I'm anxious when we get to the country club, I've yet to take Jasper inside. He's only been here when we came with Derek and Brody to play tennis so he hasn't experienced the club to it's full extent. When we get inside we'll be swarmed with Manning Heights elite, and they're like vultures just waiting for a crumb to drop.

Jasper is the biggest crumb yet.

I bite my lip and suck in a breath composing myself. My father grunts and I nod to myself. Time to be posed and presentable.

When we walk in Jasper chuckles lowly.

"We'll this is fucking over the top"

I can't help the glare I send him, it's an automatic response. I can't have him misbehave, not here. Not with my father around, not in the public eye.

He only gives me a look before shaking his head and turning away. At least he doesn't say anything else. A club attendant immediately walks over to my mother and father.

"Mr.Chambers! May I get you a drink? Your usual?"

My father holds up his hand.

"No thank you, I'm actually here for brunch with a few other of Manning Heights finest"

He chuckles as if this is a joke, but we all know it's not. He truly believe he's one of the finest and anyone who disagrees would feel his wrath.

"Of course sir, a few other families are gathered in the dining area. I can have a drink brought to the table?"

My father nods "that would be splendid Russell, thank you"

Before Russell can leave my father grunts.

"Beckett"

I step forward clearing my throat.

"Yes sir?"

He gestures to Russell.

"Russell is bringing drinks to the table"

I nod and turn to Jasper.

"Would you like something?"

His eyes narrow and he clenches his jaw, I know he wants to scoff at me. Tell me how much he hates this place and how I am when I'm here, but thankfully for my sake he just grunts.

"Water"

Russell nods towards Jasper.

"Of course sir, we have sparkling or flat"

Jasper squints at him.

"Just regular water from the tap will do thanks"

My mom gasps at that.

"Oh no! He's kidding please bring filtered water to the table"

Russell nods.

"wonderful I'll have it over there shortly"

We walk over to the table and everyone is already seated, I used to imagine being the last one to arrive would annoy my father, but now I realize he likes having all eyes on him when he makes his grand entrance. He father moves to sit at the head of the table opposite to Derek's father and my mom to his right. I attempt to pull out the chair on his left, but Jasper grabs the back of it and pushes me slightly.

I make a face my eyes widening a fraction, but he just glares. Of course my father notices and his face darkens.

"Boys. Have a seat"

Jasper keeps his jaw tense and I know I won't win, he'll cause a scene and I can't have that. I pull out the chair on Jasper's left and allow him

Trixie and Trina sit across from Jasper and I, we'll Brody is on my left and Derek next to him. I give the girls a forced smile and Trixie immediately grins.

"Beckett! So good to see you, I didn't catch you at the dinner party on Friday"

I nod.

"you as well, I must have slipped out too early"

She nods and goes to speak again, but her mother taps her arm and my dad clears his throat.

"Did you order drinks before we arrived?"

Derek's dad, Stan nods.

"Now that you say that we did, Russell must be busy or have forgotten"

My dad scoffs.

"Not the best way to serve paying customers"

I sigh because looking around the room it is busy in here, and besides Russell only one other women is working.

I swallow and test the waters, mumbling.

"I'm sure he'll bring them soon"

My father turns his hard stare onto to me.

"Speak up when you have something to say Beckett"

His tone is sharp and I nod swallowing.

"I said, I'm sure he'll being them soon"

My father only sighs.

"Interesting thought"

He turns back to the rest of the table dismissively and I hear the low grumble Jasper makes turning my head in his direction giving him a slight shake of my head.

This doesn't go unnoticed by my father.

"Jasper looks eager to speak, why don't you tell us more about yourself Jasper. I feel we've barely had time to get to know each other since you've arrived and now the weekends over"

Jasper shifts his jaw.

"No thanks"

I squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten slowly waiting for my fathers response. That's the tamest my fathers been to him, he could have said worse.

My fathers face sours and he goes to speak, but Mrs.Smith speaks up.

"Oh please Jasper, I know it may seem awkward, but I'm sure we'd all love to hear more about you"

Jasper rolls his eyes.

"I live on the west side, I play football, I live with my mom, my sister and my niece. No dad"

Mrs.Smith makes a sad face and I know that, that wasn't really what she was expecting.

Trina speaks up.

"oh no! Your moms a single mom?! That is so brave"

Jasper nods lazily "sure"

Trixie smiles "did you have a job back home?"

Jasper grunts and give an annoyed sigh.

"This isn't a fucking Q and A"

My body sags and I put a hand to my face the begging of a headache starting. I knew this would happen.

My fathers hand comes down on the table loudly making people around us gasp.

"Jasper! Don't be disrespectful"

Jasper shakes his head, but doesn't even bother to look in my fathers direction.

"Whatever"

I wince at that one, but thankfully Stan cuts in.

"If Jasper's not comfortable why don't we go ahead and let Brody share a bit about himself?"

He turns to Brody.

"Would that be okay?"

Brody shrugs.

"sure thing boss"

Stan chuckles at that and Brody starts telling everyone about himself. Of course I quickly realize Brody is quite the storyteller and Derek is only chuckling along beside him.

