Page 60 of Broken Empire

“Well, the three of you can go shove it.Idon’t need a doctor!”Isnap at him.

“Canyou please just stop fighting me at every corner and every minute?I’mtrying to do what’s best for you and your mental health.Youneed someone to help you through this.Youmight think you don’t, but you do andHunterandIare not equipped to help you with this.”

“Idon’t need you to do what’s best for me.Don’tyou understand thatIespecially don’t need you anymore?Nomatter how you try to help me, this changes nothing between us,Mase.You’restill the assholeIhate.”

“Youdon’t hate me.Notreally.Youjust think you have to because of everything we’ve had to go through.Doyou remember whenItook your virginity andItold you that you’d always be mine?”

“Thatwas a long time ago, butIdo.Ialso remember you saying that if anyone else ever touched me, you’d make my life a living hell.Archiefaked it because your father paid him to fuck with us and you made me feel worthless, to the point thatItried to kill myself because of it.Antonioactually fucked me, so why are you still here?”Iquestion.Hemoves across the room to kneel down in front of me and then pulls me into him, with his face against my chest and arms around my waist.

“We… no, not we, just me.Iwas stupid andIshould have had more common sense.Ishould have spoken to you first, before jumping to conclusions.ButIswear toGod,Iwill make my so-called father pay for everything he’s done and everything he’s put us through when we get back home.AsforAntonio, likeIsaid before none of that was your fault andI’mgoing to kill him for what he’s done.Noneof them are going to get away without paying for their sins.Asfor us,Iknow everything between us has changed.Toomuch has happened for it not to.Iknow you’re not done fighting me butI’llkeep taking it, untilIcan’t anymore,” he says, looking up at me with sad eyes and a vulnerable expression on his face.

“Whydo you have to keep making things so difficult for me?Ijust need to be away from you for a while,”Isob out.

“I’mnot trying to.Ijust…Ilove you so fucking much.Pleaseforgive me baby!I’mbegging you!I’mhere on my knees in front of you, begging you to give us another chance.IswearIwon’t fuck it up ever again.I’vebeen trying my hardest to set everything right.I’veeven been working behind the scenes to protect you when we get home.Nothingwill ever happen to you again.I’llkeep apologizing everyday ifIhave to.”

“Ifyou want a chance at me forgiving you, then you’re going to have to give me the spaceI’masking you for.Ican’t work through my shit with you here constantly.”

“I-Ican’t leave you alone.”

“Why?”

“Truthfully?”

“Obviously.”

“I’mscared, okay?I’mscared that ifIgive you time away from me, you’ll leave me for good andIcan’t let that happen.You’remy entire world andIcan’t imagine being in it, without you by my side.”

“I—”

“It’sokay, don't say anything right now.Justtalk to the doc for a while and see what happens.”

“IfIwanted some shrink to look into my fucked-up head,Iwould have asked for one.”

“Bottlingit up won’t help at all.”

“WhosaidI’mbottling anything up?”

“You’reforgetting thatIknow you very well babe.”

“Youdon’t know me.Notanymore…”

“Well, if you won’t see her then you’ll just have to spend the rest of the day with me.Wecan cuddle, watch someTVand we can even?—”

“Fine!Fuckingsend her in already then,”Igrumble, cutting him off.

“That’sallIwanted.Justtalk to her for a little while and then we can talk more about us later.”

“Idon’t want to talk about us again, at least not anytime soon.It’sjust too much…”

“Fine.We’lltalk whenever you’re ready,” he says andIjust nod my head.Hefinally gets up from his knees and then bends down and places a kiss on my head before leaving.Ilet out a sigh asIlay back down.

Thetalk we just had has left me even more emotionally drained thanIwas before.Itfeels like we keep going through the same thing over and over again, which is basically me not wanting him here anymore and him saying he’s not going to leave my side.

Ican’t even ask my brother to kick his ass out, wellIdon’t really want to.I’mconfused.I’veseen the weird bromance or whatever, that they have going on andIfeel like they’d throw a tantrum or something, ifItried to separate them.Justthen there’s another knock on the door.

“It’sopen, just come on in,”Isay, knowing it’s the doctor.

“Hi,I’mdoctorBennett,” an older woman says as she comes into view with her hand outstretched for a handshake.Iignore it and she takes a seat on the couch across from mine. “Well,I’lljust take a seat here then.”

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