Collision Ch. 02

Brett couldn't speak. She said she could love him.

"You ran away for yourself but you came back for me. How is that selfish?" she asked.

There was some sense in what she was saying.

"The first thing you do when you come back into the house is look for me to see if I'm okay. You can't deny that was the reason you were looking in. So, I ask you again, how is that selfish?"

"What about the way I behave? With you? Mom and Dad? Everyone? I think only of myself, Jo. It's a defense to keep me sane. Not anyone else. I don't care who I hurt when I lash out. You know that."

"Your lashing out hurts other people, yes. But don't you see it hurts you most of all? Reacting to Mom and Dad by being the opposite of what they want you to be... yes, it hurts them. But it also hurts you, Brett. And how is hurting them by hurting yourself selfish?"

Brett frowned. He hadn't thought about it that way.

"And no one's born lashing out at people, Brett. You are who you are because you feel you needed it. As you said, it's a defense. Defenses are not constructed against nothing, only against things that have the power to hurt you. And if you do that... now, I'm not saying it's the only way to deal with things... let me be the big sister here for a moment... but if you lash out at people as a defense, that is understandable if not desirable. And it doesn't make you a bad person."

He digested that for a moment.

"Jo, you think too highly of me," he said finally. A lifetime of disenchantment was too deep to be washed out with just a few words.

She laughed quietly. "And you think too highly of me, Brett. But I think that is what love is, to see the best in someone. To care enough to see it. I do. And also to care enough to see that the one you love doesn't destroy himself. Or if he does persist in doing it, then sit next to him, seeing him burn too, burning with him. I think that's what love is."

His throat was blocked and he could hardly speak, but he forced the words out. "I... won't let you burn, Jo."

And just like that, she saved him from himself.

* * * * *

Author's note: A warm thank you to LaRascasse for the editing.

To the readers: I hope you liked the story. Votes, comments and feedback are always appreciated. I like hearing from you so please do write. Every email with a return address will receive a reply. :)