The Step Brother

Let Her Go

yup i suck a lot. so sorry. 

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I spent the next hour neatly folding all my clothes back into my suitcase. My wet bathing suit was inside the drier which was making so much noise that it drowned out all my thoughts. As I continued to mindlessly to pack everything I had brought, someone knocked on the door.

I took three steps from my bed to the door and opened it just enough to poke my head out. It was my mom.

“Uhm, hi,” I said quietly, opening the door a little wider. Telling her I was leaving had completely slipped my mind. Hurt was etched all across her face, making me re-think my choice of flying back with Liam.

“I heard you’re going back today…” she said quietly. She tilted her face downwards so that I wasn’t able to see her rapidly moistening eyes.

“Mom… I-I-I can stay…” I replied quickly, realizing that she was dealing with a lot too and I was probably the only person she could depend on. Not that I was dependable anymore.

“No, Brooke. I’ll be fine. In fact, I think it’s best if you’re not here for these next few days,” she told me, flashing me a soft, sad smile. A wisp of her blonde hair fell from her ponytail and I reached over to tuck it behind her ear.

“I love you, Mom,” I whispered, watching as a tear slipped from her eye. She pulled me into a tight embrace and inhaled shakily before letting go.

“Okay, now make sure you have everything because I’m not bringing anything of yours … home.”

I winced at that pause before ‘home’. It wasn’t our home anymore. To be honest, it was never our home to begin with.

“Thanks, mom,” I whispered quietly, tears blurring my vision. She smiled weakly and stepped out of my room. The door closed behind her and I sniffled quietly. Facing the mirror, I looked myself over. I looked like a total mess; red eyes, swollen cheeks, messy hair. Just standing there, in front of the mirror, was just a struggle for me. It was as if this trip had drained all the energy out of me and I was so stressed.

“Thank God I’m flying home today,” I muttered to myself, turning back around to pack.

There wasn’t much left I had to put into my suitcase. After checking my mental list over and over again, I was convinced that I had packed everything that I had originally brought with myself. I decided to leave my leggings, since it probably would get cold on the plane.

Since I was basically all ready to leave, I decided to get something to eat before I left the airport. I walked into the kitchen, not failing to notice how the whole house was quiet. Confused, I looked out the window to see if the cars were in the driveway.

The Kilduff’s family wasn’t there, and neither was Jeff’s. I doubted that they would’ve gone anywhere together. I doubted that any one of them would get in a car with each other, actually.

I found some pizza bagels and threw them into the conventional oven, deciding that they wouldn’t be that bad of a meal. Just as I finished setting the timer, I heard footsteps on the gravel outside. Practically launching myself to the door, I saw Liam. My lips automatically rose into a smile and I ran towards the door in hopes of catching up to him.

By the time I had actually gotten outside, Liam had already turned the corner and was probably walking to the small guest house. So, I slipped around the bend of the house and just as I had guessed, watched him walk into the house.

I snuck up to the house, planning to surprise him. But, I stopped right when I reached the window. There were two voices, and one I instantly recognized as Jeff’s.

“What do you want?” Liam asked, after Jeff coldly greeted him. I ducked down under the open window so that they couldn’t see me, but I could still hear.

“I wanted to talk to you about Brooklyn, Liam,” Jeff answered. I gasped quietly; why would he want to talk about me?

“What? Why? What’s going on?” Liam asked, automatically getting defensive.

“Because, Liam. You’re ruining her. Can’t you see?”

“How am I ruining her, dad?” he spat, adding extra venom to ‘dad’.

“You have the poor girl leaving her mom and chasing after you into the dark. Who knows what you two did last night. I bet you actually have her so wrapped around your finger that she’d sleep with you in a second. And while I don’t consider my daughter, I do realize how great of a girl she is. Too good for you to screw her up.”

I could picture Liam’s grey eyes flaming as he looked as his father with clenched fists.

“I have nothing but respect for Brooklyn, dad. And if you want me to, I’ll be honest. I’ve used girls. I’ve fucked them and left. But Brooklyn isn’t like that dad. I care for her. I care more about her than you did about Karla, I can promise you that.”

“Don’t bring Karla into this!” Jeff interjected. “What happened between us is none of your buiseness.”

“Maybe it isn’t my business but I think everyone knows that you slept with Caleb’s mom behind her back! Huh, some husband you are.”

“Stay. Away. From. Brooklyn.”

“Why do you care so much, Jeff?”

“Believe it or not Liam, but I love Karla. I do. And when I see her upset because of something Brooklyn did, then it really kills me.”

“What, that’s so stupid! Brooklyn hasn’t been doing anything bad, and if she has, then don’t put the blame on me!”

“Do you love her?”

My heart dropped when I heard Jeff asked that. His voice was low, as opposed to the scream it had been just seconds prior.

“W-What?”

“Do you love Brooklyn, Liam?”

“I mean… I care about her a lot. But do I love her? Well… No…”

“Then let her go, Liam. Shut her out. I mean the best.”

“No you don’t,” Liam bit back, once again sounding harsh.

“Yes, I do. I can promise you, the second we get home her and Karla will be gone. I can also promise you that Karla will do anything she can to keep Brooklyn away from you. So let her go while it’s still easy for you, Liam.”

Finally, there was silence. My heart was hammering in my chest. Was Liam actually thinking about what Jeff had told him? Being without Liam just seemed so surreal to me. He would never. He couldn’t. He just -

“Ok, dad. I’ll do it.”