Page 10 of The Unwanted Love

Meena leans in and whispers something in her friend’s ear. All three of them look at me, then back at one another, and burst outlaughing. These girls. I shake my head. They’re clearly gossiping about me, and I have to admit, it’s a little annoying knowing I’m the source of amusement.

"Seems like a success, hmm?" Ben walks over to join me.

"You’re the one who’s been a hit with them." I’m referring to the fact that the boys keep cornering him to talk to him about his career in the Marines.

"Might have something to do with the fact you’ve been glowering at whoever tries to strike up a conversation with you."

"I was born this way," I grouse.

Ben laughs. "You’ve been very patient, so far. Thanks for your help."

I shake my head. "You’re the one who set all this up; I didn’t do anything." I take in the book-themed snacks that crowd the table next to the makeshift bar. Ben specifically ordered them for Skylar. Everything fromHarry PotterButterbeer cupcakes, toHunger GamesMockingjay cookies, toAlice in Wonderlandtea sandwiches,Charlie and the Chocolate Factorycandy bars, andThe Great Gatsby-inspired macarons. I heard him mention how much of a fan she is ofHarry Potter. The rest, I assume, are her favorites, too.

Then, there's an array of mocktails on offer. They include a Tea Party punch made of iced tea with lemonade, a splash of raspberry syrup, and garnished with edible flowers—hugely in demand. Also, one called Draco’s Breath, inspired by some kind of Harry Potter fan fiction calledManacled.It’s a blend of lemonade with blue raspberry syrup, topped with a sprinkling of chili powder and poured over crushed ice. Ben showed me how to mix them, and I’ve been busy setting them up, along with the non-alcoholic beers and wines. The level of detail and thinking he’s put into the party is amazing.

"You’re an amazing brother." I take in the happy faces of those on the dance floor.

"She’s an amazing sister," he says in a soft voice. "When she was born, Mom put her in my arms and told me I was to take care of her, always."

"And you’ve been doing it ever since."

He nods. "My father passed when Skye was ten. I was already in the Marines then, and thankfully, earned enough to help out.”

"That’s when you took a leave of absence to help them adjust to life without your dad?” I recall.

Ben nods. The look in his eyes grows thoughtful. "I feel responsible for Skye. I’m very aware that I’m the only father figure she has, and it’s my duty to take care of her and keep her happy.”

I follow his gaze to where Skylar throws back her head and laughs. She’s holding hands with one of the girls and a guy on the other side. I tense, then force myself to relax. These are her friends. And Ben and I are here to make sure nothing untoward happens.

"Mom wanted to help with the party, but Skye and I insisted she take the evening off and go visit her friend. And she was instructed to stay overnight so that we'll have the place cleaned up by the time she returns. When she realized you and I would be around to keep an eye on things, she gratefully accepted. Of course, she did insist on baking a birthday cake for Skylar." Ben laughs.

A cake in the shape of—surprise—an open book is decorated with chocolate and strawberries, which are Skylar’s favorites. I store away that piece of information, as I've been doing with all the details about Skylar that have come my way today. Only because she’s Ben’s sister, and because I care about her too. And because I want to see her happy.That’s all. That’s the only reason I’ve been gathering this knowledge about what she likes. It’s not like I can do something with it anyway because… She’s Ben’s sister. If I say that often enough, perhaps, I’ll remember it too?

I take in the smile on Ben’s face and the delight on Skylar’s. This house, filled with so much joy and laughter, once again, strikes me by how different it was for me. My relationship—if you can call it that—that I had with my mother when she was alive was so different. She spent most days too depressed to get out of bed. And when she wasn’t, she was too busy berating my father and his family for not wanting to have anything to do with her. Only saving grace, my grandmother paid her off, so we had enough to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.

Another yell from the dance floor draws my attention back to thepresent. Ben’s put together a playlist of Skylar’s favorite songs which he’s playing over the speakers. It’s an eclectic mix of eighties dance music, and the ones I don’t recognize, I assume, are the latest viral hits.

"These kids are well behaved." I nod in the direction of the group of guys and girls who are dancing in an amorphous circle. Thankfully, there are no couples breaking off to dance…yet. All in all, I'm impressed at how disciplined they are.

"You sound bemused." He chuckles.

"You know the trouble I got up to when I was their age." My mother was never able to discipline me. Probably because I was more of a parent in the relationship. I was the one who cooked food for us. The one who cleaned up after she drank so much, she started puking. My only outlet was to pick fights—first in school, and then with the local gangs. I gained a reputation for using my fists very quickly.

“If it weren't for the Marines and the discipline that comes with that, I might have landed in the justice system.” I was lucky not to have any encounters with juvenile detention.

My mother wasn’t married to my father when she became pregnant, and my father was too scared of my grandfather to tell him he’d gotten her pregnant because he was engaged to marry someone else—someone from the right bloodline. My grandmother paid off my mother to leave and never be seen again. It meant my mother and I never lacked money, but emotionally, my ma checked out very early. You could say, I brought myself up.

Thankfully, I was intelligent enough to start investing by the time I was eighteen. I started making enough money to take care of myself and my mother. Then my mother died. By the time Arthur reached out to me, I was already in the Marines. Thanks to my investments, I was also on my way to being independently wealthy. Which means I’m not reliant on Arthur, and that’s the way I want it to stay.

Arthur wants to introduce me to my half-brothers, and while I am happy to have found my blood family, my platoon, my brothers-in-arms, will always come first. They were there for me when no-one else was.

My grandfather also wants me to join, as CEO of one of the Davenport group companies. When I turned it down, he was gracious, much to my surprise. He said when I was ready, the title and position would be waiting for me.

Meanwhile, he asked me to, at least, attend the weekly lunches at his place whenever I'm in town. That way, I could meet my half-brothers and stay in touch with them. I wanted to turn him down. But curiosity and, I’ll admit, a need to find out more about my family coerced me into making an appearance. That’s where I was earlier today.

The first time I met them, my half-brothers welcomed me. And when I found out that, like me, many of them were also Marines, the bond was instantaneous. They're good people… Unlike my grandfather. I've stayed in touch with my half-brothers and consider them friends and yes, also family. We may not be as close-knit as Ben and his sister and mother, but it does fulfill some need for belonging in me.

"You turned out okay." Ben claps me on the shoulder. "You’re my buddy, and you’ve been in my corner through some hairy stuff. You’re my brother-in-arms. There’s no one else I’d rather go on a mission with than you. I know you have my back."

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