Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“Do what you like.”
She scoffed and shook her head. “It’s funny you should say Roe’s a stranger to you now … Because, honestly, I feel that way about you.”
Her words hit hard. They fucking hurt. “What does that mean?”
Arro shrugged sadly. “Just that I don’t know you anymore. My funny, charming, affectionate, loving brother came back this autumn a guarded, aloof man hiding behind a false smile. I see it, even though you think I am too busy as a new mum to notice. You’re not happy, Brodan, and you won’t admit it. You won’t talk to me about it.”
I smirked to hide the way her words struck a nerve. “You said it yourself—you’re busy with Skye.”
“Not too busy to talk if you need it.”
“I don’t.”
Arro sighed. “That’s what I mean. You’re lying to me right now.”
“What do you want me to say?” I snapped. “That my fucking life is in the toilet? That I don’t know what I’m doing or what I want? That life didn’t turn out the way I thought it would and seeing fucking Monroe Sinclair every fucking where takes me back to a place that kills me!”
The words rang through the spacious room, shocking us both.
Arro took a step toward me. “Yes, Brodan. I want you to tell me those things.”
“I can’t,” I said between gritted teeth. “Because if I don’t keep it together, I’m afraid …”
“Afraid of what?”
“That I won’t be able to pick up the pieces.”
My sister rushed me, throwing her arms around me. I hugged her back, holding on to her slight frame as if she were a lifeline.
“Talk about the things that bother you, Brodan. Or it’ll all explode out of you one day in a way you don’t want it to.”
I nodded. Though I wasn’t ready to talk, I shuddered, holding her tighter.
Arro rubbed my back. “It’s okay, big brother. Just know I’m here when you’re ready to let it all out.”
14
Monroe
I’d never wanted to kill an Adair more in my life. It was no surprise that Brodan could make a placid, nonviolent person turn bloodthirsty. How had I never realized what an annoying arsehole he really was? Seriously.
However, I chose to look at it this way: being enlightened to Brodan Adair’s true self was good for me.
The day had not started well. I had to drop Mum off at a doctor’s appointment, so I was late to rehearsals for the musical, and not just late but in a foul mood. I’d tried asking Mum about Dad again on the way to the hospital, and she’d bitten my head off.
“He never loved you, so I don’t know why you’re so determined to find him,” she’d spat venomously.
I’d tried not to let her see how much the words cut, but as soon as I sped away from that hospital, the tears fell. Furious that I’d let her get to me, I’d pulled over, fixed my makeup, and strolled into work trying to knock that chip off my shoulder.
Unfortunately, David also had a doctor’s appointment that morning, and Ellen had scheduled the school’s music teacher to help us with rehearsal. Two weeks of rehearsing, and Brodan had ignored me at every opportunity, to the point where Lewis was picking up on it and it felt as if he was acting distant with me.
Anyway, if two weeks of his dismissive behavior wasn’t bad enough, Brodan had ramped things up by flirting with our music teacher.
Ms. Ava Reid was barely out of teacher training college and giggling like a wee girl at everything Brodan said.
I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time as Brodan leaned over Ava where she sat at the piano. They murmured together while the noise level among the kids increased in tandem with their growing impatience. I caught Ellen’s gaze.
Her lips pursed, unamused. “Mr. Adair, perhaps we should continue.”
Brodan straightened and threw Ellen his boyish smile. “Ms. Reid and I were just discussing changing the tempo of ‘We’re Off to See the Wizard’. Give it something a bit different and unexpected to the audience.”
I tensed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time for changes at this stage. We need to forge ahead with what we have.”
The son of a bitch didn’t even acknowledge me. He turned back to Ava, murmured something in her ear that made her giggle, and pointed at the songbook on her piano.
My cheeks burned with frustration, and my heart ached. When I glanced along the rows of children, I noted Lewis staring at me with a frown between his brows.
“Mr. Adair,” Ellen’s voice snapped like a whip, and Brodan straightened again.
“Yes, Mrs. Hunter?” he drawled.
“I’m not sure if you couldn’t hear Ms. Sinclair over Ms. Reid’s simpering,” Ellen said pointedly, throwing Ava a sharp look, “but we don’t have time, nor the legal right, to make changes to the musical. Let’s put our attention on the children, please.”