Twenty Two
October Ninth
Fade
Fade was getting irritated with having to share Whitney’s time with her brothers. Aldous was tolerable, maybe even decent. But Orion was still a dick to everyone, including Whitney.
He kept telling himself this was just a phase and that when the excitement of their arrival wore off, she’d be all his again. But the longer it went on, the more that hope felt like wishful thinking.
Lying in his empty bed, he stared at the ceiling, frustration simmering. He’d helped her celebrate the twins’ birthday this year. Helped celebrate Owen’s birthday. And for what? All the things he’d done, all the things he’d said to Whitney for his ex-fiancée’s fuck buddy.
It wasn’t that he still had feelings for her, those had been long dead. It was the fact that he went to prison because of it. And she’d never apologized. Just moved on with her life, leaving his in ruins. He picked up his phone, needing a distraction.
Fade: How do you tell them apart?
Whitney: Don’t worry about it.
Fade: Can I see you tonight, or are you going to your brothers?
Whitney: Neither. I’m staying home. I started my period.
Fade: Can I come see you?
Whitney: If you want, but it’s day two. I am not to be trifled with.
Fade: What can I bring you?
Whitney: Chicken tenders from the diner and my blue pajama pants.
Fade: You got it, babe. See you in twenty.
Whitney
The door creaked open, letting a sliver of light spill into her darkened room. Fade’s wide frame filled the doorway before it swung shut again. A soft thump followed as her pajamas landed beside her on the bed.
Then he was leaning over her, brushing his lips against hers in a gentle kiss.
“Thank you,”
she murmured as he pulled back. She grabbed the takeout box and set it next to her, sliding up to the head of the bed to get comfortable.
She heard the quiet jingle of his belt buckle, the rustle of denim hitting the floor. When she glanced up, his shirt was already off, and a second later, he slid under the covers. His head found its usual spot near her lap as she crunched into her food, the TV casting soft light across the room.
“I love you,”
he murmured, his thumb brushing her thigh.
“I love you too.”
She set the box aside to free her hands. “I keep forgetting to tell you, Orion said he didn’t know you guys were engaged when he slept with your ex.”
Fade’s jaw tightened instantly. “I don’t want to talk about it. That’s past stuff.”
“Well, I’m just telling you.”
She kept eating, talking around her next bite of chicken. “And I just want you two to get along. My birthday’s coming up, and it feels like I’m dealing with shared custody of myself. Should I just not invite either of you and have a girls-only birthday party?”
He snorted, the tension easing just a fraction. “No.”
“Well, Orion said he’d try to get along with you. Can I get the same effort from you?”
He kissed her leg. “Yes.”
“Thank you. I’d really appreciate it since—”
She hesitated.
Fade’s head lifted, eyes narrowing. “Since what?”
She shrugged, dipping her last bite in the ranch. “It’s just… I’ve been thinking about how I’ve never really had any men in my life make me feel important enough to put in effort. Orion’s no exception. He’s always made me feel like a burden, and now that we’re adults, I just… I’d like to have a decent brother-sister relationship.”
“What about Aldous?”
“Aldous has always been kind to me, but if he had to choose between Orion and me? He’d pick Orion every time.”
Fade scoffed. “Interesting choice, considering Orion’s the one always starting shit.”
“Fade,”
she warned, setting her empty food container aside.
“What?”
His hand dropped back to her thigh. “He’s the reason for all this tension between us. Orion’s antagonistic and disrespectful. I told you, I didn’t want to talk about this.”
“He’s still my brother.”
She pushed his hand off and slid out of bed, grabbing her pajama pants as she stood. “I don’t know what to do.”
She met his eyes as she stepped into the pants, her voice softening. “I can’t keep you two apart. The island’s too small. And I’m scared of losing you.”
Fade leaned up. “Come here.”
She knelt in her spot on the bed, looking down at him propped up on one elbow. “I’m sorry,”
he said, his voice quieter now. “I can’t control how I feel about him. And honestly? If you weren’t his sister, I think he’d try to sleep with you too.”
