Bully stepbrother

Bonus chapter. The mother who left her child by the stairs

CADEN

A normal child would think the worst thing to happen is their football landing in the cranky neighbor's yard. My worst was my twin sister dying and my mother abandoning me to the man who forced me to toughen my skin and my heart, shaping me into whatever I ended up becoming.

I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have Mad to ground me and remind me that life was worth it every single day, simply by waking up and finding her sleeping next to me or watching me, like right now.

"What's the suit about?" she asked as I pulled on socks and slipped into the shoes I'd polished back in Palo Alto for this very day, the day Kaiser called and told me we were going to Europe.

My plan had always been to take a train to Spain, regardless of where our flight landed in Europe. But luck was on my side. We flew straight to Madrid, where I have an address I'd stolen from Dad's old letters, he'd written to Jennifer, my mother, and never sent.

Mad had read me every reason in the world why I didn't need my mother in my life. And God, she's right. She's always right. But I promised myself I'd get closure when my mother finally told me why she did it.

So I lied to the love of my life, back in the Airbnb, "I have a meeting with a professor at the Complutense University of Madrid for an international perspectives seminar on mental health."

You fool. Not the actual address. What is wrong with me? What if she knew my mother works there? She's too smart, the puzzle would be easy for her to place.

Thoughtfulness crossed her beautiful face as she cocked her head slightly. I could only pray she didn't catch me in my lie while I cautiously watched her.

"Interesting. I should come with you," she said.

All my muscles jolted.
"No," I blurted, hating how guarded I sounded, because now she was frowning, suspicion flickering in her eyes. That's the thing about lying, and why I never do it with this woman anymore.

I walked over to her by the window. She was leaning against the frame in her robe, hair loose around her bare shoulder where the neckline slipped low.

I caged her in with my hands braced on either side of her. She tilted her chin toward the ceiling, offended, refusing to look at me. Her neck was so slender and adorable. I leaned in and kissed it, felt her pulse quicken beneath my lips, making me smile.

Lifting my head, I hovered close to her upturned face.
"I mean, you deserve a break. You said you and the girls had a date planned today. I want you to go and enjoy it. You've been juggling school, work, the center construction, and my clinginess." I brushed closer to her lips, and at last, she smiled, looping her arms around my neck and pulling me down into the sweet taste of her lips, soft and addictive. Words lost all meaning for the next ten minutes which we managed a quickie with my suit on.

By the time I left the room, I had to fix my hair again after Mad's fingers had tugged it into chaos, like I'd been thrown from a tornado. She promised she would take a bath immediately and get ready so she wouldn't be late for her plans with the girls.

***

The boys were hanging out on the first floor, but my nerves were frayed. My mind was too consumed with rehearsing the words I'd been holding onto for years. I barely heard anything until KC mentioned Cameron's promo event.

That might be the reason why we were here but it wasn't in my schedule.

I find a way to slip out and let them have all the fun with that.

Sliding into the backseat of the Uber I'd called, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding. From inside my jacket, I pulled out the folded paper and smoothed it across my lap as the car coasted its way through Madrid.