Chapter 27 You Held It Together
YOU HELD IT TOGETHER
PATIENCE
“You were right, those are the best doughnuts I’ve ever had.” A moan follows my comment, and Jacob’s eyes heat.
“Someday you’ll learn not to question me.” He wraps his arm tighter around my shoulders.
Sometimes he doesn’t seem real. But then he drops his chin to kiss me on the top of my head, and I know I’m not imagining things.
After our escapades in class yesterday, I came back to the apartment long enough to have a video call with Mila, Teal, and Violet. Then I conveniently found any excuse to leave so I could meet up with Jacob again.
We spent all night fucking on every surface of his apartment until I could barely walk. It’s like he’s made it his mission to see how many ways he can make my body hum for him before the end of the summer.
When we woke up this morning, he promised me breakfast and the best doughnuts in the city. I swore there was no way he could beat the bakery back in Bristal, but he proved me wrong.
The elevator dings at our floor, and Jacob waits for me to step out first like a gentleman. His arm brushes mine as he sticks close, and I love that he can’t seem to keep his distance from me because I can’t stay away from him either.
When we reach his apartment door, the one across the hall swings open, and Violet rushes out. Her eyes immediately ping-pong between us.
“Patience, there you are.” She bites her lower lip. “I thought I heard you outside the door. You haven’t been answering your phone.”
“Crap. I think it’s still on silent.” I start to fumble with my purse when I spot Violet staring at Jacob and realize this looks bad. “We ran into each other getting doughnuts.”
He nods at Violet. “Good morning.”
“Good morning?” It’s more of a question than a response as she forces a smile.
On any other day, I might panic that Violet is going to read into Jacob and me spending time together outside of class, but I can’t think about that when a slew of missed calls and texts light up my phone.
Alex. Violet. Teal. They all reached out at some point during the night.
“Mila was stabbed?” I read the first text again, trying to process what I’m seeing. “Who—what—oh my god.”
I continue to read through all the messages to see that there was an altercation at Sigma House between my father and Alex. It ended with Dad stabbing Mila, and her being rushed to the hospital.
“Alex texted Kole and let him know that she’s going to be okay. But you should come in so we can talk.” Violet tries to reach for me, but I pull back.
“My father stabbed her?”
She winces, nodding in confirmation.
My father has a never-ending list of sins etched in his soul.
He’s killed more people than I’ll ever know about.
But stabbing Alex’s girlfriend just because he doesn’t approve is something I can’t process.
I always knew my parents were controlling to a fault, but to see the extent of that cracks any last semblance of family I thought we might have.
“It sounds like Mila confronted your father about something,” Violet explains. “Come inside. Kole might know more.”
Jacob steps closer, taking my phone from my hand. He places his other hand on my lower back, and it’s the only thing that calms me as I process everything that’s happening.
“Breathe, Patience.” He rubs a circle on my spine. “Let’s go inside and see what’s going on.”
Violet’s eyes dart between us, and I know there’s no denying what’s happening right in front of her face—or that he’s the mystery man I’ve been sneaking off with. But right now, I don’t care. I follow her into the apartment, submitting to the haze in my mind.
I’m barely standing by the time Kole finishes explaining what happened last night. It’s the most I’ve ever heard him say at once, and I still get the feeling he’s withholding details. Which isn’t surprising since Jacob is standing beside me, and the House only ever reveals so much.
But I get the general idea of what occurred.
Mila was with my brother at Sigma House when Alex was called away to take care of something. She went to the kitchen for water and ran into my father downstairs. Their conversation got heated, and when Alex returned, the three of them got into an argument that ended with her in the hospital.
“I’m calling Alex.”
“But—” Violet’s eyebrows pinch, and if I had to guess, she’s wondering how I’m going to call him when he doesn’t speak to anyone.
“He’ll talk to me,” is all I say as way of explanation.
For the first time since leaving Bristal, I wish I’d taken my mother’s advice and stayed there.
If there’s one person who has always been there for me through everything—good and bad—it’s Alex.
And here I am, selfishly chasing the dreams my mother will squash when I return home.
Leaving him to deal with our family alone.
I turn to Jacob, who is still standing at my side, even after everything Kole has just said.
I can only imagine what he’s thinking. It’s one thing for me to tell him I’m a disaster, but to show proof of it is another.
Jacob should leave and find someone who has their life together.
