Rip - Trust (Completed)

Rupture

"Where did you come from?" asked his uncle as he walked from the barn to the house in the morning. Mr Dutton had been sitting on the porch sipping his coffee but had gotten out of his seat when he saw the boy approach. 

Rip had not noticed him; he had hoped that everyone would be still inside the house this early and he could sneak in unnoticed. He stared at the man in front of him who had startled him, not sure what to say. 

He didn't know if he had broken a house rule but guessed he had by the stern look on his uncle's face.

"Where have you been? Out with it, young man... I am not asking you again!" Mr Dutton asked a second time in his commanding way.

"I have been sleeping in the barn, Mr Dutton," Rip sounded as embarrassed as he felt.

"Why?" his uncle asked surprised.

"I,... I... I don't know. I just felt like it. I suppose." he stammered somewhat. 

The old man did not seem to be too cross and was content enough with the answer, but Rip was annoyed by what he said next. He told him he wasn't allowed out of the house after dark without permission and not to do it again. No explanation was given. He then sent him inside to have breakfast.

Rip did not understand what the big deal was about sleeping in the barn or being outside after dark for that matter. He hated him and hated being told what to do.

Rip was annoyed to see  all the brothers but Robert already sitting at the breakfast table. He had planned to stay out of their way this morning. He could see they were all hungover, so he approached the table apprehensively, feeling some discomfort in his belly but sat down at his usual spot.

Lee, sitting at the far end of the table and surprised to see him come in through the front door asked Rip, "Where have you been?" but Rip did not answer him. "Hey, Rip, I've asked you a question, where have you been?" Lee asked again. "None of your fucking business!" Rip replied brashly to a man he barely knew.

He had everyone's attention now, which was not what he wanted, and Jamie and Lee started to grin at each other but stopped when they saw their father approach the table. 

"It is not okay to speak like that to any of us!" his uncle said in a sharp tone and sat down beside him at the top of the table.

"I don't care!" Rip muttered loud enough for him to hear.

"You will not say the f word again, and you will not talk to your brothers in this way," he stared at Rip and Rip stared back at him. 

They are not my fucking brothers, he wanted to say but bit his lip. "Are we clear?" Mr Dutton asked.

"Yes, Sir," the boy hissed back. 

"What's gotten into you?" Jacob, who sat opposite him, asked perplexed.

"Nothing, leave me alone!" Rip answered sullenly.

"Seriously, though, what's wrong, Rip?" Jacob asked a second time with a kind tone of voice, but Rip was having none of it and glared at him hatefully.

"You have heard Rip; he doesn't want to talk about it, and he asks you to leave him alone,"  Mr Dutton intervened on Rip' behalf. 

But Rip did not appreciate the interference. "I can fight my own battles!" Rip hissed at his uncle in response.

The old man sighed and started to eat his breakfast, while the boy just poked at his.

The others continued their meal in awkward silence, until Robert came down. Everyone was greeting him with a lot of laughter. "I didn't think you'd be able to join us until noon!" Lee told his brother and they all laughed. "My god, you were so hammered last night, you're such a lightweight", Samuel teased him.