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Closing my eyes I inhaled, my lungs feeling like they were being burned with chemicals.
“Bryce, my brothers are a lot older than me. Brennan was fifteen when his dad married my mom. My other brother was nineteen. I know I don’t talk about them much. But shit…”
Moving further away from him I didn’t know how else to say the next phrase. The one that had the power of an atom bomb.
“Bryce. My other brother, his name is Jason. He married Kelly Nelson when I was a kid. I didn’t know he… he’s never been a big fan of kids. Even with me he didn’t start paying attention to me until I was a teen. I’m sorry Bryce, I’m so sorry my brother took her away from you. That he ruined… I’m just so sorry.”
Before I could stop myself I was half way down the hall swinging the door open to the emergency stairwell I saw on my way to his room. By the time I reached my car I was sure my heart couldn’t shatter anymore than it already was.
Resting my head against the side of the car my phone buzzed in my pocket. Barely having the energy to pull it out, I forced myself to.
Bryce: please don’t tell me we’re over Hannah. I’ll give you space. Whatever you want.
My fingers shook as I typed back through the glassy haze that had taken over my vision.
Hannah: you deserve so much better than me Bryce
Chapter Twenty Two
Bryce
What in the actual fuck just happened?
One minute she was standing at the door. The next, she was talking so fast I had barely caught most of what she was saying. Before I could even process what she had told me she was gone.
*****
Eleven Years Prior
“Kelly, you’re never going to believe this. Kelly?”
I ran through the front screen door like I did every day after school. Today wasn’t just any day. Mona Gilbert got paired with me in our science lab. I was dreaming that we would get put together so I could finally talk to her. We had a school dance in the spring and all I wanted was to ask her. Kelly kept telling me to just walk up to her and ask but I knew I couldn’t do that. This was the perfect opportunity.
“I’m in the kitchen Bryce.”As she spoke the smell of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air. The melted chocolate mingled with the scent of baking brown sugar. Kelly made the best chocolate chip cookies. I would never tell my grandmother that. It would break her heart to know I preferred another woman’s baking.
Strolling in I plopped onto the chair. The cooling rack was piled high with treats. Snatching one I bit into the gooey creation. A hum of appreciation sounded from my taste buds.
“These are delicious Kelly. If I wasn’t twelve I’d ask you to marry me. I will never grow tired of these.”
“That’s sweet Bryce.”She was smiling at me but something was off.
“Everything okay? You look weird over there.”
She popped the next batch into the oven. Her body stayed facing away from me.“You know I love having you around here right bud?”
“Yeah, why?”
The very moment she turned I knew the look on her face. It’s the same one everyone had around me since my parents accident. It said everything with no words. A delivery of bad news with the accompanying apology and telling me everything would be okay.
“Sometimes grown ups have different, how can I put this, umm expectations. I love having you around and I know that you grew up in this house with your mom and dad. It’s a safe space for you and home. I don't want you to think you aren’t welcome here but…”
She stopped talking as she concentrated on moving cookies from the cooling rack onto the serving platter.
“But what Kelly? You don’t want me anymore? I can help around here more. Luke taught me how to change the oil on the tractor. I bet I can do it on a car too. Or mow the lawn. I know how to do that. Grandma has been giving us all cooking lessons. I don’t know how to make much but I can…”
My body felt like it was in hyperdrive. She needed me just like I needed her. What else could I offer? There had to be something. I could do something more for her, anything she wanted.
“Bud, it’s not that. Jason, he just thinks you’re spending a little too much time around here. You should be helping at your own house.”
