Chapter 14 #2
I glance at him in surprise, and for a wild moment, I want to tell him.
I want to tell him that my life is turning to shit, that my family is broken, and my brother’s life expectancy could be short if he’s done what I suspect and gone to a moneylender.
I yearn to tell him how small and stupid I feel and what a terrible brother I am.
But Mac isn’t my boyfriend, or lover, or really even a friend, is he? He’s not a person I’m supposed to burden with my problems. He’s my client .
So I sigh and pin a smile on my face, knowing that at least in this particular moment, Julian would be proud of me. “Nah, I’m fine. Just tired.”
He stares at me for a second, and I try to work out his expression. It seems like disappointment, but I’m obviously wrong about that. It’s probably relief that he doesn’t have to bother with me outside of bed, combined with a passionate desire to be gone.
“Where are you off to?” I ask cheerfully.
He stands and finds his suit jacket on the easy chair in the corner of the room. “A dinner meeting.” He shrugs into the jacket and leans over me in the bed. He tugs my hair back, pulls my face up, and drops a kiss on my lips. “Be good.”
“You know that’s an impossibility.”
“Try,” he advises me, and then he’s gone. The click of the front door is a lonely sound in the suddenly quiet flat.
I rub my face, and then press my fingers to my hot eyes. “Get it together,” I say out loud. “Mac leaves you all the time.”
My sense of loss is a reminder that, in addition to my brother’s problems, I also have to cope with being in love with my client, who definitely doesn’t love me back and would drop me like a brick in a river if he knew.
My client who will also be, for reasons unknown to me, taking me to a party at the place where he first bought my services.
The knock on the front door is a relief, as it allows me to jump off the hamster’s wheel my brain has become. He’s come back. After leaping out of bed, I drag on my shorts and race over to the door.
“Did you forget something?” I say, flinging the door open. I gasp at who I see there. “ Tyler .”
“Can I come in?” My brother flicks a quick glance over his shoulder before his bloodshot eyes return to me. He’s nervous. And I’m immediately scared.
“Of course. Come in.” I gesture him inside.
He follows me in, and I can’t help but notice how quickly he shuts and locks the door behind us.
“You look terrible ,” I breathe. He must have lost a stone in weight, his hair is greasy, and he has dark circles under his eyes.
“Thank you so much.” He pushes his hand through his hair, and I see the bitten nails and the tremor in his fingers.
“Tyler,” I breathe. I’m not sure what to say.
He shakes his head, warding off any concerned words. “I’m fine.”
“Really? You could have fooled me.”
“What do you mean?” He looks around the flat and moves to the big window with the stunning view. He turns to me, his brow furrowed. “And how the hell are you staying somewhere like this, Wes? These flats must be worth a couple of million easily.”
“It belongs to a friend.”
“Yeah. Ben’s message said that. What friend?”
I wave my hand. “No one you know. A uni mate.”
“Good friend,” he says slowly. “A rich friend.” His eyes drift over the room, and he looks towards the bedroom. I flush when I see him taking in the mess of tangled sheets and the bottle of lube lying in clear view on the floor. His eyes are full of suspicion when he turns back to me. “Wes?”
“What the fuck have you been doing?” I burst out. “Ben told me you were sacked.”
“Bloody Ben and his loose mouth. I asked him to keep it quiet.”
“Was that before or after you pinched his life savings?”
Shame washes over his face, but only a half second later his mouth sets and his eyes narrow. Stubborn as ever. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make it up to him. It’ll all be okay when…”
“When what?” I say wearily. “When you win big again?”
“Oh, don’t fucking sneer.”
“Why not?” I snap.
I thought I’d be sympathetic if I saw him again. And there were times during the last few days, when I was terrified that I’d never see him again.
Now he’s standing here looking like shit, obviously judging my choices, and, as usual, in denial about fucking up and fucking over his friends and family. My relief at seeing him is flooded by a hot surge of anger.
“What the fuck is the matter with you, Tyler? Ben is your best friend. You took his house money and didn’t even stick around to say sorry. What about our family?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Don’t nag.”
“Don’t nag ?” My voice is getting higher. “Oh, I’m so sorry that you spaffed our house away, and my voice offends your ears.”
“ My house.”
My head feels like it might explode. “ What did you just say to me?” He winces. “You’re the one who assured me again and again that Mum meant the house to be both of ours.”
He shakes his head, an apology on his face but also a trace of impatience. As if he’s irritated by me pointing out what he knows is the truth. I should have remembered this about my brother. When he’s cornered, he never admits liability.
“I’ll get it back.” He waves an expansive hand. “I’ll get something better.”
