Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(31)
Branch pushed me out of the way to be facing Kat. She put her finger up to make me wait for a second. I could tell she was prepared for whatever he was about to do or say, in her own way showing me that she could be strong and fight for what she cared about.
Branch responded, spitting as his spoke with such aggression. “Are you really going to bring up shit from when we were teenagers to justify you f*cking my brother the night before our wedding? I should have known you’d whore yourself out to him. You always did want things that were beneath you.”
Like slow motion, I watched her hand slap against his cheek. “Get out! Get out of my face!”
He grabbed her arms, and I’d finally seen enough. I placed my hand on my brother’s back. “Let go of her, Branch.”
“Screw you. You two make me sick. If I never see you again it will be too soon. Get your shit out of my apartment before I get home, Katy. After I’m done telling my parents about the two of you, I’ll be the only child that this family has. You just ruined your lives. I hope that * was worth it.” The last part was for me. Though I didn’t intentionally set out to hurt my brother, I knew in his own way he was hurting, but I couldn’t feel sorry for him, not when I knew he’d done everything in his power to keep us apart. All this time he’d known that we were in love with each other, yet he fed us lies to prevent us from being happy together. Even jealousy wouldn’t make me do that to my own brother. I didn’t have that kind of deceit in me.
I hit my brother, sending him falling down to the floor. Then I lifted him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him outside of my door. When it was shut, I turned to see her collapsing on the floor, struggling to breathe. She was fighting to control her emotions, and I didn’t know how to soothe her.
When she looked at me I saw what I feared the most. This couldn’t be happening. Kat was about to push me away. I may have been away for a long time, but I knew her every expression. Her conflicted mind wasn’t going to allow her to be happy, not even if it broke her into a million pieces.
She started dressing before I could come up with something logical to say. I approached her, feeling as if I was losing everything I’d gained. “What are you doing? You don’t have to leave. We can do this together. Did you think I’d expect you to face them by yourself?” I couldn’t let her leave me. It wasn’t an option. We hadn’t just made love, I’d given her all that I had left. She’d brought me to life, only to shock me back to death. This was unbearably hard to watch.
“I need to get my bag out of my room before they all come looking to kill me. I’ll be right back, I promise. You don’t have to worry.” Somehow, as her words were meant to be reassuring, I knew they were a lie.
Before she could step foot out of the door, I reached for her, taking ahold of her arm. “Kat, you are going to come back so we can talk, right? You’re not just saying you are?” I wanted her to look me in the eyes even if it broke my heart. I wanted to remember how she looked when she walked away from our future once again.
She tried to put on a brave face, but I saw right through her. “Of course. Stop worrying. I’ll be right back.”
I leaned down and kissed her, fighting back the tears as I pulled away. “Hurry back to me. We’ve got forever to spend together.”
Perhaps I should have stopped her, or pleaded for reasons why she should stay. Maybe I could have followed her to assure she’d come back to me. I think in my mind I pictured her realizing that walking away was a mistake. I kept telling myself that I was imagining the worst because we were so close to having it all.
I didn’t want to be right, not this time. I refused to accept that she was about to walk away from me, not when she knew what it was like to experience what we’d shared. I wasn’t alone in what happened between us. Everything was mutual, and I was sure she loved me, yet couldn’t begin to fathom how she could run from the idea of us having a future.
The longer I waited, the more I knew she wasn’t going to return. After nearly twenty minutes I knew I had to go find her, to talk some sense into her and show her we could deal with my parents together, as a team. She’d never have to be alone. I’d stand by her, protect her, and make sure she never needed a reason to fear anything ever again. I was determined to make her concerns dissipate. I was prepared to face my brother again, and anyone else that was going to try to stop me.
By the time I made it to her room a group of people were already standing there. Branch, my parents, and a hotel employee looked at me while I approached. I thought about turning around to avoid the look on their faces. It would have been easier to hide my uncertainties, not that it would make it any better.
“What’s going on?”
Branch pointed in my direction. “Where is she, Brooks?”
I tried to keep composure as I imagined where else she could be beside her room. “I don’t know. She left after you did.”
“Yeah right. If you’re planning on coming here to get her things, you’re too late. The room is empty.”
I turned to look at both of my parents, who were clearly devastated that I’d had a part in this happening. “I’m sorry,” escaped my lips. Feeling their disappointment was a burden I’d live with forever. On top of Kat missing, I had to deal with the fact that they’d be left to pick up the pieces. They’d have to make the announcement and send everyone packing.