“They live in different parts of the country and most of them are at different stages in life. And I’ve made a lot of friends here.”
“Well, when they’ve been around for ten years or so, get back to me.”
There was something deeper going on in his brother’s head, but at that moment, Kai didn’t care. His inner therapist voice was only a whisper really, telling him his normally sunny brother was hiding something. Jared didn’t push this way. But right then, Kai didn’t give a shit. “Just because I don’t pay a group of people to stay around me all the time because I can’t stand to be alone with myself doesn’t mean I have a problem making friends.”
Jared turned and his eyes were lit with an anger Kai had rarely seen in his younger brother. “I wasn’t talking about making them. You’re good at that. Everyone wants to be your friend. I was talking about keeping them. Is anyone good enough for you? Is there anyone in your life who measures up to the Great Kaiser Ferguson’s standards? Or do they all end up being stupid and human and flawed like me?”
“Flawed? You call sleeping with my fiancée a flaw?”
Jared shook his head. “You hated me long before that.”
Hate was a strong word and not one he used often. “I don’t hate you.”
“Bullshit.”
He took a deep breath and realized maybe he had issues with Jared, but Kori was right. He needed to face them. He had to stop getting surly every time the chance to deal with Jared came up. “I don’t hate you. I might not have fully forgiven you for what happened with Hannah, but I don’t hate you.”
“You don’t even know what happened with Hannah. You have no fucking idea what happened to me while you were gone. You left me behind.”
“I went into the Army so I could help support you, you asshole.” How did his brother do this to him? With anyone else he would brush off the accusations and try to find the heart of the matter. He was trained to do this. He’d been called every name in the book by his patients, who often mistook anger at the world for anger at him. He could handle it. In some ways, it was part of the healing process. But the minute his brother walked in, Kai was right back, standing in that living room where his brother had betrayed him utterly.
God, maybe he did hate Jared a little.
“I didn’t need money,” his brother ground out. “I needed someone who gave a shit whether I lived or died. Hell, I didn’t even see any money.”
“What is that supposed to mean? I sent it to you every month. It’s not my fault you spent it on hair gel or whatever the hell you spent it on.”
His brother’s eyes widened. “Are you fucking kidding me? The great and mighty Kai has no idea. Well, that’s rich, brother. I guess you don’t know everything.”
What had happened? “I sent the money, Jared.”
The elevator doors opened and Lena was standing there. She was dressed in what looked almost like a copy of the dress she’d worn the day before, though this was a slightly different shade of black.
“Thank god. This place is horrible,” Lena complained as Jared stepped off the elevator. “Everything about this particular movie is simply awful and you need to think about that proposal I sent you. You’re better than this.”
Jared gave her a smile, but Kai was starting to realize that Jared smiled at everything and everyone and in every circumstance. There was a difference though. This smile was tight and didn’t come anywhere close to Jared’s eyes. “It looks pretty nice to me.”
“Ugh, they have babies and everything. It’s like a suburban nightmare in there. And they could use a decorator.” Lena looked down at her phone. “I’ve already gone by and done all the stuff for the police report and Ms. Williamson will find I’ve filled out all the insurance forms as well. Someone is coming at one this afternoon to pick up the car and she’ll have it back by four. The tires will all be top of the line, but there’s nothing I can do about the fact that the car itself is pathetic and sad.”
“Less opinion, please,” Jared said.
“Fine,” Lena continued with a sullen sigh. “I’ve set everything up for the club next Tuesday, but the big scary guy asked if he could be included along with some chick