Supposed To Be Mine

Chapter 27

UNEDITED

It was a dark cloud filled night out when Landen left River's side. He left her falling asleep on the couch, kissing her on her cheek before leaving. The crisp night air seeped through his light blue dress shirt as he walked along the driveway to his car. He presses the remote-less key entry button, which makes the car's headlights momentarily light up. That's when he notices his big brother leaning on the driver's side door with his hands shoved into his pockets. A smile crept up his cheeks and he confidently steps directly in line with confrontation. "I've waited too long for this." He states. "Finally heard the news? Here to protect River from me right?" He knew this was coming, waiting patiently actually. Especially when he found about the arrangement gone wrong.

"What's your game?" Ryan drawls.

"Me?" Landen's points to himself.  A slight sadistic smile stays plastered on his facial expression. Cockiness, sheer arrogance, reeked from his ora. "Why would I have a game? Because I'm engaged to your supposed to be a sister?"  He laughs.

"Hmm..." Ryan hums. "You want me to admit I have feelings for her. Okay done. I have feelings for her. Nothing close to being sisterly."

"It's Anastasia you should tell. Tell her you're brooding over your younger brother's fiancé."

"She knows." Big brother admits effortlessly. Almost like he was annoyed but unfazed at the same time. "River is supposed to be mine." Not yours." He affirms. "never yours. You wanted to get a rise out of me, congratulations, you've done it. Now end this game or I will have to."

"This is no game. River is mine. I'm going to be with her, and eventually, I'll marry her. This has nothing to do with you anymore. And you're right, She was supposed to be yours. Mom told me that you two were engaged when I gave her my good news. It's a big secret that River has no idea was real. Right? I wonder how she would feel knowing that you not only agreed to marry her but broke it off for Anastasia? Now you're breaking it off with her, for Ree. I'm actually shocked. I didn't know you had it in you. It must have been hard having to wait six, long, years. Right?"

"Stop this crap," Ryan yells. "Any other game, anything else, I would gladly fold, but not with her."

Landen laughs again. "What would be fun for me if I can't get you to react? This is the one thing that irks you and I have it. I don't care if you fold. I want you to watch in envy."

"You know that saying, the quietest snake bites the hardest?" Ryan's jaw tightens. "I want you to remember that when I finish this. I hoped you didn't develop real feelings for her. Because I'm coming to take her, engaged to you or not. You wanted me to react. You've got yourself a reaction."

Landen creases his brows together. His confidence seems to be a dying fire. This was a side of his brother he has never seen. "And Anastasia?

"Anastasia and I are over."

"So you think you can just be with River?"

"River is mine. From the moment she stepped foot in our house. You'll learn, and if you don't, ill teach you."

What the hell was Landen seeing? An arrogant, cocky, unreasonable, argumentive, possessive, almost vindictive dick. This is what he was waiting for, what he wanted, but, not what he was expecting. This is like a second face entirely. "She may have been engaged to you once, but that means nothing now. You broke it off remember?"

"That's what you're afraid of most, that she didn't break it off, I did."

"I'm not afraid. What do you think, Ree is desperate? That she would be with a man who basically dumped her for another woman?"