by Tia Siren
“Lara, I don’t want you messing with him. I didn’t like it back then, and I don’t like it now,” he said firmly.
I started to laugh. He was trying to parent me. “Brian, newsflash: You aren’t my dad. You have never been my dad. I am a grown woman. I can date who I want.”
He stood and shook his head. “Not him. He is off-limits. I thought I made that all very clear twenty years ago.”
“What are you talking about? Made what clear?”
He groaned. “You and Brian. I warned him I would beat his ass if he touched you. He was warned. If I have to knock the guy out, I will.”
“You did what?” I screeched.
“I told him to stay away from you. You were sixteen, Lara. He was eighteen and headed off to college. Your welcome. I saved you a broken heart.”
My mouth fell open as I stared at him. I felt as if I had stumbled into a time machine. Everything was so much clearer now. I wanted to kick Brian and then Mason and then slam both of their heads together.
“You jackass!” I shouted before I shoved him in the chest.
“What? You owe me a thank you. Mason was a player. Still is a player from what I hear. I saved you from a lot of trouble with a guy who didn’t know then and still doesn’t know how to settle down.”
I was shaking my head. I couldn’t comprehend it all. It was a cosmic joke. Goddamn, that bitch Fate was seriously fucking with me.
“Brian, get out. Leave now before I kick your ass,” I growled.
“Knock it off,” he grumbled. “Big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters from their asshole friends. Guy are notorious for going after friends’ sisters. The rule is not to touch, but sometimes that rule has to be explained in vivid detail.”
“Get out, Brian!”
“Relax, Lara. It was for your own good.”
I yanked open the office door and pointed toward the front of the store. “Go.”
“Fine. I’ll go. I’ll see you this weekend.”
“No. I don’t want to see you.”
“Lara, you are being ridiculous. Mason was a long time ago. I was only trying to protect you.”
“Brian, I’m a big girl. I don’t need protecting,” I said in exasperation.
He sighed. “Yes, you do. I failed you with Mitchel. I don’t want you to make that same mistake again. No more losers.”
I took a deep breath, trying to reign in my anger and hurt. “I need a few days to process everything. You kind of dropped a bombshell on me.”
“I’m sorry. I am. I’ll see you this weekend.”
I watched him walk to the front of the store before closing the office door and bursting into tears. So much was clear to me now. I couldn’t believe my own brother had been responsible for hurting me so badly all those years ago. I had to wonder if things could have been different between Mason and me if Brian hadn’t butted his big, fat nose in. Damn him!
There was a soft knock on the door, and then Kali pushed it open.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
I wiped my tears away. “I don’t know. Brian is an asshole.”
She smiled. “But a handsome asshole.”
“He ruined my life.”
She started giggling. “Hon, I seriously doubt that. For one, your life isn’t ruined. It’s going pretty well. And, for two, I think Mitchel owns the ruining-the-life thing.”
“I hate men,” I grumbled.
“Impossible. They are the ones with the good stuff.” She winked.
“Dildos.”
She laughed uncontrollably. “Good point. Babies.”
“Sperm donors. I think I prefer my men anonymous and out of sight,” I shot back.
“I’m sorry. It sucks you have had miserable luck. I hope it gets better. You deserve some good luck,” she said, putting her hand on my arm.
I told her what Brian did twenty years ago.
“I can’t believe he did that,” I whispered. “Why would he have done that?”
“I’m sure he thought he was doing the right thing. He wanted to protect his little sister. It’s kind of sweet and chivalrous.”
“It explains so much.” I moaned. “All those years I thought Mason dumped me because of something I did or because I wasn’t pretty enough. Why wouldn’t he have told me what Brian did?”
“Maybe he was afraid of Brian. Brian is kind of a scary-looking dude. Maybe Mason respected Brian enough to do as he asked,” she offered.
I shook my head. “He could have told me! Seriously! All he had to say was we can’t be together because your brother will kill me if we are. Then I could have dealt with Brian. I could have had some say in the matter. It isn’t fair that those two assholes decided what was best for me as if I were some silly little girl who couldn’t make her own decisions. What century are we living in?” I shrieked.
“Aw, hon, that was a long time ago. It’s hard to say what would have happened. There’s no point in playing the what-if game. You have the opportunity to pursue him now if you want. Don’t hold this against Brian. I don’t think he did it to be mean. He loves you,” she said with sympathy in her voice. “Water under the bridge and all that. He’s your brother. He’s all the family you have left. You’ll want to keep him around.”
The door chimed, and she left the office to help the customer. I took a minute to compose myself, still in disbelief over what Brian had admitted. For so long I had hated Mason. I had created this image of him, and now I had learned it wasn’t true. My mind whirred as I tried to imagine what life would have been like had Mason and I been allowed to stay together.
