Suddenly, the food hit the ground, and I was wrapped in my sister’s crushing hug as her tears soaked my T-shirt.
I did this to her.
Another layer was added to the already mountain-high pile of guilt building inside me, waiting to crush me until there was no way to emerge.
My sister had been my rock, along with Gramps, and Grams too, for a short time. The day my mother dumped me on their doorstep, they pulled me into their home and their love with open arms. I’d been confused as a child, a bit angry as a teenager, but even after Grandma passed away, Ruby and Gramps took care of me.
Still, it was someone else that really changed it all for me.
Patience.
The pretty girl had needed me, and in return I’d needed her. Our support for one another even so young, was unwavering. We shared everything, including music.
But I was even more damaged now than I’d been before.
Could her friendship, love and music mend my damaged heart and soul like it had before?
Floods of memories washed over me, and I clung to my sister. “I’m sorry,” I told her softly.
She pushed back and looked at me, her tear-filled eyes unwavering. “You do not have anything to be sorry for, little brother.” A small smile tipped her beautiful face—one that got her many modeling jobs over the years. “I guess you’re not so little anymore.”
A light chuckle rumbled in my throat. It felt good and, just for a second, smothered the other feelings running through me before they took complete control once again.
“I’m so glad you’re home and safe.” Her voice broke a bit on the last word, and I could tell she was trying to hold it together—to be strong for me.
We were still standing in the doorway, the discarded food on the ground. When my stomach rumbled again, Ruby laughed. Grabbing the sack, I stepped back, and she made her way into the condo.
Walking toward the kitchen, she said, “I can understand if you need space.” She set the bag down on the granitecountertop and turned to me. “But you always have a place with us. Never forget that.”
I swallowed the lump of emotion in my throat as I stood facing her, my back to the open door, rooted to the spot as I watched my sister.
Ruby was right. I knew with everything running rampant in my head—the nightmares, and sometimes the anger that rose—I did need to be alone right then. But just knowing I still had the place that meant so much to me, filled with so many special people… it made a difference.
“I won’t—” The blare of “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett cut me off, and I knew it was Alley calling my sister since all the ladies had their own ringtones for each other—each song fitting for the individual.
There was a chance I might have laughed at how well the song worked for Alley if it hadn’t been for the look on my sister’s face as her gaze came to mine.
Pulling the phone from her ear, she pushed a button looking down at her cell and said, “Please repeat; you’re on speaker so Jett can hear you.”
“Oh, hi, Jett. I’m so glad you’re home,” Alley said, but didn’t wait for my response before continuing. “So as I was saying, I was coming into No Surrender as Patience was going out, and a man approached her.”
My fingers curled into my palms, and my jaw clenched at the news.
“That bastard Charlton or Chaz, whatever the hell you want to call him, and his family officially served her with papers asking for a paternity test. It states that if it comes back saying—he the asshole—is the father, he wants custody.”
There had been texts insinuating thisexactthing, but now it was real.
“Patience must be going out of her mind,” Ruby said, voicing the same thoughts I was having.
Someone said something to Alley in the background. “Landon was here, and he is already on this, but Patience said she was also taking action.”
Ruby’s face scrunched up with curiosity while I was working to control the temper rising inside me.
“What kind of action?” my sister asked.
There was a soft hum then a long pause before Alley said, “Patience told Landon and me that Jett said he’d marry her.”
My sister gasped at the news as her head snapped my way.
