Love’s Suicide(80)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I pulled away and tried to be as nice as I could be. “I missed you, too. Obviously a lot has happened.”

Branch handed B back to Brooks. She still seemed confused.

It was my turn to hug Branch. I was okay with it until he smiled and held his arms out, as if he expected it. I backed up until I felt Brooks’ body touching my back and then I reached out my hand. “It’s nice to see you, Branch.”

“I don’t get a hug?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not ready for that yet.”

He let out an air-filled laugh. “It’s okay. I guess we all need to warm up to each other.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Brooks pinched me on my back. “Don’t mind her. She’s gotten bitter in her old age. I think it has something to do with motherhood.”

“Am I the only one here that thinks this is completely insane?” I was losing my cool while Brooks cracked jokes.

Branch laughed. “It’s only weird if we make it that way, Katy. Look, we’ve all moved on now and clearly it’s for the best. Whatever you have against me needs to be worked out. We were a family before, and we’re even more of a family now. Look, Mel and I are getting married. You’ve got a kid that I don’t think any of us knew about. You’re obviously with my brother now. We wouldn’t have come today if we knew it was going to make you so mad. If it makes you happy, we can leave.”

I looked around the room at the family that I’d just started to get back. As much as I wanted to resent him, I had to bite my tongue. These people were all I had left and I needed them now more than ever. I had to forget about being with Branch and start over, only remembering the times when we were growing up. The damage had already been done to everyone in the room. Out of all the times that I regretted what I’d done, I started realizing that closure was the only way to find forgiveness. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did. I’m sorry for lying about my feelings. I’m sorry for hurting everyone in this room, especially Brooks. All of this could have been avoided if none of you ever loved me.” I felt so lost, so hurt that I knew I had to get out of there. With no regard for what anyone had to say to my confession, I went running upstairs.

I heard them talking, deciding on whether Branch and Melissa should stay or go. I also heard them arguing about who was going to come calm me down. When I heard the bedroom door opening, I turned to see the last person I expected to be standing there.

Chapter 46

“Branch?”

He walked in and sat at the foot of the bed. “Brooks is probably going to beat my ass for what I’m about to say to you, but I think it’s time you and I got some things out in the open.”

I pulled my legs up to my chest and sat there looking at him. Though they were the same, there were also many differences in the two of them since the last time we’d all been together. Branch was clean cut and thin, while Brooks was muscular and probably had a good twenty pounds on his brother. “Fine. Say what’s on your mind. I know you’re dying to.”

Branch shook his head. “Some things never change, do they, Katy?”

I felt like I needed to defend myself. “What do you mean by that?”

I could tell he was getting annoyed with me and I didn’t care. “I mean your attitude when it comes to you being in the wrong.”

“You just reminded me of why we aren’t together. You think the whole world revolves around you, like you should be worshipped,” I said sarcastically.

“We aren’t together because you f**ked my brother the night before we were to be married, or have you forgotten that? I’m sure you haven’t, because judging from my calculations that would have been the night you conceived that pretty little girl downstairs. I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe that you ran away and had his child without telling anyone. How could you do that? Did you do it to get back at me? You did, didn’t you? You wanted me to pay so badly that you cost my parents years without their only grandchild. Tell me I’m wrong. Give me some other reason why you couldn’t come home?”

I sat up straight and let my legs relax. “Don’t you dare act like you’re innocent.” I knew I was raising my voice and that everyone was probably downstairs listening. “All of this is your fault, Branch. You kept us apart. You lied to me to make me think he never loved me. How could you do that to me? Why?”

He slammed his hands down on the bed. “Because I wanted you for myself, that’s why. No matter what we were doing, he was always your favorite. I hated how you looked at him. We were supposed to be the same. You think I didn’t notice the way he always defended you? He promised me that we’d never fight, but yet he had to sneak behind my back when it came to you.”

He was acting like a jealous child. “Are you talking about our first kiss?”

“You’re damn right I am. He had to have more, even after we’d made a pact.”

“We were twelve you big idiot. How can you look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that you’re an adult and you act like a child?”

“Don’t judge me, Katy. Go judge Mr. Perfect downstairs that at any time could have stopped you the night you were together. He could have pushed you away and told you he felt nothing. He was in the wrong. It’s like you’re blind when it comes to him. I don’t even get why.”

I pointed toward him. “Don’t you dare turn this around. He’s the victim and you hate that. You can’t stand that you did all of this. You can’t stand that after all of it, he still got me. Let me just tell you something. I don’t care how long we were together, or what you did to try to make me happy. You could never be him, Branch. No matter how much you tried. You’re too different. You care about yourself, while he puts himself last.”

He turned and looked right at me. “You’re right. That’s why I did what I did. It’s why I told you he didn’t want you and it’s why I told him to back off. I knew he’d listen, because he always cared about everyone else. Once I had you I knew he wouldn’t want my sloppy seconds.”

I moved forward on the bed, almost getting up in his face. “That’s where you’re wrong, Branch. I bet you didn’t know he lost his virginity to me in that room right across the hall. You see, on the anniversary of when my parents died, I thought it was you that would come into my room and comfort me. I thought it was you holding me because that’s what a boyfriend was supposed to do. Little did I know that it was Brooks. He made love to me only days after our first time together, and then on the same day the next year. Both times it wasn’t like anything I’d ever felt before.” That statement was better than any kick in the balls.