Chapter 2 #3
“So, what’s new?” I asked, readying myself to catch up with Hudson.
I was close to all my brothers, but the bond with Hud and me ran deep.
Reed and Micah were also a close pair, having been fostered together since they were infants.
Micah was studying in New York, which was the reason for Reed’s sullen phase.
He was pining after our youngest brother.
So was I, but I just hid that shit better.
I’d always been a cards-close-to-the-chest type of guy.
If people knew what you were thinking, they could second-guess you, and that made you vulnerable.
Hudson Gage, Reed Prescott, and Micah Mehari had also been through the social care system and had been placed with different families before we found Ma.
Bethany (Ma) Sawyer was now the lady we all called mother.
And although not biologically related, we were a tight-knit family.
Even Harper, who had joined us last year, had come to accept us.
Well, most of us. I still wasn’t sure where we were at.
In limbo would be the best way to describe our relationship.
But the others had accepted her like a sister and Ma as a daughter.
When she first joined us, I had reservations about her ever settling in, but then I knew Harper before she came to live with us.
I met her when she was ten and I was twelve.
We were placed with the same family for around a year until I got kicked out for fighting with another foster boy.
I then found Ma, leaving Harper with the Jacksons, something I knew she now resented me for.
But my hands had been tied; I had tried to visit her, but Mr. Jackson had complained to the agency that I was trespassing, and I couldn’t have another strike on my record.
Any more shit on my file could have resulted in the paperwork to transfer me to the care of Ma not going through.
Then I would have been spat back into the system.
I couldn’t risk it, and so I had needed to be patient and wait, knowing that one day I would make things right for Harper.
And I had, eventually. It had taken longer than I had wanted, but I had broken Ma down, and she’d battled the system, finally picking up Harper’s placement.
Fostering a girl with four teenage boys in the house came with strict rules, as you can imagine. Hence, my reasons for pushing Harper away. Nothing could happen between us whilst we lived under the same roof.
Hudson had placed his controller down and picked up his cell. His expression fired my own natural nosiness.
“Are we doing this shit, or are you on your phone?” I grunted. The dude was always on his cell.
“I’m looking at something,” he said with a frown.
“What?”
“What do you think about this necklace for Christmas?” Hudson questioned, holding it toward me.
I checked the image before pushing his cell back at him with my fingertips, “I’d prefer a mountain bike,” I smirked.
“I mean for Molly dickwad,” Hud grumbled, moodily shoving his phone away.
Shrugging, “Personally, I’d go for sexy underwear, then you both get a gift.”
“Yeah, because you’re a pervert. I’ll ask Micah.”
Micah was probably the only romantic guy I knew.
“So, what were you saying? Before bringing up Christmas,” I said, filling the silence and prompting Hudson to give me the latest gossip.
“I wasn’t?” Hudson sighed as we both then focused half on the game and half on each other.
I cut to the chase. “What’s going on with Reed?” I asked with gritted teeth. He was such a frosty fucker lately. The next time he threw something at me, the medics would have to remove it from his colon after I stuck that fucker up his ass.
I felt him shrug beside me. “Something to do with Storm. Can’t say I have the time to unpick that crazy connection.”
“Yeah, me neither, as long as he doesn’t come crying to me when his dick drops off,” I snickered, grinning as I rammed my car on screen into Hudson’s girly wheels.
“What is it with you guys? Storms OK. And anyway, why so cranky? Didn’t you bone Courtney last night?”
I hated to admit my no torpedo in the tube scenario, “I got jack last night. We both passed out in Micah’s room.”
“So, you’re not happy at the thought of Reed and Storm, because she gets on your tits?
You sure there’s not more to it than that?
” Hudson questioned. I didn’t appreciate his suggestion that there was any attraction between me and that witch.
Eww, gross much? The fact that he was hinting that I had any romantic interest in the stuck-up cheerleader made my stomach turn.
I couldn’t put my finger on the reason she annoyed me so much.
She just had a quality that wound me up.
Maybe it was due to all the money her family had. I was jealous, yes, that had to be it.
