He chuckled. "You always were a possessive bastard. I can see why you like her, though. She's cute."
I felt my anger rising again. "I mean it, Connor. Get out."
“You think you’re better than us, Daryl? Too good for your own family?” Connor’s frustration boiled over. His smirk vanished, replaced by a sneer.
I clenched my fists, feeling the familiar heat rise in my chest. “That’s not it, Connor. I’m just tired of cleaning up your messes.”
“Bullshit,” he spat. “You think just because you’ve got this garage and play Mr. Mechanic, you’re some saint? You’re no different from me.”
“You really believe that?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “I was always there for you. Stopping you from fighting, bailing you out of jail.”
“And I didn’t ask for it!” Connor’s voice echoed through the small space, making Beth stir again.
“You didn’t have to ask,” I replied, keeping my voice low. “But someone had to keep you from destroying yourself. You're the one who left. In and out, whenever it was convenient for you."
His eyes flashed with anger. “Well, guess what? I can’t stay here, not after what happened.”
“You can’t change it,” I said, my tone softening just a fraction. “Might as well move on.”
He glanced over at Beth, a cynical glint in his eye. “That what you’re doing, little brother? Moving on?” He scoffed. “You know she’ll never love you, right? When she finds out who you really are...”
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Someone like her doesn’t belong in our world,” he continued, his voice dripping with disdain. “Deep down, you know this.”
I stood there, fists clenched at my sides, every muscle taut. But I didn’t respond. The words were lodged somewhere between my heart and throat.
Connor gave me one last look before shaking his head and walking out the door.
Beth stirred again, her eyes fluttering open. "Daryl?" she murmured.
"Yeah," I said quietly, my voice hoarse from holding back so much. "I'm here."
I watched Connor leave; the door closing with a soft thud. The room seemed to exhale; the tension dissipating into the quiet. I returned to the couch, feeling Beth’s warmth even before I settled beside her. She reached for me instinctively, her fingers brushing my arm, seeking comfort.
I pulled her close, feeling her small frame relax against mine. Her head nestled against my chest, her breathing slow and steady. I tightened my grip, needing to feel her here, solid and real. Her presence was an anchor in the storm of my thoughts.
Beth fell back asleep almost instantly, her soft snores a soothing rhythm. I, however, remained wide awake. My eyes drifted to the dying embers in the fireplace, their glow casting faint shadows on the walls.
Connor’s words echoed in my mind, gnawing at me like an old wound reopening.You know she’ll never love you.It wasn’t just his usual spite talking. Deep down, I knew he was right.
Beth was everything I wasn’t—bright, open-hearted, full of life.
And me?
I was a mess of broken pieces barely held together by grease and solitude. I couldn’t imagine her wanting to stay once she saw who I really was.
I shifted slightly, careful not to wake her. My gaze remained fixed on the fireplace as memories of my brother flooded back—his laughter, his anger, his ultimate disappearance from my life.
And now Connor's reappearance only reminded me of all that loss and chaos.
Beth stirred slightly but remained asleep, unaware of the turmoil inside me. Her presence brought a strange mix of comfort and fear—comfort because she was here with me; fear because I knew it couldn’t last.
I tightened my hold on Beth one more time, wishing for just a moment that I could freeze this fragile peace forever.
Chapter15
Beth
