The Neighborhood (Twin Estates #2)

by Stylo Fantome

  “I have tried, I want you to know,” he started speaking at the same time as he began tucking his shirt back into his pants. “I tried giving you space. I tried giving you time. I tried being myself. I tried being nice. I tried playing your game, and tried playing the villainous part you cast me in. Obviously, I just don't know what it is you really want from me, Tocci. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever did.”

  By the time he was done, he'd put his clothing all to rights and even reknotted his tie. Before she could respond, though, he was striding out of the hall. Disappearing into the wild crowd that was dancing in front of the bar.

  She sucked in a gasp of air and pressed her hand to her mouth. The tears refused to be held back any longer and it was like a faucet behind her eyes was turned on. She turned away and stumbled to the end of the hall, leaning against a door before the turn towards Liam's office.

  She'd fucked it all up. So many awful things, perpetuated by two dastardly men, and in the end, it had been her who'd screwed it all up. Her who'd been an asshole. Playing games, what the fuck? Why couldn't she have just kept her distance? Or why couldn't she have been truly honest with herself – that deep down, she just wanted to forgive and forget?

  But no. She'd stubbornly held onto her anger and had let it transform her. Had let it control her, leading her from one bad decision to another. Now one man she cared about was in the dark, and the other was raging pissed off at her.

  Was possibly planning to never speak to her again.

  Was that a goodbye? What that speech a kiss off?

  She took several deep breaths and wiped at her face. Maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't, but she wouldn't know until she at least tried to talk to him again. No more assuming things – she was a serial assumer, and it had done nothing but gotten her in trouble. She would do what he'd done for her, and she'd give him some space. Some time. And then she would sit down with him and at least … talk to him. Even if nothing came out of it, she could at least explain what had gone on in that utility room.

  Still feeling like shit, but less like a jackass, she stood up straight and smoothed her hands over her dress. Patted at her hair. It was beyond time to leave the party, and she thought maybe she was finally ready.

  But as she turned to walk away, she heard a noise through the door behind her. A sort of groaning sound. She was in a sex club, so her first thought was that someone was having sex. Then it happened again, though, and it didn't sound like a sexy time groan. It kinda sounded like someone was in pain. She leaned against the wood and listened closely, heard someone coughing and wheezing.

  “Hello?” she called out, knocking loudly on the door. “Hello, are you okay in there?”

  As if to answer her, there came a loud crashing sound. Breaking glass and something heavy hitting the floor. There was a brief shout, then another long groan. She bit down on her bottom lip and grabbed the knob, throwing the door wide open.

  For a moment, sheer terror gripped her. It looked like Liam had collapsed through a glass coffee table. But she was getting better at spotting their tiny differences, and she quickly realized it was Landon lying on the floor in front of her. He was moaning and trying to pick himself up, but he was only wiggling around in broken glass.

  “Oh my god,” she breathed, hurrying into the room and kneeling near him. “Stop, you're going to cut yourself!”

  “I can't … my face … wow ...” he spoke in a slurred voice, almost like his tongue was too big for his mouth.

  “What happened? Can you talk?” she asked, gripping his arm when he reached out for her.

  “No … muuuhhh … woosaaaaw,” he garbled, clutching at her bicep so tightly it made her wince.

  What had happened? Was he really, really drunk? He didn't seem like it, though – maybe a stroke? Did thirty-two year olds have strokes!?

  “Somebody!” she yelled out while she looked around the room, trying to figure out what had happened. “Hey, we need help in -”

  Her voice cut off when her eyes landed on an end table. Katya was more than a little naive sometimes, she knew that; she'd grown up in a gated community, had strict parents, and had gone to private school. So things that other people just seemed to know about, she was still oddly in the dark about.

