“All right. I’m done here.” I sidestep him, struggling to keep myself under control. “You do what you want, buddy.”
“Damn right I will,” he slurs.
I catch Wade’s eye and jerk my head toward the door. He wastes no time meeting me there. “Make sure East gets home all right,” I mutter. “He can’t drive.”
Wade nods. “I’m on it. Go home. It’ll all be better in the morning.”
If Ella shows up, yes. If not? We’re screwed.
Feeling defeated, I drive home and try not to think about how my life has gone to hell. Ella’s gone. East’s a mess. Brooke’s back. I don’t know what to do with the anger. I can’t fight again. My ribs are too sore. But my hands are fine, so I duck downstairs to the weight room and take out my aggression on the punching bag.
I pretend the bag is me. I pummel it until my hands are bloody and there are red marks on my feet and up and down my legs.
It doesn’t do a damn bit of good.
Afterward, I wash off my sweat and blood in the shower, throw on a pair of sweats and climb upstairs. In the kitchen, I dig out an energy drink and am startled to realize the time. It’s past one a.m. I was down in the basement for almost an hour and a half.
Exhausted, I haul my tired ass up the stairs. Maybe I can finally fucking sleep tonight. The hallway is dark and every door is closed, including East’s. I wonder if he’s back from the party.
As I approach my door, I hear noises. Low grunts, gasps.
What the hell?
Brooke better not be in there.
I throw open the door and the first thing I see is my brother’s bare ass. He’s on my bed. So is Abby, who’s moaning softly as East pumps into her. Her hands clutch his shoulders, legs wrapped around his hips. Her hair is fanned out across my pillow.
“Seriously?” I growl.
Easton stops moving, but keeps one hand curled over my ex’s breast. He glances over his shoulder and offers a savage smile.
“Oh, man, this is your room?” he says mockingly. “Must’ve gotten it mixed up with mine. Sorry, brother.”
I slam the door and stumble back into the hall.
I sleep in Ella’s room. Or more accurately, I lie on Ella’s bed and brood all night. In the morning, I run into East in the kitchen.
“Abby tasted good last night.” He smirks and takes a bite of an apple.
Idly I wonder how he’d feel if I took that apple and shoved the whole thing down his throat. He’d probably laugh and say he wanted another one just to show me. Show me what, though? That he hates my guts?
“Didn’t realize we were sharing like the twins.” I grab the pitcher of water with more force than I intend and the filtered water spills over my hand.
East forces a laugh out. “Why not? Maybe if I was the one boning Ella, she wouldn’t have left.”
Blood washes over my eyes. “You touch her and I’ll—”
“She’s not even here for me to touch, you asshole.” He hurls the half-bitten apple and it explodes against the side of the cabinet just inches from my head. “I wish that was a fucking brick and it smashed your head in.”
Yeah, we’re doing really well here in the Royal household.
I avoid East for the rest of the day.
7
Another week passes. Ella’s still gone and my brothers still aren’t talking to me. Life sucks, and I have no idea how to make it better, so I stop trying. I just give in to the misery and shut out the world and spend every night wondering what Ella is doing. If she’s safe. If she misses me…but of course she doesn’t. If she missed me, she’d have come home already.
On Monday, I get up and go to practice. It’s obvious to everyone that East and I are feuding. He stands on one end of the sidelines and I stand on the other. The distance between us is larger than a stadium. Hell, the entire Atlantic could probably be dumped in the chasm that’s growing between us.
After practice, Val stops me in the hall. I check the urge to cup my balls.
“Just tell me she’s okay,” she begs.
“She’s fine.”
“Is she mad at me? Did I do something?” Val’s voice cracks.
Dammit. Can’t anyone keep their shit together? Irritation makes me snap, “What am I? Your couples’ therapist? I don’t know why she’s not calling you.”
Val’s face crumples. “That’s a shitty thing to say, Reed. She’s my friend, too. You have no right to keep her from me.”
“If Ella wanted to hear from you, she’d call.”
That’s the worst thing I could say, but the words fall out anyway. Before I can take them back, Val runs off.
If Ella didn’t hate me before, she will when she gets back and sees the mess I’ve made of everything.
Pissed and frustrated, I turn and slam my foot into the locker. The metal door crumples under the impact and a corresponding jolt zips up my leg. It doesn’t feel good.
Down the hall, I hear laughter. I turn to see Easton holding out his hand. Dominic Brunfeld slaps something into East’s palm. A few other guys from the team pull out bills and hand them over.
“Never thought I’d see you torn up over a chick,” Dom says as he walks past me. “You’re letting us all down.”
I flip him off and wait for East to reach me. “Want to explain what’s going on?”
East fans his money in my face. “Easiest cash I’ve ever earned. You’re unhinged, bro. Everyone in school knows it. It was just a matter of time before you’d lose your cool. It’s why Ella ran.”
I breathe heavily out of my nose. “She’s coming back.”
“Oh, did you magically find her in the middle of the night?” He spreads his arms out wide and twists around. “Because she’s not here. You see her? Dom, you see Ella?” Dom shifts his gaze from me to East and back again. “No, he doesn’t see her. What about you, Wade? You see her? She join you in the bathroom?”
“Shut up, East.”
Pain shines in his eyes as he makes a zipping motion across his lips. “Shutting up, Master Reed. You know what’s best for the Royals, right? You do all the right things. Get all the good grades. Play ball smart. Screw all the right girls. Except when you don’t. And when you fuck up, you affect us all.” His hand wraps around the back of my neck and drags me forward until our heads are pressed together. “So why don’t you shut up, Reed? Ella’s not coming back. She’s dead, just like Mommy Dearest. Only this time, it’s not my fault. It’s yours.”
