Page 71 of Brandy Snap: Part Two
I kept thinking I knew how much I had to lose, but there was always something else they could take.
I dragged my gaze from my favourite tiles and propped the broom against the wall. I needed to be with Sin again so my emotions couldn’t crowd me. I’d already had a proper cry when I had to remove my favourite books in my room and bubble wrap them. I made sureTaken by the Rogue Alphaswas triple bubble wrapped so they'd never find it.
I sighed instantly at the sight of Sin standing in the centre of the room overflowing with boxes.
All their gifts had to be packed up, and the only things left now were the last of my books in the cases to his right, and the collections of pictures and frames on the wall he stood next to.
He was still in the quiet space, and nothing seemed to touch him as he intensely studied the photos. I didn’t want to interrupt him, even though we had to pack up my nest as quickly as possible.
“Are they your family?” he asked, suddenly turning to me.
I froze as purple eyes met mine. Even though we had talked about sleeping together and it felt resolved, my trust hadn’t returned. Even though my omega instincts made me relax as soon as he gave me a kind look.
“I really don’t want to take them down,” I said as I moved towards him.
I’d avoided even looking at the pictures because it hurt too much. They were the first things I’d put up when I moved in, and I wanted them to be the last I packed away.
They were mostly photos of us growing up. Dad died too early to be part of our lives, so a lot of the faces on the walls were Rosa and Mum, before she’d had her stroke. There were cousins, aunts, and uncles in there, too. Photos from visits, and school, and outings. They felt like proof I actually grew up ‘normally’. There were photos of my sister and me laughing and playing together as kids, before things got too messed up to know where it went wrong. Where Mum smiled at us both with so much love, it was hard to believe she spent her days sitting in a hospital room all because of a tiny blood clot.
They were memories of a time when my life didn’t completely revolve around money, and I wasn’t stuck in a place where I thought I’d never have enough.
Sin opened up his arm, and I had a choice to step towards him or not.
I didn’t know where the line lay with Kai since we were bonded, and I needed support. The scent match with both alphas was even stronger now that Kai and I had shared bites, and I wanted Sin’s comfort.
I let him feed his arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. Soft vanilla washed over me and I sighed into him.
“We’re mostly scattered now. I’ve forgotten half the people in the photos,” I said.
“But your mother and your sister—are they still in your life?”
“How did you know?” I asked.
“Because they look exactly like you,” he said with the slightest smile.
“They definitely aren’t going anywhere,” I chuckled fondly, as if my sister was just a little rascal rather than one of the reasons my life had gone to shit.
I absolutely loved the way Sin casually moved in behind me. It was so easy and natural for him to shift from clasping my side to running his hands over my waist to press his chest to my back and wrap his arms around my stomach.
It seemed to be his favourite position, especially when his chin slotted on my shoulder and his aura brushed around me.
I let myself sink into him as the deep agony of having to uproot my entire life in the space of weeks crept up on me.
I shouldn’t have stopped. I should have just carried on cleaning.
“My mum…” I bit my lip, not sure how much I should share with him. “My mum’s terminally ill. That’s why I called you.” I curled my hand around his, holding him as he buried himself in closer. “She had a stroke a few years ago, and her healthcare was too much to afford. That’s why I agreed to your proposal.” Leaving out the part about my sister’s involvement. Or that I had already taken care of it with Zania’s money.
I just hoped they’d never meet my sister.
“And now?” he asked as he leaned back, and I could turn my head to look up at him. “Is money the reason you called us this time?”
My heart jumped, wondering if he knew about the cheque.
“You know that’s not why I called you,” I replied, averting my gaze.
It was better to keep it vague rather than outright saying that, despite everything they’d put me through, they were still the people I wanted to be with the most.
He went silent again, and I didn’t know if we were about to enter serious conversation territory. I didn’t think I had the strength to talk about my feelings for them when I was losing my nest.
