What's Enough?

Chapter 136

12/31/2020 11:00

"I'm sorry, what?" I stick my neck out; I must have heard wrong. "Brother? You are his brother. Since when?" I've known Ryder my whole life; I never knew he had a brother.

Not going to lie, I'm a little upset; all the time Ryder and I have spent together, and he never once mentioned a brother to me. It makes me wonder how many other things he's keeping from me.

"What are you not happy to see me, baby bro?" Jacob smiles.

Ryder marches into the room and over to me, grabbing my wrist. Guess we are back to this.

He tries to pull me out of the room, but his brother grabs him before we can reach the door and says, "You're not going to introduce me,"

Ryder lets go of my wrist to push his brother back. Two alpha males fighting for dominance.

Jacob laughs and puts his hands in the air, surrendering, "Okay, okay. Calm down," he smiles crookedly and says, "I see you're still fucked up in the head, even after all these years,"

Ryder's lips press in a straight line. He wasn't talking to me, yet I took offense to what he said.

His brother's hands are still in the air; his arms lift out of his tux a little, just enough for me to see the number 102811 tattooed on his wrist.

"Come on," Ryder turns back around, grabbing my hand and pulling out of the room and down the stairs back to the party. He pulls me into the now empty kitchen, "What were you doing up there with him?"

"I didn't go up there with him," I defend myself before rambling, telling him exactly what happened. When I finish, I ask. "Why did you not tell me you had a brother?"

"You never asked,"

"Why would I?" How could I ask if I didn't even know? I had no clue he had a sibling; he never even hinted at it.

He runs his hands through his hair and leans back against the wall. "Is your hand okay?" he asks, smiling like it's funny that I punched someone.

"Is your ego okay?" I fire back. "I said I had something really important to ask you, and you just ignored me," He doesn't respond; he just continues smiling, "You're an ass," I scoff and fold my arms, walking.

Enough with him, I need to find Alexander, the one boy who actually acts like a freaking human being; I spot him standing over by one of the tables.

"Hey, I was looking for you," he says when I walk up to him.

"Sorry about that. I was... taking care of something," I look back to where I left Ryder to find him popping off the cap to his medication bottle and taking a pill.

11/31/2020 11:20

Ryder POV

"Dad,"

He jumps, startled at my presence. "Ryder, come in, son,"

I walk into his office; he closes the folder on top of his desk and then sticks it in the draw next to him, locking it after.

He asks, "Enjoying the party?"

"You know Jacobs here?"

"Yes, I invited him,"

"Why?" He hates him. Yes, hate, it's his son, but they despise each other.

He laughs and says, "He's family; why wouldn't I invite him?" like I don't remember the countless arguments they had when I was younger, that my mother always had to break up. He goes over to the wooden cabinet and pulls out a liquor bottle, pouring himself a glass.