Chapter 25
25
Melissa
D read filled my stomach when I realized who it was. If Wyatt was pissed after meeting with Wraith, then it didn’t go well. He came into the living room, seething, his eyes locked on me. I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“Tell me it isn’t true. Tell me you aren’t fucking my best friend.”
My eyes widened, and I looked around. Did he seriously not notice the audience we had? How could he miss it? The noise startled Ellie, and she was crying. Zoey ran to her mom, who stood in the open kitchen doorway. And Xander…
Xander looked freaking terrified. He was pale, poised to run, his eyes darting around, looking for the nearest exit. And Wyatt didn’t notice a single one of them. All because he had a problem with me and Wraith.
Shoving out of my seat, I stormed around the couch, grabbed his arm, and shoved him towards the door. He looked incredulous until I whispered harshly at him.
“There are kids here, you big dolt. If you want to throw a hissy fit, do it outside where you aren’t going to scare the hell out of them!”
He finally looked around long enough to see the chaos he created. And because my brother wasn’t a complete jackass, he winced and dialed down the demon act a little. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I just need to talk to Mel for a second.”
He seemed to think it was his turn to start pushing me around. I jerked away before he could start dragging me, pointing a finger at him.
“Don’t. I’m willing to talk to you, but I’m not going to let you manhandle me. Calm your freaking tits and go outside.”
He growled and stormed outside, with me following him more sedately. I wasn’t in any hurry to deal with his temper tantrums. We stopped on the sidewalk near my car, and I crossed my arms, waiting for him to start.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Well?”
“Well what? What did Wraith say?”
“He said you two were a thing now. Tell me it's a fucking prank.”
I gave him a flat look. “Does Wraith pull pranks?”
We both knew the answer to that. Wraith was too stoic to take part in pranks. He wasn’t a joking kind of person. The closest he got was teasing comments. Getting him to join in on the game today had been a miracle all on its own.
“You can’t be serious, Melissa! He’s my best friend!”
If he was hoping to make me feel guilty, he was really going about it the wrong way. “Need I remind you that you just recently claimed my college best friend? Did I throw a hissy fit about it?”
“It’s not the same–”
I put my hand up to stall him. “You need to stop shouting at me. I’m having an adult discussion with you. If you can’t act like an adult, then this conversation is over.”
I never let anyone talk to me like that. Not even my brother. If he was too worked up to talk to me, then he needed to make the decision to walk away until he was ready to speak calmly.
“Melissa!” he snarled.
“No, Wyatt. I’ve wanted Wraith for a long time. He’s finally looking at me as something more than his best friend’s little sister. I’m not going to walk away from that just because you don’t like it. And until you’re ready to talk to me without shouting, we’re done here. I need to take Xander home.”
I could see everyone watching us either from the window or from the open front door. I knew Xander was one of them. He’d been through enough. He didn’t need to see me fighting with Wyatt. I turned away from him, ignoring his frustrated snarl, and headed back inside.
“Are you okay?” Skylar murmured, touching my arm.
Forcing a smile, I lifted a shoulder. “I wasn’t wrong to be worried. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Xander was watching through the living room window, and he looked anxious when I came into view. I held out my hand for him. “It’s okay. He’s mad, but he would never hurt anyone. You’re safe. Let’s get going. I’m feeling the need for a treat.”
He took my hand, clinging to my arm as we headed back outside. Wyatt wasn’t far from the door, and he looked a little pale, his eyes locked on Xander. At least he was paying attention enough to realize he was scaring a little kid. He kept his mouth shut as we passed and didn’t come after me again after I nudged Xander into the front seat. When I dropped into the driver’s seat, I sighed heavily before starting the engine.
“Are you okay?” he murmured, clutching tightly to his seatbelt.
Taking a second to breathe, I nodded. “Yeah. He’s my brother. We fight sometimes. He’ll get over it eventually.” Flexing my hands on the steering wheel, I frowned. “I’m feeling the need for ice cream. How about you?”
If Wyatt reacted that way with Wraith and I hadn’t heard from him since, I made the assumption that our first kiss was also our last. Wouldn’t that just be my luck?
Since we hadn’t gotten around to eating dinner, we stopped at a pizza place for dinner first before we went to the grocery store for ice cream, and I picked up a few more snacks that Xander could keep in his room. I hadn’t seen him hoarding food yet, but it happened sometimes with kids like him who didn’t know when they’d get their next meal. I made a mental note to suggest a mini fridge to Wraith once Xander was a little healthier. Giving him access to food would go a long way in making him feel more secure.
