My mom shuffles in her chair to whisper in my ear. “Wow, Jackson is handsome. No wonder I didn’t stand a chance.”
I huff out a breath, shaking my head. My lips part, ready to respond, but I’m not going to feed his sense of self. I can picture his ego being stroked every time someone whispers a complementabout him. His confidence is already sky high. I don’t need to send him to outer space.
The minister continues on with announcing the vows. “Brad Schmidt, do you promise to remain faithful in good times and bad?”
“I do.”
Then—boom. The doors of the patio slam open against the house, a crack that causes every neck to turn toward the sound.
“Sir, you can’t go out there. The wedding is—” Martha stumbles, her voice wobbling between professionalism and panic.
“Bitch, fuck off.” Drew snaps, storming out like a swirling tornado. His mullet’s a mess, wearing shredded jeans. Eyes are fuming with fervor. “Austin!”
“Where are you! I need to speak with you.”
Fuck me, literally. Or give me some peanut butter. I’d rather take the bullet than live through this mess of reality.
I stand up, my pulse pounding in my skull. The eyes of the crowd converge on me. “Drew, let’s take this inside,” I say softly with fabricated ease, as I stroll towards him.
“No!” he booms, his voice like thunder. “I want every cunt out here to see this. Especially my wanker twin!”
The crowd gasps, a few stunned laughs break through the silence.
As I step closer to him, just feet away, I pick up the unmistakable smell of vodka. “Drew have you been drinking?”
“Oi!” he slurs, arms flailing in a wild tizzy. “What if I have… I can’t stop thinking about you, Austin. No matter what I do to try and turn of my bloody noggin—it won’t shut off. You have to be mine, Lover Boy. I won’t take no for an answer. You have my brand, my tattoo carved into your skin. No one else can have you!”
Charlie bursts in between us. “Drew, get the fuck out of here. You are making a bloody fool of yourself.”
“Oh. So what if I am?” His lips form a feral grin. “At least I got the balls to back it up. Why don’t you run back to your little flat and hide it out like you usually do when there's a wad of disagreement, baby brother.” Drew snarls, hitting a puff of his vape to blow in Charlie’s face.
“I’m not backing down you narcissistic bully.” Charlie growls, his accent flaring up.
“That’s a first…” Drew sneers. “You were always too afraid to stand up to Father.”
Charlie takes a deep breath, his composure waning. “Drew that was over twenty bloody years ago. I’m sorry… but that doesn’t give you a pass to poison the world with your vitriol. And here, interrupting a goddamn wedding? Get a bloody grip.”
“I’m never going to forget your cowardice baby brother—”
“Drew please, this is not the place,” I beg, my voice cracking like a skipping stone across the surface of the water. My hands trembling at my sides.
“Then when Lover Boy? When will you be mine and only mine…” his voice desperate and forlorn.
I take a long breath, the seconds stretching to what seems like years before spitting the word out. “Never.”
His face goes blank, the snarl giving way to bewildered shock. His eyes becoming void of all consciousness, flames withering to ashes.
“I don’t love you Drew. I just loved theideaof you. The sexy and dark version of the man I truly love. Your brother is the guy you wish you could be, but you’re too mangled and fucked-up from the scars of the past. You’ve deceived yourself. You think you deserve everything in this world, but you don’t. You don’t own me.”
“You… you don’t mean that…” Drew stumbles, swaying back and forth to catch his balance, almost crashing into a guest’s lap. The vigor and vitality hastily draining from his core.
“I do.” I manage with conviction as every muscle fiber is trembling. “I mean every fucking syllable.”
His eyes stay on the grass as the police arrive and swarm in around him. Sirens blaring from the front of the house.
For once his lips are frozen. Speechless. A first for the viper. Poisoned at his own game.
“Everyone stay still. No one move,” the officers bark, their hands floating above their holsters.
