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Maddox reaches over me, pushing his shoulder. “Bret, you’ve been leeching off of my sister ever since you hooked up with her. I’m getting sick and tired of you using her to try and advance your own crap.”
“I’m not using her!” Bret yells back. “She wanted to do this. Maybe if you were a little more supportive instead of playing in clubs, and hooking up with random chicks, you’d have a little time to actually talk to your sister.”
“You don’t know anything about me except what you read in the tabloids. Something you keep tabs on because you’re so desperate.”
“Screw you!” Bret screams and pushes him.
Putting both of my arms up, I keep a hand on each of their chests, trying to keep them apart. “Stop, you guys!”
“I’m sick of you, man!” Maddox yells. “My sister is not some whore for you to pimp out, trying to get famous!”
“Maddox!” I scream, slapping him across the face.
I’ve never hit my brother. We’ve had arguments and fights. I’ve thrown shoes and rocks at him. I’ve told him he’s an idiot and a jerk and dumb. But hitting him? Striking him out of pure anger? I’ve never done that.
“You see?” Bret calls over my shoulder.
Spinning around, I shove him in the chest. “You’re no better! Always wanting passes or spots on tours! Bret, I’m doing this for myself. Do you hear me? For me!”
“Babe, I know—”
“No! Don’t babe me. I don’t need Rich Records. I don’t need any record company. I just want to make music.”
“Jade, just kick him out, and I’ll keep helping you. We don’t—”
“Shut up!” I spin back around, screaming again at Maddox. Taking a deep breath, I feel the sting at my eyes. But I’m not gonna let myself cry over this. These two have been going back and forth ever since they met one another. I can’t control them, but I can control my environment.
“You need to leave,” I say, almost in a whisper.
“You heard her,” Maddox speaks up. “Get the hell out of here.”
“You, Maddox.”
His face drops. It pains me almost more than anything I’ve ever felt before, seeing his hurt look.
“You, too.” I turn to Bret. Instead of a hurt expression like Maddox, his face is full of apathy.
“Excuse me? Jade, I got this for you.”
“I never asked for this.” Shaking my head at him, I point toward the door. “You need to leave. Both of you. Right now.”
Bret curls a lip and hurries past me to leave. I stare down at the floor, hearing the door open and then slam shut. I see Maddox’s Converse shuffle closer. His arms wrap around me, and mine instinctively go around him.
“I’m sorry, sis,” he whispers to me. “I love you. You know that.”
“I know,” I whisper back. “But you need to go.”
I feel him nod. “Okay.”
Continuing to stare at the floor, I hear the door open and close. Taking a deep breath, I still feel the tears behind my eyelids, but I will not cry. I know my brother loves me, and how bad Bret wants things to work out, but this is all on them, and I will not let them bring me down. These sessions aren’t supposed to bring me down, they’re supposed to be freeing for me.
I hear the door open, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, not knowing how much more arguing I can take. “Seriously, Maddox, I can’t do this. Please just leave.”
“It’s me.” My eyes snap open, hearing Austin’s voice. Turning to face him, he offers me a cringing smile. “Sorry. Is this a bad time? I saw your brother leaving.”
“Yeah … I mean, no, it’s not a bad time.” I finally let out a sigh and drop into my chair. “Did you hear anything out there?”
“Uh, no.” He chuckles. “I mean, your brother seemed upset, but I’m sure sibling rivalries can run pretty hot when you’re rock stars.”
