Page 54 of My Fiancé's Brother
“You could have said no.”
“I was seven years old. I arrived there kicking and screaming. I wanted to stay with Ted.”
“Bullshit. You wanted my life all to yourself.”
“Why the fuck do we have to rehash the same old shit? Huh? I was seven years old, and Ted spent more time in jail than he did at home. Looking back I guess I should have just manned the fuck up and dealt with it.”
“Poor you. Always the same crying bullshit.”
“Yeah, well I have no idea why I'm here since you're the one who begged me to come here. You so obviously don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“You’re such a dick. You know that, man? Like everything you do, you just do to spite me.”
“Not true. It may come as a complete surprise to you, but I think of you as family. I want the best for you.”
“You want my fucking life.”
“No, I want you to open your eyes and see what an amazing life you have before you fuck it up.”
“I’m not the one who fucked my life up.”
My eyes were wide open, and my heart pounded in my chest. I pushed myself to sit up. Matt and Jackson stood nose to nose. Matt shouted his points, but Jackson’s voice remained moderate. Matt compared to Jackson looked small, yet he looked like he wanted to tear Jackson apart.
I climbed to my feet. “What’s going on?”
Two heads rotated in my direction. Matt tossed up his hands. “I can’t deal with any of this shit right now. I have to go.”
Matt walked out of the loft. Jackson’s hand covered his mouth. He turned and walked away, his hands on his hips.
I dropped the blanket on the floor and walked upstairs. I crawled into my freshly washed bed. I forced my brain to shut off. I was in no shape to even process that right now. I stared into the dark with wide eyes until sleep claimed me.
CHAPTER 17
“Police have confirmedthis morning that the unidentified female body found in an industrial area was a victim of foul play. Unconfirmed reports that this may be the work of the throat slayer, a killer that could be tied to seven other murders of women around the city. Police remind women to be vigilant in their travels, to not trust strangers and to not walk in unpopulated areas alone at night.”
The newscaster’s voice pierced my brain. Light streamed into my bedroom. I groaned and made stabbing motions towards my alarm clock radio before I finally succeeded in turning it off.
My head throbbed. As I rolled over, I became alarmed that I might throw up again. Memories bleeped through my mind, like a bad movie. The party. Kissing Jackson. Julie and Jackson flirting. Matt and his coworker. Violent barfing. The fight between Matt and Jackson. Matt leaving. So much anger. So much hurt. I couldn’t even process what I had heard last night between the two of them. I couldn’t digest it.
I staggered out of bed and into my bathroom. Everything looked pristine. The towels neatly folded on the rack. The toilet looked spotless. I shut my eyes. Jackson at some point had cleaned my bathroom.Matt couldn’t care less if I had been sick, but somehow Jackson had found the time to clean my bathroom in the middle of the night? He must have done so when I was lying on the couch downstairs. My behavior last night had been reprehensible. Why was Matt acting so crazy? I couldn’t even wrap my mind around the trouble between us. I had kissed Jackson, and only God knew what Matt had been up to. He hadn’t come home last night. I knew deep in my heart there was trouble brewing, but I honestly did not want to see the truth.
I showered and walked downstairs. Jackson stood in the kitchen, looking fresh in his t-shirt and jeans. Pulled low over his eyes was his favorite baseball cap. I glanced around the spotless room and noticed his big black duffle bag at the door.
My hands jammed into my armpits. He was leaving too. I lifted my chin and walked to the island. Green eyes looked at me. So serious.
My voice scratched. “Thank you for helping me last night.”
He regarded me with an intensity I didn’t know how to decipher.
“Did Matt come back yet?” I tried again.
He shook his head. I stared up at his face unable to determine his thoughts. He let nothing show.
“Why are you leaving?” My voice sounded desperate even to my ears.
He looked down at the floor. “I think it’s better for you and Matt.”
“Who did he leave with last night?”
