Reed (Book 2, Southern Royals Saga)

Chapter 3: Moon Goddess

Brandon Reed, age 18

August 31, 2014

Helena, Alabama

Delusions... Hallucinations... Paranoia...

Blurring lines between what is real and what isn't...

Heritable...Onset age is 18 in males...

Paranoid schizophrenia...

"We gonna get our dicks wet tonight!"

I vaguely register Noah jabbering, but can't pull my eyes from the papers before me.

"Cuz, you listenin' to me?"

"Brandon?"

Withdrawing from family and friends...

"Dude," Noah shakes me out of my stupor.

"Where are you?" I look up at him as he eyes the papers on my desk, "Man, not again."

Noah got at eye level, "Look, you are fine."

"You ain't a doctor, Noah," I argue, slamming the folder shut and stuffing it away in my desk, "The onset age in males is 18, and I turned 18 three months ago."

"Okay, so let's look at the symptoms: delusion, hallucinations, paranoia... Do you feel any of these?" I shake my head no.

But this disease... My dad had it, and my Grandma Ellie and her own mother both had it. So, the chances of me or Noah developing it were high.

Even higher for our children, and their children.

It was a vicious cycle.

"You know, this is exactly why Maddie dumped you."

"No, she dumped me because I wouldn't have sex with her."

"Why didn't you? Maddie's hot as hell."

"Why don't you fuck her then?"

"Maybe I will. Maybe at the party tonight."

"Be my- Wait, what party?" I ask him as we walk downstairs.

Everyone was gone; Anthony and Liam were in Tijuana for "work", while Rose and Liz went to Illinois for a shopping trip, Chicago, I think.

It was just the three of us men.

"Caleb Jones. His parents are outta town for the next month, just left this afternoon."

"He the one with the lake house?" I ask, grabbing a bottled water from the fridge.

"Well, it's a house that sits in front of a lake."

"Yes, Noah, hence the name lake house."

"Fuck you, Owen." Noah punched Owen's arm where he sat with his laptop at the island.

I hoped I wouldn't have to break up any fights tonight; Noah and Owen fought like cats and dogs most days, ever since Owen joined our family all those years ago.

You'd think they were brothers rather than adoptive cousins.

"Not tonight," I say, leaning over the island.

"Oh c'mon, Brandon. You're goin' away next week."

"So? Noah, North Carolina is only 8 hours away."

I was set to attend Duke University at the beginning of September; my parents went there; Anthony did and so did Liam.

Anthony had been pretty adamant about it, especially after my last deal.