Jaden (Jaded #3)(38)

“You know they don’t like her. I don’t think they ever will, and now that we’re all under the same roof . . .” I let that sentence hang between us for a minute. Truth be told, I had no idea what either of them would do. Bryce hated Mena with a passion in high school, and Corrigan seemed to feel the same now. I lifted a shoulder up, but I didn’t let it drop. I didn’t know if I should shrug this off or not. “I think they’re just protective of me.” And after a moment’s consideration, I added, “Really protective of me. If Mena doesn’t do anything, things will be fine.”

Denton grunted, stretching out his leg on the lounger. “Then I have no clue what to do. My sister’s asked about you a lot over the years. I know things ended weirdly with you two, but you reached out to her in high school. That’s stayed with her. I think over the years you became some kind of hero to her. She wants a friendship with you.”

I let out a deep sigh. “I liked Mena. Bryce and Corrigan didn’t, but I did. Then she turned crazy and . . .” I had to stop for a moment as the history crashed down on me. The last time I saw her had been at my party. She had screamed at Denton that night, “You didn’t want me to be friends with her because she was yours! You just didn’t want to share her.”

“Grace visited her.”

Denton looked over to me. He nodded. “She did. Mena always asked how you were doing through Grace.”

Another friend turned enemy. No, that’s not right either. She apologized. She’d been remorseful, but I refused to accept her apology. I had turned my back on her, then she was murdered. My eyes were becoming itchy so I wiped at them, saying, “Grace didn’t deserve what happened to her, whoever did kill her.”

“I know Grace got caught up in being accepted at college, but before that and even during that, she kept visiting Mena.”

“She did?” I knew she had gone before that. “She kept going? During the year?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Mena’s staff told me that they noticed my sister did better after those visits, too.”

“That’s good. Grace would’ve been happy hearing that.”

“She’s here for school.” His tone dipped down to a serious undertone. “I told her you were staying here when she asked to live with me, and she was okay with it. I told her about the whole group too, and she never hesitated so I really think she’ll be fine this time. She’s reassured me that she’s here for school and no drama.” There was a hesitation in his voice. “I hope that’s true.”

Remembering how it had hurt him the last time when he needed to send her away, I reached over and squeezed his hand. “She stood up to Bryce and Corrigan. We’re not the complete *s we were in high school, but they were still harsh there. She held her ground. If she could handle them, I have no doubt she’ll be just fine at college.”

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, and he gave me a shaky grin. “That’s what I’m hoping for. I hope everything will be fine. Our parents are a joke. My dad’s always hated her. Our mom’s never had the time for her. She’s only got me.”

Feeling moved by what he was saying I squeezed his hand again. “And me.” On second thought. “If she wants me. She might not want me, being that I’m a hated murderer and everything.”

Denton chuckled, lifting the wine bottle for a sip. “For some reason, Mena’s always unfazed by the media stuff. Even with me, there’s a new girl at my side in the magazines every other week, but she’ll still ask about my love life like she’s got no clue.”

“Maybe she doesn’t?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I pay for her subscriptions. She got all of the magazines. She wanted them. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should let her have them. I didn’t know if it would add to her stress, but the staff told me she seemed fine. Her psychologist explained it seemed to be an added connection she had to me. Even if she was home with them, and I was across the country, it still made her feel like she saw me every day. So I let her have them, but she’s never once mentioned them to me or asked any questions about anything the magazines have said. To her, I’m just Denton as usual.”

“You’re her brother. She knows you’ll never leave her, and you never have.”

He whispered, closing his eyes, “But I wanted to once.”

I stopped, shocked at his admission. Denton had only been protective, loving toward Mena’s stability. That’s all I had ever seen from him.

He added, his throat full of choked emotion, “There was a time when I thought about walking, and I feel horrible saying that now. She’s my sister. I have to be at her side for the rest of her life.”

“Denton.” I reached for his leg and rested my hand there. “You’re not a brother to her. You’re her parent. Wanting a vacation from that responsibility is normal, I think. Hell,” I grunted. “I don’t think I would’ve been half as nice as you. With the bitch that I can be, I would’ve kicked her to the streets and had her learn that lesson to grow up.”

Denton laughed. “Something tells me that Mena would’ve been just as fine out there.”

“Yeah.” A grin escaped me. “Your sister is tough. That’s for sure.”