Page 1 of Only Everything
PROLOGUE
TAUREN
It’samazing how quickly a person’s life could change. I used to think our path was a series of choices. That we all chose a direction, and we made what we could out of it. Maybe to an extent, we did. Or perhaps choices were just as elusive as the help I so desperately needed.
Had I known all along that this would happen? That the man I thought wassafeonly wanted to hurt me? Maybe even wanted me dead?
…Choices.
If I looked back at my earliest days, would I see that I was fated to fall? Fall for the unstable. Fall…for the beautiful lies that life so desperately loved to supply me?
I was a sucker for safety. For any real glimmer of protection and normalcy. After my abusive upbringing and then losing my stepmother at my father’s own hand, I prayed for a martyr. A badge. A gun. Authority. Anything or anyone who could set me straight.Help me. Ithought throwing myself into an immediate relationship with Emmett was the best thing to do after what I had caused. After all, he’d taken such care of me when he and his partner had burst through the door of our rundown three-bedroom home. I’d been in shock then, screaming and covered in my stepmother’s blood after my father had blown their brains out.
How had I not seen how rushed our relationship was? It was a few weeks shy of my nineteenth birthday and Emmett had been a handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed rookie at twenty-one. His protectiveness made me feel safe despite that it was smothering. Not once since he’d come barging into my life had he left my side. He wooed me. Made sure I ate. Helped me shower when I didn’t want to get out of bed.
Nothing lasted forever and his true colors surfaced almost immediately. While part of me ate that up, I was never blind to his real demeanor. From the start, he dictated every decision I tried to make. He barely knew me, yet he talked to me as if he’d known me forever. I was mourning. Guilt-ridden. So naïve and young, and he took advantage of that as he stepped in, taking over part of my life. And I let him. I couldn’t trust myself, and I had no one else. Not really.
“I thought you said Reid was flying in this morning. First, he leaves you to make the arrangements alone, and then he doesn’t even try to come home to help support you when you need it the most? Now he’s going to miss the ‘spreading of the ashes’ as well? It’s been four weeks since they died. What sort of brother doesn’t come home for his sister during this sort oftragedy? He better hope I never meet him. Real piece of fucking work there, Tauren.”
“He’s overseas. He’ll be here. Besides, I took care of everything just fine.”
“Withmyhelp, not his.”
“I said I could take care of it. You offered. Even insisted. Reid… and my father didn’t get along very well. It’s complicated. None of that matters. I assure you my brother is devastated and doing everything he can to make it back.”
His eyes narrowed as he scanned the park’s surroundings.“His fucking friend emailed. He hasn’t called once to see what happened. His own mother had her head blown off not feet from you, and he hasn’t even contacted you to see if you’re okay? Doesn’t he want your side? Doesn’t he want to hear the story from you? I can’t say I’m confused because that’s an understatement. If anything, I find that awfully suspicious.”
Words would barely come as memories blinded me. The truth nearly made me sick. Lightheadedness had me reaching for Emmett’s arm just so I wouldn’t lose balance. How had it come to this? It was all my fault. All of it. My parents. Reid leaving.
“His friend emailed because I refused to take either of their calls. This is my doing, not Reid’s. It’s all…me.”Tears.“We had a big fight months ago when he got back from basic training. I told him—I told—I told him to stay away. I told him I wasn’t his sister anymore.
Just saying the words were a knife in my heart.
“You never said he called, only that you responded to the email and explained that you had everything under control and gave them the information.”His eyes narrowed.“Why did you hide that from me?”
“I didn’t do it intentionally. I didn’t tell you he called because we didn’t talk.”
“You still should have told me that he tried reaching out to you. I could have answered and handled this. Then at least he could have helped with the finances or something. He did nothing. You paid for everything out of your savings. Do you think he’ll give you half?—”
“I’d never ask Reid to do that.”
“Why? It was his mom that died too. If he were a real man, he’d do it on his own. Hell, he’d pay for everything or at least offer. This guy… What the fuck, Tauren? He sounds like a piece of shit.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t have to. I’ve heard enough. I bet you he doesn’t even come.”
“He will.”
“Yeah…we’ll see.”
And we did. I couldn’t even reply before Reid stayed true to what I knew in my heart.
No fight was too big. No tragedy was too devastating.My brother couldn’t stay away.He couldn’t abandon me, even if that’s exactly what I told him to do.
Emmett slid his hand under my bicep, pulling me towards the tall, dark-haired man in the military uniform. Reid’s light gray eyes were hard, cold and narrowed as they watched us approach. His square jaw was tight, repeatedly clenching as we came to a stop.
“I got here as fast as I could.”
