Break Me

by Meagan Brandy

  Breathing with ease for what might be the first time in a real long fuckin’ time for the girl we allowed to be sent away. Left and forgot about.

  She’s not someone who should ever be forgotten.

  “She’s pure-hearted despite the fucked-up place she came from.” Raven frowns after her, but there’s a calm to the way her lips curve.

  “Yeah.” Victoria nods in my peripheral. “All that. She’s—”

  “Stronger than us,” Raven finishes her sentence. “But in a different way than us.”

  I glance from Raven and Victoria, who share a look among themselves.

  Brielle’s voice calls for me, and when I lock my gaze on to hers, everything fades away.

  She smiles and my chest plate fucking cracks. “Come over here. Zoey said Uncle Bro can teach me how to dunk.”

  I don’t hesitate or make her ask twice.

  I push to my feet and head right for her.

  Cap knows what’s up and spins, cutting his smirk toward the pool.

  He distracts Zoey long enough for me to glide my hand into the silkiest, shiniest of hair, hook my fingers through mini belt loops, and lower my lips to a pair of the softest, plush, waiting ones.

  Wanting ones.

  Ones that have been wrapped around my cock, nice and fucking tight.

  I planned to ravage her quick, but that’s not what happens.

  The second my lips touch hers, I kiss her soft and slow, but end it quick, and when she smiles against my mouth, I lose my damn breath.

  My stomach sucks in, tightening.

  Baby girl, you’re mine.

  A low laugh leaves her and my eyes flick open to meet hers.

  She leans into me, then holds the ball up at our sides. “What do you say, Playboy? Teach me?”

  “I’ve got a better idea. Let the little master show you how it’s done.” I juke around her, grab Zoey by the hip, and spin her in the air.

  Without a second thought, Zo bends her little knees, ready to push off for a high jump and twists her little hips, folds her arms behind her head, and dunks the ball straight in, gripping on to the plastic rim with a smile. I hold her there until she lets go, and then pull her into me.

  Zoey laughs, and comes in for a high five, smiling bright at Brielle. Her hands come out for a sassy little. “Boom!”

  Everyone laughs and Brielle bows.

  Zo kicks to be let down and rushes right over to Brielle. “Um, my daddy said Rora needs to move in his room ‘cause you’re gonna need hers soon.”

  My eyes fly to Captain’s when he starts busting up laughing, and a low cursed ‘Jesus’ leaves Victoria.

  Captain grins, grabbing his daughter. “Zo, we talked about this. We don’t blurt out everything we hear when we’re pretending to be asleep, remember?”

  “But I like her, and Rora said no.” Zoey pouts.

  I grin at Victoria. “You sleep in there every night. Why keep a room?”

  “See, he wants it free for his girl.” Cap holds a hand out.

  “Whoa, hey—”

  “Don’t even start,” Victoria warns.

  “Why not, maybe we should hear their thoughts?” Captain raises a brow.

  “You, for sure, should hear my thoughts.” Raven laughs.

  Victoria whips around. “You back off miss I’ll punch someone in the face to avoid talking.”

  “I said I was sorry.” Raven grins. “And why are we bringing up old news?”

  I cut a look at Brielle and her lips are pulled in, fighting a smile.

  “Oh, I know!” Zoey shouts, bouncing on the trampoline and drawing our eyes back to her. She looks from me to Brielle. “You can share with Uncle Bro and when he sneaks me out of my room to watch movies at bedtime, you can come with us!”

  Captain’s glare flies to mine and I widen my eyes. “Zo, you’re droppin’ secrets, girl.”

  Zoey’s eyes widen, but instead of backtracking or pretending to be kidding, the girl who is too smart for her own damn good and fully incapable of telling a lie, slips from the netting and makes a run for the pool house, shouting for her papa all the way.

  Brielle clears her throat with a small smile. “I should go.” She hooks a finger over her shoulder, walking backward toward the opening in the net. “Maybell is probably curious where I disappeared to.”

