Page 62 of The MC's Little Brother

That wasn’t why I thought he was asking. I thought when he brought it up that he was looking for someone else to take me in. Like he didn't want me here, so he figured he’d look for someone else to pass me off to. It made me mad because the only person I had left wanted to get rid of me right away. I didn’t think he was worried about someone taking me.

“There’s… There’s no one else but you. I looked. My mom signed all her rights away to my abuela and took off. After my abuela died, they brought me to Jorge. He took me in because Abuela left me a bunch of money, but he didn't actually want me. All I’ve got is you.”

His face softened with understanding, but he still wanted to know. “How’d you get here then? Did he buy you a bus ticket or something?”

I winced, looking at my lap instead. One of the reasons I didn't want to tell him is because I was worried I’d get in trouble.

“This is a safe space, Xander,” the doctor reassured me. “You can talk to him.”

Quietly, I admitted, “I stole money from Jorge. After he kicked me out, I waited until he was drunk enough to pass out and snuck in for my things. Ididn’t have any money of my own, but I knew he used my information to open credit cards and stuff like that. One of the cards in his wallet had my name on it. I stole it, lied about my age, and used it to buy a plane ticket. I withdrew the rest in cash to pay for a taxi from El Paso.”

Both adults looked stunned when I finally looked up. It took a few days to come up with that plan, and I was scared the whole time that someone was going to figure it out. I still couldn’t believe I got away with it.

“Don’t unaccompanied minors need an adult to meet them at the airport?” the doctor asked with a frown.

“Not if you’re fourteen, you don’t,” I replied. “And airlines don’t care enough to check. My ticket said I was fourteen, and I didn't need an escort, so they left me alone.”

Mattias leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his mouth covered. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it really freaked me out.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I heard of the shit that happened to kids in foster care. I found a picture of you in the attic and looked you up. I thought you’d understand and would help me. I wouldn’t have stolen if I didn’t have to…”

He sat up slowly, considering me for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m not mad, Xander. I’m just trying to wrap my head around it. So much shit could’ve gone wrong. I could’ve lost you before I even found you.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I dropped my gaze again. “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t expect him to hug me. I still wasn’t used to it. After my abuela died, no one ever touched me anymore. No more hugs or friendly pats on the back. I couldn’t make any friends because I looked like a homeless kid in my stained ugly clothes that were ten times too big, and sometimes I went to school smelling awful because I had to take care of Jorge before I left. Mel was the first one to offer hugs or link our arms. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until she did that.

“I’m sorry too. I should’ve checked in every once in a while. Made sure he didn’t reproduce anymore. If I’d have known, I would’ve come for you.”

If he came before my abuela died, I wouldn’t have wanted to leave. She was nice to me and took care of me as long as she could. But she was old and taking care of me was hard on her. When she got sick, she didn’t have the energy to fight it off. I still hated myself for being part of the reason she died.

“See? There’s a lot of benefit in learning how tocommunicate with each other,” Addison said after a long minute. “We’ll use these sessions so you both feel understood, and if there’s something difficult you want to talk about, we can cover it here in a safe space.”

My spine stiffened, and I pulled away, eyeing her warily. There were some things that were better left unsaid. At least until I knew Mattias a little better. I felt better after yesterday and today, knowing he just wanted to take care of me, but I wasn’t ready to tell him everything. I didn't want to lose the one good thing I had. No one had to know.

Melissa

After a few sessions with Addison and a sign off from the doctor, Xander was finally ready to return to school. Mattias managed to get ahold of copies of his birth certificate, and Wyatt was working on getting him a new social security number. They still weren’t speaking to each other outside of things related to Xander, but Mattias said there was less tension when they spoke over the phone.

Two weeks after his arrival, Xander’s bruises were lighter, but I could tell he was uncomfortable with it, so I beckoned him into my room while he was getting ready and offered to cover them.

“I know guys are weird about makeup, but I promise I am an expert blender. No one should even notice unless they’re up close and personal or it gets rubbed off. What do you think?”

He glanced at the bag of makeup and back at me, his brow furrowed. “No one will notice?”

I nodded. “Want me to show you? I can just do a small spot first to prove it.”

Warily, he agreed, and I mixed up some colors to match his skin tone. I did a small spot on his chin just to show him what it looked like, and he looked relieved when it looked like the bruise was gone. He agreed to let me cover the rest and sat patiently while I worked, his eyes closed.

“There. All done.”

He blinked his eyes open, his expression all eager curiosity. I smiled as he hurried into the bathroom to get a good look.

“Holy shit!”

Snorting, I called out, “Language!”

We were working on him not cursing so much. Not that Mattias was much help. He cursed like a sailor when he was annoyed, and a few rough work days had him so pissed he had to spend a few hours in the garage to cool off before he could talk without growling again.

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