Saved by the Crush's Brother - Maggie Dallen Page 0,31
struggle. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I told him I knew he wanted to be involved in my life because he cared but that if he really wanted to be in my life he needed to respect my decisions.
Those words had not been easy to get out but, to my amazement, my dad’s eyes had filled up with tears and what followed was one of the most awkward, stilted, emotional conversations I’d ever had.
Turned out Avery had been right. Maybe Alex had, too, although I wasn’t about to admit that to him anytime soon.
Besides, I wasn’t about to say that my father hadn’t made mistakes. He’d made a ton. But I hadn’t realized how much he’d been hurting until he’d started tearing up on me.
That had definitely been a first. And the talk that followed had been...unpleasant. Emotional and awkward and painful...but necessary.
Our relationship was still far from perfect but for the first time since my parents’ divorce, I saw a glimmer of hope that we might one day be able to have a civil conversation.
It was a start.
And I owed it all to Avery.
I should thank her. I would if I thought she’d be happy to see me. But as it was, I was a complication in her life. An unwanted burden, which was a role I knew well.
“You leaving?” Alex’s voice in my doorway had me straightening again, two books in my hand ready to be shoved into my bag.
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your way in no time.” My school was less than two hours away, but it might as well have been in another country for the amount I visited him here at my dad’s place.
But there was no reason to stay here longer.
I waited for Alex to move on down the hall to his own room but he leaned against my door frame. “I see you and Dad didn’t kill each other.”
His voice was mild but I knew this was his way of prying. He’d never come outright and admit that he was curious about what went down between me and our father.
Just like he’d never come right out and admit that he liked Avery, assuming he did.
How could he not?
But that was the thing about brothers. He drove me nuts but I got him. I understood. If I’d ever doubted that he was just as messed up from our toxic family situation, his words on Avery’s lawn the other day had confirmed it.
But it wasn’t like I didn’t know he had his issues. Once upon a time we’d been close. And back then Alex had felt deeply.
Then the crap hit the fan and Alex had changed.
We both had.
I may not have handled things as well as I should have, but Alex had just...stopped caring. He went from this sweet, thoughtful, sensitive kid to a shallow, skin-deep jerk overnight.
But I wasn’t fooled.
He still cared. Maybe too much if he felt the need to hide it like he did. And what he needed was someone who cared about him. Someone who could crack that pretty-boy shell he’d put in place.
I rubbed a hand over my eyes in weary frustration. Who better than Avery? Maybe she was exactly what he needed. All the more reason for me to go…
“So?” Alex prodded. “You flunking out or what?”
I gave my head a little shake and a huff of amusement escaped. What a little turd. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no. Not flunking out. In fact…” I shot him a sidelong look, not even sure why I was telling him my good news which he’d probably just mock me about. “He’s going to let me switch majors.”
His brows shot up. “Seriously? That’s awesome.”
Silence fell thick and heavy in my bedroom because...he actually sounded like he meant it. “Yeah, well…” I cleared my throat. “Look, I’m sorry about the other day.”
He cleared his throat too and looked down the hallway like there was something interesting going on down by the landing. “Yeah. Me too.”
He kind of muttered it under his breath but I caught it and my shoulders sank as a tension I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding onto seeped out of me. “I’m tired of this ongoing battle,” I said, focusing my gaze on the books in my hand. “I’ll head back to school and I’ll stay out of your way because...I don’t want us to compete. I don’t want to fight. Maybe one day we can even...I don’t know…” I shrugged as I