  When all three of these assholes laugh, Brielle glances from them to me.

  It’s Cap who puts his hands on her shoulder for a gentle pat and teasing ‘good luck with that’.

  Dickhead.

  But for real, she’s funny.

  And going nowhere, which she realizes real damn quick.

  It’s a couple hours later when Mac is racing up the driveway and charging right toward us.

  My brothers and I stand.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Taylor Simms.” He glances between us. “She tried to kill herself.”

  Holy shit.

  Chapter 30

  Royce

  It’s after eight in the morning when Taylor is finally awake and coherent, according to the doc. Mac, Brielle, and I waited down here most of the night, but the others are just strolling into the waiting room.

  “Zoey’s with dad?”

  Cap nods. “And Raven. We wanted to have breakfast with her before we came down here, not knowing how long we’d be gone.”

  “That’s good.” I look to Maddoc.

  “Her and Phoenix are fine, man. I’m not going anywhere,” he answers my unasked question and refuses the order he knew I’d drop after it. “Run through it for us again.”

  Mac rubs his hand down his face, exhausted. “She took some pills, washed ‘em down with a pint of her daddy’s best scotch. She called Enoch, and he knew something was off. He called 911 and headed over there.”

  I pass him the note and he reads it aloud.

  “I have tried to forgive myself for what I have done, but how can I do that when I don’t even remember what I did in the first place? He says I killed his dream, but why would I do that when we share the same one?” He sighs, looking up. “Why is this crumpled up?”

  “Enoch knew where she kept her diary. He took it, tore that page out, and gave it to Mac.”

  “Damn,” Victoria whispers. “So we were missing something.”

  “Where is Enoch now?” Cap asks.

  “I’ve got Micah and Jenson keeping him locked in a room down the hall. Didn’t want him to go off half-cocked again.”

  “And Taylor?” Victoria asks, lifting Phoenix from Raven’s arms.

  I nod, looking to Cap. “We had them bring her up to the Bray wing so she’s not bothered by people from the school, and so we can talk to her without anyone around when she’s up for it.”

  “I don’t think she’ll talk to you guys.” Comes from Brielle, and all our eyes move to her. “Let me go to her.”

  My brows snap to the center. “That’s not gonna happen.”

  “It might be your only option.” She offers a small smile. “You’ll make her nervous and she’ll forget things or hold back. You guys are intimidating, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. You scare the fuck out of me.”

  She laughs, a softness in her eyes.

  Around the room, my family looks between the two of us, and I know the shift is clear. They see.

  “Trust me,” she whispers. “I’m... kind of good with this stuff.”

  Captain steps up. “She’s right. Calm and caring ain’t our area.” He points a soft look at Brielle, one that reaches deep inside my chest. “This is perfect for her.”

  Maddoc scowls. “Don’t forget you just ran over her dude’s fucking hand. She might hate you.”

  Brielle glances his way, the corner of her mouth lifted a bit. “But he knows better than to tell who did it, right?”

  Maddoc smirks. “That’s right. Just making sure you realized that before you went and apologized the second she looked at you.” He glares but it’s playful. “Seems like somethin’ you’d do.”


  Brielle chuckles. “I’d probably have thought about it, yeah.”

  Maddoc looks to me and tips his chin.

  My girl, my call.

  I frown at Brielle. “What are you gonna say to her?”

  Brielle pushes to her feet and gives a slow shrug. “Nothing. I’m going to sit with her, and then let her say whatever she needs to say to me.”

  She reaches for the note and Captain doesn’t hesitate in handing it over to her.

  “I don’t get it.”

  She steps up to me and pats at my chest with a hint of tease. “You don’t have to. You just have to trust me when I say it will work.”

  She tries to walk by, but I grip her wrist, yank her back to me, lift her chin. “I do.”

  “I know.” She smiles, pulls herself free, and walks out.

