Page 181 of Bona Fide

? Hurricane — Thrice ?

“You sure about this?”I fix the lapels of my brother’s suit as he tries to hold down a calm demeanor. He might be related to me, but he was always the one to quickly rat us out when Dad started to put the heat on us for whatever shit we got into. And dealing with Demi is a whole other animal.

“Yeah.” He straightens his spine but doesn’t hide the heavy exhale. “You got some weed?”

I flick my eyes to him. “You really want to smell like—”

“Where is it at?”

“I don’t have any—” My eyes constrict. “—the last thing I need is being known as Pothead the President.”

“I got you,” Phoebe sounds from behind us, stepping into my old bedroom. “You know Wade has to be careful with his status.” I can hear the teasing in her tone, but we have a meeting with one of my lawyers in two hours, and I want Lucas sober and focused.

“Do you really think that’s appropriate?” I chide my sister from over my shoulder. “You both need to be—”

“This isn’t our thing,” Lucas retorts. “We don’t deal with—”

“Mama doesn’t let us talk to anyone outside of her circle of douchebags,” Phoebe fills in. “She’s going to lose her shit when she knows we came to you with all of this.”

You should’ve come to me fucking sooner.

“I wish you would’ve come to me sooner,” I reply instead, coercing my irritation back. “I would’ve been there for you instead of shunning you like a bunch of fucking—”

“It’s probably best you did.” Phoebe glances at Lucas. “You would’ve never ended up where you are with all the press about our allegations and—”

“Stop.” I let Lucas finish his tie and stride to my sister, who took a seat on my bed.

Her light pink dress reminds me of the ones she used to wear as a child. Her honey hair that I accidentally lit on fire once when Lucas and I were playing with sparklers and fountains. When she came to me in hysterics after Camila chopped half her ponytail off because she touched her dumbass Barbies.

When I got involved with Demi, I distanced myself unknowingly from them. I began with my own life and never looked back to make sure my siblings were faring okay on their own. In love and optimism, I left them behind, blindfolded by my love for Demi. And they paid the price for it.

I hunch down and peer up at her. “I would’ve dropped everything for you. For all of you. I will never quit you again—ever. That annoying ass, overbearing brother you had years ago, I’m back. You’ll never want for a fucking thing.”

Phoebe’s face begins to twist. “I’m so sorry, Wade. For Camila and—” I launch up and pull her into my arms, squeezing her in reassurance.

“None of this is your fault. None of it, do you hear me?” I peer over my shoulder. “You too, asshole. You’re not alone, I’m fucking here. We’re a family...got it?”

I feel Phoebe nod into my chest as she compresses me closer to her.

“Yeah,” Lucas replies. “We got it.”

“It’s my fault you’re both here. I should’ve seen the signs. There is no reason why I—”

“Let’s stop the blaming,” my brother conveys, erasing the distance between us. His hand lands on my shoulder. “We’re in this together, got it?”

My lips lift weakly. “Yeah, man, got it.” Phoebe blindly reaches out for Lucas and pulls him in. Together, we’re rounded in a semi-circle hug blob with Phoebe’s soft sobs in the center.

“Wade.” I clench my eyes closed as Em breaks the moment with my siblings. For once, I feel like there is hope for my family to be somewhat full again. My mother can still go to hell, Henry can suck a dick for fucking my wife, but Phoebe and Lucas—that’s enough for me.

We break from each other and turn to face the doorway where Em stands before moving to the side to let someone else in.

Henry.

My eyes trail back to my assistant as I grip Phoebe’s hip tighter and hook my finger to the back of Lucas’s pants like a possessive mother who’s about to rip someone’s face off.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

Em clasps her hands together. “We need to talk.”

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