Robert Bailey was known as his father's son. Everyone was constantly comparing him to his dad and I guess he didn't help the fact by making a scene at Dan's wedding. So to save everyone from heartbreak he fled to the army
Scarlett Rowell has been i...
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Robert's POV Present Day - Age 28 "Thanks for the ride sir," I say to Sergeant Troy.
"Anything for my finest soldier," he says. "Will you be okay?"
"I'm fine," I lie.
I step back and he drives away from the apartment complex. I spin around and walk inside making my way to Mum's apartment.
I knock on the door and it gets slammed open. "My baby," she squeals and pulls me in for a hug.
"Hi Mum," I murmur into her hair.
"Oh you've gotten so big and muscular," she gushes. "Come in, come in!"
She pulls me into the living room and sits me down on the couch. She gets us both a cup of tea and then sits beside me. "How are you, mum?" I ask.
"I'm good," she says. "Hayley and Rosie are nearly twelve, Evan is getting married-"
"Evan is what?" I croak.
"Getting married," mum squeals. "His name is-"
"His?"
"Yes, Stephen," mum states. "Remember Chip who you went to school with? His brother."
I swallow the bile that was climbing in my throat. "What's Scar doing?"
"Oh, she is a lawyer," Mum answers. "She and her partner Adam have an apartment a couple of blocks down."
Of course, she moved on. You left. You wanted this for her. To build a life without you.
"How was the army?" Mum asks. "You didn't give much details in the letters."
"It was a good experience," I answer. "Good place to change my ways."
"How come you got kicked out?" Mum asks.
"I didn't get kicked out, I got put on indefinite leave," I huff.
"Why?" Mum demands.
"I beat up a guy," I answer vaguely. "Not surprising huh?"
"You don't do things unless they were supposed to mean well," mum murmurs. "Wanna give me a better explanation?"
"My friend, Sage over there died," I tell her. "Then when we were back on base I heard one of the other guys saying that he was stupid and he was surprised he lasted this long."
"Oh Robert," Mum sighs. "I'm sorry."
I shrug. "It's whatever."
The front door opens and Hayley and Rosie rush inside the apartment. Woah they have grown.
"Mummy," Rosie says and jumps in between us on the couch. "Daddy said a bad word."
"I said crap," Cole argues. He stops short when he sees me. "Robert."
"Hey," I say.
"Who are you?" Hayley asks as she stands in front of me.
"That's Robert sweetie," Mum murmurs. "Your other brother."
"Oh yeah," Hayley says. "Do you like video games?"
I nod. "Yeah."
"I have a Nintendo Switch," Hayley says. "You can play tennis with me? Ooh or just dance."
"Why don't you girls go to your room?" Cole suggests. "Us adults have to talk."
Hayley and Rosie race off to their rooms and Cole sits down in the armchair. "Robert is back for good sweetie," Mum says. "Isn't that great?"
Cole hums. "Why did you get kicked out?"
"I beat up a guy," I tell him.
"Because they were talking shit about his dead friend," mum says. "Robert you can't leave that part out."
"People see me as a monster, I may as well feed it," I say not even glancing away from Cole.
"You're not a monster," Cole says. "You just have control issues."
"Cole!" Mum hisses.
"Just like my dad," I say.
"You are not like him," Cole growls. "Do not ever compare yourself to him."
I cross my arms and lean my head back on the couch.
"Dan has given you his apartment for a couple of weeks while he and his family travel around Europe," Cole says. "In exchange, you will be security down in the bar at night."
I nod. "Okay."
"You will go talk to Evan," Cole says. "You boys have a lot to talk about and you're killing your mother with this stupid feud."
I glance over at Mum and see her giving me puppy eyes. Damnit she knows I always fall for them.
"Fine," I grumble.
"He's at soccer practice," Cole says. "But Stephen is expecting you at their apartment anytime now."
Cole gives me the address and I hug my mum before I leave. I get an Uber to Evan's house and whistle in amazement.
Holy shit my brother is rich.
Well, he is a soccer star, so that doesn't surprise me.
I thank the Uber walk up onto the front porch and knock on the door. The door swings open and I guess this is Stephen.
Stephen was about an inch shorter than me, lanky and sporting a slim shady hairdo. "Hey," I say to him. "I'm Robert?"
"Oh hey man," Stephen says, letting me in. "The name Stephen. I'm your bro's fiancé."
"I guessed that," I mutter as I look around the long hallway.
"You guys are twins yeah?" Stephen questions. "You don't look alike."
"We did when we were younger," I grunt.
Stephen leads me into the kitchen and offers me a beer. I nod in thanks and quickly take a sip.
I tap on my glass nervously. "He's mad right?"
"Yep," Stephen says. "You made him have surgery."
"Did he tell you why I hit him?" I ask.
"Vaguely," Stephen murmurs. "He called Scar a whore."
The anger I felt that night still lived within but I pushed it down. "Yeah."
"I mean it's very chivalrous but Scar doesn't seem like the type of girl to like that," Stephen says.
"No, she wasn't," I whisper.
I saw the disgust in her eyes that night. It's why I left.
