Page 10 of Guy (House of Frazier #4)

“Did I borrow that from you?” Frustrated beyond anything he’d been before, Lica tried his best to keep up with what his brother was saying. “I didn’t, did I? I mean, I remember buying that book at the bookstore when it came out.”

“You’re not listening to me. I wrote this book.” For that, he got the book tossed into his face. “It’s mine because I wrote it. Myself.”

“But you’re not Adam Sloan.” He thought that he was making perfectly good sense and didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting it. “If you want to read it, I can lend it to you. But since I—” Brandy cut him off.

“I think what he’s trying to tell you, darling, is that he is the author Adam Sloan and that he’s been writing under that name for some time now.

” She looked at his brother. “Is that what you’re trying to say?

I must say, Guy, you have a wonderful character in this Dom Spark person.

I read them myself and find that the writing is superb. ”

“Thank you, Brandy. It’s been paying the bills since I started.” Lica wasn’t going to let this go just because Brandy—

“I still don’t understand. I know you always liked to write, but this man has put out some really good books. And I’m not saying that you couldn’t do it, but there is no way that you’ve been writing under this name without any of us knowing it. Come on, Guy. Fess up. You’re not Adam Sloan.”

“What do I have to do—I have a check. It came to me today.” He pulled out his mail, and Lica was creeped out by how far his brother would go to pretend that he was someone that he wasn’t.

There was no way that he kept it from them for all these…

well, years. “Here. This is from two months ago. It’s a nice one because I released a book then.

My sales go up when I do that. But otherwise they’re pretty good too. ”

The check was for just over twenty grand.

He looked at his brother, trying his best to believe in him while being hurt that he’d never shared with them that he was a famous author.

One that he himself read every time one of his books came out.

Sitting in his chair again, he had to admit, he might well have been fooled. His brother was Adam Sloan.

Handing him back the check, he looked around the room. The others seemed to have gotten it before he did. But he thought that it was the secrecy of it all that had had him disbelieving his brother.

“I’m happy for you.” Guy asked him what was wrong. “Nothing. I’m very proud of you. I would have been proud of you all along if you’d have told me. As it is now, I have to wonder what you were thinking every time I brought him up and told you about him that you were making fun of me.”

“Never. I was in awe of you.” Lica shook his head.

“Yes, I was. You have no idea how hard it is for me to believe that anyone wants to read my books. It’s like I’m putting out my heart and soul, and someone like you reads them.

Not just once, but sometimes twice before the next book comes out.

I’ve been humbled by your words of praise.

Sometimes, I’m even embarrassed, too. And now I find out that you all were reading them.

Well, I can’t believe it. It’s something that I never thought would happen. ”

“Why didn’t you share that you were doing this?” He said that he had when they were broke, he would share the money from the check. “You told me you were working extra hours, that you had overtime money.”

“I was working extra hours. And it was overtime money. I never stopped helping the family, Lica. I was there with everyone when things went good, too.” He said he should have told them.

“Why? You’re not believing me now. How would you have reacted if I were to have told you that I was making good money as an author?

Would you have had to have proof of it then, too?

I’m telling you right now that I always gave more than what was fair to the family.

I never shirked on my duty to you and the others. ”

“How do we know, since you more than likely kept that from us, too?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. “I didn’t mean that. Don’t go, Guy. I’m sorry.”

“This right here is why I didn’t want you to know. This is why I don’t like people. And in all the time saying that to you, I never once meant my family. Until today. Don’t contact me for a while, Lica. I have a deadline to get to and I’d rather you not talk to me.”

He couldn’t get him to stay, no matter what he said to him. He didn’t order him to say, though; it did occur to him that he could have, but that would have made things worse. Lica looked at Brandy for help.

“No, you did this on your own; you’re going to have to fix it on your own as well.

I can’t believe you said that to him.” He told her that he couldn’t either.

“Well, you’d better think of something before he decides to move away.

And even as his brother, you’ll never get him to return to the family.

He might come here, Lica, but he won’t feel as if he’s part of this family again until you fix this. ”

“I was hurt.” Brandy told him that he didn’t hurt as badly as Guy looked like he did. “I know. I hurt him badly, and I have no one to blame but myself. I don’t know what to do.”

“Figure it out.” Lica knew that he’d done a terrible thing.

He wished that he could have believed in his brother right away like the others did.

He just didn’t want to believe that he’d kept something so personal about himself away from them all.

And how he’d fucked up the relationship that they had together because he’d been…

Lica couldn’t believe it, but he’d been jealous of Guy and his success.

Trying to think how it had gone so wrong so quickly, he realized that he’d been the one who had caused it to go that way.

Guy had tried to tell them something so important, and he’d just blown him off with his disbelief.

He didn’t want to believe that his brother could be so successful without his approval or something.

That’s what it was. He’d gone on to do something that he’d had no hand in, and he had been spiteful and mean to him.

Grabbing his coat, he decided to go see his brother now before it was too late.

He hoped that it wasn’t, but he knew how badly he’d hurt his little brother.

On the way to the house, he tried to think of the way to say what he’d come to say.

It wasn’t going to be easy, he knew. And Guy wasn’t going to make it easy on him.

Not that he blamed him, but he’d been a prick, more so than Guy had been lately, and there wasn’t anyone to blame but himself.

As soon as Amber opened the door, he knew that Guy had told her what had happened as well.

“I’ve come to grovel at his feet.” She told him to go away.

“I should, but I can’t. I have to fix this now before it’s too late.

I love him and don’t know why—well, that’s not true.

I do know why I did that to him, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about myself to know that I was jealous of my little brother.

I should have figured it out when he was giving so much more money than could have been from overtime or working extra. I was a fool. Both then and now.”

“He said that he didn’t want to talk to you.

Now I’d appreciate it if you were just to go back home and let him work.

” He asked if he was really working. “Of course he is. It’s what he does when he wants to get some work done.

What do you do? Order it to be done? Do you believe people when they tell you that they’ll get it done on their own? ”

“I deserve that. Can I please see him?” Lica would grovel to her as well if that was what it took. He’d hurt his brother, and he needed more than anything to make up to him. “I messed up, and I need to make it right. Please? Let me in so that I can see him to talk to him.”

She finally stepped out from in front of the door.

When he went inside, he was first shocked at the splendor of the home and then the hominess of the house.

There were little touches of Guy and Amber throughout the room that he was standing in.

As he went in search of his brother, hearing the clicking of keys through the house, he was once again struck with disbelief.

This wasn’t a house, it was a home. For two people whom he didn’t think he knew all that well.

The colors were rich and warm. The furniture looked comfortable and cozy.

The living room had soft lighting throughout.

There were small touches on the end tables that looked perfect for the room.

Lamps that weren’t too bright for the warmth of the room.

Blankets lay over the backs of the two couches and the three chairs.

Pillows, something that he usually hated on a couch, looked good enough to take a nap on and feel rested on when you woke.

The room was a perfect setting for family get-togethers and fun, as well as elegant at the same time.

The next room that he was in, Guy was there.

With his head bent over the keyboard, it gave him the perfect opportunity to look around this room, too.

The colors were bold. Hard reds and blues.

Greens that looked like a meadow. The yellows blended into the room like they were a part of the walls and furniture.

The desk looked like something that had been around for centuries; the lines and curves of it looked beautiful.

When he realized that the typing had stopped, he looked at Guy.