  I follow her with my eyes, and when I look back, everyone is focused on me.

  “Business, huh, Royce?” Victoria teases.

  I flip her off with a smirk.

  Fuck business.

  That’s my baby.

  Brielle

  As I walk up to the door Taylor is behind, I find who must be her parents standing in front of it embracing. I consider walking away and giving them more time, but the man spots me when his teary eyes open.

  He loosens his hold on the woman, and they both turn to me.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Simms?” I guess.

  They nod.

  “I’m Brielle, I go to school with Taylor.”

  Her mom begins to cry. “We feel like such failures.”

  I nod, placing my hand on her arm. “Some people are very good at hiding. I was.”

  I don’t break down what I hid as the situation is very different, but as I hoped it would, a little light sparks in her eyes. To see me standing here gives her some sort of hope when she feels so lost.

  “She won’t talk to us.” The woman clutches her husband. “She doesn’t even want us in the room.”

  My lips pull to the side, and I point over my shoulder. “There’s a little coffee bar around the corner, it’s specific to this floor so you won’t run into anyone accept maybe a Brayshaw or two, and they won’t bother you.”

  They understand, but fear has them clutching each other tighter.

  “Please, trust me.”

  After a second, her parents nod, and the way her mom grips my shoulders as she walks by is beautifully heartbreaking.

  With a deep breath, I slip inside the room.

  Taylor doesn’t even open her eyes. “Please, Mom. Not now,” she rasps.

  “They went to get coffee.”

  Her lids fly open and she frowns. “Brielle?”

  I nod, walking farther into the room, and taking the seat a few feet away. “You know my name.”

  “Everyone knows your name after Royce’s little claim at the school.”

  “Yeah, that was—”

  “Sweet where he’s concerned,” she cuts me off, her tone low and tired.

  A low laugh leaves me. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  Her smile is a sad one, and she looks away. “Why are you here? I don’t even know you, and I don’t feel like talking.”

  I nod, reaching for the remote, and sit back. “I know.”

  I click on the TV, skip to a cooking show and turn the volume all the way down.

  We sit there, silently watching as a pile of vegetables turns into an entire meal. It’s about fifteen minutes later when she sighs from her hospital bed.

  “He hates me,” she whispers.

  I look to her and wait.

  “We were engaged, me and Enoch.” Tears build in her eyes. “We didn’t tell anyone, not even our parents because we didn’t want to worry them. They have all these visions for us, some we shared, but our main one was just... us. We already leased a house just outside Oakland, he’d train during the day, I’d go to school, and we’d have our nights together.” Her last words break off in a full cry and she turns away from me, so I focus on the TV.

  Several minutes later she shares, “I ruined everything. He’s hurt, acting out. I think he slept with Giana Fritz to get back at me for...” Her eyes find mine. “We were virgins when we met and were supposed to be each other’s only. That’s what we wanted.”

  I pull the paper from my front pocket and walk over to her bed, slowly lowering myself on the mattress near the foot.

  She glares at it, her lips trembling. “Please tell me he didn’t see that.”

  “He did,” I tell her softly. “He was worried, and he knew about your diary. He took it after the paramedics carted you away.”

  “I probably seem like such a selfish bitch, making everything about myself.” Her tears fall angrily. “No one was supposed to see that.”

  “But he’s not just anyone.”

  “No,” she whispers. “He’s not.” She sniffles, rolling the blanket between her fingers. “I wasn’t... I mean, I didn’t try to kill myself,” she swears. “Everything just... hurt and I wanted it to go away for a little while. So stupid.” Her eyes flick to the ceiling, tears falling down her cheek. “Nobody will believe that, but it’s the truth.”

  “They might,” I say quietly, knowing I can’t assure of something that might not be true.

  It takes her several minutes, but she shares what she’s been holding in. “The fight with Coach Von? It wasn’t Enoch.”

  I try to hold in my frown, because if that’s true, it’s news to all of us.

