The Son-in-law

Fractures In The Dark

Chapter Six:

The streetlights flickered in uneven rhythms, their dull yellow glow bending across the cracked asphalt. Billy kept his hood low as he moved, hands clenched in the pockets of his jacket, trying to bury the heat of his anger beneath a thin layer of control. The words from earlier—his father-in-law’s accusations, his mother-in-law’s silent condemnation—still ricocheted in his skull. They weren’t just words. They were daggers, sharpened by years of hidden resentment.

Evelyn caught up with him near the corner shop, her heels clicking too loud in the silence. “Billy,” she called, breathless. “Wait.”

He didn’t stop. Not until her hand pressed against his arm. Only then did he spin, the sharpness in his gaze enough to make her flinch.

“What?” His voice cracked with restrained fury.

“You can’t just storm off like that. They’ll twist it, say you’re guilty of something.” Evelyn’s chest rose and fell as she searched his face. “If you leave, you’re handing them the story.”

Billy’s laugh was humorless. “The story’s already written. I’m the villain in their play no matter what I do.”

“Then write your own ending,” she shot back, eyes flashing. “Don’t let them dictate it.”

For a moment, silence pressed between them. A car rolled past, headlights slicing through the night. Billy’s shoulders lowered an inch, not in surrender but in weariness.

“Why are you defending me?” he asked finally. “You’ve heard what they think. You’re part of this family too.”

“I’m defending the truth,” Evelyn replied, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “And whether you believe it or not, I see something in you they refuse to.”

Her words landed heavy, but Billy couldn’t decide if they were a lifeline or a curse. Before he could respond, a crash rang out behind them—glass shattering, followed by a guttural shout. Both turned sharply. From the alley across the street, two men stumbled out, one gripping the other by the collar, fists flying.

“Come on,” Evelyn whispered, tugging at Billy’s sleeve. “Let’s not—”

But Billy was already moving. Instinct drove him into the chaos, pulling the aggressor back. “Enough!” he barked. The man reeled, snarling, only to freeze when his eyes met Billy’s. Recognition sparked—quick, dangerous.

“You—” the man started, but stopped himself, retreating into the shadows before Billy could press him. The second man slumped against the wall, gasping.

Billy’s pulse hammered. That wasn’t random. That look—it was as if his face had been expected.

Evelyn knelt beside the injured man. “You’re hurt—what happened?”

The man shook his head violently. “Stay away. You don’t understand.” He staggered to his feet and bolted, disappearing into the same darkness that had swallowed his attacker.

Billy stood frozen, Evelyn rising slowly beside him. The silence between them felt charged, as if the night itself were holding its breath.

“They know you,” Evelyn said quietly, almost accusing. “Who was he?”

“I’ve never seen him before,” Billy muttered, though his gut twisted with doubt. “At least… I don’t think I have.”

But even as he spoke, a memory surfaced—a half-buried echo from years ago, a shadow from the life he’d tried to bury. The recognition in that man’s eyes hadn’t been imagined. It was real. And it meant Billy’s past wasn’t just chasing him anymore. It was here.

Evelyn’s hand brushed his sleeve again, not in comfort but in warning. “If they’ve found you once,” she whispered, “they’ll find you again.”

Billy stared into the dark alley where the strangers had vanished. His breath slowed, hardened. Whatever storm was coming, it wouldn’t wait for him to be ready.