A/N: Here is another chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
Beam POV
Where are my friends when I need them? Oh yeah, they baled on me. So, I have no other choice but to go home and have dinner with my mother, step-father and my ever so not wanting to meet step-brother. UGH!!!
I wait until about 5 minutes before meal time and I then pull into the huge mansion that is my step-father's house as he like to call it. I still can't believe that my mother married one of the wealthiest men in Thailand and let's not forget one of the most powerful ones, too. I have to admit he is really nice. At sometimes, he is almost too nice, but I'm sure he is trying impress my mother.
I walk into the mansion and I'm immediately pulled to the dining room with the delicious smell of my mother's cooking. She may be an executive during the day, but when she is in the kitchen, she knows how to cook. As delicious smells invade my nose, my mouth begins to immediately water and I can't control myself as I smack my lips in anticipation for the fabulous food.
My mother catches me just as I begin to drool, and she quickly says, "Sit down, Beamie. I guess your brother can't make it. Something about being too tired from the trip and he was going to sleep. So, it is just us and your dad."
What? My step-brother ditches us. Who does he think he is? Does he know how much work my mother put into cooking all of this food? I think I hate him already.
However, I'm glad that I don't have to meet him yet. It is a relief that he did ditch us. Maybe he isn't so bad after all. UGH!!! I don't know!!!
My step-father comes into the room frowning. "Did your mother tell you that my boy, Wayo, can't make it. He is going to sleep. I guess it probably was too much to ask for him to come here right after flying here and moving into the dorms. I guess I will have to stop by tomorrow and make sure that he is settled in all right."
I smile and reply, "Don't forget, freshman orientation is tomorrow so he will be involved in that for a good portion of the day."
My step-father looks confused and then he smiles. "Oh, I keep forgetting that technically he is a freshman even though he already has a degree in business. I keep thinking of him as if he was continuing his business degree by getting his masters here. Instead, he is taking a completely different subject here."
What did he just say? My step-brother already has a business degree. How?
As I sit down to the table and while my mother is placing the last of the food on the table, I hesitantly ask, "Second degree? Isn't he a year younger than me? How is that possible?"
My mother perks up and chimes, "He is a genius and he graduated high-school early, so he had been going to college in the United States and earning his business degree. Ah, since he had his own apartment in the last college, he is living in the apartment style dorms, so he doesn't have to leave over breaks. He said that is what he prefers since that is what he has been doing for the last several years."
Just great! Not only do I have a step-brother that I don't want, I have a genius for a step-brother. How can I compete with that? This whole step-brother thing is getting worse instead of better. Well, at least he is in the apartment style dorms which isn't anywhere near me but Pha lives over there too. I hope I don't run into my step-brother while visiting Pha.
My step-father adds, "I'm sure the two of you will hit off. You will have to look out for him since you are a year ahead of him in school. Don't worry about protecting him though. He brought his best friend from the United States with him who has been protecting my boy over the last four years. From what I understand, he is a really good fighter. He even thought my son to fight and defend himself, but I can't really see that in him. My boy is such a little cutie, how could he be fierce and actually fight someone."
My mother smiles and gently puts her hand my step-father's arm. "Dear, you haven't seen your son in over four years. He may not be the cute little sweetie that you remember. He may have grown into a big strapping young man."
My step-father chuckles. "You don't understand. My boy looks like his mother. I don't care how much he works out, he will still have that cute baby face and who can look fierce and mean with a baby face?"
I instantly cringe at the mention of his first wife. However, my mother doesn't even react. What is she thinking. Doesn't it bother her that he was completely in love with his first wife and if she hadn't passed away, he would still be married to her. Well, it bothers me. I know mother says that he doesn't see her as a replacement, but I don't believe in love anymore so to me, my step-father can only see her as a replacement.
"Well, if he has a cute baby face like you say, then maybe he will still look like a cute adorable little boy. I can't wait to meet him." My mother smiles at my step-father and I just want to jump up and shout, "Mother!! Stop this before you get hurt!!" However, it is too late. I voiced my protest when she said that she was going to get married again and it didn't stop her, so regardless of what I do, I can't seem to get through to her.