“When? After you’ve stolen from someone else? What’s next, Tyler? Maybe you should mug an old lady. Really put the seal on this shit show.”
“Don’t be so fucking ridiculous. I—” He inhales deeply through his nose. “This isn’t productive.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say sweetly. “You said it was sorted.”
“Yes, but?—”
“Reader, Wes was to learn that it was not in fact sorted.”
“Pardon?”
I scrub my hands down my face, feeling weariness tug at my bones. “Nothing. It’s just a literary device. I was trying to be funny and?—”
“Shut up for a minute.”
I start to sputter my outrage, but he takes a swift step towards me, an urgent expression on his face. “Listen, I came here to warn you.”
A chill shivers down my back. “About what?”
“John at the pub says you’ve been asking around for me.”
“ So ? I wanted to know if you were okay. Is that a crime?”
He scrubs his hand through his hair. “Wes, you need to leave things alone. Word is you paid Ben back.”
“I did.” I fold my arms over my chest. “So what?”
“With what fucking money?”
“My uni money,” I say quickly.
His mouth drops open. “Wes, that’s absolutely crazy .”
“It’s crazy to pay back your debt?”
“Yes,” he explodes. “I don’t want you involved. You can’t—” He shakes his head. “You can’t give your fucking address out to anyone and everyone. I need to know you’re out of this and safe.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?”
“I don’t want everyone thinking they can come find you and get their money. Use your brain, for fuck’s sake.”
How many more debts does he have? What does he mean by “everyone”? Fear slithers along my spine.
“Wes, please just trust me,” he says, his tone cajoling now. “Stay out of this. I promise you that I’ll be okay. I’m sorting it, yes?”
My heart is breaking. How did it come to this?
It used to be that my brother was the person I trusted above all others, and so of course, I would believe every promise he made.
But all that’s been erased and it’s so fucking sad.
I remember what Ben had told me. Tyler’s an addict.
I make a gasping, choking sound as pain engulfs me.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, and for a second, he’s my Tyler again—my big brother.
He pulls me into a hug. He smells terrible, and his clothes are creased and dirty, but I grab him as hard as I can—as if I can keep him safe through the strength in my grip.
He pulls back slightly, cupping my face with his hands. “Wes, I?—”
The door suddenly opens, and everything turns to shit.
“I forgot my wallet,” Mac says as he enters the flat, carrying his keycard.
He freezes, his eyes taking in the scene. Me standing in Tyler’s arms. Of course, I make things worse by taking a fast step away from Tyler and holding up a placating hand. “Mac,” I say. “This is my?—”
“What the fuck is going on?” he slices through my stupid explanation. His eyebrows slam together over icy eyes, and his hands fist at his sides. I realise I’ve never seen him purely and simply enraged.
“It’s not what you think,” I blurt.
Tyler takes a step toward Mac, his gaze quickly scanning Mac’s expensive suit before bounding to the rest of the flat and bedroom.
When his gaze lands on me, I know he’s joined the dots. “Tyler, don’t,” I say quickly.
“He’s no uni friend.” He grabs my arms and gives me a shake. “Is this where the money came from?” he says, his eyes wide. “This bloke is giving you money to fuck him?”
“No! Tyler, please calm down.” I stay him with a shaky hand.
Mac talks over me, his voice cold and dark with threat. “Take your fucking hands off Wes.”
I blanch. “Mac, stop. It’s not what you think,” I try again.
Tyler tosses my hand off him. “You’re fucking him!” he shouts at Mac. “You’re paying my brother for sex .” He charges Mac.
Mac doesn’t feint or bob, of course. He simply slams his fist into Tyler’s nose. There’s a sickening crack, and blood sprays everywhere.
“Oh, fucking wonderful !” I shout. “Stop it.”
Tyler, groaning with rage and pain, charges Mac again, shoving him against the wall. There’s a thud, and the pictures rattle. The two men tussle, grunting.
“Tyler, stop!” I grab at his arm to pull him away, but he flails and I take a backhand to the face.
Pain explodes, white hot and dizzying. “Shit,” I choke. I lose my balance and fall to the floor. “Ow,” I mutter, holding my cheek.
“Wes.” There’s a flurry of movement and Mac appears on his knees beside me. His expression is frantic. “Are you okay?” he gasps. “No, let me see.” He gently prises my fingers away from my face.
My brother slumps at my other side, a bloody hand to his nose.
“Can you get him a tissue?” I ask Mac. He hesitates for a second and then grabs one from the box on the table and hands it to my brother. Tyler holds it to his nose, and the tissue immediately turns red. Mac grimaces and sets the whole box on Tyler’s lap.