Jacob would be glad to see me and be appreciative of my brave efforts to come down there alone, but instead he seemed moody and depressed. “I figured Dad wouldn’t come,” he said as we got into the car.
“He has an early morning,” I said, which may or may not have been true.
“Don’t lie for him, Mom.” Jacob leaned back in the seat and exhaled loudly. “I’m not stupid, you know.”
Well, I wasn’t so sure about that, but I was unwilling to pick that fight just then. And so we drove home in silence.
But that night, I’d have to say, was the beginning of the end for my marriage. Geoffrey was furious with me the next morning when I admitted what I’d done.
“You went down there? After I told you not to?” he demanded as I handed him a cup of coffee. “I explicitly told you that it could wait until today.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You know you’re a part of the problem, Glennis. You’re a real enabler when it comes to Jacob.”
“Nice way to throw around the addiction lingo, Geoffrey. Enabler? Please. I’m his mother. What am I supposed to do?”
“You’re supposed to respect your husband.”
“I was bailing out your son, Geoffrey, so you wouldn’t have to—”
“With absolutely no regard to how I feel.”
“How do you feel?”
“Like you’ve taken his side, Glennis.”
“His side?” I envisioned our family, divided and lined up against each other, stones in our hands ready to be thrown at the opposition. “But he’s our son, Geoffrey. I thought we were all on the same side.”
He didn’t respond.
“Jacob needs help, Geoffrey,” I continued, making my best plea. “He needs his family. He needs you.”
“He needs to quit screwing up.” His voice sent an actual shiver down my spine.
Then he set down his coffee mug with a thud and marched upstairs. I could tell by the sound of his footsteps that he was heading for Jacob’s room. I followed him, certain this would not go well. But before I could say anything—not that I could’ve stopped him—he had burst into Jacob’s room.
“Get up!” he yelled.
“Huh?” Jacob rolled over and looked up with sleepy eyes. “Get out of bed!”
Jacob just groaned and crumpled into the fetal position. “I said get up!” yelled Geoffrey. Then he reached over and jerked Jacob out of his bed. “Geoffrey!” I cried.
“This is my house,” said Geoffrey. “And if I say it’s time to get up, you’d better get up.”
Jacob cussed at his dad, and it quickly went from ugly to frightening as both of them began yelling and swinging fists. I ran for the phone and came back holding it like a weapon.
“Stop it!” I screamed. “Or I’m calling 911.”
That managed to bring Geoffrey back to reality, and he released Jacob with a shove that threw him back onto his bed with a loud crash.
Jacob’s nose was bleeding, but he didn’t seem to notice as he let loose with a few more foul words, then finally said,“You’re such a hypocrite, Dad. No wonder I’m such a freakin’ mess. I hate your guts!”
“And you are no longer welcome in this house!” yelled Geoffrey. “Be out of here by the time I get home from work.”
“Fine!” yelled Jacob. “This place makes me crazy anyway. I should’ve left a long time ago.”
Geoffrey straightened his jacket and stormed out the door.
By noon, Jacob had heaped some of his belongings into his old Subaru wagon. I had tried to talk him out of leaving, but he insisted it was the only way.
“It’s just going to get worse, Mom,” he told me as we stood outside in the driveway.
“What do you mean?”
“This family,” he said. “It’s like we’re all going down any minute.”
“What are you saying?” I felt more confused than ever.
“There’s stuff going on,” he said. “Everyone’s going to get hurt.