Page 5 of Broken Brothers

“So… what was that about?” Morgan finally asked.

Damnit, he probably saw everything. Or at least the important stuff.

I didn’t want to answer him for a multitude of reasons, especially with how emotional I was afraid the words would currently come out. I didn’t do emotion in front of Morgan—or anyone, really, except apparently Sarah—and I didn’t like talking about it, even if I felt things to a much greater degree than even I could admit to myself.

I kicked at the rocks at my feet a few times, adding even more scuffing to those new shoes, and thinking with some satisfaction that now they’d have to be replaced. Maybe this time, Mr. Hunt’s stylist would provide me with something a little less eighteenth century schoolboy-esque, something a bit more modern, something a bit more… well, blending to suggest I belong but not so ostentatious as to draw attention.

I wasn’t holding my breath in hope of it… Like my argument just now had proved… things weren’t likely to go my way.

Be honest, and you get hurt.

“Girls are fucking dumb.And money is fucking dumb,”

Both of the things were dumb; combined, though? They were catastrophic. All that it had produced was a whole lot ofheartbreak, a feeling of isolation, and a future in which I felt compelled to belong but knew I would never truly “belong.”

“Okay….” Morgan drew out, the question obvious in his tone despite him not asking it.

Why should he? He wouldn’t know or even be able to comprehend the problem that I was facing. Frankly, he was just a stupid billionaire twelve year old who’d never had to want for anything in his entire damned life. I didn’t either, at least in the sense of material things, but I knew my place in the family heirarchy, and it did not involve me getting to ask for things.

I sniffed, rubbing my wrist beneath my eyes again as I tried not to glare at his brother. I knew it didn’t do any good. But damnit, I had to try.

“I mean I still like girls… and I like money… soooo,” Morgan trailed off again, obviously trying to provide me with something to answer to, but also obviously at a loss for my problem.Really, truly, honestly doesn’t get it.

“What the hell would you know about it?” I fired back, rolling my eyes and only just managing to stop myself short of continuing on in the same vein.

It wasn’t, actually, Morgan’s fault that Sarah was a spoiled brat. Just like it wasn’t Morgan’s fault that any of that was happening.

He just was the easiest, and most related target for me to lash out at for the moment. Wrong place, wrong time, brother. Not that Morgan was lashing back, just looking at him in that annoying way that he had… like he was just going to wait for me to talk.

I loved him, I really did—not that I would admit it, though—but sometimes I just wanted to smack him for how naive and unaware he was.

“I was dating Sarah,” I finally spat out, the words burning the back of my throat like sulphuric acid.

But in retrospect, was I ever? We both had rich families, sure, but even ignoring my own status as an adopted sun, the Hills were much flashier and much less subtle about their wealth. I never found Mr. Hunt to be careful, per se, but Mr. Hill was in your face about it. And Sara had picked up right on it.

Looking back on it, it was a surprise that she had even agreed to go into the woods with me. Perhaps, now that I thought about it, she really did like me. Maybe I was as much of an idiot as I had believed.

Except… Sarah was notorious for turning all of the boys who chased her down. She was a teenage boy’s dream, all blonde hair and early blooming curves, with perfect skin and a pouty, red mouth. She wasn’t the first girl I’d ever kissed, but she was the dream of dreams.

I hadn’t minded the secrecy of it all at first, especially as it had afforded them more alone time together. I was a lot of things, but first and foremost I was a red-blooded male, and the idea of spending time alone with Sarah had been just about all that I had wanted.I guess this is where I say I should be careful for what I wish for. Fucking stupid.

I kicked another set of rocks and cursed under my breath, shoving my hands down deep into my pockets to keep from lashing out at Morgan or the tree. Yes, I was that frustrated. And yes, I was that frustrated at myself.

“She let me…”

I stopped, groaning and kicking even harder at the rocks at my feet. An annoyed sigh heaved up my chest. My hands dug deeper. Nothing could stop the shame and embarrassment I felt in that moment.

“We met here every damned day,” I said. “Apparently she thought that I was a Hunt.”

I hadn’t told her otherwise, and she had no reason for thinking otherwise. It wasn’t even like I could blame her forhaving thought that. I lived in their house, I attended a lot of functions with them, I’d been around for almost as long as Sarah would have been able to take notice of the house.

Sarah…

I could still see her face when I’d told her the truth, her eyes widening, her expression dropping like someone had held her at gunpoint.

Adopted by wasn’t as good as born to.

Nothing would change that.