Light in the Shadows

always respected about Daniel Lowe was the fact that he told things like they were.  He didn’t dance around a subject, he just bulldozed through it.  Maggie would get pissed about it at times, thinking he was an insensitive ass.  But you couldn’t help but admire someone who never bothered with pretense. 
                    “Thanks, man,” I said, tapping my fingers on the table. 
                    “So how long are you in town for?” Daniel asked me, furrowing his eyebrows as he waited for my answer.  We had already been over this once at the funeral, but clearly he needed a more definitive response this time.
                    “You gonna try and kick my ass if I tell you I’m staying?” I asked him a bit belligerently.  I stopped tapping my fingers and laid my hand flat on the table, meeting Daniel’s stare head on.  There was a moment when I wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to do.  He didn’t seem particularly happy with my announcement.
                    “You gonna give me a reason to kick your ass, Clay?” he asked me pointedly.  I blew out a breath and ran my hand through my hair. 
                    “I sure as hell hope not,” I answered honestly.  Because I really hoped I wouldn’t be making the same mistakes as before.  And if I did, then I deserved whatever ass kicking Daniel dished out. 
                    Daniel frowned.  “Does Maggie know?”
                  I shook my head.  “Nope.  And just so you know this decision has nothing to do with Maggie alright?”  I tried to say it like I meant it.  Daniel rolled his eyes.
                    “Give me a fucking break.  Everything you do seems to be about Maggie in some way or another.  But I’m telling you right now, Clay, she’s been through hell.  You put her through fucking hell.  I don’t know everything that went down when you guys were in North Carolina.  She’d never tell me.  And I don’t want to fucking know.  But what I do know is you left.  I don’t care what your reasons were.  You left her.  You don’t call her.  You don’t write.  You just cut her out of your life.  And that is all sorts of wrong.  Look, I don’t want to bring up ancient history here.  I’m just warning you, that if you fuck with my girl again, I won’t be so forgiving next time.”  Daniel’s blue eyes were icy cold and even though we were pretty even physically, I knew he’d fight to the death for Maggie.
                  The thing I didn’t think Daniel realized, even now, is that so would I.
                    “I hear you, Daniel.  I really do.  But I’m not trying to open up a book that is better off closed, okay.” I really wish I meant what I said.  Because I still believed Maggie was better off without me.  Not that she was better off with some douche like Jake Fitzsimmons (who was still glaring at me from behind the counter; fucking pussy), but I wanted more for her than what I had ever been able to give.
                    But Daniel only laughed.  Like I had just said the funniest joke he had ever heard.  And it ticked me off.  I clenched my fist, my knuckles turning white.  “What’s so damn funny?” I asked in a low voice.  My urge to pummel people was out of control today.
                    Daniel shook his head.  “You’re what’s funny.  Do you really expect me to believe you won’t be sniffing around Mags’ skirt the first chance you get?  You can’t stay away from her.  And I get it, okay.  All I’m saying is be a bit more…careful with her this time.  She’s just now getting her crap together.  And you can’t come blowing back into her life and shitting all over it.”  He leveled his eyes at me in warning and I wanted to deny what he said.  But the man spoke truth. 
                    We watched each other warily for a few more minutes.  “Fair enough,” I said finally.  Daniel nodded, seeming to accept my response. 
                    “So, you gonna come back to Jackson?” he asked me, changing the subject.  I was left in a bit of recoil by the switch.  Daniel crossed his arms on top of the table and waited for me to answer him as though he had all the time in the world to sit here and chat. 
                  “I’d planned on it.  I probably