I could admit that the chance we would have gotten married and lived happily ever after was slim, but that would have been our choice. For now, I was holding Brian accountable for my current misery. It made me feel better to blame someone else for my failed marriage even if I knew it wasn’t his fault.
Life had been kicking my ass these past few months. It was time I fought back. I had thought that by painting my home and changing my wardrobe I was showing life who was boss, but no. There was always another twist waiting to mess with my head.
I walked out front and greeted the two women browsing the racks of clothes.
“Better?” Kali asked.
“Yes, thank you. I guess it was more of a shock than anything. I’m still mad at Brian, but I do love my life, even if it hasn’t turned out as I planned. I am going to make it better. That’s all I can do.”
“Good. You’re doing great. And by the way, I love the outfit!” she exclaimed.
I giggled. “You should. You picked it out.”
“I have excellent taste,” she teased.
“Yes, you do. Thank you.”
We got back to work, cleaning up and straightening the shelves. Brian’s entrance had brought in some unexpected clientele, which was always a great thing, but I liked the store to be neat and orderly. A mob generally didn’t leave things in such a state.
The entire time, I thought about Mason. What had he said when Brian had told him to stay away? Did he fight for me or was he relieved? For so long I had played out various scenarios in my head about what I would say if I ever saw Mason again. It usually ended with me slapping him and stomping away. Thankfully, years had given me wisdom and maturity. I had spent a long time hating the guy, and it may not have even been his fault. What if he had wanted to be with me?
No. I wasn’t going to do that. Like Kali said, my life was good. I had hit a rough patch, but I wasn’t going to have any regrets.
Chapter 8
Mason
It had been a shitty day, and all I could think about was eating and drinking an ice-cold beer while sitting in my favorite chair. As much as I hated going home to an empty house most nights, tonight I was looking forward to the solace. I wanted to brood. I didn’t want to have to play nice or pretend I wasn’t bummed. That was one of the perks of being single.
Of course, if I had a hot, sexy wife waiting at home, I wouldn’t want t
o brood at all. I would be able to forget all about the day in a very different way. I leaned against the back of the elevator, waiting for it to reach my floor.
I mulled over the day. One of my patients had her third miscarriage. I always took it personally when an implantation failed. The couple was desperate for a baby, and I wanted to make it happen for them. They seemed like good people, and it didn’t seem fair they couldn’t have a baby of their own.
I knew how much money it cost to use the clinic. Any clinic. The drugs and procedure weren’t cheap. This couple had spent their entire savings trying to have a baby. I was considering offering my services pro bono. I felt like it was somehow my fault the pregnancy didn’t take. Junie had warned me against working for free. I was still thinking about it, though.
When the doors slid open, I saw him right away.
“Brian?” I asked in disbelief, blinking to make sure my tired eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
He smiled. “In the flesh.”
“How? Why? What are you doing here?” I stammered out, wondering how he knew where I lived and why in the hell he was waiting for me. It was sort of on the stalker side. I mean, I had called him. I hadn’t shown up at his house.
“I was hoping we could talk for a few.”
I nodded, a little uneasy, but figured it couldn’t be all that bad. Maybe he really just missed me.
I unlocked the door and gestured for him to go inside.
He let out a long, low whistle. “Damn. You’ve done well for yourself.”
I pushed a button on the wall control pad and lights illuminated the living room. “Thanks.”
Brian walked into the room, his eyes roaming over my furnishings as he took it all in. He stood in front of the wall of windows overlooking the bay.
“This is a hell of a view,” he said in awe, but I could detect a hint of anger.
“Want a beer?” I asked, going to the refrigerator and grabbing a cold Bud Light for myself.
I could afford the craft beers, and I did drink them on occasion, but Bud Light was my favorite, probably because it was what I was familiar with and it reminded me of my younger years.
“No, thanks,” he said, spinning around and walking toward me.
I could see by the look in his eyes and the way he held himself that this wasn’t a friendly meeting. He was pissed about something.
“What’s up, Brian?” I asked. I wasn’t in the mood for a lot of dancing around whatever it was that had brought him to my house.
“Lara.”
I didn’t say anything. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
“What’s going on between the two of you?” he asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “You’d have to ask her that. There is something called doctor-patient confidentiality, and I’m not about to violate that, even if you are her brother.”
He nodded his head and seemed to relax a bit. Had he not known she was my patient? I hoped I hadn’t given away Lara’s secret. She would be very unhappy with me if I had.
“Oh. Thank god. I thought the two of you were going to start hooking up or some shit. I wanted to make sure I was clear about all of that. You know, like don’t do it,” he joked.
I’d had enough. I already had a short fuse after my shitty day, and this was the final straw.
“Did you actually come here to warn me off your sister—again?” I asked incredulously. “You do realize I’m a grown man now, right?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t want you dating her if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t care how old you are.”
