Rebound: Passion Book 2 (2 page)

She came
over and stood next to him, her hand going automatically to his hair. That
didn’t last long before he was pulling her down into his lap. Not long after
that the disgusting face sucking commenced.

“Seriously? I think mom and dad
need to build some sort of stall out back for you two animals.” They totally
ignored me so I went back to brooding for all of five seconds.

“I was just telling big brother
how he’s going to be rooming with us at university.”

“Uh you didn’t tell me that part
bro you only told me about the snooping princess.”

“That’s
because my baby came out here and I got distracted.” And they were at it again it
was enough to give a guy a complex.

“Why
don’t I find something to do elsewhere while you two fornicate on the patio?
Never mind that I was sitting out here minding my business first.” So I was
sulking sue me.

“Your brother’s being an old
woman again crazy boy.”

“That hurts, later.” I got up to
leave but her next words stopped me cold.

“See I told you, he resents me,
if I hadn’t come along Patricia wouldn’t have lost her mind and did what she
did.”

I looked over my shoulder to see
if she was playing around but the look on my brother’s face gave me room for
doubt.

“That’s stupid Carrie, I don’t
think any such thing, I just…you guys just got married you need your alone
time.” Lame Matt.

“That’s what the honeymoon was
for bro, now we’re back and it’s get your head out of your ass time.”

“Josh…”

“Ssh
babe I got this. You want to be a jerk go right ahead bro but you won’t make
Lamb feel like a stranger in her own home, especially not over that bitch who
isn’t worth a moment’s thought.” They got up to leave and I felt like shit, was
I really that bad? Shit I thought I was doing a better job of hiding my shit,
it’s the reason I was keeping mostly to myself these days. Looks like I
couldn’t even get that right either.

I walked
over to them and took my life in my hands by hugging my new sister in law. Yeah
my brother is that fucking gone, he doesn’t like anyone to touch her.

“I’m sorry I made you feel that
way lil sis I don’t feel that way at all I promise.”

“Then
what is it Matt why won’t you tell us?” She looked so sad as she asked me that
and I knew if I made her cry my brother would take a swing at me.

“Because
I don’t really know, I don’t know what I should be doing next. It’s like I woke
up out of a coma or some shit and forgot how to do everything. All the plans I
had went up in smoke now I have to start all over again, only I don’t know
where to start.” Jeez Steele, can you sound like anymore of a douche? I think I
lost my balls or some shit, maybe I should go check, make sure they were still
hanging.

“Do you
miss her?” She was watching me like she had all the answers, like if I said yes
I miss the witch that had almost cost her
her
life
she would be ready with the solution.

“That’s
just it lil sis, I don’t. Whatever I felt for her died when she fucked with my
brother, and that’s what’s so confusing. I think I’m more pissed at the lost
time than anything else. What did I miss you know? My whole high school
experience pretty much revolved around us, now I feel like a fucking idiot. How
can I trust anything anymore if I let someone like that get so close to my
family?”

“You
Steele boys really need to lighten up. You act like old men who’ve seen and
done it all. We’re teenagers Matt, we’re supposed to mess up. You have your
whole life ahead of you there’s no reason to let this thing destroy your
happiness any longer. Besides it’s messing with crazy boy and I don’t like it
so cut it out.” They’re a pair, he threatens for her and she threatens for him.
I found my first smile in weeks as I squeezed her before letting go.

“I don’t
want you two worrying about me, I just need some time to get my head straight
and then I’ll deal. Thanks for taking care of the whole university thing I
almost forgot.”

“So
you’re going?” She clapped her hands as though she was really excited to have
me tag along behind them. How could she just let that shit go so easily? She
almost died that night. I’ll never forget the terror in my brother’s eyes, the
fear that we might be too late to save her. And then finding her in that filthy
hut with that monster, and my girl had been behind it all. It made no
difference that she had no idea this guy was a monster, or that he wasn’t the
one that she’d contracted to do her dirty work. The reality of what she’d set
out to do was bad enough.

“Yeah
I’m going but I don’t know about the living arrangements, I still say you two
need your own space.”

“Kill it brother we’re sticking
together the same way we always do.”

“You know what’s going to be the
best part of getting my shit together?”

