Page 85 of All the Ugly Things
“No,” I deadpanned. “It was your cocky arrogance that clued me in.”
“Hmmm.” He sliced off a piece of steak and brought it to his mouth. Winking, he replied, “I’m just glad to know you thought of me.” He slid the steak off his fork, somehow managing to grin while he ate and we went back to our meals.
Where we talked more Valor Holdings, what they do around the city and some of the charities they provide substantial donations for. He talked to me about college, life there, the friends he made and even Brandon—my soon-to-be new boss.
“You’ve known him a long time.” My stomach was full of delicious food and bubbly champagne. Even if it was fake champagne, I enjoyed it. This whole celebration of a night that was completely unnecessary but done for me was more than anyone had ever done for me.
He hesitated, making my spine straighten.
“What is it?”
“I’ve known Brandon a long time.” He sighed and set down his silverware, resting his forearms on the edge of the table. “He’s my brother.”
“Brandon? He looks nothing like you!”
Where Hudson was dark and muscled with such a seriousness to him, Brandon was All-American good looks and after he stopped being so jittery during our interview, he came across as more playful.
“Brandon joined our family when he was thirteen.”
“Was he one of the foster kids?”
“Yeah, and the rest isn’t really my story to share. And I’m sorry I keep saying that to you because it feels like I say it a lot, but his privacy is his as is his past and I value him too much to spill it before he will.”
“Of course.” I imagined myself at thirteen in seventh grade, where all I cared about was learning how to do makeup right and clothes and watching Josh play football as a sophomore on the varsity team. “Please. Don’t tell me.”
“I will say, he’s my brother. Legally. We don’t always hide that, but he also doesn’t have our name. He was one of our foster kids and he stayed. When it came close to time for him to age out, Mom and Dad talked to him because they didn’t want him to feel alone, and he agreed.”
He took a sip of faux champagne with fingers tense on the thin stem it was a wonder it didn’t snap in two. He set down the glass and dropped his head, heaving out a heavy sigh.
“You should know, though, that his mom is in Mitchellville. Has been there for a while.”
“Mitchellville? She’s there?” My heart raced and my blood went cold. Did I know her?
“He hasn’t seen her. Hasn’t been there. She’s been in and out. Back in as of nine years ago.”
“Drugs?” It was a guess, but a common reason why so many of them were there.
“The things she did to get money for drugs, mostly. Some of it violent, but yeah.”
I was thrumming with curiosity. Before I could stop myself and honor his earlier statement of not sharing a story that wasn’t his, I asked, “Can I ask who?”
“Helen.”
It took me a moment to place her because I had to think of Brandon’s last name. This was surreal. My soon-to-be boss’s mom in prison? Where I spent six years?
“She’s doing well,” I said, as I realized who he was talking about. Helen was in and out of rehab, even in jail. Someone always found a way to get her rehooked even if it was narcotics if she got in a fight. But for the last three years? She’d been clean. Worked in the kitchen. “Does he know?”
Hudson shook his head. “His life with her wasn’t easy.”
Because he was thirteen when he went to the Valentines. And that was well over ten years ago, closer to fifteen was my guess. My heart ached for him. Gave me more compassion than I’d originally had for him. He’d spent the first few minutes of our interview acting annoyed and hurried.
But if he knew where I’d been, that made sense.
“I won’t say anything to him if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I don’t know if it would do any good. But it could come out and I figured you should know, but yeah… Brandon’s my brother for all purposes. Legally, but also because he’s Brandon. He’s the best guy I know.”
Funny. I thought I was eating dinner with the best guy possible.