The words were said with such arrogance, I had to hold back the fist that threatened to fly at his face. He was acting as if I were dirt, as if he and his family were far better than me and I had no business looking at them, let alone touching them. He was standing in my multimillion-dollar home. I wasn’t scraping the bottom of the bucket here.
“Fuck you.”
“Excuse me?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
“Fuck you. You heard me the first time. Lara is thirty-six years old. She can date whomever she damn well pleases. What is your deal with me? I thought we were friends. Are you trying to tell me I’m not good enough for your sister?” I asked, my anger bubbling to the surface.
He stepped toward me. “Actually, I am. Stay the fuck away from her. She doesn’t need you and your bullshit in her life right now.”
“You’re ridiculous. Look around you, Brian. It’s not like I’m some deadbeat loser. You don’t even know me. Don’t pretend this is about her. This is about you. I have no idea what I did to make you feel so strongly about me staying away from your sister, but get over it. I’m tired of you trying to tell me who I can and can’t date.”
“I know what you did,” he seethed.
Oops. He knew about the sex and that I had taken Lara’s virginity. To be fair, she had taken mine as well.
I shrugged my shoulders. I didn’t have to defend or explain myself to him. It had all been a very long time ago, and I knew for a fact he had stolen plenty of virginities in his day.
“You knocked up that girl in high school and left her hanging. You couldn’t even be bothered to pay for an abortion,” he said, his lip curled in disgust. “Do you actually think I would have let you do that to my little sister?”
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. “Are you talking about Misty Sinclair?”
“Did you knock up more than one girl in school? I knew you were a dick, but I didn’t know you were that big of a dick. How many little Masons are running around out there?” he asked with a look of distaste.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “That’s why you told me to stay away from Lara?”
He rolled his eyes as if I were the biggest moron on the planet. Instead of answering me, he sneered.
I shook my head. “You’re an idiot. An asshole. Misty lied. She was insanely jealous of Lara. I can’t believe you listened to those rumors and didn’t even ask me about them. You’re a shitty friend, Brian. I’m glad we lost contact with each other. With friends like you, who needs enemies?” I said with disappointment.
It stung to know he had thought that about me. I had considered Brian to be my best friend. We had been like brothers. At least that was the way I had felt. Clearly, he hadn’t thought the same way. I couldn’t believe he had taken the word of some jaded, immature girl over my own.
He smirked. “Deny it all you want, but I didn’t have to rely on the rumor mill. She told me herself. She was broken-hearted, crying and stressed out about what you did to her. She told me you refused to wear a condom.”
“And you believed her?”
The guy had to have been a special kind of stupid.
“Of course I believed her!”
“Did you sleep with her?” I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders, which told me all I needed to know.
“She played you, you moron. Are you really that stupid? I hope you wore a condom.”
“Of course I did,” he spat. “Unlike you, I didn’t go around trying to get young girls pregnant.”
I shook my head in frustration. “Brian, she wanted me. I wanted nothing to do with her. I was crazy about your sister. Misty constantly flirted and tried to corner me at a party. I shot her down, and she got pissed. She started that rumor to get revenge on me. I never paid it any attention. I figured you knew it was bullshit.”
“I think you’re lying. I think you were playing the field and screwed up. You didn’t want Lara to find out, so you denied it.”
I let out a long breath. “I know Lara knew the truth. She never believed it for a second, Brian.”
“You obviously didn’t know Lara very well,” he shot out.
“No, you didn’t know her. You destroyed our relationship because you believed a rumor, Brian. I loved her, and she loved me, but I did what you asked and stayed away from her.”
He laughed. “You didn’t love her. You loved her body.”
I
pulled my right hand back and punched him square in the face.
He yelled and covered his face.
“Lara was my first, you fucking idiot. Get out of here!” I shouted.
He looked at me in shock and anger. I stared back at him, daring him to hit me. I wanted a fight. I wanted to release all the pain and anger he had caused me. I knew the second he realized his mistake, and I could see a hint of guilt cross his face, but I didn’t care. He had taken the only girl I had truly loved away from me.
I grinned when he pulled his hand away from his face. “Your makeup lady is going to have a hell of a time covering that. All those ladies who swoon after you are going to see you for the dick you really are.”
I stalked to my front door, opened it, and waited for him to leave. He stared at me for a few more seconds but finally left without saying another word or attempting to hit me.
I slammed the door behind him, feeling a great deal of relief mixed with hurt. It had felt good to hit him, but it didn’t erase the pain of betrayal. All these years he had believed I had fathered a child and had nothing to do with said child. Didn’t he find it odd that Misty never had a belly or even pretended to be pregnant?
He’d been so quick to believe her. He didn’t even question the fact that she was sleeping with practically every guy on the football team. He had teased me about my virginity for a long time. Did he somehow miraculously forget all about it the moment the rumors had started?