My Future Stepbrother

Chapter 26

I grab my phone to call Brie. I needed to tell her, even if she was shocked, she was my best friend and I knew once that wore off she’d be happy for me. I just couldn’t keep this to myself anymore.

Bries panicked voice answers the phone on the last ring. “Babes is this important or can I ring you back?!”

“Brie what’s wrong?” Brie never panicked and I had only heard her use that tone a handful of times. She was somewhere loud and busy, I could barely hear her over the background noise.

“I’m at the hospital. Granny hasn’t been taking her meds properly, she said she was trying to save money by taking them every other day. She got all light headed and burnt her hand on the stove. Doc said she’s going to be fine but he wants to run some tests to see what not taking the meds properly has done. Some bitchy blonde pencil skirt just told me because its her fault for not taking her meds her insurance won’t cover it. I’m freaking out Al. We can’t afford this.”

Shit. “Brie I’ll get dad to bring me down now.”

“Don’t babes. I’ve got to leave soon anyway to get May, Mrs Day kept her for the senior class session so I could come straight here.”

“Do you want me to get her for you?” She needed to let me do something, Brie has always been crap at letting people help her.

“No I’ve got to go so I can tell Justine what to do when she covers my class, they’re three weeks away from the competition now so I can’t let them just skip a practise.”

“Babe is there anything I can do to help? I can just come down and sit with Granny whilst your gone?” I felt useless to her.

“No she won’t even let me in there, she says she needs her rest but I’m just going to drop May off at Sabrina’s and come back anyway. Can you get someone to take you tomorrow? If it’s a late night I’m gonna skip. Maybe Jayce will be feeling charitable again and give you a lift?”

Jayce. I can’t tell her now with everything she has going on.

“Of course babes don’t worry about me, you just focus on Granny. If Sabrina can’t have May just drop her here, I’m sure Milo would appreciate the company anyway.” I wish there was more I could do for her.

“Thanks beaut. Shit, the doc is coming, I’ll text you later.” She hangs up abruptly.

I can feel my stomach rumbling after missing out on eating at lunch today although I’m now quite nauseous after talking to Brie, worrying always made me feel physically sick.

I need to eat something in case May ends up here tonight. You need energy to keep up with that little firecracker.

I stand in the pantry staring at every shelf. Tara was a nice woman but her snack game needed some serious work. There wasn’t a biscuit or bag of chips in sight. No wonder Granny kept working here for so long, she was probably worried Jayce and Milo would starve without her cakes and brownies.

I made a mental note to myself to ask her about what it was like for Jayce growing up here. My experience of him as a kid was unpleasant to say the least but given what Tara told me about his father I realise now his home life wasn’t all roses which would definitely have played a part in his aggression issues.

Looking back he definitely had all the tell tale signs of a kid that was being bullied at home.

I think to how easy things were for me with mum and dad when I was a child. They were so in love and I was the joy that they said completed them. I’d never had to suffer the way Jayce had at the hands of someone who’s supposed to love you.