“Believe me, I’m sure. Reed can drill Summers all night long for all I care. I’m only sharing my concerns about our brother’s sexual health. Dick rot is a nasty bastard, is all I’m saying.”
“She isn’t what you think she is, you know. That promiscuous vibe she puts out there is a front.”
“Coming from someone who’s also had his dick in her, I find that hard to believe,” I pointed out with a twinge of annoyance as Hudson moved into the lead on our game.
What he informed me of next surprised me. “It never happened. She made it up to wind Reed up.”
“Really? Why would she do that?”
I threw my controller onto the coffee table as Hudson won and turned to face him. “Well?”
Hudson signed us out and turned the console and TV off before leaning back into the sofa and twisting to face me.
“It’s not rocket science. They have a thing, let’s leave it at that,” Hudson said, dashing a hand down his face.
I noticed he looked tired; no doubt due to banging his sweetheart all night.
Hudson and Molly had been dating for over a year now and were loved up.
The girl had ironed out his creases. Hudson used to bring new meaning to the word short fuse.
He was so much calmer these days, and his tasty little blonde was the one responsible for that.
From what I had heard, Hudson was now on reduced meds.
He took prescription drugs to calm him the fuck down.
How things had changed; now he was cozy with his British chippy.
Molly Miller was the principal’s daughter at our old high school, and even before they’d met, Hudson had been determined to hate her ass.
His plans soon backfired when he realized what an actual find she was.
Once he got his head out of his ass, he’d explained that he’d met her in the library on the first day back during our senior year and had a near-religious experience.
He’d gone into a deep-rooted denial for a while before he’d accepted that he was smitten.
And there was no doubt about her feelings for Hudson. She looked at him like he was her god. Did I envy him? Sometimes. Molly was now a senior at Harbor Heights High, and we were juniors at Epic Heights. Time flies.
“Anyways, whatever. Reed’s big enough and ugly enough to make his own decisions. Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about them. I just think he’s setting himself up for a fall. She’s the mayor’s daughter, and he’s a foster kid from the wrong side of the tracks. They just don’t mesh well together.”
“I can’t imagine Reed has marriage proposals on his mind, Nix.”
“Yeah, good point. Well, let him dick her for a bit and get her out of his system.”
“She’s still our friend, albeit an annoying one.”
“She’s a sociopath and loosely part of our friendship group, but she doesn’t fit in. Not really,” I scoffed, strumming a fist across my nose.
“We all thought that about Harper, and now look.” I knew the fucker was itching to bring Harper up.
“What do you mean, now look? She still has a massive chip on her shoulder.” The memory of our kiss swept into my mind. Thankfully, it was just a kiss, although my self-control had been hanging on by a fricking thread.
Before I could finish that last thought, Hudson pointed out. “Yes, a chip you put there.” He was staring at me with an accusatory eyebrow. I hated it when he looked at me like that. It was the same look I got on the field when I’d screwed up a play. FIX IT, Brutal. His glare implied.
“I know. I’m working on it.”
“Work faster, douchebag,” Hudson said, taking his cell back out of his pants and swiping the screen.
“Why? What’s the rush?”
Hudson cleared his throat and started messaging. “I’m just saying, get your ass in gear, or someone else may get there first.”
My brow creased. “Like who? We warned all those high school motherfuckers away,” I pointed out with a smug look.
“There are more assholes out there than just the ones at Harbor Heights, you know. There are also decent guys, ones who could make her happy.”
That comment cut into me like a knife. What the hell was he doing? Did he have my back or not? No other guy out there could make her as happy as I could. I decided to change the subject before I lost my shit with him.
“Where is she anyway?”
Without looking up from his cell, he added casually. “Why don’t you know?”
“I’m not her keeper.”
“No, but you want to be,” Hudson prodded as he pushed to his feet, clearly getting ready to leave. I watched as he re-pocketed his phone. “Better get a crack on then.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to pick Molly up,” he explained, feeling for his car keys.