  Like drugs. She'd never done a single drug in her life, had never even seen any up close. So when she saw all the random paraphernalia laid out on the little table, she couldn't be positive what it all was. A baggy of white powder, a baggy with pills. Some rubber tubing, and some kind of pipe. Whatever it was, it all equaled up to something very, very bad. That much she was sure of.

  “Oh god, are you OD-ing? Please don't OD here!” she shouted, shaking his arm. He was slumping back to the ground, face down in the glass. “Hey! Hey! Wake up! You're a doctor, tell me what to do!”

  Clearly, that wouldn't work. Not ready to watch someone die in front of her, she shook off his arm and started digging around in her pockets for her phone. Once she pulled it out, she immediately started hitting keys.

  Holy shit, I've never done this before. 9-1-

  “Fuck.”

  She glanced up at the hissed swear word and found Liam standing in the doorway.

  “I found him like this,” she said quickly.

  “Goddammit! Fucking shit goddammit, Lan!” he continued swearing as he rushed over and dropped down next to his brother.

  “I'll call an ambulance,” she said, looking back down at her phone. She was startled when it was swatted out of her hands.

  “No!” Liam yelled. “No, no ambulance, they'll call the cops.”

  “But Liam! He's turning blue!” she yelled back.

  “He's fine, I know how to handle this. Just get out,” he said, then he wrapped his brother's arm around his neck and jerked him up to his feet.

  “Are you serious!?” she exclaimed, slowly standing.

  “Yes. This isn't a new thing for him, I've dealt with it before,” he said through clenched teeth as he gently sat the other man on a loveseat that was against the back wall. Katya sighed and started taking off her jacket.

  “I think this is a really, really bad idea. You should -”

  “What do you think you're doing!?” he demanded, finally looking at her again. She froze while holding her coat wide open.

  “I'm staying,” she said. “I want to help you.”

  “No. I said leave,” he said, pointing at the open door.

  “Liam! You can't do this alone, please. Just let me -”

  “I said get out!” he shouted at her. She was shocked. Liam so rarely got mad, it was always flooring when it happened. “You're not part of this! This is between me and him, not you. This is family, this is private. Just go.”

  She felt like a child who'd been chastised. She let go of her jacket, but didn't move towards the door.

  “I know I'm not family,” she said softly. “But I'm your friend, I want to be here for you. Please, let me help you. You need help.”

  If she had been shocked by him yelling at her, she was completely blown away when he stormed over, grabbed her by the arm, and forcibly removed her from the room.

  “I didn't ask for your help,” he said, and she could tell he was working hard not to yell again. “And I don't need it. This doesn't involve you, I don't want you to be a part of it.”

  “Liam, I -” she said after she'd been shoved into the hallway.

  “Seriously. We're fine without you.”

  And with that, the door was slammed in her face.

  What. In the ever loving. All that is holy. FUCKING FUCK!?

  Was it a full moon out? Was she hallucinating? What on earth was going on that night!? Sex in a bathroom, a break-up-level fight with Wulf, an overdose, and Liam kicking her out and shutting her out.

  Maybe if I'm really lucky, when I walk home I'll get hit by a bus.

  22

  Wulf sat in the dark on his sofa in his apartment. His new apartment. His way too small, awfully located, and in a horrible building, new ap
artment.

  He hated it there. Not nearly enough windows, too many closed off rooms. He could see why Liam had converted his apartment into a large studio. In its original layout, the apartment felt like each room was its own closet. Wulf liked natural light, and lots of it. Hence why his own penthouse was full of floor to ceiling windows.

  But he stayed, and he waited. He tripped over hidden rules and bumped into confusing emotions. He sat silent went he wanted to rage, and he spoke softly when he wanted to shout. He'd tried doing it his way, then he'd tried doing it her way. What other way was left?

  He took a deep breath and worked his head side-to-side, cracking his neck. Maybe she really didn't know what she wanted. Maybe she wouldn't ever want him again. Good sex was, after all, just good sex. It didn't matter how it made him feel right before, during, and after.

