Page 99 of Puck with Karma
I want to cry. It hurts how much. And he doesn’t seem to get it.
“Why are you angry with me? We haven’t seen each other in years.”
“And that is exactly why I am angry with you. How could you leave and never care about your family?”
My hands are shaking, and my body feels tense, like it is about to go into shock. Dealing with the trauma of Bran leaving all those years ago is getting to me. I never really understood how much his actions basically led my entire life up until my meeting Xander.
“Mom and dad basically disowned me, Abby.” Bran sounds offended. “They didn’t think I’d be able to make anything out of myself without their support and money.”
His words infuriate me.
“What about your siblings? Your sister!” I slap a hand over my chest, voice sounding shaky and cracking. “That’s me! I thought you were so awesome and fun. You left without a backward glance.”
Brandon stares at me for the longest time. I see a myriad of emotions crossing his face. First, there was anger, but now, there’s confusion, empathy, and, finally, regret.
“I’m sorry, Abby. I fucked up. I’m sorry.”
I stop my pacing, feeling tired. Exhaustion crashes into me from out of nowhere. It’s as if someone just took the air out of me. But talking this over with my older brother feels oddly good. He is the only person in this world who would understand what I am now going through.
"Mom and dad were so angry when you left. They always thought you’d come back.” I start laughing, making him chuckle as well. “That you’d crawl back, more like.”
Bran’s lips look tight in his tense face. He is so much like the boy who left all those years ago, but also very different. He is a man now.
“I came by once.” I strain my ears to hear him. “Right before graduation. Dad answered the door. He told me to come back when I was ready to admit I’d been wrong to leave in the first place.” He shrugs. “I had already been signed into the pros by then.”
I had no idea he’d come home all those years ago. It makes me sad that I didn’t know. I have no idea if that would’ve changed my outlook on him over the years, but I think I would’ve liked to know that he at least did try.
“I’m so sorry, Brandon. I do understand that their stubbornness affected us all. And now I am in this mess…”
He stops me.
“Yeah, about that. Can we talk about it after I get Mallory from my bedroom?”
I look at him in shock, realizing that we are not alone in his apartment. I recognize the name he mentions only because I saw something in the press about him dating someone whose name is Mallory.
“Your girlfriend is here? She’s going to think I am a nut.”
Brandon pulls me into a tight hug.
“Youarea nut, little sister. And we have a lot to talk about.”
I want to believe that me coming here is the best decision I could’ve made. I don’t know how it could be a mistake. Getting in touch with my brother, Bran, has been my mission from the time I was eleven years old. Now that we finally reconnected, I count on him to help me through my tough times.
In a way, it feels like I am jumping out of the pan and into the fire. I don’t really know what I’m doing. I don’t know how real life works. The brief time I was on my own was spent with Xander. I didn’t have to worry about a job, about paying bills or making money, especially since my internship was not paid.
In ten short weeks, I managed to get a boyfriend who I am madly in love with but who I know I will never see again, found myself engaged against my will, offered all my money to my fake fiancé who swears he’ll make it up to me, found my wayward brother and, I’m pretty sure I lost my internship, which means I will need to find a job. And a place to stay.
The currently chaotic mess that my life is should scare me. But I decide that I want to make something of myself. I don’t want to depend on anyone to just live.
I don’t want to survive.
I want to thrive.
It’s time for me to get it together.
Chapter 29
Xander
