Polished Rust (Wilkins Brothers Book #4)

Chapter 10

TATE

Me: How are you feeling today?

Hattie: The number you have reached is no longer accepting messages from you.

Me: I know you’re not happy with me, Hattie, but you have to talk to me sometime.

Hattie: No I don’t. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for “group therapy.”

Me: I love you, sis.

I stare at the phone for a few minutes for a response from her, but it doesn’t come. I can see that she read what I wrote, but I must have met my word limit with her for the day. Hattie was so angry with me after I told our parents what was going on. She claimed that she didn’t have a problem and could stop drinking whenever she wanted, but I don’t think they were willing to accept it that easily. This isn’t the first time addiction has been an issue for us.

Back before Maverick met Bellamy, he was suffering after the loss of his best friend to suicide. His way of coping was drugs, alcohol, and random women. He almost lost his chance with Bellamy over it. Jetson kicked his ass into gear though and he got clean from the drugs, started going to therapy, and begged for forgiveness from Bellamy. I didn’t think Hattie was an alcoholic, per se, I think she was just coping the only way she knew how and hopefully therapy would do that rather than a bottle.

“Uncle Tate!” I tuck my phone into my pocket and prepare for my niece, Anna’s, impact. I look up as she crashed into my body and see my nephew, Nico, carrying a large box with him and her mom, Camila, saying hello to Gruff. 

“You’re going to take me out one of these times, girl. How was your day?” I ruffle her hair, knowing that she hates it. She swats my hand away but still has a huge smile on her face.

“We went over to Auntie B’s house and went swimming and got to play with Elsie.”

“That sounds fun. You being good for your mom?”

“Always!”

“She’s lying,” Nico pipes up, finally making it to my bay.

“That’s not true! Why do you always have to be a jerk to me?” She screams at her brother.

“Hey now, we don’t need to be doing that here. You know he’s just trying to ruffle your feathers, Anna Banana, why do you make it so easy for him?”

She mumbles something under her breath, moving from my bay back to where her mom and Gruff were talking. I turn my attention back to Nico. “You need to be nicer to her.”

“It isn’t my fault she freaks out so easily. Girls are nuts.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong, but you’re her big brother, and one day she’s going to need you and you don’t want her to me too made at you to call you.”

“You know I’ve always got her back, Uncle Tate.” Nico is completely serious with his statement and I do know that’s the truth. It wasn’t that long ago that Nico put his own life on the line to protect his sister not once, but twice. I didn’t know the full story at first, but over the time that we’ve been working together on our little projects, he’s shared more and more. He’s definitely done more hero things in his short life than I have. There are many ways in which I look up to him.

“I know you do, Nico. Big brothers are important. Don’t tell Mav and your dad that I said that though.” I wink at him and he smiles. I tip my chin to the box that he put on the ground, “Is that the plane?”