“What’s that?” Josh grinned at
me the little shit.

“Kicking your ass, I think you
forget who’s the oldest here little brother. You’ve been bossing my ass around
for weeks.”

“That’s
because you’ve been acting like a little bitch, somebody had to take the reins.
The ‘rents were worried about you so I had to step up.”

“Well
they don’t have to worry anymore.” I stretched my arms over my head and worked
the kinks out of my neck. I did feel a lot better after that little talk. Like
something heavy had fallen off of my shoulders. They didn’t blame me for what
Patti had done after all and maybe with a little time I might stop blaming
myself as well. I won’t say I was a hundred percent but that sick, dark feeling
was starting to ease a little. “Do you know what I feel like doing little
brother?” I grinned over at both of them as they sat cuddled together. I tested
my feelings as I watched them; no there was no envy, no bitterness. Just joy
that my brother was so fucking happy it was coming out his pores. Thank fuck
for that.

“What do
you feel like doing bro?” I turned to Josh who had been listening quietly from
the sidelines and for the first time in a long while I found a genuine smile.

“Waffle sundaes at the diner.”

“Dammit,
fine, looks like we have to get dressed Lamb, where’s Nessa and the douche?”

“You
called?” Andrew and Nessa came out on the patio all smiles, it’s like everyone
else had gotten into the happy punch except me. “What the fuck douche were you
eaves dropping or some shit, where the hell did you come from?”

“I wish you would refrain from
calling my beloved by that insulting term Joshua.”

“Sorry
sis, come on douchebag we’re going to the diner.”

“Woot,
Waffle sundaes Mattie my man, it’s good to have you back among the living.” The
fool jumped over the steps and sprinted towards the garage. Had everyone been
waiting for me to get my head out of my ass? Josh and Carrie ran to get dressed
while I worked the kinks out of my shoulders and neck. It would be the first
time I’d ventured past the property line in a while. With all the laughter and
clowning around I realized that the house had been quiet in the last few weeks.

 
Life went on of course but I’m only now
noticing that the usual rowdiness in the Steele mansion had been damn near
nonexistent lately, all because they were giving me time and space to get my
shit together. I waited in the garage with Nessa and Andrew until Josh and
Carrie came back down. There was something I needed to say, something I hadn’t
said in way too long.

 
“I love you lil brother.” I hugged my brother
around the neck and kissed his head causing him to gut punch me in return.

“I love you too you ass, now
let’s go see who can out eat the douche.”

“You Steele boys are all talk,
you can’t take me, tell them babe.”

Nessa
just rolled her eyes and gave me a silent hug I guess she’d missed her big
brother too.

We
all started piling into my Escalade after yelling through the house intercom to
the parents that we were going. They’re another pair always locked away behind
closed doors; and what the fuck am I thinking? I used to love that about my
parents, the fact that with so many of my friends having weekend dads mine
couldn’t keep his hands off my mom. Damn I really have become an asshole.

Josh
kissed Carrie outside the back passenger door like he was going off to war
before letting her in the back with Vanessa and Andrew and climbing up front
with me.

“You sure you can tear yourself
away? It’s a good ten minutes to the diner I wouldn’t want you to go through
withdrawals.”

“Suck it douche and let’s go.”

I grinned
widely after cuffing his shoulder; my way of letting him know his brother was
back or at least partially.

The
town looked strange which made no sense since I’ve lived here my whole life, but
somehow it was like seeing it through new eyes. I guess I was going to have to
get used to seeing it through the eyes of the new me. I’d been part of a couple
for so long that being solo felt hella strange. I figure it was going to take
some time getting used to being alone. As young as we were I’d already been
settled in with the nut, all my plans had included or involved her in some way.
Now I was going to have to get used to going it alone. The thought of finding
someone else and building a relationship left me cold, sad but true. The
calendar might say I was close to my nineteenth birthday but my soul felt like
it was reaching the century mark. I fought back the negative feelings that
threatened to crawl up my throat. This was a new beginning, the first time I’d
been out of the house in forever; I’ll just take small steps and see where they
led me. One thing was for certain, Josh was right, there was no way I was
giving her anymore of me.

