003

~~Indigo~~

I offer to make breakfast the next morning. Teresa insists I shouldn’t have but she seems to forget I’m not a stranger to this family. Well, maybe until yesterday when I learned of Brax’s twin.

How long were they planning to keep the truth from me?

Speaking of the devil, Brax walks into the kitchen with a blank expression drawn unto his face. I keep my focus on the sausage slices, but he breaks the tension first.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” I don’t stop whisking the eggs.

“About yesterday.” He leans onto the counter, sliding several plates on it. “I’m sorry I spoke to you in that manner. That was out of character.”

“I believe so. That’s why you hid the truth of your twin brother from me?” This time, I stare at him pointedly which he matches. “What are your explanations?”

He shrugs. “None. If he mattered as much, you’d have heard me sing his praise. “

I’m completely thrown off by his careless comments at this point. “That is your twin brother for goodness sake!” I whisper, furious. “How can you say something like that?”

“He’s dead to me.” He tosses his reply over his shoulder as he saves the sausages before they become charcoal. “Besides, having a brother like Slade isn’t something any sane person should wish for.”

“For the umpteenth time, Brax, do not speak about your brother like that.” Teresa walks into the kitchen with every strand of her hair in place. She pats my hand as she walks past. “I wonder how you put up with his grown ass for this long.”

“Same thing I tell myself each day,” I mutter to myself.

“Look, I don’t have to co-exist with assholes just cos they’re family, and that includes Slade. I was better off when he lived several states away from me. As soon as the wedding is finalized, I’ll put the distance back in place. No thanks to you, mom.” He picks up a plate I don’t notice him fill and walks out.

“Has he always been like that?” I’m forced to tame down my anger as I ask Teresa who’s sorting herself out with a cup of coffee.

For the first time, her frozen expression cracks only by a fraction. “Brax feels his brother is the irresponsible and irrational one, which birthed deep dislike for him in the process. They used to get along so well when they were little.”

That doesn’t make any sense to me. Surely, everyone has a wild side, why does Brax have to hold that against anyone? Most especially his brother?

“So how have I not met Slade throughout my visits back when we were kids?”

Without a word, she watches me over the rim of her mug as she raises it to her mouth. Maybe I have overstepped boundaries? I’m about to apologize for my question when she replies.

“My sister was childless in her marriage. Maybe I made a reckless decision but at the time, it was a better option than adopting from the orphanage. I gave Slade to her just so she could get a chance at motherhood. We promised to let the boys be each other’s best friend.”

“And that didn’t work out well.” I flip off the cooker, turn to her and cross my arms.

“Very pointless indeed.” On goes the mask. “Breakfast smells amazing by the way. I’ll have the maids serve it in a minute. You should get some rest.”

The kitchen once again, is empty with me and my thoughts, most of it revolving around Slade and his sudden appearance, Brax’s hate for him and their mother’s helplessness.

“Then there’s me in the middle of it all, clueless where to even begin,” I say aloud to the empty space.

“I have a few helpful tips on where you could begin,” a voice that has somehow etched itself into my memory, says from behind me. “Let’s start with making you drip with desire for me.”

I freeze as he slithers his way into the kitchen.

“Or say, learning how to breathe when I’m this close.”

I spin around and–God help me–Slade is leaning against the counter, way too close to me for comfort. All he needs to do is reach out and he’s touching me.

“What do you want, jerk?” His eyes. I want to gouge them out so bad with the way they drag down my body like I’m a piece of candy on display. So disrespectful.

Before I move, he does. Cornering me in a slow, lazy prowl until the counter’s edge bites into my back.

“Back off,” I snap, but my stupid pulse jumps when I take the first whiff of his cologne. Instead of sliding out of his trap, I make the bitter mistake of staring too long into his eyes.

No, that’s not possible, I shake myself out of my shameful fantasy. I’m delusional. This isn’t Brax. He just has his face and–maybe darker and dangerous…and…

And suddenly, the kitchen feels stuffy. Oh. My. God.

He slurs something on the tip of his tongue which either sounds like a complement or an insult. Someone like him only means trouble, so I’ll take the latter.

He smirks–the kind that says he’s got me right where he wants. “I decided to check you up on the blue app. I just got curious about the type of woman my brother keeps as his bestfriend. If she’s the type to jeopardize his happiness since it didn’t go her way.”

My heart slams against my ribcage and anger flares as the meaning behind his words isn’t lost on me. It was as if he could read my thoughts. "I'm not as insecure as you, trust me.”

He hums. “I wonder what’s so special about you. If you ask me–”

“No one asked you, assh–”

“I’d have preferred you in the picture rather than in person. At least the photo wouldn’t lie about what you’re hiding,” He finishes shamelessly.

Incredulous. “You’ve got a full-time job running background checks on me? Are you that obsessed?” I force out, folding my arms tight over my chest and regretting it last minute when his greedy eyes follow my actions and darken.

“Not exactly.” And not once did he have the decency to not linger on my breasts. Looking straight at me, he asks, “Tell me, Indigo…are you a virgin?”

The question takes me by surprise. Thankfully, some uniformed people walk in to pack the food onto a cart and out of the kitchen.

When they’re gone, I shove at Slade’s chest. “Stay away from my business.”

He barely moves an inch. “Your body screams so.” A hand crawls slowly up my thigh, making my breath hitch. “Or has my brother fucked you? How was he? Do you think you can give me a chance to do better? We merely look the same, but we’re not the same.”

On reflex, my hand goes flying towards his face. But as effortless as everything else he does, he swats it easily.

“What kind of question is that? So shameless that even Brax thinks there’s no reason for a person like you to be in existence and I agree with him on that. Mind your own damn business and crawl back to wherever you came from.” I fume.

He chuckles, taunting me with those mocking sounds as though I just handed him ammunition. “Ah… so I get your anger now. He hasn’t considered you woman enough to be touched, right? You’re just another one of his bros. Isn’t that sad?”

My throat burns, tightening up instantly at the harsh truth in his words. Everything I’d been feeling for the past two weeks; all the hate, fury and betrayal–I feel them deep in my bones. I’ll be damned if I let this egoistical bastard see a drop of my tears.

Before I combust, I shove him with every ounce of strength and storm out.

The man is a walking neon-sign screaming ‘DANGER ZONE’, a flipping landmine and my body knows stepping close is a stupid decision.

A few days more and I’ll be out of this hellhole. I just gotta figure out how to survive without letting Slade Fallon burn me alive first.