The Wrong Way Back To You

Ch.8

Jake didn't even remember making the drive home, but there he was, parked in the driveway of the 3-bedroom cabin on five acres that he built a few years ago. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a perfect place for him to call home.

The entire drive home, he was lost deep in his thoughts. As soon as he saw Dominic, there was no doubting that was his son. It was like staring into a mirror. Jake saw his dark brown eyes staring back at home and the family chin with a dimple.

His son was standing in front of him, and he did not know what to do or what to say. Should he have hugged him? Shook his hand? Did he introduce himself as Jake or as his dad? Did Dominic know that Jake was his father? Did Allie tell him the truth? Had he known all along?

Once Allie had gone inside with Dominic, his mom and aunt, he felt the walls closing in on him. He got in his truck and drove.

Jake didn't know how long he had been driving before he pulled into his driveway. He sat in his truck a while longer before making his way inside. He tossed his keys on the end table and sat in his chair. He pulled off his boots and sank into the seat.

The same questions kept running through his mind over and over. But most importantly, why didn't she ever tell him that he had a son? Why did he think all of these years that it was Steve's son? Why did she keep it from him? Why did she fabricate some huge lie? Did she not think of the consequences when the truth came out? And why was the truth coming out now? What made her bring Dominic to see him after all this time? What was she expecting from him? Did she want him to be a part of Dominic's life or was she telling him as a courtesy? He could not wrap his head around what the end game was for her.

He was not expecting this at all. He really did not know what to expect when his mom told him that Allie was waiting in town for someone to show her the way back. Jake did not hesitate to rush out the door and make his way to her. The only thing that mattered was getting to her as soon as possible. He didn't care that he hadn't seen her in years, and they had not uttered a word to each other. The only thing that mattered was that she was back in his state, in his town and was going to be at his parents' house.

Jake had silently hoped that they could just pick up where they left off and act like nothing had happened. He knew it was not possible, though. They were adults and would have to address the elephant in the room soon.

He thought about grabbing a beer from the fridge and drinking until he blacked out. He knew it was not something that he should do, though. It would not help matters and he did not want to wake up later than he was planning with a hangover. He knew that in the morning, things were going to be addressed and hopefully all questions would have answers.

He knew that he had to attempt to get some sleep. He made sure that the house was locked up and the lights were all turned off before he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. It seemed to take longer than normal for his nightly routine, his thoughts wandering once again as he brushed his teeth. He took a moment and stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He hadn't changed that much since the last time he saw Allie. He may have gained about five pounds, but it was a healthy weight. His beard and mustache were more even and full since he had left his teenage years behind. His body was a bit more muscular and defined, but that was to be expected with his line of work. The physical labor job helped him tone and create muscle mass. Overall, he had not changed much. He was just older. Smarter.

Or maybe just as dumb as he was back then. He didn't know what Allie was going to tell him in the morning. He didn't know if she was going to allow him to be in their lives and here he was creating this entire narrative in his head. A narrative that benefited him and was what he wanted. He didn't even know what Allie wanted. Did she even want him? Did Dominic want him?

He knew that he had to get to bed and attempt to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be an eventful and stressful day. There was no getting around it. He knew tears were going to be shed. He wasn't sure if they would be his or not. He was sure that his mother would be crying. He could see her holding back tears when they were all on the porch.

Jake quietly went into his bedroom and stripped down to his boxers. He set his phone on the nightstand after plugging it in to charge. He laid back on the bed, hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He didn't know what the day was going to bring and now that he was nearing sleep, fear started to creep into this thoughts. The fear of the unknown. Unknown words. Unknown reactions. Unknown consequences. He prayed that he would actually be able to get some sleep so that he was not a zombie the next day and could really focus and be present to address the situation.

Jake jumped when an arm slipped across his chest and wrapped around his side. She cuddled up to him and settled her head on his chest.

"You're back a bit late. Drinking with Randy again?"