Page 42 of Discord
I frowned at Brandon’s ire, unable to dismiss the arrogant way he was dealing with Raven’s concerns. It was a tad disrespectful, given the circumstances. Any rational person would react poorly to a twenty-seven-year-old man fucking their seventeen-year-old sister. But Brandon appeared irritated over having to deal with it at all. He had never dated anyone younger and wasn’t used to this line of questioning from a protective parent.
Raven and Milo were the closest I had to parental figures. A minute ago, Brandon announced that we were together. If he were my boyfriend, shouldn’t he at least try to alleviate Raven’s apprehensions after being caught in a precarious position? Maybe express that he had the best intentions with me and cared for me. Anything.
Even Chris Allen, who had zero romantic interest in me, put in a better effort to overturn Raven’s opinion.
“Brandon, we have known you and your family for a long time.” Raven’s voice shook as she spoke. “Out of respect for them, I’m not going to take any actions right this second, but as of now, whatever’s been going on between you two, it’s over.”
I shot to my feet and rushed between them. “Rave, please. We are not doing anything illegal. The legal age of consent is seventeen.”
“I don’t care about the age of consent,” she snapped. “No statement about your boyfriend should start with citing the legal age of consent.”
Brandon barely suppressed his irritation, openly rolling his eyes. “Mia, pack your things,” he announced. “We are leaving.”
Irritation nagged at me. Was he insane? Leaving with a minor was the same as kidnapping. Not to mention, I never agreed to move in with Brandon. Raven wouldn’t have charged in here if Brandon hadn’t hijacked half my closet. Out of desperation to keep myself clothed, I had been rummaging through Raven’s closet.
Raven looked ready to hit the roof. “Brandon, you have exactly one hour to pack your shit and get the fuck out of our home. And you are leaving alone.”
Oh, God.Her anger might be justifiable, but she wasn’t acting any better than Brandon.“Rave,” I pleaded. “Listen to me—”
“I’m not going anywhere without Mia,” Brandon cut me off dismissively. My temper threatened to break free. Brandon claimed my family ignored my desires, but so did he. He steamrolled over me just the same.
“Then you are going to be sadly disappointed when you walk out of here alone,” Raven retorted. “Mia isn’t going anywhere with you.”
I opened my mouth, but again, Brandon cut me off. “Mia isn’t okay in this house, nor does she belong here. I’m not leaving her someplace where her well-being is jeopardized.”
“Who the fuck are you to tell me where she belongs?” Raven shouted with a rage I had never known her to possess. “I look after her well-being. She is seventeen and belongs with her family. I’m not going to repeat myself, Brandon. Get the fuck out of my house and stay the fuck away from my sister!”
“This is not your fucking house!” Brandon yelled back. “And she is not your sister.”
My hand moved without my permission. Brandon’s face tilted to the side. Only then did I realize how hard I slapped Brandon across the face, my chest rising and falling from anger.
How? How could he say that to her?Of all the cruel things Brandon had said and done, this one took the cake.
“Apologize.” My voice shook with my barely contained fury. “Apologize to Raven. And don’t ever speak to her that way again.”
The promise of retribution was written in Brandon’s eyes, along with an unspoken answer: he wouldn’t apologize. What a cliché. The bad boy who’d never apologize, bend to someone else’s will or humble themselves. But I wanted more; I wanted Brandon tobemore and even humble himself to care for my loved ones like I would for his.
Raven appeared flabbergasted and stood silently by my side. My heart twisted thinking about the words Brandon had spoken to her. He made her feel like an outsider, stabbing her with the unbelievably cruel reminder of Raven’s status in this family.
Yet, Brandon was unwilling to take back the words. Disappointed, I could no longer bear to look at him. “Brandon,” I whispered, “I need to speak to Raven alone.”
“Fine, I am moving out,” he seethed, marching to the door. He paused with his back to us, and I wondered if he expected me to follow him like a good little girl. There was a time I would have done it without question.
Legs shaking, tears streaming down my cheeks, I turned to Raven as Brandon stormed off, slamming the door behind him.
* * *
Brandon
“What the hell, Brandon!” Raven yelled, uncaring if the neighbors witnessed our showdown.
After I stormed out of Mia’s room, I packed my remaining items from the Sinclair home. I was piling it in the backseat of my car when I found Raven chasing me down. “Hi, Rave. What’s up?”
Her cheeks burnt hot at my nonchalance, steam coming out of her ears. A slight satisfaction ran through me for breaking through her bullshit diplomatic facade.
She ignored my amusement and collected herself. “Do you know how many interests and hobbies Mia comes up with yearly?”
Too many. Global Warming. Blue hair. Stock trade. Middle East. Makeup. That girl had a new interest almost every day. However, I didn’t endorse Raven’s statement. Not until I could deduce where she was headed with this random conversation.
