Chapter 127: Chapter Thirty

Demetri

A crack sounded the minute my knuckles met his jaw. He deserved that and more. Though I didn't have the whole story — it sucked he would keep that little tidbit away from me.

It meant I technically still had family.

And he didn't.

Which proved his point earlier: he was a jealous bastard, and he deserved a hell of a punch for withholding that shit.

Alec fell to the ground and groaned. “I'd feel so much better if you'd just shoot me right now.”

“Too kind,” I muttered. “Get up.”

“Shit.” Alec stumbled to his feet and wiped the blood from his lip.

“Tell me everything. Now.”

****

I left the aquarium an hour later feeling like someone had just shot my favorite dog and then brought it back to life only to shoot it again in front of me.

April Cartwright? Jaymeson's step-mom? My real mom? The real uncomfortable part was the whole escapade with the pictures of Alec and her together.

Though, I knew Alec would never intentionally hurt me, and he sure as hell wasn't into cougars — something didn't add up.

My mind went back to what Jaymeson had said about April. She'd been drunk but was spouting off nonsense about being drugged as well, which then just pissed me off more.

I mean, did that mean April was expecting my brother to take the fall for her poor choices? Ridiculous.

He also explained about last night. Which meant she was either bat-shit crazy, or setting him up on purpose. I knew Alec was telling the truth.

And I believed him. It was just unfortunate that the media probably wouldn't. I mean, it wasn't like we had the squeakiest of clean reputations.

Even if it meant pushing April out of my life for good. Because what woman would willingly give up her child and then never tell him why?

Ugh. My life was a soap opera. The only thing that made sense was April's relationship with my adopted parents.

It all boiled down to one thing.

I got my selfishness from one person, and I was sure as hell going to make her regret the day she chose herself over me. It sucked, because for a brief moment I had hope.

I had hope that I could dream about a mom that still cared for me, that still wanted me in her life, but she'd been given the chance over and over again and never taken it. Why?

Sighing, I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked into the Beach House. I'd slipped away earlier to talk to Alec.

No doubt Ruben would be pissed that I was gone for so long without any cameras or production crew.

I heard yelling as I walked into the house.

And apparently Jaymeson was a genius.

“You can't just sleep with two girls in my bedroom, Jaymeson!” Angelica's screech was so loud my ears were ringing. “What the hell is wrong with you? We're supposed to be dating!”

I walked into the living room to see Jaymeson shirtless, two girls huddled in the corner of the room looking like they just stepped out of Cosmo, and Angelica red in the face.

“We're over.” Jaymeson said it so calmly and so silently I almost didn't hear him.

“We are over when I say we're over!” Angelica stomped her foot and lunged for Jaymeson.

I would be a terrible step-brother if I didn't do anything. I stepped in front of him, blocking her from either castrating him or cutting off his head with one of her razor-sharp nails.

“Angelica, just leave it alone. He doesn't want you.” I crossed my arms and waited for her attack.

Her face took on a murderous hue as she slapped me across the face. Great. I was probably going to have two bruises, one from Alec, one from her. Have I mentioned how much I hate reality shows?

“How pathetic.” She sneered. “Little brother stepping in to protect big brother. I'd cry if I weren't so pissed. But wait—” She laughed and peered over my shoulder to look at Jaymeson.

“I guess you didn't know, did you? He's your step-brother.”

The room fell silent.

I was getting kind of tired of the whole silence thing.

“What?” Jaymeson said from behind me.

I wasn't really sure if I should say something or just punch myself in the face so I could black out.

“Jaymeson, you really should pay more attention.” The woman was an evil bitch, but before I could open my mouth to say anything, she pulled out her cell phone.

“Want to know what's so great?” She scrolled through her pictures and held up an incriminating one of Alec and April. Shit. “The power of social media.”

Her finger slid across the screen of the phone. “Sent. Now everyone knows what a dirty whore your mother is. Like mother, like stepson. Am I right, Jaymeson?

I moved out of the way so Jaymeson could attack her face, but he was immobile. His eyes were filled with hatred.

Angelica laughed and walked out of the room leaving me with Jaymeson.

“I just found out—”

“Shut up,” Jaymeson snapped. “I don't want to hear it. You've destroyed everything! You and your brother!” He kicked a chair. “You guys are poison! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Oh, so many things.

“Jaymeson, you don't know the full story—”

“—Would it really matter? I mean, in the end?” Jaymeson swore violently. “A picture of my step-mom in the same hotel room with Alec just went into the Twitterverse!

“There were drugs in that picture, Demetri! What? You her supplier? Her own flesh and blood.”

And too far. A person can only take so much yelling until they snap and try to kill someone.

I punched him on the other side of the face, the one part of his skin that wasn't already bruised by my fist. I didn't stop until someone pulled me off of him.

Alec.

He jerked me away from Jaymeson. “You don't want to kill him, Demetri.”

“What the hell?” Jaymeson roared. “You guys are freaking insane!” He stumbled to the door and flipped us off as the screen slammed behind him.

My breathing was so heavy I knew I was going to explode. I was shaking and Alec still wasn't letting me go.

“Brothers,” Alec said, voice hoarse. “It doesn't matter if it's flesh and blood or not, we're brothers.”

“We stick together,” I agreed, as he released me.

It didn't matter that the cameras caught everything or that our secret was out. All that mattered was that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had one person I could count on.

The one person who had protected me my entire life — had literally given up his so I could learn from my mistakes. And he'd been paying for his own for too long.

“Alec.”

“What?” He walked to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack.

“There's something else.”

“Dude, I don't know if I can take it.”

I cleared my throat and looked at the camera crew. “Give us a minute, guys. Pretty sure you just got primetime TV right now. You can afford five minutes.”

Ruben nodded slowly and led the crew out the front door.

“What?” Alec placed the ice pack on his face and scowled.

“Nat's—”

“—I'm pregnant,” came Nat's watery voice from the hallway.

The ice pack hit the floor first.

And then Alec.