Page 44 of Mine to Ruin

Her painted lips curve into a sardonic smile, and Brandon whispers in my ear, “She’s bitter she can’t eat more than an orange and be afraid she’ll become one.”

I suppress a smile, shocked when she adds, “Still flitting between brothers, I see.”

“Back off. You’re one shade away from turning green,” Brandon says.

Kian’s eyes dart from me to his brother. Clouds gather around the table, Kian’s mood thundering in the sticky silence.

“All tickets for the MMA tournament are sold out,” Jason says, breaking the silence.

Kian’s face relaxes, but when I catch Jason’s eyes, he scrunches his nose in my direction, and Kendrick bumps him and eyes me with an apology.

Kian finishes his food in silence. His phone rings, and he leaves the table. Melanie follows him, sending a satisfied glance in my direction.

I growl inside.

Jason says, “Either you’re in or you’re out.”

“Jason, let her be,” Kendrick says in a placating tone. So, he’s the leveled headed one of the group.

“She can’t screw with his head like this. It’s either Brandon or Kian,” Jason persists.

Having had enough of these stupid accusations, I jump to my feet and say, “Brandon and I are friends. Have you ever heard of that?”

“I would never do that to him. He’s my brother.”

Brandon and Jason stare each other down.

“I wonder if you’ll ever get it,” Jason snarls and rises to his feet.

“What exactly?” Brandon asks. “Years of whatever you think I am guilty of? I haven’t done anything.”

“Of course not. You had everything.”

Kendrick drags Jason down. “Enough. Kian would never forgive you.”

Brandon stalks away, and Jason throws the napkin down and leaves as well.

“Sorry about that,” Kendrick tells me with a sad smile.

I put my cheek in my palm. With those hotheads gone, the tension has vanished. “Why is he so irrational when it comes to Brandon and me?” I ask him.

“Kian can’t dissociate things when it comes to Brandon.”

“They’re brothers. And Brandon is my friend…” It’s easy to talk to Kendrick. He emanates this sense of calm, and every time we meet, I get the impression he’s the most mature emotionally, or maybe he hides his troubles better.

Jason is like a bull, Kian is like a volcano, but Kendrick… He’s this unmoving mountain.

“He’s fighting his feelings for you mostly because he thinks Brandon wants you,” he says, care for Kian clear in his voice.

His words take me aback. My eyes widen, incredulity gripping a hold on me.

“It’s what Kian does. He sacrifices himself over and over again for his brother. But not this time. For the first time, he ignored what he was raised to do and took something for himself.”

My heart flutters in my chest like crazy. I wish he could see there is no reason to be jealous. Brandon’s a friend, but what I feel for Kian I can’t even comprehend.

“Brandon just wants the affection of his older brother.”

“His attention! So he befriended you.”

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