Chapter 32
THEO
Cursing under my breath, I watch as the rock I just threw skips across the lake.
She’s only been gone an hour, and every second has felt like torture. My plan when I got back to the house was to let her go tonight. To tell her to leave me and that I didn’t deserve her. I could never put her life at risk again.
What I wasn’t prepared for was her willingness to go. Her comments that this thing between us was just “fun.” It was so much more than that to me.
I might’ve agreed with her in an effort to create distance between us, but I didn’t believe a word I said. It wasn’t until she tried to shake my hand that I knew she was being serious. I shouldn’t be so hurt. After all, distance between us means I can never hurt her again.
But something about the distance feels wrong.
I throw another rock and watch as it bounces across the lake. As the sun begins to rise, I’m shocked I’m still standing, having not slept in almost twenty-four straight hours.
Another rock flies across the lake, this one not coming from me, but from my right. I look over to find Roman standing next to me. He stares out at the expanse of the lake, coffee mug in hand. The sunrise casts a warm orange glow just behind the tip of Mount Hood, highlighting its snowy peak.
“What do you want?” I don’t hold back the bite in my voice.
“Wanted to see if you were okay.”
I scoff at his response. “Oh, now you want to check on me? Not even a couple of hours ago, you were berating me in front of my girlfriend!” I motion toward my Mustang near the side of the house, doing my best to hide the wince on my face when I catch a glimpse of the back bumper.
Yet the cost of the repairs is the least of my worries right now.
“Fake girlfriend,” he corrects.
Realizing this is a losing battle, I give up, “How’d you know about that anyway? Did Alex tell you?”
“No one had to tell me. You’ve always been the worst liar. Ever since you were seven and told me the monster under your bed stole my keys so I conveniently couldn’t go to work on a Saturday.” He levels me with a look.
“Yeah well, I wouldn’t mind if your ass was at work right about now.”
“I’d gladly rather be there than here, dealing with your bullshit,” Roman snaps.
“What do you fucking want from me, Roman? I’ve tried everything to convince you that I’m responsible.
” Despite my exhaustion, my voice rises, and my limbs begin to shake as adrenaline flows through my body once again.
“Now you’ve taken the job offer off the table and sent Sienna home.
She could barely even look at me when she left because of what you said. ”
“Because of what I said? Or because of what you did?”
Both. Neither. She left because she realized she deserves better.
“You put a woman’s life in danger, Theo.
After everything we’ve been through, how could you have possibly made the same mistakes Dad made sixteen years ago?
Do you even remember Mom? What she looked like?
Sounded like? Smelled like? No. Because Dad took her from us.
He left and took her with him, out of his own selfishness.
Tonight, you showed me you’re more like him than I thought, and I didn’t raise you to be this irresponsible. ”
My anger comes out more forcefully than expected.
“Shut up, I get it! Dad was a piece of shit and you think the same of me. If you knew it was fake, why didn’t you just say something?
If you didn’t want me to buy a Mustang like the rest of you, why even give me access to my nest egg money?
Maybe if you had been there for me as a brother like you were for Alex and Leo, instead of a dad, you wouldn’t find yourself so disappointed in me right now.
” I shove my forefinger into his shoulder for good measure.
To my displeasure, he barely budges an inch.
“You were six, Theo. Someone had to step in and raise you. Alex and Leo were older. Things were just different with them. If you want to be ungrateful, do it somewhere other than my fucking house.” Roman turns, walking back toward the house.
His back is to me when I yell after him, “Mom and Dad left everything to all four of us! You don’t just get to claim ownership because you’re the oldest, asshole!” Roman continues to ignore me as he shuts the sliding glass door. Not looking back once.
Annoyed, exhausted, and still disgusted with myself, I head toward my wrecked car. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I look for the keys, only to find a small note on the steering wheel.
I’ll tell you where your keys are once I know you’ve gotten some sleep. - Leo
It’s just one fucking thing after another today.
Deciding I’m too tired to fight two out of three of my brothers, I pull the seat lever and recline the driver’s seat as far as it’ll go.
Settling in, I close my eyes. Lying there for a few moments, I replay the events of tonight. If I’m so irresponsible and only good for “fun,” then fuck them all.
I don’t need Roman, and I certainly don’t need Sienna. If she doesn’t care, then neither do I.
Eventually, I fall asleep to the thoughts of my own lies.