That shuts him up for a few moments.
“I deserve to have a say in our relationship. You don’t get to just decide on your own. That’s not how this works,” I continue, exhaling deeply.
“You’re my first real relationship, Brielle,” he says, now sounding emotionless. “So I’m not exactly good at all of this.”
“You don’t need to be good,” I tell him. “You need to not leave. You need to talk to me. You need to not leave me wondering if you even care about me or not! I know that this is your first relationship, but that’s no excuse to treat me like I don’t matter!”
“Of course I care about you,” he growls, lifting my face to look at him. “I love you!”
“Love is not what you showed me with your actions,” I fire back. “You don’t do what you did to me to someone you love, Sylar.”
“I’ve made mistakes, Brielle, but never, and I mean never tell me that I don’t love you. You can’t tell me how I feel. You don’t know how I think of you every second of every day, or how much I missed you! You don’t know how I ached to come home and take you in my arms, but I couldn’t without putting you in danger!” He stops and visibly calms himself. “I’ve made a mess of things, I know. But never question my love for you, because it’s the only real thing I know.”
I sit up and look down at his leg. “There’s something I need to tell you, Sylar.”
“What is it?” he asks, looking worried. “Is everything okay?” He pauses. “Did you meet someone else?”
“Of course not,” I say quickly. “How can you even think that?”
“I don’t know, to punish me, maybe,” he says, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “And you look like you, so I know you get attention. I messed up, Brielle, and I know it. I deserve anything you throw at me.”
I open my mouth to tell him I’m pregnant, but nothing comes out. I bury my face against his chest and think. I shouldn’t be here right now. He’s fine, I saw it with my own eyes, and I should leave, but my body won’t move. Why won’t it move?
He broke my heart by leaving.
It’s like I’m always the one being left behind. The relationship I had with Eric pales in comparison to my relationship with Sylar, but I’m not going to lie, I felt the same abandonment, timesed by a hundred.
“I went on a date,” I blurt out. It’s apparently easier to say than the whole pregnancy thing.
Sylar stills underneath me. “With who?”
I think he tries to keep his tone even, but it comes out sharp and hurt. I don’t want to hurt him, but really, I did nothing wrong. When someone leaves without so much as a courtesy goodbye, you assume that you are single. I didn’t want to be single. I wanted to be with him, but it’s not like I had that choice.
“Paul,” I say, cringing. “I know, he’s awful, and the date was awful, but I did it anyway.”
I don’t think he even knows who Paul is, and I’m glad, since he’s pretty much the town douche, and shows that I wasn’t exactly in the best head space at the time.
“Did you kiss him?” he asks, hands tightening on my waist.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. Although he tried. Hard. “How about you?”
“How about me what?” He sounds confused.
“Were you with anyone?” I ask, holding my breath as I wait for his reply.
“Brielle,” he says softly. “How could I be with anyone when you’re all I think about? You consume me. I don’t want anyone else in this world.”
“Your silence in the last few months says otherwise,” I mutter under my breath. “Words can’t fix this; only actions can.”
So he can tell me he loves me until he’s blue in the face, but it doesn’t change what he did. It also doesn’t change the fact that I think I’m weak to even consider getting back with him. Is he even staying? Maybe he just came here to recover from his bullet wound, and then he will leave again. I absently touch my stomach and wonder what’s in store for our child. Is Sylar going to make her fall in love with him and then leave, too? That’s not a really fair thought, though.
Is love meant to be this hard?
I know that nothing worth it comes easy, but I don’t know if it’s meant to be this complicated. I’m pregnant, and I don’t even feel comfortable enough to tell him that, because he went missing without so much as a text, and now he’s home.
And has been shot.
He needs to earn my trust again, there’s no way this will work out otherwise.
“How did you get shot?” I ask again. He never gave me a proper response last time. He can evade all he wants, but I’m going to keep asking. The time for me to blindly trust him is over. He no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. I need answers, and I need them now.
“Brielle—”
“No more bullshit, Sylar. You need to give me answers, or I’m walking out of here. You hurt me, and you owe me the truth.”
“My uncle is a bounty hunter,” he starts, then pauses before continuing. “He needed some help to bring in a fugitive. We went to help. We kept losing him though, and when we finally caught up, one of his friends shot me as they were trying to escape.”
Bounty hunting? Seriously?
“So you didn’t catch him?” I ask, trying to picture him chasing down a criminal.
Jesus.
Is this the shit he does in his spare time?
“Nope, he got away,” he says, surprisingly not sounding too put out over the fact. “But we did manage to capture another man. Someone with an even bigger price on him. So my uncle considered that a job done, and as soon as I was able to move, we came back here.”
“You could have died.”
“But I didn’t.”
I close my eyes and puff out a breath. “Is this going to be a regular thing? Are you going to just up and leave again to go on some wild goose chase to catch criminals just to get your kicks? I know you don’t need the money so you can’t be doing it for that.”
“I just went to help my family, Brielle,” he says quickly, kissing my temple. “I didn’t go to get my kicks. I went because they needed me. If I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have gone, but I didn’t.”