When we pulled up out front, Wraith’s bike was there, but the lights in the house were off. I figured out why when we pulled into the driveway. The only light streaming was from the detached garage. Wraith was probably in there.
He gave me a key to the house when I agreed to stay, so I used that to get inside instead of facing Wraith himself. I wasn’t ready yet. I wanted to pretend for a little while longer that there was a possibility of us in the future. Once he officially turned me down, I wouldn’t ever try again. I knew my worth, and I didn’t need to fight for someone’s attention.
Xander and I went to the kitchen, scooping out bowls of ice cream. He kept looking over his shoulder toward the back door. It was a straight shot to the garage.
“Do you think he wants some?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Only one way to find out. Do you want to bring him a bowl?”
He seemed hesitant, but I wanted him to connect with Wraith. If he was thinking about going out there, then it was a good thing.
“Come on. Let’s make him a bowl and you can bring it out to him. If he doesn’t want it, then it means more for you.”
“Are you gonna come?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head, scooping out some plain strawberry. Wraith was always a simple kind of guy. I doubted he wanted anything fancy, like the flavors I picked out. “I think I’m gonna turn in early tonight. I’ve got a headache brewing.”
I felt bad for telling him no, but I needed a minute after all that. Hopefully Wraith didn’t do anything stupid like take his mood out on Xander. If he did, I might lose it completely. Wyatt had already scared the shit out of him. Wraith was his guardian. He had to do better.
Handing the bowl to Xander, I gave his arm a supportive squeeze. “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything. And if he says anything dickish, you let me know. I’ll take care of it. Alright?”
A flash of a smile crossed his face before disappearing again. I’d do better in the morning once I wrapped my head around the reality of the situation. Fighting with Wyatt was a surprisingly rare occurrence all on its own. Losing Wraith before I ever had him hurt, and I needed time to come to terms with that.
With a little urging, I got Xander out the door and watched over him until he knocked on the garage door and poked his head in. Wraith must’ve invited him in because he disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the mostly dark house.
Closing the back door, I rubbed lightly on my sternum. I didn't think it’d hurt that much. It was one kiss. It just came with a punch of decades of want behind it.
Snagging my bowl of ice cream, I went up to my room. I left the door cracked because I didn’t want Xander to think he couldn’t come to me if he had another nightmare. Getting comfortable on my bed with my back against the headboard, I took a huge bite of ice cream, immediately regretting my life choices as pain seared through my head.
“Freaking brain freeze,” I murmured, swallowing the bite and pressing my tongue to the roof of my mouth to stave off the pain.
My phone chirped from my pocket and I fished it out, smirking at the group chat that Skylar must’ve made with me and Maggie.
Skylar: Boys are dumb
Mel: I second that
Skylar: Are you home safe?
Mel: Safe and sound with a big bowl of ice cream to keep me company
Maggie: Wraith?
I paused, considering how to reply. In the end, I settled with something vague.
Mel: Garage. Not ready to face him yet.
Skylar: I get it. If you need an excuse to come out, Ellie keeps asking for the nice boy. I think she wants Xander to come back to play.
Aw. I typed out another reply, huffing out a laugh at the response.
Mel: Video or it didn’t happen
Skylar: You think I don’t video literally everything she does?
She followed up with the video, where Butch was trying to get Ellie to sleep, and she kept asking for the nice boy. Butch looked seriously unhappy that his daughter was asking about boys so young. I snickered to myself.
Mel: I’ll let him know he’s got an admirer.
Texting back and forth with them helped a little. It kept me distracted. Distracted enough not to get a second bowl of ice cream, at least. It didn’t really stop me from wallowing over the fact that Wyatt ruined the one shot I had at the guy I always wanted. If it was anyone else, I would’ve put up a fight. Argued that my brother didn’t get to control my dating life, no matter who I chose to date. But it was his best friend. They’d been inseparable since we moved in next door and Wyatt noticed the little boy with the short black hair hiding up in a tree in his backyard. We thought he was just cool for being able to do that. It took a while for either of us to notice the bruises or that he always went out there when his dad started yelling a lot. It was harder to get to him up there.
I always admired him. That admiration turned to a tiny crush in middle school that slowly grew throughout the years. I never asked him if he was interested in me. I didn’t want to make things awkward since he and Wyatt were so close. But I always hoped I’d have a chance one day. Maybe when I was all grown up and had a good job helping people, he’d see me as more than Wyatt’s little sister. He’d see me as someone worth the risk.
I should have known better. One of the things I admired most was his loyalty. That loyalty didn’t apply to me.