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Owen, my older half-brother, ignored my attitude and sat down next to me at the bar. He ordered a Falling LeavesBourbon on the rocks, and laced his fingers together, resting them on the bar top.
“Came to gloat at my failure? Or did you have another fucking reason to be where you’re not wanted?”
“Fuck, Seb, way to be an asshole. You’re fucking lucky I don’t lay you out again for the shit you pulled with Serena.”
“Once was enough, bro. I’d think you were past that by now.”
He swirled the bourbon before taking a drink. “It was fucking shitty.”
“And you found out two fucking years later.”
“And you fucked up your career. Maddie is family.”
I looked up at him with a humorless laugh. “And what am I, Owen? Still not good enough, right?”
He stood, leaned in, and growled, “You’re fucking lucky Reid asked me to talk to you, and yes, you’re not fucking good enough, asshole. No one is good enough. Not for Maddie, not for Reid. Maybe even Serena. You’re lucky Ellie never asked me to kick your ass again for screwing over Serena.”
We sat in silence, the crowd noise like an annoying buzz. I huffed out a breath. “I didn’t. Not really.”
“You cheated on her, and got her fired.”
“I didn’t.”
When he didn’t respond, I continued, refusing to look at him. I told him about Justine. The low level stalking, the lies.
“And when she pulled her shit, I actually fucking went to Kellan Horne, who pretty much hated me anyway because I was a cocky prick. And asked him to hire Serena because Justine was prepared to do some shady shit if I didn’t agree to help her.” I slammed the rest of my beer back and motioned for another.
“Well, shit.”
“I was still an asshole. Then, and the years that followed.But I did Serena a favor. My agent was an asshole and never listened to her. I was too concerned with the paper to notice before her.”
Owen sat quietly next to me for a few minutes, drinking his bourbon.
Frankie sat my beer down in front of me, and I nodded my thanks before drinking half of it down.
“Since we’re confessing shit. I was an asshole to you because of your mom. And our dad’s affair. It wasn’t fair. Then when you started playing ball, I was pissed. Selfish. And a little proud,” he confessed.
“Proud?”
He tossed back the rest of the warm amber liquid, then raised the glass for another. “Yep. Two years younger than me, and you had your shit together despite being forced to live with a family that didn’t want you at first. When your mom left you, Dad knew it would be tough. But mom, she tried to love you even when I was an asshole.” A quick glance at me, before he continued. “And that game? Old spark was there. But maybe it’s always been there.” He paused. “I know about the off the record hospital visits in the kids ward, too. Proud, little brother.”
Fucking. Speechless.
“But this thing with Maddie? Sebastian, she’s special. To me, to Reid. And I won’t let anyone fucking hurt her again.”
He stood, drained his glass and slapped two hundreds on the counter. “We’ll be there Sunday. Gentry is a client, and I’m finishing up things with the team this week. Maybe after, you could try not to be an asshole.”
With a last pointed look, he pounded his fist on the bar top, and left.
I couldn’t speak for a few moments. Ty came up. “So. Family reunion?”
“Something like that. Shit.”
“What?’
“We need to win Sunday, Simmons. You ready?”
“Fuck yeah I am, QB.”