  No, she feels it, too. She all but admitted it back there, when I fucked everything up.

  Not that she was completely innocent. Of course, when he'd cooled down enough to think of everything she'd said to him, she hadn't been acting innocent, really. She was acting like she was upset with herself. If they continued fighting and continued having sex, it would just lead to more confusion and more distance and more everything. When did it all end?

  And fuck, if this was happening between the two of them, what was happening between her and Liam? Whenever Wulf was around her for too long, it seemed like they inevitably ended up fighting. From what he'd seen and heard, it wasn't like that with Eden. They laughed, and they got along. Talked a lot – which even Wulf had to admit, talking was more productive than having angry sex.

  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, clearing his thoughts. He was a smart man, a logical man. He just had to stop for a moment and think it through. If she was confused, at least that meant she hadn't fully made any sort of decision yet. It may not have been a game anymore, but she was still struggling with whether or not she wanted to be with either of them. Sex clearly wasn't helping that problem, either.

  Shit, is she having sex with Eden? Please god, no.

  Okay, so she was struggling with her feelings. She was on the fence. Pushing her too far might send her into Liam's arms, but not pushing enough could keep him trapped in this loop. Trapped in her confusion and her warped emotional state. Granted, he'd helped to put her in that state, but that didn't mean he enjoyed being stuck in it with her. Neither of those things worked for him, so what was the alternative?

  Let her go. End both their misery. He just seemed to cause her pain. He'd always known he wasn't built for long term relationships. Too emotionally stunted, too bitter, too aggressive. He'd compared Katya to a garden once, and it felt like all he'd done was cause her to whither and slowly fade away. Maybe she'd be better off without him. Maybe the truly good thing to do would be to just … let her go.

  But it's not that simple. It's beyond that now. What is good or right isn't an option anymore. It's moved into the realm of need. I need her, so much. She belongs with me, we belong together. So however long it takes, that's how long it takes. I can play the part of a stone and wait her out. It's what I was born to do, after all.

  He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. Why did it all have to be so complicated? This was his punishment, for being an awful human being. She'd been right, that's exactly what he was – goddamn awful. And maybe his punishment was to chase her around for the rest of his life.

  Well then, okay. That's what he would do. He would chase and he would push and he would press his attentions. He would jump through hoops and throw her off her guard and sweep her off her feet. And he knew – had to believe – that in the end, she would find her way back to him. She had to, she'd made promises, after all. He would hold her to them.

  You said you would fight for me. You said you would believe in me. You said you would bring me back from hell. Time to get to work, Tocci.

  23

  Liam stood outside Katya's apartment, taking deep breaths. He knew he had to talk to her, but he wasn't quite prepared yet to start the conversation.

  Last night had been beyond fucked up. So many shitty things happening all on the same evening. One catastrophe after another. He'd managed to drag his brother to his office, and once there, he'd tossed him into his private bathroom. He had a small shower stall, and he'd shoved Landon under the spray.

  It wasn't a true overdose, but it had been close. Landon had drug problems – had for a long time. Liam was the only one in the family who knew, that's why everyone's hero worship of his brother stung so much. Everyone looked up to a sham. No one even knew that he'd almost lost his license to practice medicine, and that's why he'd decided to join the traveling doctor group. Being in a third world country made it slightly easier to get away with examining patients while high.

  None of that was Katya's business, though. Liam felt bad about the way he'd spoken to her, but it had been a critical moment and she hadn't been getting it. They were very close, sure, but not as close as Liam and his twin, regardless of their issues. It had been a private moment between siblings; she would have to understand that.

  Please be understanding, I'm so tired of apologizing.

  He took one final deep breath and knocked on her door. There was no response. He frowned and knocked again. She was supposed to be home – Tori had told him that she'd taken Sunday off from work, just in case she'd had too good a time at his party.