Why does he have to be such a badass?
“I don’t know, Sylar.”
“I’m just happy you’re here right now,” he murmurs, tightening his hold on me. “This is all I wanted while I was gone. I didn’t know it was possible to miss someone so much.”
I didn’t know it was possible either.
Chapter Five
“I can’t believe they’re back,” Christina says, crossing her arms over her chest. “Charlie was not happy when Spencer showed up at my place last night with nothing but bullshit excuses. I mean, where’s my bouquet of ‘I’m sorry I was a C-word’ red roses?”
I smirk at that. “Would you forgive him if he brought roses?”
“No,” she replies instantly, lifting her chin. “But it’s better than no flowers.”
“Did you sleep with him though?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.
She cringes and mutters, “It’s been months, Bree. Months. My resolve wasn’t that strong. My vagina needed a little attention and he was able to provide it.”
When I start laughing, she asks me, “Did you tell him about bread loaf?”
I sober quickly. “No. I will. I need to. Apparently, the three words are harder to get out than ‘I love you.’”
“Just send him a text message and hide,” is my best friend’s awful advice. “Where’s your phone? I’ll send it.”
“No, thanks,” I politely decline. “I don’t think this is a text-message moment.”
I need to be around him a little more, trust him and feel that connection between us before I tell him.
“Suit yourself,” she says, shrugging. “Are you going to see Sylar today?”
“Yeah, after work,” I say. “You coming?”
She nods. “We should take them all some dinner. I’ll pick something up. I’m excited to see the third brother
.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Especially after you said he’s hot.” She pauses. “And a doctor.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Slightly inappropriate.”
“You were thinking it,” she says, expression falling. “Bree?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to forgive him?” she asks, studying my expression.
As I think about her question, for the first time I’m honest with myself.
“I don’t want to,” I admit, jaw going tight. “But I’m scared I already have.”
“What is it about them?” she growls, making herself a coffee. “I have rules with dating. Why do I let him break every damn one?”
“I wish I could answer you,” I say, expelling a deep sigh. “But I have nothing. I don’t want to be a woman who just forgives a man for everything because she loves him, but at the same time, I don’t want to let my pride ruin a good thing, you know? I don’t know what’s going to happen. I know they’re hiding shit.”
Although Sylar gave me some answers last night, there’s clearly more to it. Why did Sebastian need help in the first place? He’s a doctor. What trouble could he have gotten into?
“Do you feel like we have the power here, or them?” she asks, a quizzical expression on her face. “I’m scared of the answer.”
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Yes,” she says adamantly. “It does.” She looks down at my stomach. “Now that baby daddy is back does that mean I get demoted to aunt and godmother?”
“That’s not a demotion,” I say, laughing at her. “You get to give her back.”
“That is a pro,” she says, nodding in a serious manner. “Okay, I better clean this place up before I leave. Charlie will be in to help you close up.”
And then I get to go and see Sylar to tell him he’s going to be a father.
Shit.
*****
Sebastian opens the door and lets me in.
“How is he doing?” I ask, flashing him a smile.
“He’s doing well, you have nothing to worry about,” he assures me.
“How are you doing?” I ask, wanting to have a conversation with the elusive brother.
He looks surprised by my question. “Me? I’m fine, thank you. I just came to check on Sylar, but I’ll be leaving one of these days. He doesn’t really need me here. It’s more a precaution than anything.”
“You should stay,” I say, shrugging. “You must miss your brothers.”
He ducks his head to hide his expression. “Yeah, but it’s not always that easy.”
“It never is,” I mutter, pausing to study him. Does he feel out of place here? “You know if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m a pretty good listener.”
“Right back at you,” he says, making me smile as I head upstairs. I find Sylar sitting up in bed, watching a movie.
“Hey,” I say, walking over to him and giving him a kiss on his cheek.
He puts his arms around me and pulls me onto him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I say as he places me on his lap.
“You aren’t,” he murmurs, searching my face. “How was your day? You look a little tired.”
“I am tired.” I snuggle against his chest. “Work was fine. Same old.”
“You need a day or two off,” he suggests, using his hands to gently massage my shoulders. “Don’t overwork yourself, Brielle. If money is an issue—”
“Stop right there.” I cut him off. “Don’t even think about offering me money. I’m an independent woman.”
When his body starts shaking, I realize he’s silently laughing at me.
“What’s so funny, Sylar?”
“Nothing,” he says, controlling himself. “You can still be an independent woman and let someone else help and care for you. Especially when that person has enough money in the bank to retire both of us.”
“That’s not the point,” I say, yawning. “I’m fine, Sylar. You’re the one who was shot.”
He makes a sound of frustration. “I’m fine.”
“So am I.”
“Are you hungry?” he asks, cupping my face with my hands. We haven’t kissed properly since he’s returned, mainly because neither of us knows what is going on with each other. Are we back together? Is he leaving again? I don’t know. I don’t think he knows. But I wouldn’t push him away. No, I want to taste him. I’ve missed kissing him.
