Bytes' POV.
Mads spent a lot of the evening with Max, Ben and I before going up to her room, claiming that she was tired. We all knew that that was true—she was mentally drained after getting her heart broken.
The anger and disappointment I feel is pretty extreme.
It's fuelled by the fact that my own teammate, someone I look up to and admire, could hurt the very person who is my sister. Not by blood but very much by heart. This instinctual protectiveness over Mads has driven me into enmity.
I feel a deep loathing and disbelief for Steeley and what he's done.
I just don't understand. I don't understand how he ditched the girl who gave him the world, offering it in the palm of her hand. How could he leave her when she offered him so much? Why would he even want to or even consider doing so?
I'm not oblivious. I most certainly noticed how he waited for her to walk into the dining area each morning. And every time she did there was an automatic smile on his face.
If that's not being in love then I don't know what is.
Why would he leave her then? Why would he make Mads sob so much that she couldn't breathe even though he loved her? It confuses me and leaves questions unanswered. Questions that need to be answered.
She looked so broken when we found her on the beach. Her face lacked colour or joy, her body arched over itself. She was hiccuping, trying to gain control of her breathing. It hurt to see.
Max is absolutely spiteful because he was right not to trust him with his sister. I, a rather, held no hesitation with my teammate getting with the oldest King, if anything I supported it. I guess I make a mistake on that part.
I did, however, threaten to whoop his ass if he hurt her. Might take myself up on my own offer.
Max told me all about the fight between him and Mads, including the part about Taylah.
What bothers me is the fact that Mads didn't even know who Taylah was. She had to ask her brother for that information when it should've come from Steeley. It doesn't sit well with any of us.
There came a point where Ben had had enough of sitting around after his sister went off. He was livid, you could see it in his expression.
The youngest twin scrapes back his chair and leaves without a word, fuming. Max and I quickly follow after him.
We were going to get these questions answered.
Ben appears rightly pissed off. He's usually relaxed and laid back but right now he's extremely pissed off. I thought Max and I were angry but it's nothing compared to this. I can feel the heat radiating off him and he stomps around searching for Steeley.
Max is peeved. Steeley didn't even try prove him wrong. Despite Max getting into his face and telling him he doesn't trust him with his sister, Steeley still went out of his way to prove the oldest twin right: that he couldn't be trusted with one of the people that means the most to the King.
It's like he totally disregarded the words and decided to just prove Max's point for the fun of it.
The three of us scour through practically the entire resort for St Kilda's number 9. The longer the search, the more provoked we all get.
Ben's head whips to the side at one point and he goes tearing down a path we haven't searched yet. This time he's found what he was looking for. We trail after him.
"Who do you think you are?!" Ben hurls, storming up to Steeley. He may have the temptation to punch him but Ben isn't that impulsive. He's also here as a guest. He can't go throwing fists.
Steeley's eyes widen when he notices the youngest King coming at him full speed. I see him take a step back before holding his ground and facing Ben with a hardened gaze.
I join Ben's side and Max does too. All three of us seethe, staring down my teammate with severity.
"Why did you do it, huh? Why did you go hurt her like that?!" Max growls. "I was right not to trust you."
"At least I would've had the trust to let her go travel without fear that she would've hooked up with someone," Steeley rebuts harshly, glaring and becoming defensive.
I can tell Max gets even more infuriated at his words.
"This isn't about him, Steele," Ben snarls, standing up for his brother. "You're the one who left our," he gestures to Max, himself and I, "sister in the dirt. Despite everything she did to get to know you, you disregarded her like she meant nothing. That all she did meant nothing to you."
Steeley goes to speak but I've had enough of being silent. I'm the most docile out of the three but I'm irked beyond belief. How dare he hurt my sister.
"And you didn't even tell her about Taylah!" I yell and it catches Steeley off guard. "Instead you left Mads to hear her name without any context. She had to try figure out who the hell Taylah was by herself. She had to ask her brother to answer when it was something for you to tell her."
Steeley stands there, frustrated. "I didn't know how to tell her!"
"Bullshit," Ben hisses, agitated.
"It isn't that hard to tell her about Taylah. Even after our confrontation you didn't even tell her. That's fucked, Steele." Max sends the most severe glare he can at his teammates "And why did you dump our sister into the dirt anyway?!"
"That's none of your concern," Steeley hits back defensively. Sure it isn't.
"You'll find that it is," I get out with teeth clenched.
"You should consider yourself lucky," Ben snaps, scowling at Steeley with a deep loathing. "Because unlike you I don't get to see my sister all that often. I barely get to see my fucking sister and you get to see her joyous smile each and every day. Yet, here you stand, totally ignoring how lucky you are."
I cut in. "People would kill to have someone like her in their life. How often do you find someone with the right mix of personality? And I can tell by the look on your face that you agree that she does have that mix."
"She's perfect, she just wasn't perfect enough for you, was she?" Max questions provokingly. He has a suspicion to why Steeley dropped Mads.
Our teammates' expression falters ever so slightly before his face screws up in offense.
"She was perfect. She just wasn't the one for me," he grunts out. He's lying to himself, it's obvious.
"Ever realise why she's never had a boyfriend? And it's not because she's not pretty enough, because by all means she could get anyone she wants," Max asks him, an edge to his voice.
"Yeah, because she has a fear of opening up romantically," Steeley answers tensely.
"Oh, so you knew that," Ben's voice goes high before it goes dangerously low. Max clenches his fists. My expression darkens.
He knew her fear and did the very thing she was scared of being done to her. Her used her openness against her in a cruel turn of events. Steeley is a hypocrite and the very reason why my sister is probably crying herself to sleep as we speak.
Why would he do that to Mads? Why would he lead her on only to hurt her in the worst way possible?
Ben and Max appear that they're about to explode like a nuclear bomb. This new information that Steeley knew her fear has added another lot of gasoline to the fire.
I walk up to Steeley, standing toe to toe and looking him dead in the eye. "So despite knowing how much it would hurt her, you did it anyway? To the very person who adored you more than anything else."
Our faces are inches apart as we glare at one another. I can tell, though, that through his eyes he's guilty. He feels a sense of guilt and awareness because he knows he hurt her.
"I'm sorry I hurt her, I really am, but it's been done and I can't go back now," Steeley says flatly, swallowing down his emotions.
"So that's it?" Max snaps. "You're just going to leave her like that? No apology to her face?"
"What's there to say?" Steeley comments in slight challenge. I snort, taking a step back from him with a disgusted look on my face.
"A hell of a lotta better things than what you said to her hours ago," I shoot at him. I join the twins' sides again.
Ben tightens his jaw and turns his back on Steeley. He glances over his shoulder once.
"Next time I face you on field, Steele, my sister's heart won't be the only thing that's broken." He then disappears from sight.
"You better apologise to her," Max warns, huffing, before leaving the scene too. I watch him go before glancing at Steeley again.
"You've made a mistake, Jack." I take a few steps away but I stop and look to the side, my back facing him. "Madelyn King is the only person that loves others more than herself."
And you were the only person who, in regards to her fear, had her trust.
But you broke that too...
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A/N
Damn, that ending🥺
Ben, Bytes and Max are PISSED and rightfully so. Steelo hurt their sister so of course they'll go after him.
Steelo really be doing my head in though😡
I hope you enjoyed!
Cheers!