Page 71 of Make Your Play

“Watch it, Beau,” I warn him, a bite in my tone as I push Hadley behind me. “You may be my brother, but I won’t hesitate to put you on your ass if you keep saying stupid shit.”

“Ooh,” he half sneers, lifting his hands as he makes them look like he’s trembling. “I’m shaking in my boots.” He rolls his eyes, pulling his door shut behind him as he looks around me at Hadley. “He’s the better pick anyways.” Beau moves past the two of us, walking directly to the elevator.

“Where are you going?” I question him, my feet moving as I step up behind him. I hate that this is the relationship I have with my brother. I’ve always hated it. “Are you off your meds again?”

He lets out a heavy breath. “Jesus Christ, you sound just like everyone else.” He spins on his heel, his gaze like a laserpoint on mine. He doesn’t answer my question and that’s the confirmation I need. “I can live my life however the hell I want, Rowan.”

“I don’t give a fuck how you live your life, Beau. I’m here for Mom, not for you and definitely not for me,” I tell him, my tone clipped as I cross my arms over my chest. “You told her you were coming after dinner and then your phone was off and she was worried.”

“And she just had to send her star son to come check on the degenerate.” He lets out another harsh laugh, the sound like sandpaper against my eardrums. “I’m fine, Rowan. I’ll call Mom on my way to the airport so she can hear it from me.” He sets his jaw, shoving his foot between the elevator doors. “Is that good enough for you?”

My nostrils flare as I stare back at Beau. “Perfect.”

Beau doesn’t give either of us a second glance or another word as he steps into the car, the doors shutting behind him. The silence hangs heavily in the air and I let out a frustrated breath as I’m acutely aware of Hadley standing behind me.

“I know he’s your brother, but he’s an asshole.”

I slowly turn around, a ghost of a smile dancing across my lips. “I use the term brother loosely for him.” My eyes scan her face, seeing the conflict written all over her expression. “Where is he going?”

“He said there’s nothing here for him in this town. Someone named Darcy said he can come stay with her in Boston. He basically thanked me for my time and told me ours was up.”

Boston? Darcy?

I have no fucking clue who she is or what could possibly be there to make him throw everything away like this. Unfortunately, this is Beau. This is what Beau does.

And no one can stop him from doing what he wants.

“I don’t know how I could have been so stupid.” She shakes her head, her gaze dropping down to her feet. “He knows how to be charming and I fell for the charade like a fucking idiot.”

I can’t help myself as I step towards her. My forefinger slides under her chin, tipping her head back to look up at me. “Hey, no, stop,” I tell her, my voice soft as I lift my other hand to brush away her tears. “This is what Beau does. He uses people and then when they’ve served their purpose, he discards them like trash.”

Anger runs through my veins. This isn’t the first time Beau has broken someone’s heart and it’s not the first time I’ve had to explain to them that it’s not them.

“He has issues—a lot of fucking issues—and not a single one is your fault or has anything to do with you.” I swallow roughly, the painful reminder lodging itself in my throat. “Not everyone is a problem you can fix. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves.”

Hadley stares up at me, hope shimmering behind the pain in her chocolate brown irises. “Thank you for saying that, Rowan,” she practically whispers, a soft smile cresting her lips. “He was very forthcoming about his struggles with bipolar disorder and something in me thought I could help him.” She pauses, letting out an exhale. “It’s just reassuring to hear it from someone else.”

“Do you want my advice?”

She pulls in her bottom lip, biting down as she nods. “Please.”

“You leave all of this in your past. You forget about Beau, you heal and you move on.” My tongue darting out to wet my lips, her gaze dropping down to my mouth before bouncing back to my eyes. “And you do not look back.”

“You’re right,” she agrees, confidence washing over her expression as she pushes her shoulders back, straightening my spine. “He was not the one for me. He was just a lesson for me to learn.”

I can’t help the guilt that floods me. My brother should come with a warning label for anyone who crosses his path. I hope one day he can find happiness and something to settle his soul, but it’s not something he was ever going to find in Hadley Reed. She’s too good for someone like him.

“Come on,” I say softly, my hand dropping away from her as I motion towards the elevator. “I’ll walk you out.”

She’s quiet and I give her the silence as we ride down to the lobby. She collects herself, zipping up her coat as we walk through the foyer to the front door. Her eyes meet mine, a smile on her lips as I hold open the door for her.

“Thanks again, Rowan,” she says, nodding at me as we stop in front of the building. “I know you didn’t want to come check on him, but I’m glad I ran into you.”

I stare at her, my tongue tangling as I stare down at her. My brother’s an idiot—a goddamn fucking fool. He was never deserving of someone like her. “Me too.”

“Merry Christmas,” she tells me, spinning on her heel as she begins to walk away. She gets ten feet away before I start walking after her.

“Hey, Hadley?” I call out, the cool breeze carrying her name with it.

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