Page 24 of Broken Trust

Until Sam had entered Morgan’s life and changed Kellen and Morgan’s friendship for the better. Sam had no idea how deeply he’d impacted Kellen’s life.

There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the guy. “Have a safe trip home.”

“Talk to you later, buddy,” Morgan said.

Kellen set his phone down and used the heels of his hands to wipe his eyes. Clearing his throat, he grabbed his phone and headed upstairs.

Chapter Seven

Atlas lay on the bed, his head resting on the pillow, looking at the text his mom sent him about something she’d heard through one of her friends. She wanted to know if it was true that Atlas had caused a scene at the hospital.

They hadn’t spoken since that day in her kitchen. Which seemed like a lifetime ago.

Jennifer’s wedding was getting closer. Atlas understood that. He knew his mom and sister, along with Craig’s mom, were busy with everything. But it only took ten minutes to call him to ask him what was going on and if everything was okay.

It wasn’t like Atlas to cause a scene. It was completely out of character for him. He wasn’t even going to call his sister like his boss had suggested. Even though Jennifer supported him and his dad never had a problem with him dating men, Atlas had always felt as if he didn’t belong in his own family.

Atlas rolled to his side and curled his good arm under the pillow. What Braylon had done to him still hurt deeply. How could Atlas not see what was right in front of him? Not only was Glen a cheater, but so was Braylon.

They’d met a year ago at Fearless Fox and had hit it off. Since then they’d nearly been inseparable. Braylon had been the only guy Atlas’s mother hadn’t curled her lip at, only because she knew they were just best friends and not dating. How many cookouts had Atlas invited Braylon over for? How many times had he confided in his best friend things he hadn’t told anyone else?

To find out that Braylon was sleeping with Glen behind Atlas’s back not only crushed him but he lay there wishing he could get revenge.

That was why it was so hard for Atlas to trust anyone. Every time he gave someone a chance, he was fucked over.

What hurt most of all was what Kellen had said in the kitchen. Atlas had only caught the conversation where Colt was asking about Braylon, as if Kellen had been trying to set him up on a date.

Wasn’t there anyone Atlas could trust?

The sound of footsteps reached his ears. Atlas didn’t want to fight with Kellen. They were supposed to be each other’s other halves, but Kellen didn’t act like it. Atlas didn’t really know anything about his mate because Kellen never shared anything with him. He was closed off, and Atlas wasn’t sure if those walls would ever come down.

He watched as Kellen entered the room, and all Atlas wanted was to be left alone.

Kellen closed the door then sat on the floor by the closet. Atlas yearned to be in his arms, craved something special with the guy. He’d messed around and caught feelings for Kellen, but he was too afraid to express them because Kellen had all but admitted they were supposed to have been nothing more than a hookup. Just Kellen’s bad luck that Atlas had turned out to be his mate.

The scene in the kitchen had made it more than clear that Kellen hadn’t been ready to settle down. The guy had been forced to do so because of the whole mating thing. Although Kellen had been caring and considerate toward Atlas, that wasn’t the same as actually wanting to be with someone.

Atlas lay there, watching Kellen, his heart hurting so badly that he couldn’t have something deep and meaningful with the one guy fate had thought would be perfect for him.

Kellen leaned against the wall and cleared his throat. “My dad died when we were pups. Colt doesn’t even really remember him. Our mom raised us. In my world, our kind don’t reach maturity until we’re between seventy and one hundred. Some less fortunate are left orphaned, relying on strangers or family members who may or may not want them.”

Had Kellen been crying? His eyes were a bit shiny and slightly red. It was hard for Atlas to believe that a guy who seemed so tough would cry.

“My cousin was orphaned. My mom took him in, but she treated Jared as if she resented the fact that she was burdened with raising him. Colt and I were young, so we didn’t understand why she felt that way. If she didn’t want him there, why did she take him in?”

Atlas didn’t say anything because it felt more rhetorical than a genuine question.

“We kept telling Jared if he did everything she said, she might be nicer toward him. That was always what she’d told me and my brother. Good boys get love and bad boys suffer the consequences. Her love was very conditional.”

“That’s emotional manipulation,” Atlas said. Glen had done that to him, but Atlas had been ignorant of the fact that that kind of behavior was a sign of a toxic relationship. It had been Jennifer who’d pointed it out to Atlas.

“Something I dealt with for over one hundred and fifty years.” Kellen cleared his throat again as he stared at the carpet. “Only she wasn’t the one who doled out the punishments when she was pissed at us.”

Atlas didn’t like where this was going. He wanted to yell for Kellen to stop, that he didn’t have to share this with him, but the look on Kellen’s face said he had to. “She made you do it because you were the oldest.”

It was a hunch, but when Kellen nodded, Atlas felt tears burning behind his eyes.

“If I didn’t, I got both their punishments and mine,” Kellen said. “It killed my soul to raise a belt to Colt.” Kellen wiped at his eyes. “But it was Jared who got it the worst. I fought back, told her to beat me instead. I could take it. I was larger than either of them. When she realized I wouldn’t be her mindless puppet, she tried turning us against each other. She would bake cookies or some other treats and give them to Colt, telling him that he was being a good son, while Jared and I got nothing, not even dinner.”

---