  Which he knew she hadn't, because after he'd assured himself that Landon wasn't going to die, he'd gone looking for her. That guy, the one who lived in Liam's building – Fence? Gate? What kind of fucking name was that? – had told him that she'd left in a hurry. Liam would've gone after her, but it was his business' anniversary party, and it was in full swing. He had to be there, for whenever the next inevitable fuck up happened.

  So he'd waited till the next day, then after getting up and shaving and giving his brother an earful, he'd jogged over to her building.

  Maybe she went to the store …

  He took out his phone and texted her, hoping for a quick response. She was hit or miss – sometimes she texted back right away, other times he had to wait a day or two. Luckily, his phone pinged just a few seconds later.

  If you're home, angel cake, open the door. It's me out here.

  Can't. Too tired. Later, okay?

  Uh, no, not okay. Pleeeeease? I'll be nice, I swear.

  I'm not mad. I'm just tired. Tomorrow.

  I will knock on your door for an hour straight if you don't open it right now.

  She didn't respond, and for a moment he thought she was calling his bluff. He raised his arm, fully prepared to knock away, but then he heard the bolt lock turning. The chain lock was next, and finally the door was creaking open.

  “Please, Liam. I'm not in the mood today. Tomorrow,” she begged. He frowned as he looked over her face.

  “Geez, are you okay?” he asked, pressing his hand against the door.

  She looked … almost sick. She was wearing her pajamas, yet it was almost noon. Not normal for her. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were also bloodshot and looked a little puffy. She was paler than normal, and kinda looked like she wanted to throw up.

  “Yeah,” she sighed, opening the door farther and leaning against the frame. “Just a late night. Great party, by the way.”

  “It was okay,” he chuckled. “Could've done without some of the surprises.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Yeah. I mean, no, not really – he's a fucking drug addict. But he's back at the apartment now, hogging the tv,” he told her.

  “I'm sorry that happened. It looked bad,” she said.

  “I've seen him worse.”

  “Then I'm even more sorry.”

  “Look,” he smiled as he spoke and leaned over her. “How about I go get you breakfast? I can bring it back and we can go cuddle on the roof. It's supposed to be warmer today, not so windy. I'll even lend you my hoodie.”

  She finally smiled back at him
, and even seemed to brighten up a little. But then she sighed and shook her head.

  “You are too good to me, Liam Edenhoff.”

  “Ah, there it is again, my last name. Poetry when you speak it right,” he teased.

  “I would love to, but seriously, I'm exhausted. I already switched my brunch date with Vieve Stone to lunch tomorrow. Rain check?” she asked.

  “Always, angel cake. I have to meet Wulf's assistant chick to go over some accounting issues tomorrow, but I'll be free later in the afternoon,” he told her. She seemed to perk up.

  “Okay, I can meet you after lunch. Say four o'clock?”

  “Four sounds good.”

  “Meet me here,” she said. “I have some things to tell you. I'll make margaritas and we can still go hang out on the roof.”

  “I'll bring the hoodie. Four o'clock,” he confirmed.

  “Thank you. Really, thank you, Liam. You've been so … wonderful, lately. I know I act crazy sometimes, but I really appreciate it. After everything we've been through and everything that's going on … I just wanted you to know that,” she babbled.

  “Awww, shucks, you're gonna make be blush,” he teased her some more. “And it's easy to be so nice when you're so sweet.”

  He leaned down and kissed her then. He tried to kiss her every time he saw her – mainly because it was Katya. Kissing her always felt good. But also to constantly remind her of who she was dealing with, what kind of man was standing in front of her. How good he was for her, and how much better he was than Wulfric goddamn Stone.

  When he pulled away, she wasn't smiling. She was staring up at him with very wide eyes, almost looking nervous. He smiled, though, hoping to ease any stress she was going through. Then he brushed his thumb down the side of her cheek.

  “Call me if you need me, okay? If you need anything. Anything at all,” he told her. She nodded and managed a smile.

  “Okay. I will.”