“Damn right I will,” he slurs.
I catch Wade’s eye and jerk my head toward the door. He wastes no time meeting me there. “Make sure East gets home all right,” I mutter. “He can’t drive.”
Wade nods. “I’m on it. Go home. It’ll all be better in the morning.”
If Ella shows up, yes. If not? We’re screwed.
Feeling defeated, I drive home and try not to think about how my life has gone to hell. Ella’s gone. East’s a mess. Brooke’s back. I don’t know what to do with the anger. I can’t fight again. My ribs are too sore. But my hands are fine, so I duck downstairs to the weight room and take out my aggression on the punching bag.
I pretend the bag is me. I pummel it until my hands are bloody and there are red marks on my feet and up and down my legs.
It doesn’t do a damn bit of good.
Afterward, I wash off my sweat and blood in the shower, throw on a pair of sweats and climb upstairs. In the kitchen, I dig out an energy drink and am startled to realize the time. It’s past one a.m. I was down in the basement for almost an hour and a half.
Exhausted, I haul my tired ass up the stairs. Maybe I can finally fucking sleep tonight. The hallway is dark and every door is closed, including East’s. I wonder if he’s back from the party.
As I approach my door, I hear noises. Low grunts, gasps.
What the hell?
Brooke better not be in there.
I throw open the door and the first thing I see is my brother’s bare ass. He’s on my bed. So is Abby, who’s moaning softly as East pumps into her. Her hands clutch his shoulders, legs wrapped around his hips. Her hair is fanned out across my pillow.
“Seriously?” I growl.
Easton stops moving, but keeps one hand curled over my ex’s breast. He glances over his shoulder and offers a savage smile.
“Oh, man, this is your room?” he says mockingly. “Must’ve gotten it mixed up with mine. Sorry, brother.”
I slam the door and stumble back into the hall.
I sleep in Ella’s room. Or more accurately, I lie on Ella’s bed and brood all night. In the morning, I run into East in the kitchen.
“Abby tasted good last night.” He smirks and takes a bite of an apple.
Idly I wonder how he’d feel if I took that apple and shoved the whole thing down his throat. He’d probably laugh and say he wanted another one just to show me. Show me what, though? That he hates my guts?
“Didn’t realize we were sharing like the twins.” I grab the pitcher of water with more force than I intend and the filtered water spills over my hand.
East forces a laugh out. “Why not? Maybe if I was the one boning Ella, she wouldn’t have left.”
Blood washes over my eyes. “You touch her and I’ll—”
“She’s not even here for me to touch, you asshole.” He hurls the half-bitten apple and it explodes against the side of the cabinet just inches from my head. “I wish that was a fucking brick and it smashed your head in.”
Yeah, we’re doing really well here in the Royal household.
I avoid East for the rest of the day.
7
Another week passes. Ella’s still gone and my brothers still aren’t talking to me. Life sucks, and I have no idea how to make it better, so I stop trying. I just give in to the misery and shut out the world and spend every night wondering what Ella is doing. If she’s safe. If she misses me…but of course she doesn’t. If she missed me, she’d have come home already.
On Monday, I get up and go to practice. It’s obvious to everyone that East and I are feuding. He stands on one end of the sidelines and I stand on the other. The distance between us is larger than a stadium. Hell, the entire Atlantic could probably be dumped in the chasm that’s growing between us.
After practice, Val stops me in the hall. I check the urge to cup my balls.
“Just tell me she’s okay,” she begs.
“She’s fine.”
“Is she mad at me? Did I do something?” Val’s voice cracks.
Dammit. Can’t anyone keep their shit together? Irritation makes me snap, “What am I? Your couples’ therapist? I don’t know why she’s not calling you.”
Val’s face crumples. “That’s a shitty thing to say, Reed. She’s my friend, too. You have no right to keep her from me.”
“If Ella wanted to hear from you, she’d call.”
That’s the worst thing I could say, but the words fall out anyway. Before I can take them back, Val runs off.
If Ella didn’t hate me before, she will when she gets back and sees the mess I’ve made of everything.
Pissed and frustrated, I turn and slam my foot into the locker. The metal door crumples under the impact and a corresponding jolt zips up my leg. It doesn’t feel good.
Down the hall, I hear laughter. I turn to see Easton holding out his hand. Dominic Brunfeld slaps something into East’s palm. A few other guys from the team pull out bills and hand them over.
“Never thought I’d see you torn up over a chick,” Dom says as he walks past me. “You’re letting us all down.”
I flip him off and wait for East to reach me. “Want to explain what’s going on?”
East fans his money in my face. “Easiest cash I’ve ever earned. You’re unhinged, bro. Everyone in school knows it. It was just a matter of time before you’d lose your cool. It’s why Ella ran.”
I breathe heavily out of my nose. “She’s coming back.”
“Oh, did you magically find her in the middle of the night?” He spreads his arms out wide and twists around. “Because she’s not here. You see her? Dom, you see Ella?” Dom shifts his gaze from me to East and back again. “No, he doesn’t see her. What about you, Wade? You see her? She join you in the bathroom?”
“Shut up, East.”
Pain shines in his eyes as he makes a zipping motion across his lips. “Shutting up, Master Reed. You know what’s best for the Royals, right? You do all the right things. Get all the good grades. Play ball smart. Screw all the right girls. Except when you don’t. And when you fuck up, you affect us all.” His hand wraps around the back of my neck and drags me forward until our heads are pressed together. “So why don’t you shut up, Reed? Ella’s not coming back. She’s dead, just like Mommy Dearest. Only this time, it’s not my fault. It’s yours.”
