Cruel Kisses (It's Just High School #2) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,23

other. “You make it seem like I’m irresponsible, like I can’t handle myself.”

“Liam, calm down man,” Cole says, stepping closer to him, but Liam isn’t done.

“You’re always breathing over my shoulder, getting in the way of my life like you don’t trust me with my own life. You’re controlling—”

“That’s because I don’t want to lose you, damn it!” I shout. Both Cole and Liam freeze looking up at me. “Aiden is dead, Liam. He’s gone! You’re my brother, I won’t fucking apologize for protecting you.”

Liam grips his hair, his fists clenched so tight, the knuckles are red. I sigh, and look away, pain slicing me seven ways to hell. How can one girl awaken so many demons in just a matter of weeks? How can kissing her, wanting her, needing her bring out all this shit to light?

“Aiden is gone, that’s true,” Liam starts. “There isn’t a fucking day that has gone past that I haven’t thought of that. It’s been thirteen weeks to the day since he died, and I haven’t once heard you talk about him. Is it your guilt eating at you? The fact that you unplugged him, ending his life?”

Fuck.

“Okay, Liam, that’s enough,”Cole mutters.

“No, Cole. I’m not fucking done,” Liam seethes, looking at me. “Tell me something, big bro,” he mocks. “How many lives are your responsible for destroying, huh?”

If he punched me again, or pummeled my face in, it wouldn’t hurt me as much as this does. I wouldn’t feel sick to my fucking stomach like this. I wouldn’t feel like ripping out my own heart and setting it on fire.

He doesn’t need to clarify on that. I know what he means.

Aiden.

Sandra.

Now, Mia…

I have blood on my hands.

Something dark and sinister snakes down my spine, as visions of Sandra lying dead in my arms flits through my head mixed with images of Mia, crying as I told her that she has a rotten heart.

“Fuck!” Liam blows a breath, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“You did,” I murmur.

“Still, fuck, I’m just…” He trails off. “I’m worried about her, okay. Something isn’t right and I don’t want to fight with you. I want to find her.”

Because you care for her? Or because of something more?

I hate the vicious thoughts rattling around in my head but I can’t help it. Couple that with the way my brother is looking at me right now? I’ll never forget it probably for the rest of my life.

We’ve worked so hard to keep our relationship honest, and in a good place always. He’s my brother, I can’t have bad blood with him. I just can’t, not even for Mia. He and Aiden have been under my protection but it’s obvious I failed. Hell, I didn’t just fail, I managed to make my brother hate me.

I guess that’s what happens when you care, when you love, it’ll come back and destroy you one way or another.

“You’re right to resent me,” I start. “You’re right to think I’m the worst human to ever exist.”

“J,” he says, frustration etched so well on his face, he looks like he’s on the verge of having a stroke.

He got his cast taken off yesterday, but he has bags under his eyes, and he looks worn out. It’s her fault. When I get her back, I’m going to tie her to my bed and make that ass red for all this heartache and worry.

“I didn’t mean that…” he says, but I cut him off, keeping my voice low but hard.

“You did mean that but I’m your fucking brother, Liam. You’re my blood, my family and if caring for you makes me a fucking villain in your book, so be it.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“You can stand there and fight me on this, but you will lose,” I say, and he scoffs, looking pissed but he knows better than to push me. I’m hanging on by a fucking thin thread right now. “I don’t want to fight with you. I need you because right now, we need to find Mia. I messed up, I’m not disputing that shit but make no mistake, she’s fucking mine.”

I don’t know why that last part comes out hard and angry, but it does. I’ve never laid claim to anything or anyone so this comes as a surprise to me but not to my brother or my best friend who smirks at me.

They glance at each other, a silent message passing between them that I don’t want to know. Liam looks away, his