BAD INTENTIONS (BAD #1)

CHAPTER 2

XANDER

Our parents' death came as a shock to us. It was a car accident. The car rolled six times down a hill. The doctors said it was an instant death and we found some comfort in that. At least they didn't suffer. They were out on a date. Brianna was home alone or so they thought. When I went to pick her up after I got the call from the hospital, she wasn't at the house. Turns out, she had sneaked out to some party.

What was my sixteen-year-old sister doing at a party that most likely included kids much older than her? I don't know and I don't think I want to find out. I just have to make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't have to be a parent to be bothered by my sixteen-year-old sister going to parties late at night. She started sophomore year of high school this fall. She's the kid who lost her parents over summer. Out of the five of us, she got the worst end out of what happened. The rest of us are adults. We go about our days pretending we don't hurt and get away with it, but Brianna is a kid.

She hasn't spoken about our parent's death since it happened in late May. Every time I try to get her to talk, she either kicks me out of her room or she completely ignores me. I don't know which one is worse. As her brother, it worries me that she doesn't talk about it and I don't know how to help her. When I suggested a psychiatrist, she laughed at my face and told me it wasn't that serious. That left me even more worried. What's more serious than losing both of your parents at sixteen?

I've lived a pretty carefree life but it all changed the moment our parents' lawyer told us they had chosen me as Brianna's guardian in the case of both of their deaths. I don't know who was more shocked. Me or Sebastian. Maybe it was equal. Of course we weren't going to leave Brianna alone. I knew we would take care of her between Sebastian and me, given that we're the oldest of the five of us; I knew he would want to help. I'm not exactly sure what I pictured in my head. Were we going to take turns with her like divorced parents? Or were we going to move in together and live as the siblings we were? I don't know, but everything changed the moment I found out my name was written on a legal document making me her official guardian.

In a way, it made sense because I'm the oldest; but on the other side, it made zero sense. I've never wanted kids and I still don't. I'm probably the least affectionate between the five of us. I love solitude. I love freedom. I love not being attached to anything but my job. My parents knew this and they still left me with the most valuable thing in their will.

Sebastian is like me in some ways, except he does want a family someday. He wants the wife and the kids in the near future. He would've made a little more sense to be Brianna's main guardian. Instead, he gets to keep living his life as normal minus our parents, of course. I don't complain because she's my sister. I would've taken care of her regardless of legal documents or not, but, fuck, I miss how my life was before the accident. I think I'm allowed to admit that as long as I don't do it to her face.

"Done for the day?"

I look up at my uncle, Mateo, as he stands by the doorway of my office. "Yep. Got some stuff to do before I pick up Brianna."

"How's she doing?" He asks.

I raise my eyebrows. "God only knows."

He half-smiles. "You're always welcome in our home. You know how much Clara loves you guys."

Mateo is my dad's younger and only brother. He is married to Clara, my late mother's best friend. Yet another family member who was left devastated by my parent's death. Clara has taken my mother's death pretty hard. I think maybe harder than all of us. She hasn't been out of the house since it happened. Her and Mom were really close, almost like sisters.

I grab my jacket and nod at him. "Thank you, maybe one of these days. I'll see you tomorrow. The board meeting is still at eight, right?"

He nods. "Yes."