The
diner was packed as was to be expected on a weekend morning in the summer. With
school out and the weather nice for a change the parking lot was overcrowded. I
hadn’t seen anyone since the news broke about Patti and her part in what had
happened to Carrie. And though my brother and father not to mention Carrie’s
own dad who was a cop had kept the more sinister details out of the public
domain, what had leaked was still bad enough. I felt the shame of it wash over
me and fought that too as I schooled myself to face whatever was coming.
Everyone knew us as a couple, how could they not? Will they hold me
responsible? Will I see accusations in the eyes of old friends or pity? Fuck
that I’m not going back there in my head.

“The
first fucker that says anything about that shit to me is getting his ass
kicked.” I looked at Josh who grinned and nodded at me.

“I’ve got your back bro.”

I turned
the jeep off and climbed out into the warm sunshiny day. I’ve always had a rep
as a badass while my brother had been known as the quiet brainy guy who didn’t
really mix. I guess he proved them wrong in the last few months. I’m proud as
fuck of him though for the way he took care of his girl. The no holds barred
way he’d gone after her. True love in Technicolor, too bad the same isn’t in
the works for me. Let it go Matt just let it the fuck go.

The
place was wall to wall; people stopped us to say hi as we passed by crowded
tables not waiting to be seated by the hostess who was stuck taking payments at
the front register. There was a group of high school kids exiting a booth in
the corner and I headed that way with the others following close behind. No one
seemed to be staring and pointing fingers so I felt some of the tension ease as
I slid into the booth.

The
noise and din of the place actually felt good. I’d been afraid that everywhere I
went in our small town would bring back memories of the times I’d spent, more
like wasted with my ex, but I was happy to say there was no taint of that here.
I wasn’t lying when I told Carrie that I didn’t miss Patti; it might be fucked
up but the moment I realized what she was whatever I felt for her had died.
That doesn’t say much for the strength of my commitment and maybe that’s what
scared me most of all. That I’d fooled myself for so long, and had been willing
to spend the rest of my life with someone that I hadn’t really been in love
with. Not the kind of binding love that the men of my family were known for. I
know for a fact if Carrie had done such a thing Josh would’ve found a way; then
again he would never have squandered his love on someone unworthy. Not like I
had.

I
made a conscious decision then and there not to let that shit eat away at me
anymore. It was over, it had happened and there was no going back and changing
shit. The only thing left to do was move on from here, lesson learned. With
that thought in mind I felt the rest of my angst leave me, and my shoulders
relaxed as the others argued back and forth teasingly. Josh had Carrie sitting
practically in his lap, which was to be expected and my little sister and her
boy weren’t much better. I smiled at them happy as fuck that there was no
lingering feeling of envy. I was going to be okay after all.

The
waitress was there in less than a minute, my kinda service; then again Millie
knows how I am. “Hey Millie you guys got new menus, how the fuck long was I out
of it?” I had my head buried in the menu thinking maybe I might change shit up
from my usual. I fielded a kick under the table from Josh who seemed to be
having trouble finding space for his legs.

“What the
fuck bro?” I picked up my head the third time he did it only to have him
incline his head to the left.

Fuck me.
“You’re not Millie, who are you? You’re not from around here.” Okay
there
Mr. Smooth take it easy, one thing at a time. She was
just standing there looking at me and for some reason I became pissed way the
fuck off.

“Well who are you?”

“Sorry
I’m Kadyn, I’ll be your server.”

“Where’s
Millie?” Do not ask me why I was being such a dick to this girl because I have
no clue. My brother meanwhile is looking at me like he wants to take me out
back for a round or two. Ordinarily I would want to kick my own ass for my
behavior but I couldn’t seem to stop, something about her pissed me off. I had
a weird feeling in the pit of my gut and my skin prickled. What the fuck?

“Don’t
mind him, Kadyn is it? He’s just surly when he hasn’t eaten, we’ll start with a
pot of coffee while this bunch decides what they want to eat.” Carrie saved me
from making an even bigger ass of myself.

She
cleared the table quickly and walked away looking a little harried while the
others handed my ass to me. I felt about two feet tall by the time they were
through raking me over the coals. I decided to ignore her on her subsequent
trips to the table keeping my mouth shut. I had the feeling if I didn’t Josh
might knock me the fuck out he was glaring at me so hard.