One of those frustrating times when my emotion was so strong it left me crying instead of raging. I’d read somewhere that the person crying said they weren’t crying because they were sad but rather because they couldn’t kill the person they were mad at.
That was an accurate description of how Braddox left me feeling after he left.
I didn’t even care where he’d disappeared to. Probably to screw Staci again. That girl looked like a good time to be had by all. I stood by the foot of the stairs with my bag by my feet while I stared randomly around me.
Braddox had put me in a room beside his. I didn’t want to be by Braddox. Easy access was all he wanted and I was offended he would think I was that stupid to just let him do whatever he wanted. I’d bar the doors, if I had to.
I turned and slumped onto the bottom step. Dropping my hand, I tugged at the shoelace on my left shoe and stared at the glossy, unscuffed hardwood floor.
A single fat tear dripped down my cheek to my nose and then off the tip. I wiped my face with the back of my hand.
How pathetic could I be? I wanted Jaxon and he hadn’t bothered to come back but at least he’d reached out and told me something had come up. I wasn’t even going to focus on Braddox. That slut – yes, I called him a slut – wasn’t going to get anything with me. That boat had sailed.
So, then why was I so upset? I refused to believe that Braddox had that kind of power over me after he’d let me down as completely as he had. No.
I had to look a little deeper.
Mom and I had moved into this house because she’d gotten remarried. She hadn’t talked with me about it. Sure, it technically wasn’t any of my business, but her choices affected me just as much as they affected her. I’d been shunted from one rich school to one poor school and now back to the rich school?
I wouldn’t be any more welcome at West Shores than I’d been at East. Now, not only did I have the poor kids against me, but I would have the rich ones, too.
At least Stephanie would have my back, but where did that leave me?
I mean, honestly leave me. I couldn’t say that I belonged anywhere. At least in the apartment I’d felt like it was somewhat my home. I’d been able to accept the new home base after the loss of my father, but I wasn’t really comfortable there.
There in the O’Donnell mausoleum, I had little hope of ever being comfortable again. I’d have to be on guard against Braddox’s concerted advances. I’d never be able to have Jaxon over without causing World War III.
I had gone from impoverished but free to rich and imprisoned in the short amount of time it had taken to brush my teeth after my mom woke me up.
Soft footsteps on the wood flooring pulled me from my musings. Thank goodness I’d already wiped my face.
I looked up as Trenton O’Donnell walked from the back hallway. He tilted his head, similar to how his sons both moved, and he offered a soft smile. “Olivia, how are you? Did you find your room alright?” He glanced up the stairs and then pointedly at the bag beside me.
Wrinkling my nose, I tried not to let my emotions grab onto the fact that this was now the father figure in my life. It was a lot to absorb since my own dad hadn’t been dead that long.
I slowly stood, blinking back the tears welling in my eyes. Until that moment I hadn’t truly realized just how much I missed my dad. I’d harbored my anger at him so much for both leaving us and not understanding I was getting older; I hadn’t really let myself grieve.
I avoided looking at Trenton, bending down to retrieve my bag and smiling tightly in his general direction.
Before I could register what was happening, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in tight for a hug. Where any other guy might have felt creepy and weird for hugging me, for some reason, the hug from Trenton just felt… fatherly.
He patted my back and let me go, holding me at arm’s length while he studied me. “This is your home now, Olivia. Don’t feel like you have to be formal. You’ve been through a lot – you and your mom. I just want to help you feel better. I love her. I really do. I never thought it would be possible again.” A light in his eyes reassured me of his sincerity.
I nodded slowly at him and smiled. “Thank you. She seems happy.” I thought. I hadn’t had a real chance to ask her if she was happy or just doing it for a better station in life.
As we parted ways and I climbed the stairs up to find my room, a wave of guilt crashed over me for thinking like that about my mom. It wasn’t her fault Dad had died. She was just trying her best, too. She’d lost everything, not just her husband. She was a single mom trying to be everything she could for me.
