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“I called the other day to see how things were going. Dad was getting a port put in. I don’t know. I just can’t wrap my head around it all. I never knew there was anything wrong with him, Audrey. I was talking to him while he was sick—back when you knew and I didn’t, but no one felt the need to tell me. It feels like they betrayed me. And you might have, too, a little bit. Then you turn around and screw Derek.”
I think about what he’s said. He’s had a rough few weeks. We all have.
“No one did anything to hurt you on purpose. We were just trying to protect you, Aiden.”
“It still sucks. I never imagined that Dad would get sick. You never think you’re close to losing your parents. They’re young too, Aud—barely even sixty.”
I smile warmly at him. “They’re like sixty-three, but yeah, it is young for them to be fighting things like this. Cancer doesn’t run in our family, does it?”
He shrugs. “I don’t think so. Grandparents passed of other things. Grandpa Jack was killed in the war. Grandma Nora died of a broken heart, they say. And mom’s parents…well, that was heart trouble and then the car accident.”
“Our parents have had some shitty things happen to them too,” I remind him.
“They have,” he agrees.
Derek and Brent come over and sit at the table.
“Are things okay over here? Or should we leave you be?” Brent asks, lowering himself onto the chair.
“We’re fine. Just trying to figure out if this man here has a heart,” I joke about Aiden.
Derek laughs and pulls my chair toward him.
“Can’t you go ten minutes without touching her?” Aiden snarks.
“She’s been over here talking to you for like twenty, so I guess I can,” Derek quips. “Are we gonna be okay, dude?”
Aiden scrubs a hand down his face. Looking over at Brent, he says, “Do I have to?”
“Yeah, you do,” Brent responds. “Because I’m tired of being in the middle of all of this.”
“See what you’re doing to Brent?” I chime in.
Brent shoots a glare in my direction. “Oh no, young lady. You can’t play innocent here. I tried to explain to you that you needed to let this be, but you couldn’t. So, you made your bed, now you have to sleep in it.”
Brent is a man of few words. It’s one of the things I love about him. He doesn’t need to say a lot to make a person feel better. Sometimes just being near him has helped me. But when he does talk, he’s right on the money.
“Listen to, Brent,” Aiden teases.
“Shut up, man. Not what I meant,” Brent defends. “You could ease up on them, too. I think Derek’s serious about your sister. He almost gave up on the band for her. He could have easily thrown her to the wolves in there. I’m impressed.” Brent tips his head in Aiden’s direction.
“I love her, man. Why can’t you just believe me?” Derek pleads with Aiden.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you. But it’s my job to make sure she’s safe, loved, and taken care of. But look at all the drama that’s come into her life—all the hate she’s getting online. And someone like Serena isn’t going to let this go so easily. We’ve seen how calculated and cool she can be. I don’t want my sister caught in her crosshairs.”
“I wanna protect and help her too,” Derek says in a low tone. His head his down. I can’t see his face, but his shoulders are slumped like he’s feeling defeated.
“I’ll get over it,” Aiden grumbles out. “It’s just going to take some time.”
Brent gets up from the table and takes a phone call.
“Aiden, I want to have my big brother on my side. Our father is sick. I’m going to need you…”
He gets up. “I just need some time, guys.” He leaves the room without saying goodbye to anyone.
Brent hangs up his phone and shakes his head, looking more devastated than I’ve ever seen him.
“Brent, I’m sorry,” I tell him.
