Supposed To Be Mine

Chapter 32

As Ryan walked through the living area, he was greeted by a punch in the mouth. "What the hell?" He stumbles back.

Landen had taken a cheap shot. He furiously rushed and swung his fist right into his brother's face. "It's easy for you to drop your saint streak when it involves my happiness!" He shouts. He goes to swing again but Ryan grabs his fist and pushes him back.

"Happiness?" He wipes his mouth and looks down at his bloodless fingers. "River is a ploy in your game to make me jealous. Aren't you happy it worked?... It cooked my insides watching you with her. I reacted, I broke up with Anastasia and am chasing her like a dog would its owner's car. If anything, you should be enjoying the show."

Landen points. "You know I felt something real for her. You know I'm in love with her."

"And that's your fault. Your game became real."

Meanwhile, River made it to her door before realizing that she might have started a war, so she rushes back. The argument was loud in the house and seeping through the house walls.
She had barely stepped foot inside and was already hearing them yell. Every statement bounced off the walls and penetrated her eardrums. That includes the statements about her being a prolonged game.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Her heart pumped nearly out of her chest. So hard, that it became the only sound she could hear for a bit. She didn't think anything could hurt more than what she has already learned, but this topped it all. She was a game. They were playing with her like cards. She stops frozen while listening to more.

"No." Landen clamps down on his jaw. "You think it makes you right because you didn't start this, but your not. You could have been with her but you didn't want to wait years. What happened to my good brother? What happened to doing no wrong? "Oh I know, you strive to be the perfect son, not the perfect brother. I shouldn't be surprised that when you decide to be bad it would be towards me."

Ryan shakes his head. "Isn't this what you wanted? For me to have a bad side, cheat on my girlfriend, and enjoy doing it."

"You were supposed to be jealous! Want what I have, not go after my fiancé!"

"You were playing a game and I finished it, that's it."

Landen shakes his head. "You know I have real feelings for her, and you still did this. What kind of brother are you Ryan?" He was seething and hurt. As much as he was pushing his brother he never expected him to actually push back. He still, never expected his brother to hurt him.

Ryan didn't want to hurt Landen, but River is his. "She is in love with me. You want to be with someone who loves someone else?"

"You don't get to decide who she's in love with."

River's instincts were right all along about Landen. He's a jerk who sees women as nothing more than a plaything. Something with no emotions, only legs to spread apart. She couldn't believe her ears, and she couldn't believe her thoughts. Mostly, she couldn't believe Ryan. He surprised her. Like a stroke to a young person. His participation in Landen's dumb pastime yanked at her core. He had her completely fooled. She would have defended his character to god she trusted him so much. She believed his word over anyone else's. Her mother always did say love makes you blind, and she's been the blindest.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass hits the air. She rushes to where the sound was coming from and finds the brothers fighting. They were knocking things down and pushing over furniture. One second Ryan was on his back the next, Landen on his.

"Oh my god." She panics. "Stop!" She hurries to grab Landen's arm and tries to pull him off. She pulls so hard that she falls to the ground from her lack of strength. The next thing she knew, Ryan was on top and pinning Landen by this throat. "Enough!" He yells. His arm was shaking from restraint, and veins were protruding through his skin he was so angry.

"Oh my god. Let him go." She begs.

"I've had enough of your tantrum." He lets it be known before releasing if him and straightening his back. He adjusts his jacket and shifts his attention to River, walking close to her and grabbing her upper arms. "Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head.

Suddenly, Landen, who was still getting up from the ground laughs. "This is that man's blood coming out of you now. Isn't it big brother? What's his name?
Your father... um... Ivan...Price." It's a good thing you kept his last name, it suits you. This proves it right here, you are more like that man than us. No matter how hard you tried to be different eventually one day we were all going to see the demon in you come out. He rubs his throat. "Thank god I can say you're a half." The nastiest thing a brother could say to another he spits out and Ryan took it. He shifts his attention back to River. "Are you okay?" He asks softly again. She responds by pulling her arms free.

Their mother who stood by the doorway listening to the daggers shot at her firstborn wasn't having it today. She steps out. "Half?" She was downright pissed.

Landen's neck snaps in her direction.

"That's it, Landen, you've crossed the line. Do you know what your brother has gone through? Do you know what he has done for you? For us? No... you wouldn't care to ask. "He was eight years old when he asked me not to tell you. Because he didn't want you to feel like him."

"Tell me what?"

"That you're Ivan price's-"

"Mom." Ryan interrupts, but she didn't let him stop her.

"Biological son" She continues. "When I was nine months pregnant with you, your father, decided we were a burden to him. He lit our home on fire with your brother and myself sleeping inside. As a matter of fact, I was healing from one of his beatings. It was your brother who had to practically carry me down a flight of stairs and outside to save our lives. Your brother,  who would stay in front of my stomach in case your father wanted to use it as a punching bag. Your brother, who took numerous beatings to protect me...and you." Heavy tears filled her eyes. "It was two years before I met Fredrick. We bounced from shelter to shelter almost having to give you a way to keep you safe. I started working and your brother babysat for me. Do you hear me? Who was taking care of you when I had to work minimum wage jobs to support us? Your brother!" She shouts. "Your eight-year-old brother. He has never had a childhood, always being the man I needed in my life. And here you are calling him a half? For once, try to look at someone else's perspective other than your own. And it's about time you grow up and grow out of your poor me stage. Instead of love Ryan, you see him as competition. You see that we're close but never really asked why. You just decided to be upset about it. You could never try to understand him, just condemn his every move and I'm tired of it." Crying violently and having said all she needed, she storms out of the room leaving everyone speechless.

Landen was still. He barely blinked.

Normally River would be worried and would want to be helpful, but right now she didn't care. This wasn't her family. Her family wouldn't do what they have done to her. She turns around without a statement and begins walking away.

"Wait," Ryan whispers toward her back.

"Why?" She stops but doesn't look back at him. "Isn't your game over? Didn't you win?"

He doesn't respond and even lets her leave without trying to stop him again.

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