Someone easier to be with. Someone less broken.
“You can go.” I swallow hard while Kole and Violet give us some space. “Sorry you had to hear about all this. My family is a mess.”
He smooths his fingers down my long braid. Blonde strands slip between his fingers as he thinks for a moment.
“Patience.” Jacob steps closer, cradling my jaw in his hands. “Go call your brother. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
“You don’t have to wait. This is messy. You have no idea.”
He frowns. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be here.”
My throat tightens. And when he dips down to kiss my forehead, I realize I have a lot of explaining to do with Violet, given the fact that she and Kole are staring at me. But it’s suddenly the last thing on my mind because all that matters is checking on my brother.
Jacob waits in the kitchen, and Kole is surprisingly chatty with him, while I go into my bedroom and close the door.
Pulling out my phone, I debate texting, but I decide to try a video call. To my surprise, Alex answers on the second ring.
“Hey.” I frown, sinking onto the bed.
Even though the room is dim around him, it’s clear he’s in the hospital.
“I heard what happened. How is she?”
Alex rakes his fingers through his dark-blond hair, looking up at the ceiling. “Alive.”
Hearing his voice again after years of silence still catches me off guard. The simple reassurance has my shoulders relaxing.
“How are you?” I rest my elbows on my knees, holding the phone up and wishing there was less distance between us.
Alex shakes his head, dipping his chin. “I let that fucking happen.”
“What he does isn’t your fault.”
“Isn’t it?” Alex swallows hard, and I realize even if he’s speaking again, his words are still clipped and unsteady. “Dad told me about my trial. He’s the reason all this shit happened.”
My chest tightens. “What?”
“He thought I was getting weak, so he pulled some strings and almost got me killed. At least he was sorry for that. Fucking asshole.”
“It wasn’t the House?”
Alex shakes his head. “It was our father all along. And Mila found out, and it all went to shit. He fucking stabbed her.”
“But she’s okay.” I say it for him.
For myself.
I try to hold on to it and remember that just because Alex and I have no chance of surviving our family, at least she will.
Alex glances to the right, where I assume Mila must be lying in a hospital bed. “She hasn’t woken up yet. But the doctors say she’ll recover.”
It’s rare my brother shows emotion. Even when I saw him kill someone with his bare hands, his expression barely flinched. But the longer he stares at Mila, something shifts. The darkness that fills his gaze is endless.
He’s in love with her.
“I’ll take the first flight in the morning.” I pop off the bed, not able to sit still any longer because someone needs to be there for him.
“No.” He shakes his head.
“You need me there.”
“You’re where you need to be.”
“Alex—”
“Stay in LA, Patience.” His voice drops. “Things are a mess here. Between Dad pulling this shit, Mom being her usual self, and Sigma House fighting internally, it’s better if you stay where you are. I can deal with this.”
“You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
“You did.” He frowns. “Those years I was locked in Montgomery, I gave up. But you didn’t. You held it together for both of us. So let me do that now. Finish your program in LA, and I’ll deal with our family. You deserve it, sis.”
I freeze, not sure what to think—what to say. A tear slips down my cheek, and even if I want to be there for Alex, I realize maybe he needs this as much as I do. In a way, we’re both searching for our power. Our voice.
“Are you sure?”
“Kole and Dec are headed back to Bristal in a couple of days. I’ll be fine.” Alex’s words don’t match his tone, especially when his gaze moves to Mila again.
“Take care of her.”
“I will.” He offers a tight smile. “And be careful in LA. Dad’s in the wind, but he has enemies who might take advantage of him slipping up. I can send people to watch you—”
“No,” I cut him off.
My life in Bristal was surrounded by bodyguards, worried that someone might try to come for me because of who my father is. I refuse to let that plague me here.
“It’s a big city. I’ll be fine.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he nods once. “Be safe.”
“Promise.” I force a smile.
A nurse says something to Alex, and he gives me a final, sad glance before ending the call. But I don’t immediately walk out of the room and return to Jacob. I stand, staring at myself in the mirror for a minute.
Maybe I should ignore Alex’s request and return to Bristal. Suffering the consequences for my family is what I’m good for. But as I roll my shoulders back and wipe the tears from under my eyes, I decide maybe he’s right. It’s his turn to hold this together.
His fraternity.
His mess.
Knowing my luck, I’ll never get another break from Sigma Sin like I am right now. I might as well seize this chance.