Payback’s a bitch

Jimmy stormed up the porch steps, rage like he’d never felt running through him. Just as he lifted his fist to pound unmercifully on the door, it swung open. Logan stood staring down at him like an imperious Czar confronting an infidel.

“I thought I’d be seeing you,” he said, looking both defiant and resolute.

His unflappable nature was something Jimmy was used to, but right now, at this moment? It only infuriated him more than he already was. His fist reared back slowly and plowed right into his mouth.

Wincing, Jimmy cradled his hand in the other. “Damn you!” he cursed loudly.

He had expected Logan to move, to dart and completely avoid the hit.  He never, not in all the time they’d known each other, ever been able to so much as tap Logan on the shoulder without him deftly avoiding it.

Logan saw it coming, expected it and, if he dared admit it, deserved it. He knew Jimmy would try to hit him if only for show and he knew he expected Logan to swerve out of it. But Logan also knew Jimmy didn’t like pain of any sort. He knew it would be more punishment to Jimmy than to himself.

He wiped the back of his hand over his mouth and saw a tiny smear of blood. A cut lip. He never thought Jimmy had it in him. Good to know some things mattered to him.

“That’s all the retribution you’re getting. Hope you enjoyed it,” Logan said. He stepped back and continued, “Come in unless you want my neighbors as witness.”

Jimmy glared at him irresolute. He didn’t want to go into that house, the house Logan had been born in, raised in, where they played cowboys and Indians, hide and seek, video games,  had sleep-overs,  where they had their first beer together, their first cigarette, their first...well, just about everything. They did everything together, shared everything. They were like brothers. Or had been until...

Still holding his injured and bleeding fist and out of pure habit his traitorous feet walked him into the living room. He tossed his baseball cap onto the coffee table and ran his fingers through his hair as he’d done a thousand times before.

Damn, but his hand hurt! Jimmy turned in time to see Logan take his throne or rather his lounge chair. It just looked like a throne when noble and righteous Czar Logan sat in it. Fury bubbled up in Jimmy. He wanted to pound him into the floor, but his still hurting hand made him rethink that. Logan’s smirk told him he knew what was running through his head. Man, was this guy pissing him off!

“She’s my wife!” Jimmy shouted.

“What’s your point?” Logan said carelessly.

“You back-stabbing bastard! You slept with Claire! How could you do that to me? We’re supposed to be friends.”

“Rewind, Jimmy,” he said.

For twenty-some years Jimmy had heard that. “Rewind, Jimmy. You got it all wrong.”  Well, not this time.

“She says she’s in love with you.”

“Yep, got that right,” Logan retorted with the first sign of annoyance.

“You slept with her!”

“What did she actually say, Jimmy?” he asked, exasperated.

He frowned thinking back. “You’ve been spending time together while I’m at... work,” he said evasively. “And that means....”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “And being you’ve been “working” by getting some little slut on her back you assume I’m doing the same with Claire,” Logan coldly finished for him.

“You’re supposed to be my best friend. Best friends don’t do that. She’s my wife,” he repeated.

“Yeah, but we figured you forgot that. You possibly were too hung over at the wedding to recall what you vowed. Love, honor, cherish... forsaking all others...any of this ring a bell?” Logan said.

Jimmy paled and whispered, “You son-of-a...you didn’t.”

“Payback’s a bitch, everyone knows that,” Logan replied.

“Payback? What the hell...for what?” Jimmy bellowed.

“She was mine first and you know it,” Logan snapped.

“She was never yours!” Jimmy said.

“Wasn’t she? Or are you just recalling things to suit you? Don’t remember that fifth grade field trip to the cranberry bog, do you? Well, I do. She held my hand the whole time.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jimmy shouted, incredulous. “Fifth grade? We were just kids.”

“But I was in love with her way back then and never stopped. You stole her from me,” Logan whispered. “And because we were friends, I let you have her. Worse mistake of my life.”

“Let me have her?” he screamed. “May I remind you we were together all through high school and she’s my wife now. She chose to marry me. It’s got nothing to do with you. You had no right.”

“But I did. She’s my friend, too, always was. You, on the other hand, put frogs and newts down her back scaring her to death.”

“For cripe’s sake, I was just a kid then,” Jimmy snarled.

 “You’ve caused her nothing but misery since and I let you do it to her, helped you even. I wanted to protect her from you. But you were my best friend and that was supposed to supercede everything even the love of my life. So, I lied to her for you, making excuses for you. I told her you’d straighten up once you were married, that you’d stop cheating on her. Man, was I wrong. Should never have let her marry you. I should have told her then what you were about, a selfish playboy,” he said. “She knows now.”

“What? What does she know?” Jimmy asked.

“You were never subtle, but now you’re downright careless, almost like you want her to know. Or is it that you think she’s so infatuated with you that she’ll take any crap from you?” Logan asked glaring at him. “ Bad enough that you do every skirt that crosses your path but using me as an alibi without telling me? Really dumb, Jimmy.”

Eyes widening, horrified Jimmy grabbed fist-fulls of his hair. “You told her?” he screamed.

“Haven’t you been listening? She already knew, knew all along.  She told me. The miracle is she doesn’t blame me for covering up for you. She knows what it’s like between friends, she says. She blames herself for not being enough for you. Well, she’s more than enough for me.”

“She’s my wife, damn you!” Jimmy shouted loud enough to rattle the neighbor’s windows.

Logan stared at him and sadly said, “I love her, Jimmy and you don’t seem to, at least not enough.”

 “You’re my best friend,” Jimmy said.

Struggling with his emotions Logan closed his eyes for a second. “I think not or I would be able to... to just walk away and not care. But I do care. I don’t want to hurt you, Jimmy, but if I have to choose, it’s Claire.”

“So, that’s it? I’m out my best friend and my wife?” Jimmy asked. “You’re actually going to put some girl ahead of friendship, a life-long friendship?”

 “Our friendship, yes. Claire’s my best friend now. Like I said, payback’s a bitch.”