Whilst he was gathering all his shit, I stood and walked over to the cabinet where we squirreled the booze and pot. His hint that someone could be waiting to make a play for Harper pissed me off.
“Is that a good idea when you have college tomorrow? Coach Samuels will be busting our balls to get us ready for the next game,” Hudson warned. It didn’t stop me from opening the door and grabbing the half-empty bottle of Jack. The fill line was exactly where I had left it the previous night.
Turning back towards him, I boasted. “Samuels can’t afford to bench me so early in the season.
” I was only a junior, but I was still the biggest linebacker on the team.
He had a point, though, as I had to be up early so I didn’t miss my first period.
I was studying for a Sports Coaching Degree, and had Exercise Science, which I loved.
“Just go easy on that shit, I’m leaving early in the morning, and if you’re not up, I’ll go without you,” Hudson threatened. Like I gave a shit, it only took ten minutes to walk to our college campus.
Leaving early, my ass, if he was having Molly over for the night, there wouldn’t be much sleeping.
I knew all about that, his room being next to mine.
The noises those two made would get anyone going.
To stop myself from riding someone else's wave of excitement, I’d lie in bed thinking about things to gross me out; Ma naked, Reed naked, Hudson naked, you get where I’m going with that.
I wasn’t into voyeurism of any type, and that included the pornographic shit we watched.
I preferred being in the picture personally when getting off.
I decided to reveal the reason I needed Dutch courage. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready. I just need a nip to take the edge off. Tonight’s the night, brother.”
He was standing in the doorway to the den, and his shoulders stiffened.
“Tonight’s the night for what exactly?”
“To find out about my past.” I didn’t need to add to that, and realization spread over my brother’s face.
“So, you’re actually going to open it?” He asked, his eyes latched onto mine.
A sense of foreboding washed over me, but I plowed on. Nodding, I pointed the rim of the bottle towards him. “Yeah, man. It’s time.”
“Good for you. I’ll keep my phone on. You need me, holler,” he replied, patting his jeans pocket.
And then he left, high-tailing it out of there like his ass was on fire.
Leaving me with my vented decision alone.
But of course, he’d clearly been summoned by wifey.
God forbid he was two minutes late to fetch Molly.
Where getting to his girl was concerned, everything else was second place.
You could shoot the fucker in the dick, and he’d still make sure he was on time for her.
Uncapping the bottle, I took a drink, enjoying the burn of the liquid as it hit my throat. The liquor instantly calmed me. My head was a cocktail of raw emotions as I made my way to my room, where it sat waiting for me.
On our eighteenth birthday, Ma had given us all a manila folder.
It was a file from the foster agency and contained details about our backgrounds.
When I had first been given mine, I had decided I didn’t want to know about my past. What was the point?
All that mattered now was my future and moving forward.
Reading about that shit part of my life would only take me backwards, surely?
But now I had accepted that it was time to learn about my roots and what happened to me. I could only ever remember life in the system, and that was pretty shitty. Knowing my backstory before then could only be worse. Hence, my second thoughts.
And now, I had decided that the time had come to deal with it.
If you didn’t exercise your demons, they continued to haunt you.
That much I knew. I could see them circling Harper.
She, too, hadn’t dealt with her past. But then she didn’t have her file yet, as she wasn’t eighteen until the following year.
I needed to sort my shit out first to allow myself the mind capacity to support her when her time came.
The moment she would need to face her past.
And, out of all my brothers, I was the only one who knew what that looked like. I had witnessed Harper's scars both inside and out; her story was a proper monster.
A pulse of something sharp ran through me as I thought about what she had been through.
Once I had squared things with the house on my side, it would be time for Harper to take the plunge and revisit hers.
And although she didn’t know it yet, when the time came, I would be there to catch her. Although she played the tough act, I knew Harper was still that scared little girl who used to run away from monsters. And I would be there to fuck up every single one of them.
But first, I needed to get my head on straight and deal with my forgotten past.
So, I used the term ‘square’ things. I didn’t know it just then, but my entire life was about to be flipped upside down.