My Future Stepbrother

Chapter 149

Three years later...


Looking around the empty apartment we've shared for so long I would be lying if I said both me and Josh weren't feeling a little teary eyed.


"End of an era Aleah Davies." Josh's strong arm wrapped around my shoulders as I lay my head down against him.


We'd moved in together a few months after we started college. We'd been in halls before then but neither of us could cope with it, I might have dropped out all together if it weren't for him. We both didn't feel like having the normal college life, neither of us wanted to hook up with strangers or get stupid at a kegger. We'd both experienced a true loss that most people our age couldn't even comprehend.


"Only for a few months babes. I'll start at the clinic and you'll get settled at that new business venture of yours and we'll be back to being roommates before you know it!"


He squeezed me tight before grabbing the last box and taking down the hall to my car.


I looked around at the now clear white walls and threadbare carpet we'd spent so many hours surrounded by, our nights for the last few years had been engulfed in a sea of pizza and studying. Of course Brie would make us go to parties when she visited but it mostly resulted in her going home with some frat boy, who had no idea what he'd let himself in for, whilst me and Josh returned to the lonely hearts club - Brie’s lovely little nickname for our apartment.


I'd tried to encourage Josh to get back out there and meet someone but for him it was always going to be Harley. What they had wasn't just first love, it was true love. He'd lost his soulmate that night and the part of him that craved companionship died with it. I can't count how many nights I sat on that stained brown sofa whilst he just cried but then again, he did the same thing for me.


We were two lost souls, united in grief. He had become very much my best friend and I his, along with my soul sister of course. My friendship with Josh was the only good thing to come from that night.


My fingers ran gently over the circular burn on my chest, the constant reminder everyday I looked in the mirror of what happened but I didn't hate it as much as I once did, it had stopped being a symbol of pain and instead one of survival.


I had grown stronger over these years, I'd worked hard in college and out of it. I'd built relationships with people that would last a lifetime in this place and I wasn't in as much pain as I was when I got here. I’d found some semblance of acceptance.


Chad had died to save me and after that I'd let myself slip into a deep depression at my loss for months. My first week here I'd walked out of my dorm and found Josh, we didn't even know we were going to the same school, I'd lost touch with everyone when I started home-schooling with Brie. Neither of us even went to graduation.


Josh was a mess, he'd come to college thinking it would be a new start and when I saw him he just burst into tears in my arms. We stayed up all that night crying and talking about everything we went through, he hadn't even known that I was with Harley when he died until that night. Josh had changed my perception on everything, as I spoke of Chad into the early hours it became less about his death and more about his life. I realised for the first time that if I just kept being sad and refusing to move forward I wasn't honouring his death, I was dishonouring why he died.


He died so I could live. I planned to do that. Now as I stand here having graduated top of my class and starting my dream job as a grief councillor in a few months I'm proud that I managed to get my head screwed on. Everything I do now I do for him.


I look down at the bracelet on my wrist, tarnished now from years of wear but still the most beautiful thing I've ever owned, and smile. I'm who I am today because of him.


There is of course one aspect of my life that hasn't changed but mending a broken heart takes time and I had better things to do than finding someone that could break it again. I tried to go on a few dates over the years but nothing stuck, I think after I burst into tears and ran away as fast as I could from the first guy I tried to go out for food with word spread around campus and I was given a wide birth by most of the guts here.


I grab my keys from the counter and lock the door of the place I've called home for so long. The end of an era indeed.


**************


We were barely five minutes into the drive and Josh was already asleep, he was like a little baby, the slightest rocking motion of the car and he was out like a light.


I press the buttons on the car and ring my favourite bitch.


"Girllllll! Are you here yet? - I swear to god May you touch my fucking make up one more time and I'm going to strangle you! Hurry up, Tara's outside."


Tara had really taken an active roll in May's life, after the little trouble maker officially got a diagnosis of ADHD Tara had become a member of the parent committee at the school to make sure she got the support she needed.


Tara was a much better woman than I ever gave her credit for. Most women would avoid the love child of their ex-husband like the plague but not her. She had stepped up big time to make sure May was a part of her brothers lives and a few months ago she even had a bedroom put together for her at the Manor because she was there so much. I was happy that Tara finally had a little girl in her life to spoil and May was happier than anyone.


"On my way babes, have you heard back from Kal?


She huffs. "Kal isn't coming back again this month, honeymooning somewhere with lover boy."