The only room beside Braddox’s was a peach and dusky green version of his with a four-poster king bed covered in at least ten pillows of various sizes. Dressers and armoires lined the walls and a rug that could have covered the entire ex-apartment. In that suite, the rose design rug only covered the center of the floor, secured in place with the couch facing the window.
After being in the simple setting of the East Side, all of that splendor seemed wasteful which was hard to admit since I had missed it – wasteful or not.
I kicked my shoes off and flopped face first onto the fluffy bedding. Maybe Mom would be busy enough for the rest of the day, I could stay in the room and ignore the world for a while.
I wasn’t even hungry for once.
~~~
Dinner that night was a formal affair I wore jeans to. Yes, jeans. I sighed as I came down from my room after the eighth text from my mom demanding I join them at once.
I wore a Pink Floyd long sleeve t-shirt with the image of their prism triangle and the band name on the front with a dark blue background and dark gray sleeves.
My mom wore a dress that skimmed her ankles and left her shoulders bare. Trenton and Braddox wore suits with black ties. Well, hell. That made me fit in about as much as soccer cleats worn to prom would.
Trenton approached me as he crossed the library and crushed me in another hug, then turned me toward Braddox. “Braddox, you haven’t had a chance to meet your new sister, this is Olivia.” He placed particular emphasis on sister, leaving no doubt he was warning not only Braddox but also me from thinking of pursuing anything extracurricular with each other.
Both Trenton and my mom knew that Braddox and I had dated before. We’d been together for quite a while and had even met on previous occasions. The warning was strong, as if they wanted to start over with us fully aware that we were discouraged from dating.
I inclined my head but overall tuned out whatever Braddox was saying as he approached me. I honestly didn’t care. He was a liar anyway. The only one I wanted to hear from was Jaxon, but he wasn’t returning my calls or my texts and I was getting tired of trying.
Everyone turned to stare at me. I’d been asked a question but wasn’t answering. Could things get any more awkward?
I tucked some curls behind my ear and jutted my jaw to the side. “I’m sorry? I didn’t catch that.”
“I asked if you liked steak and lobster? It’s our first meal as a family and I wanted to make sure you liked what I had chosen.” Trenton smiled warmly at me, ignoring my lackluster clothing and the way I’d ignored both my mom and Braddox.
Smiling, I tucked my fingers into my pockets. “Who doesn’t love that? Thanks.”
A family? Was that what we were supposed to be? A family? I wasn’t sure I could call Trenton Dad. I knew for sure I didn’t want Braddox calling my mother Mom. There were too many facets of the situation I found off.
I cleared my throat and motioned toward my clothes. “Sorry, I didn’t know there was a dress code.” I bit my bottom lip and Braddox’s expression caught my eye as he stood behind Trenton but in front of Mom. He watched the movement of my mouth and his eyes darkened as his lips parted.
He could hunger away for all I cared. He wasn’t getting any closer to me. I could chock my interest in him up to the fact that he looked exactly like Jaxon and that was it. No matter what I did, I couldn�
��t deny the way I felt about Jaxon, but I could get rid of Braddox from the list of things adding to my uncertainty.
Knowing who I could focus on helped immensely.
I just had to find a way to tell Braddox that I didn’t want him because of his brother. But that wasn’t all. I had to make sure I wasn’t alone with Braddox in the same room. And if that wasn’t enough, I had to add to my list the fact that I needed to be on guard against what our parents suspected.
Regardless of the fact that Jaxon didn’t live with Trenton, would Jaxon be considered off-limits by his dad and my mom simply because of the paperwork? Parents could be roadblocks, that was for sure.
Trenton ushered us into the large dining room. I’d never been in there before, even having dated Braddox in the past. Things hadn’t been formal between Braddox and me when we’d dated in the past. We weren’t together for the fancy meals or hanging out with our parents. That was part of the reason Dad wanted me to stop being with Braddox.