Her eyes rolled so hard they nearly left orbit. “Why do you always think he’s out to get you? You’re not taking any responsibility for this.”
She shook her head. “If you need to wear earplugs around him, do it. Because I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
He met her gaze, frustration flaring again. “I’ll take credit for being the first one to get physical, I will admit that, and I’m sorry. But I was the one there when you were hurting. And from my perspective? You’re always taking their side. And sometimes… I wonder if you always will.”
“I don’t!”
she shot back, her voice cracking. “But I’m stuck playing middleman, and you’re not there when I talk to them about you.”
His eyes hardened. “Then tell me what you say. How do you stand up for me? For us? Huh, Whitney?”
Her breath caught. Tears welled as his anger crashed into her. “What happened to the girl who stood up for what she wanted?”
She swallowed hard against the knot in her throat. “I’ll always be stuck in this position if you two don’t change. And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I’m the reason your nemesis is here. But I can’t just tell my brothers to leave.”
Her voice broke, and her gaze fell as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I love you all too much to take sides. Do you see how hard this is for me?”
Fade’s face softened instantly. “Should I just… not come around when they’re there?”
“I don’t know,”
she whispered. “I was so excited for you to meet them. I always thought you three would get along.”
She looked up at him, fresh tears sliding down her face. “You’re too much alike.”
He winced. “Please don’t compare me to him.”
“I just—”
Her voice cracked. “I don’t know where to go from here. Or how much more of this I can take.”
Fade reached for her, his arms wrapping around her as he pulled her close.
“We’ll figure it out,”
he promised.
Her body melted into his, the weight of it all settling between them. “I hope so.”
October Thirteenth
She closed the door to her brothers' apartment. “How was work?”
Whitney set her bag down on the couch and circled the table.
“It was alright,”
Aldous said, pulling boxes from a paper bag.
She sat at the head of the table. “Orion?”
He shrugged. “Fine, I guess. Just training.”
Aldous sat to her right. “How was your week?”
“Meh, could’ve been better, but it could’ve been worse.”
She stabbed her salad a little too aggressively and shoved a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. “I started,”
she waved her fork vaguely, “you know. Fade brought me some things to make me feel better.”
She tried to sound casual, like Fade wasn’t just a dick, in both senses.
“Here we go,”
Orion muttered, rolling his eyes. “The guy’s an idiot. A baboon.”
Whitney shot him a glare. “Really? Is that how you feel too?”
She shifted her gaze to Aldous.
He held up his hands defensively. “Don’t get me involved.”
Orion’s palms lifted, his fork still in one hand. “What the fuck, dude? He beat the shit out of me, and he tried to fight you. You might as well be hitting the sheets with him too if you’re not gonna see my side.”
“Stop.”
Whitney’s eyes flicked between them. “There are no sides.”
Orion ignored her. “He’s an idiot, and I’m trying to get you to see that, Ronnie, so you don’t get hurt. The whole original drama wasn’t even a big deal back then, and now that he knows who you are, you’re just a pawn in his game to get back at me.”
Orion leaned toward her, his anger flaring. “He attacked Andy just for looking like me, and he attacked me for no reason. Are you really gonna let that slide? What if he comes after you next?”
“Owen, that’s not going to happen.”
She pushed her food away, appetite gone. “This is getting out of hand. It’s not even about the past anymore — it’s about how far you’re willing to take it. I’m the one getting hurt in all of this. So either we figure out a way to move past it, or you all stay the hell away from each other. But this revenge cycle? It stops now.”
She raised a brow, waiting for some kind of agreement from both of them.
Orion scowled at her, then at Aldous. “So much for acting like a big sister. You used to take our side no matter what.”
“I’m done choosing sides. You’re my brothers, and I love you both but I won’t stand by and watch you destroy my fiancé. You wanna act like men? Then stop acting like Dad.”
“I’m not acting like fucking Dad,”
Orion shot back, his eyes rolling.
“You’re getting real close.”
