Page 84 of My Brother's Enemy
I swallowed a knot in my throat.Get this done. “I went to the same school as they did, but by the time junior high came around, I could bike everywhere. I got a job that paid me under the counter. I used that money to get by, and then as I got older, I got better jobs. Made more money. I kept all my checks until I was old enough to open a bank account. Thank goodness they didn’t do direct deposit back then, or I don’t think I’d have kept any of my money. Got my own car as soon as I could—paid cash for it. It wasn’t anything great, but good enough to get me from one place to another. A neighbor down the road must’ve had an inkling what was happening, because she took me to get my driver’s license. My dad relayed through Daniel that if the school ever needed him to sign anything, I could just forge his name.”
I shook my head. “The message was loud and clear. My dad wanted nothing to do with me. I didn’t exist to him, and that’s how I grew up. As a burden to them. When I turned eighteen, they expected me to leave. And that’s what I did.” It still hurt. All of it. “I put myself through community college, and then I used scholarships to finish my four-year degree. It took me longer,but I worked my way into this field. I’ve not seen my brothers since I turned eighteen, and even the morning I left, they were eating breakfast when I came downstairs with my bags. My dad was there too. All three of them looked up, but only Daniel reacted. He said, ‘Good riddance.’ That was the last time I saw Daniel and my father in person. I saw Dane at the game last week. I haven’t paid attention to their careers or followed them on social media, but they’re franchise darlings, so I can’t miss some things.”
“What about hockey?” Tyler asked.
“What about it?”
“You have a nasty slap shot. Did you play?”
“Oh.” I shook my head. “No. But if Daniel and Dane had to go to the rink for something hockey-related, I was expected to go with them. Carry their bags. Clean up the ice after them. If they needed a goalie, I suited up and played the position.”
Numb, numb, numb. I didn’t want to remember anymore. I didn’t want to feel anymore, but I couldn’t help admitting, “After my mom died, those were the only good memories I have of my brothers, and it was because of hockey. I loved the sport. Ilovethe sport. It’s the only time Dane looked at me—when he had to, because I was their goalie.”
Finally.
Complete numbness achieved.
I’d ceased to feel anything. It was bliss.
“As an adult, when I look back, I realize my emotional development was neglected. But that was it, so can I really complain?” I laughed, the sound hollow. What was worse? Being seen and abused or not being seen? I couldn’t think of anyone who would choose the first option. Being unseen was an invisible prison of its own, but considering the alternative…
Kashvi’s voice shook a little. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
Yes.That I’m the reason Tyler’s sister has her brain injury.
But I couldn’t bring myself to admit that. I just couldn’t. I shook my head, lying. “That’s it from my end.”
“That’s not it,” Tyler said. He raked a hand over his face. “You can pull up all the history between our schools and our rivalry. Daniel dated my sister the summer after he graduated, which was before our senior year.”
Kashvi now stared hard at Tyler. “Are you shitting me?”
He shook his head. “They didn’t date long, and they broke up after they were in a car accident. She got a brain injury from that wreck.”
“He dumped your sister after that happened?”
He laughed bitterly. “I believe the excuse he gave was that he was leaving to join Juniors, so why stay together? But yeah, he dumped her while she was still in the hospital.”
Kashvi’s eyes slid my way before returning to her notepad. “What a swell guy.” She took a moment before she shoved back in her seat. “Jesus Christ, you guys. This could blow up in a big fucking way.” She looked between us. “I need to know how you want to play this and what you’re willing to do.”
I frowned. What did she mean?
Tyler looked over at me, a low heat simmering in his gaze.
My lips parted. I got an uneasy feeling.
Tyler turned to Kashvi. “I think it’s time the world knew what pieces of shit the Connors brothers are, don’t you?”
Kashvi laughed darkly, but there was a warning on her face. “I’ll be very honest here. There are a lot of ways this story could go sideways, and the blame could land on either your sister or Rain. Women get blamed. That’s how society is. If you want the narrative to go the way you want, I suggest you be the one to say everything. Or have this ready to go if we decide to use it.”
Tyler’s response was immediate. “Sign me the fuck up.”
My lungs ceased to work as fear gripped me. They couldn’t… Were they talking about…? I couldn’t process that. Both turned to me, waiting for my decision. I needed to say something, but didn’t they see how hard it had been to even tell them?
I had grown up as nothing. I wasn’t worth this fight, and people would see that. The public would see exactly what my father knew, what Daniel knew, what Dane knew. Didn’t Tyler see this? It wouldn’t go the way he was thinking. The public would hate me, and then they’d hate him too.
I shook my head, getting up from my seat.
I couldn’t do that to him.
