Page 11 of His Secret Obsession

What if she trips in those things?

“Irene Johnson is your new boss?” I ask, setting the two plates of food onto the kitchen table. Maddie nods her head before sitting, and I take the empty chair across from her. Her eyebrows lift as she stares at the pile of fried eggs, the bacon that’s just a little crispy, and the hashbrowns that are still steaming.

“She’s a real cunt,” I mutter. I don’t like the idea of her boss being the biggest nut-job in town. I jerk my chin towards the plate. “Eat.”

“Oh, thank you but, uh, I usually skip breakfast.” She bites her lip, and I swear my dick perks up. I wonder what it would feel like to take my thumb and tug that plump flesh away from her teeth.

Frowning, I push the plate a little closer towards her. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

I give her a pointed look before picking up my fork and shoveling a big mouthful past my lips. She stares at me, giving me an assessing look that makes the back of my neck warm. Finally, she looks down at her plate and cautiously picks up her fork. As soon as she takes her first bite, her eyes light up and I smirk.

“I do know how to cook basic foods.”

She opens her mouth like she’s going to say something but the sound of the front door creaking open interrupts the moment, and our heads swing towards it. Luke stumbles through the doorway, looking haggard and worn out. His white shirt is wrinkled and there’s a red food stain on his chest. His hair is mussed and he’s rubbing at his eyes like he just woke up. He trudges past us, giving us a lazy wave and heading towards the staircase in silence.

My eyes dart over to Maddie, whose expression remains neutral. No surprise or irritation to be found. It was their first night here, and he stayed out all night?

“Sit down and eat breakfast with us,” I call to him.

Luke pauses, his eyes scanning over the food in front us. His nose scrunches up, his face looking a little pale. “Maybe just a cup of coffee,” he mumbles, walking back towards the kitchen. His mouth stretches into a big yawn, his fingers scratching at his belly. As he pours his coffee and settles into the chair across from me, I wait for him to acknowledge Maddie’s presence. Or for her to tell him good morning, ask where the hell he was all night…anything.

Silence.

It feels unsettling, but neither one of them seem perturbed.

“You look like a steaming pile of dog shit,” I finally mutter.

Luke releases a mirthless laugh, shaking his head while Maddie narrows her eyes in disapproval. “Don’t hold back on account of my feelings or nothin’,” he says, tipping his coffee mug towards me in a mock salute.

I love the kid like he’s my own son. After all, I was his sole guardian from the time he turned eleven until he was old enough to move out. But since he’s dropped out of college, he’s been acting like a little shit. I keep waiting for him to grow up, waiting for the day we can finally have more of the brotherly relationship we missed out on with me having to fill our parents’ shoes after their untimely deaths. I was so excited the day he went off for college. It was something I never got to experience, and I thought it would be good for him. Until six months ago, when he called me up and said he was dropping out. The disappointment made my stomach sour.

And every day, the distance between us only grows.

Sometimes I get the strange feeling he isn’t particularly happy with his life, but I have no clue how to help him.

The one thing I do know is that Maddie appears to be the only good influence in his life. She seems like she has a good head on her shoulders, and part of me really appreciates her role in Luke’s life, but part of me also knows that she sure deserves better than anything he’s ever given her.

And thinking that way makes me feel guilty as hell, because he’s my baby brother and I want him to be happy. I think Maddie makes him happy.

“You gonna do some job hunting today?” I ask him, ignoring his sarcasm.

“Sure, I’ll get right on that,Dad,” he bites out.

I give him a scathing look.

“Just let him be, Jax,” Maddie says, her voice tinged with exasperation. She scoots her chair back before taking her empty plate to the sink. “He doesn’t feel good.”

Luke points a finger at her, nodding in silent agreement. A scoff slips from my throat as I roll my eyes. Standing up, I scrape my plate clean and skirt around Maddie as I place it in the sink.

“I’ll be down at the shop until five today,” I tell them both. Within a few minutes, my work shoes are on and I’m striding out the front door with my key in hand. Perks of being a small business owner: when I bought this land with my dad’s life insurance money, I made sure to build the shop within walking distance of the house. It allowed me to keep a close eye on Luke while still earning a paycheck. As the building comes into view, I think about my two new housemates.

I wonder how Maddie feels about being here. If it bothers her, she’s given no indication. More than anything, I hate that she has to suffer for Luke’s foolhardy mistakes. He’s the one who got fired from his job. And yet, she agreed to give up her internship, move into her boyfriend’s brother’s house, and work a job that’s beneath her.

It makes me wonder if there is anything I can do to make her life a little easier.

When I found out she would be moving in with him too, I spruced up the house a little bit. I added some paintings to the walls, candles, and even a throw blanket. The kind of cozy, homey shit that women love. I want her to be comfortable in my home.

Goddamnit, Jax, it’s not your place to take care of her.

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