“How am I going to do this without her?” he sobs. My heart shatters as the strongest man I have ever known bawls uncontrollably in my embrace. “Melanie, I can’t do this. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I need you to help me. Please help me figure out what I’m supposed to do…”
I’m so lost in trying to keep from crying now that he’s gone and I have a moment of peace that I don’t hear the front door open and close. “What in the hell are you doing here?” asks an angry voice directly behind me. I spin around and find myself staring at the one person who could blow the lid off this well-intentioned charade.
“Braydon, I didn’t hear you come in,” I say, reaching up to wipe the tears away from my face. I look around his impressive form, making sure Alyssa isn’t standing in the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”
It’s a ridiculous question seeing as it is Christmas Eve and he is Xavier’s older brother. The two of them had a strained relationship in the past, but they refused to stop trying to get along despite the fact that both were raised by mothers who blamed the other woman for being the downfall of their relationship with William Ross.
I try to move away from the window, but every time I move, Braydon moves with me. “I asked you first,” he says angrily. “And the way I see it, only one of us is supposed to be here right now. I don’t know what fucking game you’re playing at, but Xavier has a good life now. He needs to spend his time with Alyssa and Jacob.”
“Keep your voice down, Braydon,” I whisper, pulling him out onto the front porch. I know his temper well and there’s not a room in the house that will hold our secrets when he’s upset. I begin shivering the moment the frigid air hits my skin. “I know that he needs to be able to pay attention to his wife and his child,” I respond, making sure there’s no misunderstanding that I know exactly who Alyssa and Jacob are to him.
“Then why would you march back into his life, forcing him to tear open wounds that took a hell of a long time to heal?” I’m not a small woman and I don’t back down easily, but with Braydon staring down at me, backing me into the corner of the front porch, I feel miniscule. “He almost fucked things up with a decent woman because he was still so hung up on you. Now, she’s fighting for her fucking life and you’re back. What the fuck, Melanie?”
I can’t believe what a skewed version of my own past Braydon is hurling at me. I didn’t walk out of Xavier’s life, he pushed me out. He is the one who told me he needed time to think and then never called me again. I spent almost a year telling myself that he would come around, that he would realize what we had was strong enough to get past the problems we had. That one night of me proving that I was capable of thinking for myself wasn’t worth throwing away four years of happiness. But the call never came.
And then, right when I thought I was over everything, the universe decided to show me just what a bitch she can be and threw Xavier back into my life. And every day for almost two months, I’ve had to live what could have been my life, the whole time taking care of the woman who is filling the role that should have been mine. And wouldn’t you know it? As much as I didn’t want to like Alyssa, I now find myself preparing for the death of the woman I’ve come to love as a friend.
“Braydon, while I appreciate that you’re trying to protect your family, I can assure you that you don’t know the first thing about what’s happened in the past or what’s happening now.” I rise on my toes so I’m looking directly into his eyes. “Before you jump to conclusions about my intentions when it comes to your brother, you might want to think about what I went to school for.”
I can see the moment understanding registers in Braydon’s bright blue eyes. His face falls as he tries to find a way to take back the hatred he was lobbing at me. “Melanie, I’m a big enough man that I will apologize for jumping to conclusions. Xavier and Jacob have been through so much and I know it’s only going to get worse.” The change in his demeanor would be laughable if I wasn’t so offended. “I’m sorry.”
Before I can respond, the front door opens and I turn to see a very confused Alyssa staring at us, her blanket wrapped tightly around her body. “What in the world are you two doing outside? Melanie, get your ass in here. I can’t have my personal assistant getting sick on me.” She gives me a quick wink as Braydon stares between the two of us.
I know how you’re feeling, Braydon. The whole situation surpassed weird about six weeks ago.
“So, I see you’ve met Xavier’s brother,” Alyssa says as she curls onto the couch. I hit the ignition button on the gas fireplace, hoping to keep the room warm enough for her. “I know you said you don’t date, but seriously, Mel, you should give this one a shot. I know I would have if I hadn’t wound up with Xavier.”