The rest of the meal is fine, and I keep my talking to a minimum. I only speak when I'm asked a question. As soon as I'm done, I head up to my room, but I notice the door down the hall from mine is open. That is odd. No one stays in any of the rooms in this hall except for me. Well, I don't think so. I have been living here for a couple years, but I have never ventured into any other rooms besides the ones that my mother say that I can go into. My curiosity gets the better of me and before I realize it, I'm walking down the hall to the open door. I notice several moving boxes in the middle of the room and before I get a chance to go in, my step-father says, "Wayo sent some of his boxes from the United States here instead of his dorm room. He didn't think everything would fit."
I quickly ask, "Has this always been his room? I thought I was the only one living down this hall."
My step-father raises an eyebrow and replies, "Yes, this has always been his room. We thought the two of you could learn to get along better if your rooms were side by side but that hasn't quite worked out the way that I wanted."
I can't stand it anymore. I need to know more about this situation and why a sixteen-year-old left to go to college in the United States and has never come back. "May I ask why he hasn't come back, even to your wedding?"
My step-father sighs and he run his hand through his hair. I think I just touched on a sensitive topic. "Well, I wasn't very nice to him after his mother passed away. I was so heartbroken about losing my wife that I forgot that I still had a son to take care of. I hurt him so badly that I think he is afraid to come back home."
I just can't imagine it. He has been nothing but nice and super caring to me. "What did you do that was so bad?"
He shuffles his feet and I can clearly tell that he really doesn't want to discuss it but he finally does. "Well, I became a workaholic and I was never home. The driver picked Wayo up from school and drop him off in the morning. The staff would go to school events and record it, but I never went nor, did I watch the recordings. Later, after I realized his pain, I went back and watching all the video and I realized what I had done. The worst part was when I forgot his birthday. For several years, I was so immersed in my work that I didn't realize that I had even missed it. My staff always made sure that Wayo had a birthday cake, but I was never there. When he finally broke and left for good, he left me a letter. The college that he went to in the United States required the kids to leave the dorms during certain breaks and in between semesters. Well, it was semester break and Wayo came home for the first time since leaving to go to school. I didn't change anything, and I ignored him while he was here, so after a week, he couldn't take it anymore and he left. He wrote me a note and I haven't seen him since. It took me six months before I called him which I think hurt him even more. I have a lot to mend with him before I can get him to come home for good. I also have a feeling that he is staying away because when I did finally call him, I confessed that I stayed away from him because he reminds me so much of his mother. It hurt too much seeing him. I think he has it in his head now that he will ruin my current situation if he walks into this house because I'll instantly think about his mother."
I don't know what to think. My step-father neglected his son. I still can't believe it.
He must since my confusion as he continues, "Your mother isn't a replacement for my first wife. There is no replacement for her. So regardless if I had ten kids with her that all looked like her, I wouldn't love your mother any less. Just like you remind your mother of your father in some of your mannerisms and the color of your hair, but I don't hold it against you. Our children are a part of us and I'm happy that I have two sons now. Well, at some point, I hope to have three sons and maybe a daughter but I'm not pushing for that anytime soon."
Instantly, I say, "What? Another son? Why would you get another son and maybe a daughter?"
My step-father laughs which irritates me because I don't find the question funny. "Well, my son, Wayo, is gay so if he marries, it will be to another guy. However, you have dates with girls, so I would assume that one day you will marry a girl."
Wait! His son is gay, and he is fine with it!
Before I even realize what I'm saying I blurt out, "You are fine with Wayo being gay? Oh, I don't believe in love, so I will never get married."
He smiles at me and calmly replies, "Wayo's mother was fine with it and like she told me, "If we love our son, then we love everything about him and we will love whoever he loves." I agreed with her back then and I still agree with her way of thinking even now. Even though I have damaged my relationship with my son, I have never stopped loving him. He is my pride and joy, and now, you are too. When you both settle down and find someone that you want to marry, they will also become my pride and joy, too. I just hope that Wayo will come back home before he finds someone that he wants to marry. I want to a part of his life and his partner's life too."
I can see the love in his eyes along with the pain as he talks about his son. I hope he can get Wayo to agree to mend their damaged relationship soon. Even though I didn't want my mother to marry again, I'll have to admit that my step-father is a great guy, but I'm not letting either my mother or my step-father to know.
He steps forward and closes Wayo's door. We both turn and head back down thehall. I don't say anything as I walkinto my room and grab my book bag. Iguess that I should get some studying done before I go to sleep. I'll return to my dorm tomorrow and I wonderif I'll meet my step-brother somewhere, but at least I have a name now. I'll be able to find him by his name.
Posted July 26, 2018