Page 130 of My Fiancé's Brother
We walked out into the fresh night air. I was so angry, I couldn’t speak.
“Something you want to say?”
“No,” I said tersely.
He walked me to my car and without saying a word I got in and started my car. I didn’t offer to drive him back to his truck. In fact, I didn’t even give him a second glance as I peeled out of the lot. I needed to get away from everyone. I needed time to think and calm down. I certainly didn’t need him following me home.
I wastwo blocks away when suddenly a big ass grill showed up in my review mirror.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I yelled at no one in particular. I debated trying to lose him but realized that with my inability to change lanes without shoulder checking, there was no way I would ever manage that. Instead, I hunched over my steering wheel seething at the injustice that Irene and Matt bestowed on Jackson.
CHAPTER 47
I pulledinto my parking stall in the parkade of the penthouse. I jumped out of my car and started rapidly walking towards the elevator, not waiting for Jackson who was still in the process of parking his truck. With luck, I would be already on my way upstairs by the time he got to the elevator.
I got halfway across the parkade when I heard his door slam.
“Something bugging you?” His voice sounded so relaxed and easy-going, I thought my blood would start boiling. I spun around on my heels and stomped back to him. I walked right up to him and glared up at his face.
“You’re walking me down the aisle?” I spat up at him. “Really? Matt just snaps his fingers, and you come crawling?”
His eyes widened with interest. “A couple of weeks ago you were pissed when they wanted me gone. I thought you would be happy they included me at your wedding.”
“Are you upset that I haven’t broken it off with Matt yet?”
“I don’t need to know what your plans are. I've nothing to do with that. You can do whatever you want.”
I flinched. I will admit. That stung but I needed to bring himback to the point of the fact that Matt and Irene were cruel. Did he not see that?
I put my hand on my hip. I looked at him with disbelief. “Don’t you see what they’re doing? Why are you putting up with their shit?”
He shrugged. “They’re family.”
“They don’t act like family.”
We eyeballed each other for a long moment. I felt so frustrated I turned on my heels and started to walk away.
“Family deserves loyalty.”
In two seconds flat, I was back in his face. “Neither of them deserve your loyalty.”
Another long moment ticked between us.
“I'm not loyal to someone because of how they treat me. I'm loyal because of the person I am.”
I went completely still. The image of a young boy, at the mercy of a violent drunk, flashed before my eyes. Ted had smashed his bones, terrorized him and abused him in ways no child should ever be abused. That child’s loyalty to Ted had been breathtaking.
Waves of pain washed over me so intensely that I almost couldn’t breathe.
“It’s not right,” I squeezed out of my constricted throat.
“Why are you so upset about this?” he sounded mystified.
“Because you deserve so much better,” I yelled at him. “Because it hurts me to see others hurt you.”
“A bullet hurts. Violence hurts.” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “This is nothing.”
“If this is nothing than why does it feel like my heart is breaking,” I yelled. I pushed past him. I couldn’t let this man see me cry again. If I cried in front of him one more time, he would never talk to me again.
