AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You didn’t actually hit him,” Konrad mumbled.
My lips parted on a strained gasp as my attention quickly darted between the two before finally landing on Brandon. “You tried to hit him?”
He lifted his hands again before placing them on his head, lacing his fingers over his buzzed hair.
“In Brandon’s defense,” Konrad began placatingly, “Chase pushed too far.”
“He’s still healing,” I argued tightly.
Brandon’s head bounced in faint nods before shaking. “He said his memories felt pretty real and asked if I was sure Harper hadn’t been fucking him behind my back.” His shoulders bunched up. “Konrad stopped me when I went for him.”
I stood there for what felt like hours as I absorbed what they were telling me and tried to piece it together with the guy I’d been spending these past days with.
At the beginning of the week, I would’ve expected it. After these past days, I guess I’d just let myself believe that part of this nightmare was over.
I’d been stupid to.
“Do you think it’s possible?” The question was full of doubt as it poured from me, but I had to know what Brandon thought.
I knew I could connect the pieces of Chase’s mind. But maybe it was only because I wanted to.
“No,” he said immediately, unquestionably. “Not only would neither of them do that to us, but they definitely wouldn’t with each other.” He let his arms fall heavily as he explained, “The way he keeps saying all of it is just getting to me though.”
“I know what you mean,” I mumbled sadly.
“He loves you.”
My head shook and my eyelids squeezed tight at Brandon’s declaration.
When I opened them again, he and Konrad were slightly blurred. “He doesn’t even know me.”
“He wouldn’t stop talking about you,” Konrad said in encouragement. “He found a way to bring you up no matter what we were talking about.”
“He apologized for the Harper comments,” Brandon began, words slow and hesitant. “Said he couldn’t stop hurting you either because he’s been so torn and confused. Then he said, ‘This is gonna hurt Scarlet.’”
“Right after that, he asked if we knew how frustrating you were and launched into a list of things you do that irritate him,” Konrad said with a small smirk.
“But he kept smiling during the entire rant,” Brandon added. “He loves you. He’s just afraid to know that.”
“Because he’s fighting to hold onto something that was never there,” I whispered and let my stare fall when their expressions did the same. Clearing my throat, I rocked back a step and forced a shaky smile. “I really appreciate the two of you coming to see him or get him since he’s stuck here. And I know he appreciates it, even if he keeps saying things he shouldn’t.”
“It’s nothing,” Konrad said assuredly.
“Our mornings have started with him for years,” Brandon added. “Making a detour to keep that happening isn’t a burden to us. He’s family. You’re family.”
I nodded and offered another smile as emotion welled. “I should see if he needs anything before my next class starts showing up,” I managed, voice strained as I took a step toward the door.
“See you in the morning?” Konrad asked, eyes narrowing as if he knew exactly what I was doing. As if he knew I needed a second to breathe and collect myself before I broke down in front of them.
“Of course.” I forced as much of a tease into the words as that void in my chest would allow, then asked, “Who else is going to show you up out there?”
Brandon barked out a laugh as Konrad defended, “That was one wave.”
“And I will never let you live it down.”
“Later, Scarlet,” Brandon called out as they headed back down the drive, but I just rushed into the house and hurried to shut the door behind me.
My chest heaved with a pained breath as my back settled against the wooden surface. Eyelids closed tight as I desperately tried to find that feeling I’d been surrounded in earlier.