I took a seat at the long shiny wood table where Trenton directed me. My seat was on my mom’s right while Braddox sat across from me and Trenton beside him.
Braddox winked at me when my mom wasn’t looking and I could feel my Hispanic side righteously rearing its head. How dare he? Seriously. His obvious disrespect for me was off the charts. I wasn’t going to stand idly by while he acted like he could do whatever he wanted and with whomever he wanted.
Forget it.
Richly decorated plates were set in front of us, silver lining and gilt edges with filigree images of peacocks and feathers dipped into the bowls of the plates. Shiny utensils placed on top of linen napkins added to the fancy place settings. I wanted to fit in with that environment again. I did. But a huge part of me couldn’t help wondering how many electricity bills one place setting could cover.
We hadn’t been poor that long, but it had definitely left a lasting impression on me and I wasn’t interested in wasting money simply because it was a possibility.
Something grazed my foot and I glanced up sharply into Braddox’s knowing gaze. Smiling sweetly, I lifted my leg and then slammed my heel onto the top of his searching foot.
His features contorted.
I tapped my mom’s arm. “Can you pass the water carafe, please?”
“Of course.” Mom reached across and pulled the crystal water pitcher towards us, ignoring the condensation on the outside that I wanted to marvel at, even as I wanted to smirk knowingly at Braddox.
He might own everything in that house, but he didn’t own me and I wasn’t going to be toyed with.
Period.
The food was decadent and rich, especially compared to the food we’d eaten over the last few months.
I tucked my feet back under my seat in case Braddox tried anything else he thought was cute. Judging by the neutrality in his expression, he’d pulled back to reevaluate his strategy. I held my own smug expression on my face. I didn’t even care who saw.
Trenton’s phone rang and he held up a finger. “Excuse me.” Pulling out the cell from his inner suit pocket, he swiped the screen and held it to his ear. “This is Trenton.” He fell quiet, shoving the chair back after thirty seconds as he continued listening to whoever was on the other end. “Are you sure?” More silence as he turned his back to the table and approached the large wall-sized windows opposite the doors to get into the formal room.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Trenton sighed and then tucked his free hand into his pocket as he bowed his head. “And the boy?”
More silence and I glanced at my mom and then surreptitiously at Braddox who tried pretending he wasn’t listening, but he couldn’t fool me.
“Thank you, officer. I’ll be right there.” Trenton hung up, replacing his phone and turning to face us. Mom and I didn’t even try to hide our curiosity.
“Is everything alright?” Mom leaned forward; her brow furrowed as she waited for information from her husband.
Lost in thought, Trenton’s eyes were downcast, his expression sad and shocked. After a moment, he lifted his gaze to Mom and then shifted to Braddox while he spoke. “My ex-wife… I mean… Braddox’s mom. She… Jaxon found her dead this afternoon at their apartment.” He blinked as he held Braddox’s gaze with his own.
“How did she die?” Braddox picked up his fork and asked with a disinterested tone. He took a bite of his potatoes, chewing as he winked again my direction.
But I knew him. He wasn’t as disaffected as he wanted to pretend. Braddox liked to be the tough guy. Normally, I let him be that way, but I couldn’t let him continue acting like he wasn’t affected when it was his mother we were talking about.
“She overdosed. Jaxon was gone most of the night and… he got back and found her. I…” Trenton glanced at my mom, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I need to go. Jaxon… I need to be there for my son.”
“Of course, no, go. I’ll be here. Keep me updated.” Mom half-stood, unsure what to do as Trenton rushed from the room without glancing back.
Sinking back to her seat, Mom looked at Braddox who had worked through half of his plate by that point. He didn’t look at anyone in particular as he continued eating and smiling.
“Braddox, I’m so sorry. Do you need anything?” Mom leaned forward, reaching for his hand, but letting her fingers fall slack as she realized he wasn’t reaching for her.
