Page 7 of Discord
“Excuse me?”
“If you cared enough to develop a bond with your family, you might also think it’s worth it to appease them.”
“I don’t have any family,” he replied nonchalantly. Brandon might be an ass, but there was a silver lining to his personality. He wasn’t easily deterred by blunt observations, which was good news as I had never mastered the art of speaking with a filter. “Other than my grandfather, I suppose.”
“He’s not your only family.”
Brandon frowned, trying to connect the vague dots.
“Carmen and your half-brother,” I pointed out. How Brandon continued to deny the existence of his flesh and blood was beyond me.
“They’re not my family.” He turned away to pour steamed milk into the cup.
I cast an irritated look at his back. “Of course, they are. You shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss them.”
“You don’t know them.”
“Then why don’t you bring them around, and I can give you my unbiased opinionaftergetting to know them?” I emphasized the wordafter. I had no idea what made for the bold suggestion except, “There are two sides to a story. If you ask for their version, you might find things different than you remember.”
I thought he might argue. Instead, he said, “Hmm,” philosophically.
“You might even understand why I always put my family first.”
Brandon froze. Tilting his head, he glanced at me. “Always?”
“Above everything and everyone else,” I rallied.
His mien suddenly morphed. Brandon looked at me shrewdly, eyes flashing. Wordlessly, he marched to the fridge to restock the milk and angrily shut the door. He returned with a steaming mug in hand and slammed it down so hard that the hot liquid splashed onto the table.
“Careful.”
“Just drink your damn coffee,” he snapped. “And I don’t need a fucking family, nor did I ask for your opinion.”
I balled my fists. God! What in the hell had I said to turn him so grouchy? He didn’t mind discussing his family, as his mood hadn’t shifted until after our last exchange.
Brandon was mercurial. He was the one offering unsolicited help, only to act ambiguously annoyed. Even when he was nice, Brandon was an asshole. I vowed to avoid him like the plague starting tomorrow.
“If you hate the concept of family, what are you doing here?” I asked sharply. “This is a family home, in case you haven’t noticed.”
The sheer contempt on his face gave it away. Brandon hated living here. Perhaps he meant to keep an eye on me and ensure I didn’t renege on my word about outing him. Or maybe he was doing this to torture me as part of his twisted revenge. However, Brandon was the one in agony. He hated most human beings, and I doubted sharing a space with so many of them swayed his opinion for the better.
Biting back a sardonic smile, I leaned over the table. “Can’t imagine living here has been easy on you. A house full of people annoying you to no end. Don’t you miss your quiet home? We both know you despise this arrangement much more than I do.”
Brandon narrowed his eyes, catching my drift.
“This whole plan to torture me is only makingyoumiserable. Let the past go, so we can both be happy. If you start packing now, you’ll be home by dinner time, and I’ll be hanging out with Chris this evening.”
Brandon bent forward abruptly. I attempted to lean back on impulse, but he grabbed my nape, his firm grip keeping me in place. It was the first time he had intentionally touched me after moving into this house. Since finding out about my age, Brandon acted as if the sight of me repulsed him, or I were too lowly for skin-to-skin contact.
“I’m not into jail bate,” he had informed me once when I bumped into him in the hallway.
“Do you know how much trouble I could get into if anyone found out about us?” he had said on another occasion.
“I never would have had sex with someone underaged if I knew about it. Is that why you lied to me?”
Brandon made me feel vile. In turn, I had made sure to grant his wish and never come into his proximity. But now, he was too close for comfort. So close that I felt his breath on my lips with every word he spoke. “Careful, Mia,” he hissed. “I’m barely hanging on as it is. Don’t give me an excuse right now, especially with your entirefamily,” he stressed the word,“in the other room.”
“Excuse for what?” I asked, swallowing when our gazes clashed in a daunting way.