  “I knew something was coming, because he did bust the scoreboard, but he didn’t touch his coach. He can’t even look at him, let alone be in the same place as him. That was his mentor, and I was his fiancée. Can you imagine the pain from such a low blow, because I can’t.” She looks away. “I’m a slut.”

  “How do you know if you don’t remember?” I ease, asking an open question since she’s led us to it.

  “Because Enoch showed me the photo.”

  I shift closer. “What photo?”

  “The one of me in Coach Von’s office. We were sitting on his couch... and my dress was on the floor beside it.”

  “You don’t remember taking it?”

  “I don’t even remember undressing,” she whispers with a shake of her head. “I’m shy, Brielle. Self-conscious. It took me a long time to let go and be... uninhibited with Enoch, and I love him. It makes no sense. One minute I was helping Coach grade papers after school, and the next thing I know, my eyes were peeling open. I was sleeping on the couch and he was where I remember, behind his desk and teasing me for falling asleep.”

  My brows furrow. “Grading papers?”

  She nods. “I helped him a few times the week before, but I didn’t go back after that. It was the very next morning Enoch broke up with me.” Her eyes hit mine. “I had gone over to Enoch’s after I left the school that night.” She begins to cry again. “I had sex with my man, and apparently only hours after having sex with his mentor.”

  I scoot toward her, wrapping her in a hug and she lets me, gripping my arms and crying into my chest.

  This is wrong, but I can’t say this to her yet.

  We need proof, especially when the truth will ease her mind, while in turn damaging her soul.

  She cries for several minutes, and when she pulls back, she looks up at me with a small smile. “Will you find my mom and dad?”

  Tears build in my eyes, and I nod.

  I guarantee they are right outside, waiting for the moment their baby girl will welcome them in, and as I step out... I find I’m right.

  But they aren’t alone.

  Royce is there, too.

  We send them inside, and the look of gratitude lighting both their faces is one I’ll never forget.

  I tell them everything she told me and when I’m finished, I turn to Royce for the hard part.

  “It has to be me.”

  His glare is sharp and instant. “What has to be you?”

  “To get the proof.”

  His head tips slightly and
then his eyes bug and a hollow, short laugh escapes him. “No. Fuck to the motherfuckin’ no.”

  I step up to him, and he stretches his shoulders wide, but the longer he stares, the more he eases.

  A growled sigh leaves him, and he lifts his hands to wrap them around my neck, his thumbs under my chin and tilting it up. “He asked you to grade papers after school on your first day here.”

  It’s not a question, he heard from someone, but it meant nothing then.

  His fingertips bite into my skin a little harder. “He won’t suspect you, will he?”

  I shake my head no. “And you’ll be there before anything bad happens.”

  His mouth lowers to mine, and he kisses me, punishing me for the idea with a gentle nip to my bottom lip. “You’ve got this, Tink. Tell us what to do.”

  I nod, but on the inside, my gut twists with worry.

  I know I’m the only one of us who can do this. He’ll see Victoria coming from a mile away, Raven, too, not that she’s able to right now anyway.

  The risk of me doing this is high, though, but like I said, Royce will be right there, and knowing that should keep my pulse in check, keep my blood flow stable, my sight strong.

  It’ll be fine.

  Yeah. It’ll be fine.

  I repeat that line for the next several hours and then before I know it, I’m walking into Brayshaw High.

  Deep freaking breath... and exhale.

  I go to text Royce one more time, but before I can even get a single word typed out, one comes through from him.

  Royce: I’m watching. Go.

  I look up into the right-hand corner, where Mac told me the camera would be, and give a tight smile. My hands begin to sweat, so I slide my phone in my back pocket, and wipe my palms on my jean shorts as I step into the main hall.

  The school bell rang fifteen minutes ago, and Mac said Coach Von is still inside his room. So, with my head held high and my backpack over my shoulder, I step up to his classroom door, knocking lightly with my knuckle.