Chapter 18

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I impatiently sit on the couch opposite of Brandon and Scarlet. I didn't want to ruin the Cancino family reunion so I let them be, but I feel as if there staring at us.

Looking at Scarlet she looks as if she lost a lot of weight. She was always small but she most definitely had a rounder frame and face all those years ago.

"Brandon I swear to god! Start talking!," I scream breaking the awkward silence. "Scarlet texted me a couple days ago. She needed help. I had to do something."

I shake my head. "Why did you disappear? Leaving your child?!"

She tears up and looks down at her lap. "I had no choice! I couldn't stay here while people were after me."

"Why? What did you do? Where did you go?" Wherever she did go she wasn't fed very much. Her blue jeans and white t-shirt has dirt all over them. She had a bag with her and she was wearing Brandon's coat.

"My sister Jess. She stole from some people. They wanted her to pay. She never did anything to defuse the situation so they started threatening me. I didn't want Brandon or Aiden to get hurt by my problems." She pauses, tears falling down her face. Brandon wipes them away and stares into her eyes.

"I should've told someone, but I didn't want to harm the people I care most about. I fled and ended up in Paris. I was safe in Paris and I thought it was over, I needed to come back to see you guys."

She grabs Brandon's hand and gives it a squeeze, then she looks up at him. "I'm sorry Bran, I never wanted to leave. I never wanted to leave you and Aiden."

He looks away from her gaze disappointedly. " I can't do this right now." He rips his hand from hers and storms off upstairs. She looks confused and hurt.

Brandon took it so hard when she disappeared. He isolated himself and almost thought of giving Aiden away. He broke. I never wanted to see my brother go through that pain ever again. I tried my hardest to protect him. He was going through that weird teenage boy phase and Scarlet was the only person that really understood what the hell was happing with him.

His eyes shined when he talked about her. He laced every word with admiration when he spoke of her. She left and took the light from his eyes. She made him see the world in gray.

I sighed deeply and shook my head. "He'll get over it," I say. I don't know if he'll get over it honestly. I don't know what's going through his head.

"Nessa! I want a cookie," that voice brings me out of this complicated situation. I watch him step down the stairs with his stuffed bear in hand. I rush over to him scooping him up in my arms. I look back at Scarlet and see her with her hand over her mouth.

I pass him off to Seth. "Get him a cookie." I instructed. He just nods. Walking back over to Scarlet her eyes stay on Aiden. "That's my baby?" She gapes. I only nod. That's the only thing I'm capable of doing.

Aiden runs over to me jumping on my lap. He bites into his cookie and looks at Scarlet. "누구냐?," Aiden says. 
(Pronunciation: Nugunya)
( Def: Who is it?)

"Good job baby." I don't think he meant to say 'who is it'. But I understand what he meant. "Baby this is Scarlet. She's your momma."

He looks up at me shocked. "I finally get a mommy like my friends?," he asks. I smile down at him and nod. He jumps off of me and jumps on Scarlet. She wraps her arms around him giving him kisses. He doesn't resist like he does with me but instead kisses her cheek back.

I feel my heart break at the sight of the pair. My Aiden. I've raised him since the beginning. He doesn't need me anymore. He has his actual mother to hold him, put him to sleep, and read to him.

He doesn't me as a substitute mom anymore. I wipe my own eyes and walk over to Seth and his siblings. "That was a great experience. Seriously watching all of that was like having the Kardashian's in front of us," Brett jokes. I find myself no longer in the mood for jokes. I still put on a fake smile. I grab the whole bottle of wine and leave upstairs. "You guys have fun. I'm calling it a night," I sigh.

I walk upstairs and open the door to Brandon's room. "Hey bud." He looks up at me through his eyelashes and fakes a smile.

"How you feel?" He shrugs and bites his lip. "Why the hell would you go get if you didn't want her back in our lives?!" I scream much like a parent. "Because... fuck. I'm drawn to her. I wanted to let her go, I was finally over her. She called me and I couldn't let her go. Vanessa, I can't let her go!," He screams matching my tone.

I take a big swig of the wine and stare into his big brown eyes. "I hope you know what your doing babe," I breath out. With that I leave him and make my way to my room.

Scarlet is unpredictable. I don't want her to hurt my brother like the way she did in the past.

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Thoughts on this chapter. I'm sorry for the wait, updates will be coming more regularly now. I'll try my hardest.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I left you guys on a major cliff hanger and I want your thoughts on Scarlett.

Do you think she really got what it takes? Do you think she'll actually stick around? Make sure to comment and vote.
Sorry for any mistakes once the full story is posted I will go back and edit everything!!!

Until then happy readings!!!!

Sweet BastardTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon