Page 21 of Brother to Brother

I looked in on Mel and she was passedout.I let her sleep.

“I gotta run, man,” Nox said quietly and I nodded.

“Thanks for comin’,” I said.

“No problem, he’s my nephew, too. What’s going on with Mel?” I gave a one shouldered shrug.

“Not sleepin’ so hot, I guess. I’m not really sure. She hasn’t said shit to me.”

Nox gave me a look like I was a dumbass, “Not like you’re the easiest guy to fuckin’ talk to,” he said and I gave another shrug. “Right,” he said dubiously, “I’ll see you around.”

“See you around, little brother,” I affirmed and shut the door behind him.

I checked my phone, and Rush had texted back some dumbassed excuse as to why he couldn’t come around tonight. I didn’t care, Nox had been enough. I went over to the couch and dropped onto it with an overblown sigh, Noah watching me through the bars of his crib.

“Go to sleep, kid.”

He grinned his adorable baby grin at me and I felt my mouth quirk up on one side into a smile I couldn’t resist. Even on a bad night, it wasn’t so bad havin’ ‘em here. I was kind of surprised by that, and by how easy they’d fit into things. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it though, I think I passed out before the kid even had a chance.

Chapter 11

Melody

I’d done as Archer had ordered and had gone to lay down. I hadn’t meant to sleep for so long, but exhaustion had sucked me under and held me in some kind of comatose death grip, because the next thing I knew, I was dragged back up out of sleep by the alarm on my phone.

I hadn’t even changed for bed, and sat up, still in my clothes from the day before. I pushed my hair off my forehead and clambered to my feet, waiting for my sleep fogged brain to orient its self.

Breakfast, I need to cook breakfast…

I went out into the living room and spied the empty couch, Noah’s attention rapt on the TV screen as cartoons played. I turned to look and Archer stood in the kitchen, eyeing me.

“Sit down before you fall down, Mel.”

I walked over to the little four person dining table and sank into one of the chairs. Archer brought over a glass of orange juice and set it down in front of me. I picked it up with a shaky grip and sucked some of it down.

“Better?” he asked, and I nodded. “When was the last time you ate something?” he asked me and I thought about it. He sighed and said, “If you have to think about it, it’s been too fuckin’ long. Jesus, Mel. How you expect to take care of him if you can’t even take care of yourself?”

Ouch again.He was right, of course he was, but his comment more than stung. The knife went deep and twisted in my heart and I focused my gaze on my sweet little boy, transfixed by ninja turtles on the small screen. I felt tears slip free and wiped them away quickly. I didn’t answer Archer, figuring the question what rhetorical, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it was exactly that I’d done to make him hate me so much.

“Here, eat this,” he said dropping a plate in front of me. He called to my son, “Come on, Noah. Come help your mommy eat her breakfast,” and I closed my eyes and drew a deep, steadying breath. I reminded myself, that as long as he treated Noah well, and Noah didn’t know anything was amiss, I could take whatever he dished out. I’d done it with my mother and stepfather in Arizona, but anything Archer did was a pale imitation of their cruelty.

You can do this, Melody. You have to… for Noah.I told myself.

“Mommy, up!” I opened my eyes and plastered on a brave smile for my brave little boy and lifted him up onto my lap.

“Good morning,” I said and he hugged me and I loved that he loved me, despite how much of an utter failure I was.

Eggs and bacon, alongside toast, loaded with butter and jam sat on the plate in front of Noah and me, and as always, I made sure my child was full before I bothered to feed myself. Archer sat with his own plate in front of him, drinking coffee and watching us. When Noah had enough and started to squirm, I put him down and he went back to the couch, climbing back up onto it and resuming his cartoons. I finished the food on the plate, my cheeks burning under Archer’s cold, green-gold gaze.

“I didn’t mean to sleep for so long,” I murmured.

“You obviously needed it, I don’t mind so long as you don’t make a habit of pawning breakfast off on me.” I winced at that, and couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Jesus, Mel. What the fuck happened to you?” he asked and I looked up sharply.

“Language in front of Noah, please.”

“Sorry,” he grimaced. “My question stands though, what’s going on? You’re not the same woman we left behind.”

---