𝐕𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃 ❷

𝟑𝟖. ✭ 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐘 ✭

Once we're in the confines of the guest house I finally ask, "why the fuck are you so quiet?" He doesn't say anything to me, doesn't even look at me before going into the bedroom and slamming the door. What the fuck? "Brooks?" I go to the door and try the handle, it's locked. "You care to share why you've locked yourself in the bedroom like a teenage female on the rag?" To my surprise he tears open the door and looks at me angrier than he ever has. "What the fuck did I do to you, for fuck's sake?"

"What did you do to me? Nothing. Fucking nothing, Torey."

"Uh, clearly that's a false statement. You look rip-shit pissed."

"Because I am rip-shit pissed!" He pushes my chest, makes me stumble backward slightly. "Do you ever think about anyone other than your-fucking-self? Hmm, do you? Or does the whole fucking world just have to revolve around Torey? Did you think about Dani for one minuscule of a second before telling her to hand the phone over? Did you ask about her? Did you ask about your son? No. You let your stupid fucking jealousy and pride control the conversation. Do you not think she wanted to talk to you for more than a split second? Or me? Did you not think that I wanted to see her, to talk to her? You're so fucking selfish." He storms past me, leaving me completely dumbfounded. He snatches the keys from the counter and that's when I realize he's about to leave. When my hand goes to grab ahold of his he rips it away from me. "No, I've fucking had it with you, Tor."

"You've had it. With me." I reiterate the words, not liking the taste of them on my tongue. "Right. Gotcha." I turn away from him and walk toward the bar. If he wants to leave then let him. The door slams shut telling me that he's left. Fuck him, anyway. I snatch a bottle of vodka, feel my pocket to make sure there's a pack of smokes and a light, before going outside. His car revs to life and I don't give him a backward glance. I toss up a middle finger for good measure as I make my way to the patio area that overlooks the city, giving him one last fuck you. The squealing of tires on the pavement is what I get in response.

Just as I get situated I hear a man cursing under his breath furiously. Braxton looks like he's feeling much the same way I am. When I light up a cigarette he looks over in my direction. Fuck it. I hold up the bottle and nod my head to the space next to me. No point in drinking alone. He eyes me as if debating the same thing before the fuck it bell must've rang in his head too.

"Those are some serious tire marks in the driveway."

"He'll get over it."

At least I hope he will. Because what Brooks doesn't understand is that I could hardly look at Dani in the face without feeling riddled with guilt. I was so fucking ashamed and angry with myself as I looked over her hollow features. She was back to being that shell of herself and I fucking hated myself for it because I am the reason. Now she's engaged to this guy's brother, a fucking Marling, no less.

"My brother is a good guy." Rolling my head to the side, I give Braxton a glare. "Hey, I know it's not what you want to hear but he cares about Daniela."

"The same way you care about my sister?" He doesn't reply, pleading the fifth with a swig of vodka. "That's what I thought." I snatch it away from him when he finishes and do much the same. "Want a smoke?"

"You go from wanting to shoot me to wanting to share a bottle of vodka and offering me a smoke?"

"What can I say?" I give him a shrug. "You've definitely got some big balls on you pulling a gun on my father and then aiming it my way. Not to mention you somehow are managing to tame Adri."

"There is no taming Adri." He grabs a cigarette from the pack and lights it up before taking a long drag. "I suppose that's what I love about her." He lets out a wry laugh before leaning forward on the railing.

"Love huh?" His eyes widen slightly and I know he hadn't been aware of the word he'd let slip from his mouth. Braxton takes another swig from the bottle. I take one directly after. "Never thought I'd be getting shitty with a Marling."

He snorts out a laugh with, "catch me being friendly with a Warner-Riley— yeah right. Let alone feeling disappointed when one prefers the company of someone like Thomas to me."

"Fuck Thomas."

"Yeah, fuck that guy." He blows out a deep, smoke-filled breath. "I mean, she better not fuck him. I will chop that asshat's dick clean off. Not that she would fuck him. She loathes him but—"

"Ho ho ho hooooo."

"What?" He swings his head in my direction.

"Adri has always been rather promiscuous." He frowns at that. "I'm just saying, as you've said, there's no taming her. You start getting all possessive and shit she'll be out the door faster than—" a loud banging of the front door has both Braxton and I looking in that direction. Adri is storming out of the house with both of my fathers trailing behind her. "Welp, looks like she's already out." Braxton grabs the bottle and takes several hearty gulps. "Want to take this inside?" I nod to the guest house.

"You're not going to shoot me, are you?"

"It's a possibility."

✩✩✩

After a few hours, and a few bottles of vodka shared between Braxton and I, I can officially say I am shit-faced. Braxton looks equally worse for wear. I think he's even farther gone than I am.

He'd told me about the whole situation between his brother and Daniela, what Dedaj expected of them. If I wasn't so fucking inebriated I probably would've raged but I can barely focus on anything, let alone go on a murderous rampage. Knowing certain key factors made the situation more irritating and I'm sure once I'm sober those things will sink in. You know, like how Dedaj wants Tristan to father my son and marry my fucking woman. Stuff like that. Also, stuff like how it doesn't seem like he would mind all that much. Who would mind? It's Dani. She's got this whole sweet and innocent looking thing about her. Those eyes too. God, those fucking eyes are so beautiful. When she looks up at me while—

"What the fuck is going on here?" I blink a few times trying to make out the figure that'd just walked into the room. "Torey?"

"Oh hey, Brooks." Braxton slurs from his seat. "I shhhoul—" He goes to stand up and crashes to the floor before passing out. The laugh that comes out of me sounds like it belongs to someone else. Wait, maybe it does? I don't even know.

"Are you fucking serious, right now?"

"Oh I am the farthest thing from serious." I look him over noticing a mark on his neck. "What the fuck is that?"

"What's what?"

I shoot to my feet and immediately regret it because I'm doing much the same as Braxton just had. Brooks catches me with a grunt. Even though he caught me I can't seem to make anything work. Not even a second later my world goes completely black.

A/N:
Whoever thought they'd see the Warner-Riley family working with the Marling family?