I chuckle. "You do know her and Drew aren't actually married? You really need to stop saying stuff like that, you might scare the poor guy away."


She scoffs and I can hear Granny losing her patience with May in the background, being back there for a few months was going to be loud wasn't it? "Bitch please, they might not have the ring but he's wifed that girl off so bad, I see her less than I see you at the moment!"


I roll my eyes, my fingers tapping nervously at the steering wheel as I see the welcome to Westbrooke sign, Josh snoring gently and completely oblivious in the passenger seat. "I'm sorry babe, I know the exam period has had me so bloody busy. I'm only a call away when you need me and I've spent every damn break I've had with you! Just think, another hour and you won't be able to get rid of me for months, I'm all yours."


I can see another call trying to get through. "Babe I call you as soon as I've dropped Josh off and seen his mum for five, you know she won't let me leave without trying to feed me something. I love you."


"Love you bitch."


As soon as she hung up I answered the other call, the one I was dreading.


"Hi Dad."


His happiness was evident in his tone but I still wasn't great at actually answering the phone to him. "Hey poppet! Just checking everything went well with the move? You and Josh on your way back yet?"


After the shooting we barely spoke for a year but things had gotten better since I went off to college and in the last few months he'd been downright clingy. "Yeah, I'm not too far. Just gonna drop Josh back and head to Granny's."


I could hear Tara mumbling in the background, like Dad had his hand over the phone but wasn't quite covering it properly. *"Ask her."* *"I'm trying."*


His tone became almost pitiful, his voice so small as he spoke to me. "Poppet. I know this is a bit last minute but Milos birthday is this weekend and.."


Oh god. I know where this is going, a shiver running down my spine. Over the last year both my father and Tara have tried to get me to come back and stay at the Manor, using every opportunity to try persuade me. I'd always managed to pull the 'I'm so backed up with work' routine until now but with college over I don't think that one was going to work.


I'd almost caved at Christmas but Granny covered for me saying she needed me to help her make dinner, I love that woman. I'd managed to avoid stepping a foot inside the Manor in over three years but I knew there was only so long I could avoid it.... and avoid him.


Jayce Thompson. Jayce fucking Thompson. Even the name still sent a pang through my chest.


I hadn't seen or spoken to him since the day I left the hospital years ago, him still laying in the bed unable to look at me. Well it's a lie to say I haven't seen him entirely, his basketball team visited our campus for a match my first year there and I saw the back of his head as I walked between classes. I'm not sure it counts but it made my heart want to leap out through my throat so bad I ran all the way home and cried for six hours.


I made sure to pay better attention to what teams were visiting after that. Josh had met up with him once but he told me he was so different now they barely had anything to talk about, I hadn't asked for anymore details. Even talking about him still hurt.


I knew what we did was for the best, I truly believe in my heart that us being together would have just continued to cause pain. Tara and Dad were in a good place now, Milo was doing well at school and even Brie was thriving working for one of Tara's big industry contacts. If me and Jayce had ran away like we planned this would have all never happened so it was definitely the right thing..


Definitely...


"I know it's Milos birthday Dad, we've already arranged to see him at Granny's so I can give him his presents with Brie and May."


I missed the days where that boy just wanted a Super Mario game and call it a day, he was a tweener now and wanted games I had to hide the age limits from before Dad saw, which being the amazing sister I am I obviously still bought for him as long as they weren't too extreme.


"That's why I'm calling poppet. He wants you all to come to the party and Tara would love to have you here to help set up. Would you please consider staying here? Even just for this weekend? Tara could really use your help with the set up and you know how much I miss you. Would you just think about it? For Milo."


Damn him. He knows the 'for Milo' card should only be used in dire emergencies, like if he needs a transplant and I'm the only donor or something.


"I'll think about it Dad... What about...?"


We didn't really talk about Jayce, sometimes when I chatted with Tara she would drop in that he was doing well or about his team but that's about it. Dad and me usually avoided the topic completely.


"He's back but he's hardly ever here poppet, you probably won't see him until the party and even then I'm sure you could avoid it if you wanted too in this place.... Aleah it can't be like this forever, you two have to be able to sit in the same room at some point."


That is probably the closest my father has ever come to talking about me and Jayce with any compassion.


"Just let me talk to Brie first. I'll call you when I'm there."


I needed to buy myself some time. We say our goodbyes and I stir Josh gently as we pull up outside his house, his mum already waiting outside.

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