“Yes,” I say, looking up at him through my lashes. “But not for food.”
I don’t know if this pregnancy is making me horny, or it’s because I haven’t seen him in so long, but all I want to do is have him inside of me.
“Brielle—”
I lean forward, my lips almost touching his but not quite. “Whatever it is, I don’t care.”
When he kisses me, his lips are familiar and safe, yet exciting at the same time. He sucks on my top lip, then the bottom, before deepening the kiss, his hands tangling in my hair and giving it a gentle tug. I moan into his mouth, his tongue now dancing with mine. After a few moments, I rest my hands on his chest and break the kiss, leaving us both looking into each other’s eyes.
“I love you, Brielle,” he says, lowering his gaze back to my lips. “No matter what happens, you’re mine. You know that, right?”
I lick my lips. Now is as good time as any, right? “Sylar—”
A knock at the door cuts off my announcement.
“Bree! Stop sucking Sylar’s dick and come down for dinner!” my best friend yells, loud enough for the entire house to hear, then snickers afterwards.
“Oh my God,” I sigh, while Sylar says, “She’s your friend.”
“And your brother’s girlfriend,” I point out.
“Only because you brought her into our lives,” he reminds me. “Because she lost her cat and thought it might be here.”
His tone says he doesn’t believe the cat story. He then asks dubiously, “Is the kitten still alive?”
I nod. “They have a love-hate relationship.”
“I’ll bet,” he says, moving off the bed with me still in his arms. When he stands with me, I immediately tell him off.
“Are you crazy? You don’t need any added weight on your leg, Sylar!”
“You weigh nothing,” he says, but puts me down and takes my hand in his. “Let’s go and eat before your friend gets mad.”
“We can’t be having that, can we?” I say, my tone laced with amusement. “Can you get down the stairs?”
“I’ve been walking around all day, Brielle,” he says, sounding both exasperated and amused. “I’ve rested enough. Ask the doctor himself.”
“Hmm,” I say, mentally making a note to ask Sebastian. We walk downstairs, probably slower than he wants to, but he lets me set the pace. When we enter the kitchen, Christina is sitting in between the two brothers, laughing loudly. She turns to look when we enter and nods to the table.
“Grab a plate and join us.”
We do as she says, sitting opposite the three.
“How’s the leg, Sylar?” she asks, tilting her head to the side. “I heard you tried to be a hero and stopped a petrol station burglary.”
I cringe, then look down at my Chinese food to hide it. Spencer obviously lied to Christina, and he and Sylar really need to get their stories straight. Why did he lie when Sylar told me some of the truth?
Sylar clears his throat and says, “You know me, always in trouble.”
Spencer narrows his eyes on Sylar, obviously wanting him to become a better actor so Christina believes his story, while Sebastian chuckles under his breath. I look from brother to brother; the three of them really are magnificent. All handsome in their own way, all bringing something different to the table.
They’re their own army.
“So,” I say to the youngest brother. “Is Sylar meant to be walking around, or does he need to rest longer?”
Sebastian flashes Sylar an amused glance before returning his attention to me. “I’d prefer it if he staye
d in bed for a few more days, but knowing him, he won’t. And he will be fine anyway.”
“He’s not indestructible,” I grumble under my breath, then take a bite of fried rice and chicken.
I can feel someone watching me, so I lift my head to see Christina’s brown eyes questioning me. She wants to know if I told him about the baby. I shake my head. She flashes me a disapproving look. I silently tell her to relax, that I will handle it.
“Do they think we’re not here, witnessing this silent conversation?” Sebastian asks his brothers. He runs a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair and adds, “Can someone translate for me?”
“It’s nothing,” I say, narrowing my gaze on her, telling her to shut up. I don’t need to tell Sylar in front of his brothers at fucking dinner. I’ll tell him when we go back upstairs.
Either way, I won’t be leaving here without telling him the news.
Or I’ll never do it.
Chapter Six
“Do you get heaps of women hitting on you?” Christina asks Sebastian as we eat our dessert. Before he can reply, she asks another question. “Do you fuck nurses? My mum always told me to stay away from doctors because they fuck all the nurses.”
Sebastian shifts in his seat, looking a little uncomfortable at her extremely blunt questions, while the rest of us look on, feeling nothing but amusement.
“I have slept with nurses before,” he admits, going a little red. “But I’m single. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t.”
“How do you know that though?” she probes, threading her fingers together in front of her. “Have you been in a long-term relationship?” She looks to me. “Maybe we can set him up with someone?”
Sebastian looks to Spencer to save him.
Spencer laughs instead.
Feeling sorry for him, I say, “Maybe he’s a non-cheating doctor, Christina. You can’t stereotype everyone.”
“Maybe,” she muses.
Sylar stands and offers me his hand. I take it. Christina catcalls, which we ignore, but still brings a grin to my face. She’s so ridiculous sometimes. Back in his room, he locks the door behind us while I lie back on the bed, bracing myself for the conversation ahead.
See No Evil: Part Two Page 3