He glanced up, shaking his head. “Nope. I’m good. I haven’t seen her in years. She was already dead to me, you know?” Braddox glanced at his plate and cut into his steak, then set his fork and knife to the side. He wiped his mouth with his linen napkin and pushed his chair away from the table. “Excuse me.” He strode from the room, his shoulders back and his head held high – the picture of normalcy.
I glanced at Mom. Did she have any idea what was going on? Judging by the helplessness in her expression, she was out of her element. I felt bad, even as I placed my napkin on the table beside my plate. “I’ll check on him.” I pushed my own chair out and rushed after him.
By the time I’d left the dining room behind me, Braddox had reached the stairs. He took them two at a time and I had to run to catch up to him.
Climbing the stairs at a full sprint, I caught up to him at the top. Breathless, I reached for his arm and called out. “Braddox, wait.”
He stopped mid-stride and whipped back to me; his expression tightly controlled. His eyes blazed as he narrowed them at me. “Sorry, what do you want? You’re talking to me now? I can barely feel my foot because of your cranky ass and you couldn’t be bothered to be polite to me once since you got here. Now, what? You’re feeling pity for me? I don’t need it, thanks.” He sliced his hand through the air. “I don’t want it.”
I slowly walked up the last few steps to make us more on even level and I studied him. When I spoke it was soft but firm. “Did you really think it was okay that you screwed Staci after being with me? Can you honestly tell me that was okay for you to do and that you don’t see anything wrong with what you did?”
Cocking his head to the side, Braddox took on an expression of bewilderment. “You’re not going to give me any leeway, are you?” He studied me and I stood there, my arms folded as he worked through whatever he couldn’t figure out. Finally, he spoke softly. “That’s one thing I like so much about you, Liv, you don’t let me get away with anything. I respect that.”
I closed my eyes for a minute and sighed. “I’m sorry about your mom, Braddox.” When I opened my eyes, I inhaled sharply. Braddox had moved close to me, his eyes suddenly filling my vision as we stared at each other.
He held my gaze while he reached up and trailed his thumb down my cheek. “There’s so much to like about you.”
I pushed his arm down and shook my head. “Thank you, but I’m not interested. You lost any chance with me when you did Staci. But I’d love to be your friend. If you need to talk, I’m here.” I leaned forward, pressing my cheek to his in a half-hug. I didn’t dare wrap my arms around him in case he tried to trap me in his
embrace.
Braddox hurriedly turned his face and pressed his lips to mine and I pulled back. I watched him but shook my head. I wasn’t interested. It was surprising how much it hurt that he didn’t understand how much he’d affected me.
I could handle his egotism. I was fine with that.
What I couldn’t handle as I walked away from Braddox was that while Braddox acted unaffected, Jaxon had just found his mother dead in their place. What was going to happen to him? What kind of pain was he going through? How was I going to be able to help while his brother watched my every move?
A small inkling of worry filled my mind as I returned to my room. I wasn’t hungry at the thought that Jaxon hadn’t been home all night. He was supposed to be with me.
So, where had he gone? What had he been doing?
What were the dynamics between us now?
Most importantly, what could I do to help him with what he was facing right then?
Chapter 4
Jaxon
My phone didn’t matter. I left it on the floor at the top of the stairs, somewhere behind me. After calling 911, I didn’t have any other use for it.
Even the game with Braddox had lost all meaning.
While it was spring in Shores and it should have been getting warmer, I couldn’t shake the chill down to my very bones as I sat on the steps outside the apartment.
EMTs and police officers walked by me, around me, overall ignoring me and I was fine with that.
I couldn’t get out of my head what had happened. I couldn’t escape the image seared in my brain. I wanted to cry but I think I was too frozen to do much of anything.
Mom. My mom was dead. Not only dead, but I’d been the only one to find her and no one else cared. The downstairs neighbors had turned up their music when I’d run downstairs for help. They’d ignored my pounding on the door. I’d barely gotten enough of a charge on my phone to call for help before I ran from the apartment where her body was.
Forbidden: A bully romance (An Academy Twin Rivalry Series Book 2) Page 3