UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #1)(38)

Brody shook his head. They spent the evening walking the river walk and watching the different street performers and musicians entertain guests. “I’ve never been down here before.”

“It’s like the wrong side of the tracks for your kind.”

“What do you mean by my kind?” Brody stopped and looked at Mina carefully.

“Well you know, your kind.” she shrugged her shoulders.

“No, I don’t know.”

“Rich kind.”

Brody rolled his eyes. “Mina you don’t get it. I don’t care about money or fame or social caste. I would rather have been born without it. My family is hardly ever home because of it. My friends are only my friends because they think that I can do something for them. Everyone is always watching me, judging me, trying to see if I’m going to fit into the box they want me in; whether it’s spoiled rich kid, or reckless heir. In fact being rich is a curse.”

Mina pondered his words, letting them sink in. They were both the same in many ways. “I’m sorry Brody, you're right.”

“No, I was that person; I was what money had made me into, but not anymore. I’m trying to change. I’m trying to be worthy of you.”

Mina blanched in surprise. “Actually I feel like it’s the other way around. I feel like I need to pinch myself, or wake up from whatever dream I’m in because I can’t understand why you want to be my friend.”

“You really don’t get it do you?” Brody turned Mina toward him, he held tightly onto her shoulders. “I don’t want to be your friend.”





Chapter 14


Mina felt her stomach dropped into her shoes. She looked at the ground in dismay. She knew this was too good to be true. Mina tried to turn away from Brody but he gripped her shoulders harder. She heard Brody whisper her name, Mina looked up in surprise just as Brody kissed her gently on the forehead. “I want to be more.”

Her knees went weak and she started to shake. Was he declaring his intentions to be more than friends?

“But I have a feeling, if I pressure you; you are going to run for the hills. So I’m willing to wait until you are ready.” Brody had pulled her into a hug and was whispering into her soft brown hair. “See you are already shaking.” He pulled away from her and she felt an immediate sense of loss. That one brief moment had felt…right.

Mina sighed wistfully but didn’t feel totally abandoned as Brody continued to hold her hand. He walked her up the stairs to the door of her flat. Mina fumbled for the key and dropped it. Brody picked it up and was about to insert it into the lock when the door opened on its own.

“That’s strange.” Mina leaned past Brody and pushed the door further open but it stopped when it hit something solid. The little view they had through the opened door was enough to make Mina’s heart quake with fear. Their kitchen was destroyed.

Panicking, Mina pushed on the door harder and it didn’t budge. Brody, sensing Mina’s fear for her family, got the door open and grabbed Mina’s arm just as she was about to run headlong into danger. A chair had been knocked over in front of the door.

Brody shook his head and held up one finger to his mouth. He entered first, silently, and moved through each room looking behind curtains, under beds, and in closets. When he was sure it was safe, he motioned for Mina to enter her family’s apartment.

The sparse furnishings were knocked over, dumped out and looked to have been rummaged through, but nothing actually damaged too badly. When you didn’t own a lot, a thorough search wouldn’t actually take too long. “No one’s here.”

Mina needed to see for herself. She followed the same steps Brody took and noticed nothing was terribly wrong; she could probably put her home to right before her family got home. She was about to enter her bedroom but Brody stopped her.

“It doesn’t look to bad except for that room, it’s been destroyed.” Mina peeked into her own bedroom and felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. It looked exactly same as before except her dresser drawers were left open with clothes hanging out. But Mina wasn’t about to admit that. Mina closed her bedroom door and walked back to the kitchen and began to put kitchen to right.

Brody went to the living room and helped pick up the potted plants, even sweeping up the dirt. Mina was impressed that he did all of this without making a comment for her to call the police. She knew that whoever tore apart her apartment was looking for the Grimoire and was secretly thankful that she had taken it to school with her, unlike what she told Jared. Wait a minute. Did he do this? Could he have followed her home and trashed her house when she was out with Brody? The thought made her shake and Mina began to lose it. It was easier for her to believe that an unknown person would have done this but it was all too probable that it could have been Jared.

Brody noticed that Mina had quit straightening and had begun to shake. The shock must have worn off and now she was reacting to having her placed robbed. Brody reached for Mina and was delighted that she came to him willingly and buried her face in his chest. His heart swelled with happiness and ached at the same time for her. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you,” he whispered.

Mina wished she could believe Brody but was unsure if she could. How could he protect her and her family? Mina was still wrapped up in Brody’s arms when the door opened and Sara walked in carrying brown paper grocery bags. She dropped them on the floor when she saw her daughter in the arms of an unknown boy.