Page 14 of Charmed By You
He never knew with Drew whether to expect him to play backup or referee. The younger of the twins by twelve full minutes, a fact Tony loved to remind his twin about, Drew was basically the middle brother of the three of them. As such, despite his unwavering loyalty to his mother and his twin, he sometimes had enough pity on Elliot to call the other two off when things got really bad. Drew had never once started the tormenting that Elliot had faced over the years and he knew it was sad to think that tiny bit of mercy gave them some kind of connection, but he did. It was the only kindness he’d ever received after his father died.
Elliot lowered his fists a little when Tony turned to face his twin.
“What, Andrew?” Tony sneered his twin’s full name back at him, probably for using his own.
Drew smirked, “Leave him alone.”
“Why the hell should I do that?” Tony barked. “Did you hear what he said about Mom? What he called us? The little fucker grew a pair overnight and thinks he can talk shit now. I’m putting him back in his place.”
Elliot contemplated grabbing the pan of boiling water and dumping it over the big assholes head. He seriously considered it for all of three seconds. The idea of making Tony hurt even a fraction of what he’d inflicted on Elliot through the years was damn appealing but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He just wasn’t that kind of person. Besides, if he sent Tony to the hospital with third degree burns, when his stepbrother got out he’d beat Elliot into the ground for good.
“That’s the thing, this isn’t his place.” Drew shrugged and then shook his head again, “Well, I guess technically its not ours either anymore though so it doesn’t matter. Leave him be.”
“What?” Tony and Elliot said at the same time and then exchange a glare.
Elliot’s heart thumped too hard in his chest as Drew’s words hit him like punches. This wasn’t his place. It wasn’t their place either. Did he mean the restaurant? And if he did, what did he mean it wasn’t theirs?
Drew leaned a shoulder against the doorway, “Mom called a couple of minutes ago. She sold the place.”
“She what?” Elliot’s voice came out practically a shriek and he shook his head, “No. She can’t do that. It isn’t hers to sell. She… She said I could buy it back from her. She couldn’t have sold it to someone else.”
“She did. About twenty minutes ago the paperwork was finalized.” Drew gave him a look that was pure pity, “You didn’t really think she was going to let you have it, did you?”
Elliot swallowed past the lump in his throat. He felt like an idiot. More so than usual. Because he had. He’d believed her. Even when he’d known better, known she couldn’t be trusted, he’d thought that someday he’d be able to buy his father’s restaurant back from the bitch that had stolen it from him but he should have known. She’d have burned it to the ground before she ever gave it to him, even if he’d offered her a billion dollars it wouldn’t have been enough.
“Damn. You did. Sorry kid.” Drew pushed back up to his full height, “Come on, Tony. Let’s go.”
“What do you mean, let’s go? I was about to open the place for the dinner rush and…”
“And it isn’t our problem anymore.” Drew cut his twin off, “We have to go. Now. The guy that bought the place is here and per his terms, we have to leave the premises immediately.”
Elliot felt his bottom lip quiver. Tears began to fill his eyes and he barely blinked fast enough to keep them back. This couldn’t be happening. The restaurant had been sold. He hadn’t even had time to wrap his head around that news and now Drew was telling them that they had to vacate the premises.
“I can’t go. I can’t just… all of this stuff, my stuff… I…” He fumbled, looking around the kitchen he’d spent his entire life in, at all the dishes and spices laid out on the counters, at all of the memories he and his father had shared here. “I can’t.”
“Oh, no. Not you.” Drew shrugged, “You get to stay. It’s just us. We have to leave.”
“Wait, what?” Tony growled. “Why does he get to stay?”
“Maybe because he actually knows what the fuck to do with a restaurant?” Drew snapped at his brother, “I don’t know. I’m just doing what I was told which was grabbing you and getting the hell out of here before the guy that bought the place has us thrown out by the big motherfucker standing behind him.”
“Wait… he’s here?” Elliot was more confused by the minute. “The new owner is here?”
“Yeah. He’s out front and he requested to see you. Sorry. I was supposed to tell you that on my way out.” Drew shrugged, “Tony, come on. We’re done here.”
Tony shot Elliot one last glare and then, with his semi-permanent scowl firmly in place he harrumphed and followed his twin out of the kitchen. Elliot watched them go in shock. His entire world had shifted upside down and he couldn’t seem to find his bearings. He put a hand on the counter to hold himself up when his knees felt like they were going to give out and he shut his eyes, counting slowly as he breathed in and out.
The restaurant had been sold. His evil stepmother didn’t own it anymore. His stepbrothers had been forced from the property but Elliot had been allowed to stay. The new owner was here and wanted to speak to him.
Jesus, he took a shuddering breath.
Of all days, why did this have to happen today? When he had gotten zero sleep and he wasn’t thinking straight. For the first time in his life he hadn’t been completely focused on his mission to get the restaurant back and it had been sold out from under him to some stranger. To somebody that probably wouldn’t threaten to beat the hell out of him at least once a day, but also somebody that would likely never want to sell it back to him.
He’d lost the only thing that mattered to him and…
“Ell?”
A shiver went down his spine and he bit his bottom lip. With his eyes shut and his head down, the voice seemed to float to him out of nowhere, out of the darkness. It came to him from his memories like some far off dream. But it couldn’t be real and he knew it so he shook his head, trying to force the voice to leave him alone.