Trixie and Trina don't even seem to be paying to Brody instead they're looking at Jasper and whispering to one another. Although sitting across the table from them makes it easy to hear what they're saying.

"He said niece!"

"Niece?! How old is his sister?"

I know Jasper hears them, but thankfully he ignores it. That is until Trixie leans forward.

"Um Jasper, I just... I know you like don't like questions, but just wondering are you the oldest or??"

Jasper doesn't acknowledge her and I sigh.

"Youngest"

Jasper shoots me a glare, but Trixie smiles.

"Oh okay, thanks Beckett"

She turns back to Trina and they go back to whispering.

"Do you think she's a lot older? Why does she still live at home then? Does the babies father live with them too?"

Jasper's leg starts bouncing next to me and I move my hand under the table resting it on his thigh. He stiffens for a moment before relaxing under my touch and moving his own hand over top of mine.

We stay like that for the next little while until the food finally arrives.

"Finally thank you Russell and please allow me to ask, did you happen to forget our drinks?"

Russell is struggling to put down all the trays he is holding and struggles to turn towards my father.

"Oh I'm so sorry Mr.Chambers!"

My dad only nods and Russell places the rest of the trays rushing away to get the drinks.

My dad chuckles shaking his head.

"Not my concern, just means one less penny in his pocket when I nix the tip"

The table erupts in laughter and I see Jasper glare, the only ones not laughing are Derek's family, Jasper, Brody, and I.

Food is passed around and thankfully with everyone eating it is relatively uneventful. I do however note that Trixie and Trina still have yet to stop whispering about Jasper and I can tell not only is it getting on my nerves, but Jasper's as well.

After another minute or so Trixie finally looks up.

"I'm sorry I just have to ask, Jasper how old is your sister?"

Jasper pins her with a hard glare and she flinches slightly.

"None of your buis..."

"21"

My head swings to look at my dad, who is wiping a napkin down his face and nods.

"Maggie Collins is 21, had her baby at 18"

I glare how the hell does he know that? Of course Jasper erupts in that moment.

"What the fuck?"

My father sighs.

"Calm down Jasper, it's a piece of public knowledge"

Jasper shifts his jaw.

"Don't fucking talk about my family like you know shit about them"

Trina and Trixie are already gossiping about babies at 18 and how terrible that must have been.

My father sighs.

"I don't have to know anything about your family to know that your sister clearly acted inappropriately and got the wrong kind of attention"

Jasper stands abruptly pointing a finger in my fathers face, an act I know he won't appreciate.

"Don't ever fucking talk about my sister or my family again you fucking..."

Russell rushes over.

"Sir I'm sorry I'm going to have to ask you to lower your voice"

Jasper scoffs and walks off. I stand from my chair abruptly and my father shoots his venomous glare to me.

"Beckett sit down!"

My body's jerk reaction is to sink back down into my chair, but my brain and my heart are telling me I need to go find Jasper. I rush away from the table and after Jasper who if I'm not mistaken went out the front doors.

I find him kicking a sign in the grass and bite my lip.

"Jasper?"

He looks up and shakes his head scoffing.

"Piss off Beckett, your fucking dads probably looking for you"

I bite my lip nodding.

"Probably"

Beckett shakes his head.

"I hate this god damn place, he wants to talk about my sister like that?! Air my dirty laundry?! The man's a fucking abus..."

Someone clears their throat.

"I'm a what?"

Jasper stops and his face darkens, a look I've never seen crossing it.

"Fuck off"

My dad narrows his own eyes.

"You both need to end this temper tantrum and come back inside"

Jasper steps forward so he's face to face with my father.

"Maybe with age you've gone deaf, but I said fuck off"

My fathers nostrils flare and he steps closer to Jasper I'm sure expecting him to back off, but he doesn't. I'm scared for Jasper, I've felt my fathers anger, I don't want Jasper to.

I move forward and put my hand on my dads chest.

"Back up"

He eyes shift to me and he's angry. Almost angrier then I've ever seen him. His hand comes up and he grabs my wrist in a bone crushing grip.

"Beckett, don't put your hands on me"

He shoves my hand off of him and Jasper scoffs next to me.

"A little fucking hypocritical don't you think, Mr.Chambers?"

My fathers entire face changes, emotions running across it. He knows. He knows I told Jasper and he isn't happy.

The look he gives me is rage filled and his hand instinctively moves to his belt buckle making me flinch and cower backwards. In turn making him pause and compose himself, he still has control.

"Go back inside and finish brunch. Take Jasper back to the school and then I expect you in my office"

Jasper grunts "like fuck"

My dad completely ignores Jasper this time only watching me.

"I expect you in my office, tonight Beckett"

I nod once. He knows I'll be there, it's written all over my face. The boy is back. The boy too scared to breath the wrong way.

Almost robotically I follow his orders tugging on Jasper's sleeve I head back inside and sit down in my seat.

The way Derek looks at me makes my heart ache, he knows. He can tell. One move from him and I'm back to the spineless son I've always been.

••
Well...it was most certainly an eventful brunch. I feel so bad for both my boys 🥺

Word Count: 2079