Page 61 of Harvey

“I want to shake him until his teeth rattle. And it does not matter that he is six foot three inches and has muscles of steel- “

Gregory hid a smile as she dragged her phone out of her purse.

“Darling, that’s not a good idea.” He warned, knowing precisely what she was about to do.

“Let them work it out. “Shaking his head, he watched as she punched the number and put the phone on speaker.

“Mother? I am in the middle- “

“I don’t care what on earth you are doing. Your wife needs Harvey Blackwood, and I love you very much, but I am very disappointed in your behavior.”

“She needs me. Is she hurt?”

“Of course, she is hurt, you foolish boy. She is hurting inside, and you are the one doing the hurting. What is wrong with you?”

“Stay out of it.” He told her tightly.

“I am your mother, and I will not stand by and watch as you mess things up with that beautiful girl. Do you hear me?” Without waiting for him to respond, she plucked the off button.

“Oh, darling.” Her husband said with a sigh. “I have a feeling you just made things much worse.”

“It had to be said.” She sniffed.

Covering her hand with his, he squeezed gently.

*****

“I wish you would talk to me,” Silas said quietly as he sat at his desk, his hands pleated together on the desk.

“I am fine.”

“You are not. I have been watching that wounded look on your face all day and can attribute it to one name – Harvey Blackwood.”

“That’s two names.” She pointed out weakly.

“Kendra.”

His quiet, calm voice had her shoulders sagging in defeat. “Think anyone else saw it too?”

“You did a very good job hiding your feelings.”

“I wish I had fallen in love with you instead.” She told him wistfully. “Things would have been so much less complicated.”

“We were not meant to be,” Silas said with a smile, his expression thoughtful. “And the truth is, my brother needed someone like you.”

“It’s hard, Silas.”

“I know, and you have to ask yourself if you want my brother badly enough to fight for him. To not care what comes out of his mouth but to keep going.

My parents did just that. And I could tell you some stories of what he did to push them away. He did the same thing to me. Did I tell you how he pushed me off the swing and told me to get away from him so many times, I lost count.”

“What did you do?”

“I told him I love him and that nothing he ever does will make me stop. And I continued to piss him off by following him around and barging into his room.”

“I bet that must have made him mad.”

“It did. But I did not care. I loved him; he was my big brother, and it did not matter that he was not my blood. Blood does not make a family; we share the bond, and Harvey and I share it.

---