Page 53 of Love Bleeds Red
What the fuck is he doing in my mother’s kitchen?
Ignoring the pain and nausea, I jump out of bed, and storm down the stairs. There he is, the sodding prick, sitting at mum’s table, a cup of tea in front of him and biscuits from my childhood plate. James sees me coming and scrambles out of his seat. Mum quickly jumps between us.
“Leon, don’t be angry. He’s not here to make trouble,” Mum says calmly but firm. “Let’s sit down and talk. I’ll make some more tea.”
“Mum,” I seethe. “Step aside.”
“Please,” James says, his hands up. “I don’t want trouble. I came to apologize for what I said last night. How I acted.”
I scoff. “Fuck right off.”
“Language!” Mum scolds.
I’m too angry to acknowledge her.
“Five minutes,” I growl, pointing toward the front door. “Outside. Then you fuck off and never come back.”
Mum opens her mouth to protest, but I’m already stalking toward the garden, naked except for my boxers. I don’t give a shit if the neighbors see, my only concern is getting this piece of shit out of here.
James follows, looking somewhat stunned.
Once we’re outside, I cross my arms and glare at him. “Start talking.”
James runs a hand through his dark hair which is perfectly coiffed again despite the rest of him looking like absolute shit. “Look, what I said last night... about you being mixed. That was out of line.”
“Out of line?” I let out a bitter laugh. “You fucking think?”
“It was racist. And wrong.” He casts his gaze downward. “I was angry and I wanted to hit you where it hurts. But that’s no excuse.”
I stay quiet, refusing to make this easy for him.
“The thing is,” James continues, “if it makes you feel any better, our prick of a dad’s never home anymore anyway. My parents refuse to get divorced because of money and status, but Mum’s fucking her therapist, basically living with a new family, and God knows what he’s doing up at the country estate. He’s there all the time now… I can barely get a meeting with him.”
Cry me a river, I want to say. But I stay quiet, shifting on my bare feet, which are getting cold in the damp grass.
“He’s cut me off completely,” James says, his voice turning bitter like it was last night. “Why do you think I fight in that piece of shit basement? The controlling bastard’s even cutting off Mum’s spending too. Keeping us both on a leash. And then to hear him go on and on about you… how you’re everything I’m not, well…”
“And I’m supposed to feel sorry for you?”
He drags his hand through his hair again and meets my gaze. “No… that’s not why I came. I’m just—I don’t know. I’m sorry, alright?”
A noise comes from the entrance—Mum being nosey. I wonder briefly if she knew who James was before letting him into her home. I turn back to him—my brother. The word feels all wrong to describe him. Damon and Jasper—they’re my brothers. In everything but blood. This piece of rubbish can crawl back to whatever Mayfair penthouse he came from.
“Your time is up.” I gesture to the street where his shiny BMW sits parked along the curb, my gaze cold and unforgiving.
He walks toward his car then pauses at the gate. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I got to meet you. It’s him we should hate, not each other.”
I have enough hate for both of you.
When I look up he’s already pulling away.
I head inside, where Mum’s standing by the stove, pretending she’s been there the whole time. Without a word, I grab a bag of peas from the freezer, and sit at the table with a groan. Mum places a hot cuppa in front of me without me having to ask.
“Thanks.”
“Extra strong. You look like you need it.”
I sip, letting the hot liquid slide down my throat, waking me up, while holding the peas on my head with my free hand. She drops two paracetamol next to my mug and takes a seat across from me.
