Dealing with the Past Read Online Free PDF

because it was easier than arguing with the boy. Daniel always believed his views and opinions were correct. He never listened to anyone else; he would just talk over the top of what you were trying to say until you agreed with him. After a while, Jackson stopped trying.
    When Daniel started to bully some of the other kids at school, Jackson thought it funny at first and laughed along with Shaun and Eddie at the other kids' expense. Jackson might have been popular and had things come easily to him, but he wasn't comfortable with himself and felt the pressure like all other kids to fit in with his friends. Soon Jackson was participating, not just standing back and laughing, and the four of them continued on like that for a while.
    Jackson knew the reason he'd joined forces with the others instead of stopping it was because he thought it was better to be the bully than the one being bullied. His friends would have had a lot to say if they had ever found out that Jackson fantasised about a cute little curly blond boy in their class instead of Megan, the busty brunette he dated. God, Jackson's insecurities about himself caused a lot of problems back then. He almost did some pretty stupid things.
    Jackson bolted upright. "Please God, no," he exclaimed as he put his glass down on the coffee table. Jackson practically ran to the bedroom and yanked open his wardrobe doors, searching the shelves for what he was looking for.
    Finding his photo albums, Jackson pulled them out and dumped them on his bed. Sitting down, he started to sift through all the individual pictures scattered between the albums until he finally came across the one picture he wanted; his year ten school photo. He scanned the list of names until his eyes fell on the one he sought.
    Aiden Montgomery's name was the second last name in the middle row. Jackson stared at the photo. Sure enough, standing in the second row, two from the end was a much younger and sadder version of the man Jackson met today, and Daniel's most favourite victim. Aiden wasn't smiling in the picture. The haunted look in his eyes nearly broke Jackson down into tears as he continued to stare into the face of his mate.
    No wonder his mate hated him so much. Jackson's heart broke at all the pain he had caused the man. How could he have been so stupid to go along with the others? He should have stood up to Daniel when they were younger. Jackson knew what they were doing was wrong, but his issues with himself made it hard to speak up. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to himself. His mate had paid the price for his cowardice.
    At least he now knew why he couldn't place the name right away. Jackson had no idea what Aiden's name was back then. He was only ever referred to as Monty while they were at school together; Jackson hadn't known that it was a nickname and not his actual first name.
    God, I am such an ass. How could I have not known that? He berated himself silently. Jackson didn't blame Aiden for hating him one bit. He deserved that punch today and so much more. He loathed the person he was back in high school those first couple of years and had tried hard to forget about the type of person he had been, working to improve himself because his parents stepped in.
    Jackson knew he had changed a hell of a lot since school. He might have been an ass to Jayden but he'd never bullied his youngest brother. Jackson also had never laid a hand on anyone again since school, even then he'd only done it a couple of times. The incident his brothers witnessed being the last one.
    Looking down at the picture of his mate again, Jackson knew the changes he had already started to make when Jayden confronted him six months ago were long overdue. While Jackson knew he wasn't the same bully from high school, he had an ego and was hurt that his brother had kept so much from them that he'd regrettably lashed out. Jackson didn't want to lose his mate because he had a personality defect. Not that he actually had his mate.