What HE took from ME

Chapter 14-Andrew And Andrea

Jay/Andrew.

I was too horrified to worry about the state that I had the car I borrowed from Stacey. I was not ungrateful-and I would not have rammed into the gate like that under normal circumstances, but things were far from normalcy. I needed to see Brenda; make sure that she was all right with my own two eyes. The way we lost contact, that was horror-movie- stuff.

I had enough decency to stop the car a few feet from the door, even though everything in me was yelling for me to drive through. I knew they were not going to let me in if I knocked, Tim had warned me to stay out of his business, and I did not listen. Instead, I continued to dig until I found what I was looking for, and it was scary. My stomach knotted as I ran to his massive door. Some guard tried to stop me, but he changed his mind and looked away.

I fisted on the door twice before my eyes landed on the vintage doorbell. I did not bother to use it because I noticed a camera-someone was watching. I waited for a year, so I kicked at the door. And on the third attempt to break down the steel door, the lock clicked. It was Brenda who opened the door, and she looked terrified and bruised. She had a big cut on her lip and her cloths-though expensive-were tattered.

My hands reached out and held her face cautiously, "What did he do to you?" I inquired. All her pain magically transferred to my system, and it hurt so much that it left me powerless.

Brenda ran her tongue over her lips and winced. I found myself trying to reach it, I wanted to kiss and make it okay, but I was afraid to cause her even more pain.

Afraid to appear frail, both my eyes and hands lowered to her swollen hands, and I could not take it. I started pulling her lightly from that house, "Come, let us go." I was going to take her to safety, then go back and confront that monster. I took one step, but Brenda stayed put. I turned to her, confused.

Did she want to stay with him? Did she have any idea how dangerous that guy was? "Brenda, come with me. This is not about my damn feelings anymore but about your safety. Tim is a freak, and Margaret is his accomplice. Every minute you spend next to them is like playing Russian roulette. Please, let us go," I begged. Brenda let tears fall from her eyes.

"I will show you exactly how dangerous I can be if you continue to pester my wife." A cold voice said from behind the door before Tim appeared. He yanked Brenda from my reach, ignoring her pain.

"Your? Who now?" I was dumbfounded. I mean, it had only been two weeks since he stole Brenda from my house, and they were already married? Why the rush? "Bree..."

"Her name is not, Bree. Her name is Andrea Goldstein. My wife and your sister-in-law. And if it is of any consolation, she did not want to marry me; I did not give her a choice," The rascal spoke, not bothering to hide his pride. What the hell did he mean by all that? My sister-in-law? Did Tim smoke pot or what?

"First, I hate you-. And second, it is not of any consolation. You promised not to hurt her. I am taking Brenda out of here whether you like it or not." I growled, trying to hit him. I was thrown off by what he said, and I did not want to repeat it because it was crazy.

Sister-in-law, my Ass-I could never be related to that man.

"Trust me, Andrew, the feeling is mutual. And cut the crap with promises shit, I said I would not hurt her as long as I do not bump into your nose somewhere it does not belong. And with the way you are in devil-is-on-the-detail-program, it is clear you continued pocking your noses in my business. I do not even feel bad for hurting her right now." Tim chuckled. I bit my tongue, unable to say anything. I should have kept my word. "Listen, Andrew."

"What is Andrew?" My face scrunched in disgust.

"You are, poverty." He beamed. "Let me see if I can explain it in a language you can understand: Brenda is Andrea, and you are Andrew. Our parents were friends, and they wanted to unify the family. Accordingly, they arranged a marriage for the two of you. Do you not see that you have matching names?" He dumped it down for me as if I did not have half a brain.

"You are a crazy person," I stated, then turned to leave. He was delusional and was cooking up lies to make Bree despise me.

"Oh, come on, brother. I know deep down you must have felt the connection. Please do not hurt my feelings by telling me you do not feel it." Tim played it dramatically, putting his hand over his chest. I did not give a crap about his feelings. I only wanted everything he was spewing to be over so that he could laugh and tell me that it was all a joke. I did not want to be his brother because if that were true, I was responsible for causing Brenda- the woman I loved, all that pain? And the orphanage, "If you are my brother, why was I an orphanage?" I wondered out loud.

"I thought I had no family- I had made peace with that, and then it turned out that the guy who hated me for no reason was my big brother?" I could not take it. I wanted to hurt Tim so badly, no one could recognize him.

"For no reason? I had-have all the reasons in the world to hate you. But, it all sums up the fact that I did not want a sibling, but you happened. I hated how everything suddenly became all about you. What about me? How could they forget me so easily? I was a part of their lives for fifteen years, and they forgot me just like that. I had to make them pay, and it was all your fault. Therefore, you deserve every disdain you get from me." What kind of sick-minded person was Tim? To cavalierly fess up to hurting his parents in front of me like that?

"You are insane," I sneered. "There is no way that we are related."

"I am not crazy. I am smart. Do you want proof that you are my unwanted brother? He walked towards me with a gun in his hand, and I stepped back. He reached and pulled the necklace I had worn since I was little-it was even rusty-but I could not let it go. "Honey, scoot closer." He called Brenda, but she stayed put. She was still sobbing. "I said come closer, damn it." He roared, scaring her.

Brenda jumped forward, and Tim smiled with satisfaction. He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her over." Give me your hand," He ordered rudely. He juxtaposed the rings on her finger to my necklace, and they were similar, with the letters AJ engraved in the middle. I did not understand anything from that, and it did not mean a thing to me. My thoughts and feelings showed on my face, and Tim rolled his eyes.

"We can take a DNA test if you want to. I have money; it will take only a few seconds." He suggested. Then he chuckled darkly, "But then again, there is no need since you are a dead man. Dead to me, dead to the world, and even to Andrea. "Right, sweetie?" He turned to Brenda.

"Please, do not hurt him," Brenda begged on my behalf. I knew Tim wanted me to beg him and be miserable in front of him. But he was never going to get any of that from me. He disgusted me.

"Look at that, Brenda being pathetic for you. For a raccoon." Tim chided, offended and jealous if I must say. I should have been thrilled by his reaction; I mean, finally, he showed his true feelings, but instead, I was mortified by his trying to belittle me in front of Brenda. I could not let that happen. If I wanted Brenda to have confidence in me, I needed to show her that I was not a walkover.

I stepped forward and held eye contact with Tim. We stared at each other for a few seconds before a cold smile came to my lips, "You can call me names all you want, but I am still better than you," I sneered. "Let Brenda and I out of here, and no one will know about your secrets. I do not want to be your family anyway. So please, let us never meet again. Kindly." I added.

He scoffed before aiming his gun at my face. "Who said you were leaving? I told you so many things you were not supposed to know. Consequently, I have to kill you." I did not even blink, when suddenly, the world went dark.