Her voice softened, but her frustration stayed firm. “All I’m asking is for you to act like adults and get along. If what happened in the past wasn’t a big deal, then you can get over what he did. And if Fade gets caught fighting, he gets kicked off.”
Her tone broke. “And I don’t know how I’d live with that.”
Orion’s head tilted. “Wait, he gets kicked off if he fights?”
A slow, almost cruel smile tugged at his mouth. “Interesting. Considering I’ve never started any of those fights… if he swings first and gets himself kicked off, that’s on him. Almost sounds like he wants to leave.”
He shoved his chair back and disappeared into his room.
Whitney turned to Aldous, her voice quieter. “Was I wrong?”
“You’re never gonna get through to him,”
Aldous said, offering a sad, soft smile.
“I just wanted one night with all three of you. Why can’t we just get a clean slate?”
“You know how he is.”
October Fifteenth
Whitney slid into the passenger seat of the Jeep. “Thanks for picking me up, June.”
“You were on the way.”
June smiled.
“Brittanya should be off work by now and I can get a ride back with her.”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
June maneuvered through town. “It’s nice getting together, just us girls.”
“Right?”
Whitney spotted Brittanya’s car and smiled. The three of them thanked the host as they settled into a booth.
With a heavy sigh, Whitney grabbed their attention. “You guys… I don’t know how I’m gonna handle this weekend.”
Brittanya raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Where do I start?”
Whitney rubbed her forehead. “My brothers and Fade can’t seem to get through one evening without putting hands on each other. I shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
June set her glass down. “You’re right. We’re all adults so why can’t they just put it in the past?”
She tried to make light of her own history.
“They read into everything the other does and think it’s a personal attack. I feel like if they loved me at all, they’d put in some effort. I’m getting so emotionally drained and I don’t know how much more I can take.”
She took a breath. “Fade’s trying, but Orion knows exactly how to push his buttons.”
“That sounds tough,”
Brittanya said thoughtfully. “If my brother didn’t get along with someone I was dating… I don’t know how I’d handle it either.”
“I was so happy when Jay found them and right after they got here, you know the hour I had them to myself. But Fade’s struggling with the past and the way Orion treats me now. And if he gets in trouble for fighting, Margaret won’t give him a warning. He’ll get sent back.”
June’s eyes widened. “Seriously? I get why you’re so stressed.”
“Have you given an ultimatum?”
Brittanya asked.
“No… I just know I can’t keep playing referee. None of them seem to realize how much this strain affects everyone’s relationships.”
“You need to take care of yourself,”
June said gently. “Have you told them how much this is hurting you?”
“Yes.”
Whitney propped her cheek on her palm.
“Have you thought about taking some space? Getting away from all of them to clear your head?”
“I did that last week,”
Whitney admitted. “But mostly because I started my period, and I knew I’d be a bitch if anything happened.”
She smirked. “Why can’t they just be like us and talk shit when they get home?”
June laughed. “Seriously. Your brother needs to grow up. He doesn’t have to like Fade, but he should respect your choice.”
Brittanya nodded. “How’s Aldous handling it?”
“Aldous does what he does best and stays out of it. Honestly? Smartest choice he could make.”
June reached over, squeezing her hand. “Take a deep breath. These things usually work themselves out.”
Whitney gave her a wry smile. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”
She glanced at Brittanya. “Hey, at my birthday, could you fill in Orion’s brow for me when he gets there? I worry Fade’s going to catch on, that it’s how I tell them apart.”
Brittanya smiled. “Absolutely I can.”
October Twentieth
Whitney: Hey, can I ask a favor?
Wolfgang: What's up?
Whitney: Could you keep an eye out for any physical altercations tomorrow? The last thing I want for my birthday is fighting or getting caught in one.
Wolfgang: I can do that for you. Do you need us to bring anything else?
Whitney: No, but thank you so much. It shouldn’t be a problem since I talked to both of them about it. I just want to be cautionary.
Wolfgang: Good thinking, I can do that for you. Let me know if you need anything else.