Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 48

Chapter 48: I Am Not Judging You

Brianna

“I don't want to.” I turned away from Bryce.

“Not knowing such important aspects of each other's lives is clearly detrimental. I had no idea who that guy was and if he actually did succeed in taking you away, do you realize I would have no idea where you were? I don't know anything about you, Brianna and it is fucked up.” He surprised me when he got a little worked up about this.

“David, you are dismissed.” Callan's deep voice interrupted the tension. The man nodded and excused himself from the room.

“Kiddo, we can't avoid the past anymore.” He added in a calm tone.

I looked between him and his friend, there is no reason for Callan to be here for this. I sighed and took the half melting bags of ice from them, I finally worked up enough never to turn back and agreed. It is time, both men stood up and re-tucked their shirts.

“He isn't staying, is he?” I looked at Callan whose eyes hadn't left me yet. He was studying me, though and I don't know why. Bryce was about to dismiss him when Callan held a hand up to stop him.

“I have handled that man twice already, I think I deserve to know why and who he really is to you.” He remained stern.

“Dude, we are kind of going to dig into some personal stuff.” Bryce said and Callan's eyes remained hard and his jaw was set. I was surprised to see my brother adjust accordingly to Callan's boss demeanor that he was clearly exuding.

“Whatever, let's just talk.” He guided me back to the living room.

Both of them sat on one side and I was sitting opposite them to talk about the one topic I have been burying for so many years.

“I am not judging you, Brianna. Just relax and start at the beginning.” My brother tried to coax the truth out of me when he saw me stuff and was unable to hold eye contact.

“The beginning? That was way before I was seventeen.” I mumbled, he clenched and unclenched his fist in anticipation.

“I know,” he said softly.

Callan was sitting in a leaning position with his arms crossed like he was waiting, my brother sat forward in anticipation. He didn't like this topic as much as I did, but secrets won't let us get close like we used to be. I was fidgeting with my hands in my lap, looking at them as I started.

“When you left for the military, it was like all father's attention was suddenly solely on me. Over the next four years of high school, he got so much worse, emotionally, psychologically and he was really tearing into me and then...” I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“I don't have to tell you how father is, you already know. His other abuse, it got worse too. He was drinking more and he became fixated on getting this job at one of his friends' places. He started a membership at some golf club that we couldn't afford and when he stressed about money, he blamed me and mother even though I hadn't touched any of his money at all. He became nastier, he knocked me around sometimes and mother just cried and hushed me. You know how she is, making me feel like it was all my fault.” I laughed sardonically. Bryce sighed but I hadn't finished, he must know everything now.

“You have to understand how bad it got, so you understand why I did what I did. I was desperate, Bryce and father were relentless. He always tells me maybe if you were prettier, you would find a suitable husband at the golf club. Is this how you are going to dress? You look cheap, stop spending my money. You can't buy superiority, you are what you are, inferior and it was your fault we are in this predicament. Why can't you be like Gilbert's daughter? It was something every day and when he almost broke my arm tossing me down the stairs, I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped.” I stood up and took in a long shaky breath.

I walked to the window and looked outside. Bryce and Callan were dead silent and looking at me. I hugged myself and turned back to them.

“When I told father I wanted to go to fashion school, he flipped out. He told me he wouldn't pay, he asked how I could be so selfish when he gives me everything. He took it so personally, like I am trying to leave him and he told me I wouldn't make it in school anyway. He said I was smart enough or talented enough, he said he would only pay for the kind of schooling he wanted me to go to and I wasn't allowed to move out. He kept making all kinds of threats to me and he was intolerable after that.” I shook my head at the memories.

“He was so angry that I had to dare try to make my own life, he would stomp around the house every day, making me and my mother tip toe around not to set him off. Yes, I know he was like that when you were around too but I am talking double time. If we put the groceries away differently, he would flip out and destroy everything, saying we do this on purpose to upset him. That we know he hates putting things away that way, I asked to sleep at my best friend's house and he slapped me across the face for it. He lacked zero empathy when he was making me and mother cry all the damn time. I asked my mother to leave him and come with me but she didn't agree with me, she ended up telling father everything I said and that was the day he threw me down the stairs and I almost broke my damn bones.” I shivered.

Bryce ran his hand down his face and shook his head. He wasn't looking at me while I spoke, he was concentrating on a fixed point on the ground in front of him. Callan would look at me sometimes and other times, he was scowling at the ground. My brother looked guilty but Callan looked angry.

“That was when I met Ezekiel, I knew he was older but I was seventeen at that time and I felt scandalous. I honestly felt lucky, like I was cool for having some older hot guy like me after my father was constantly telling me I was going to be alone and that no man would love me like he does. I was fucked up in the head, so Ezekiel sounded like a good idea. For a while, he was great to me. You know how strict father was, I couldn't even wear sweatpants or leave the house without makeup. With Ezekiel, we were living this fast life I never experienced before. He thrilled me as a person, I ran away from home and moved in with him. I was an idiot though because Ezekiel is so much like our father.” I shook my head at myself.

Bryce waved me to come sit by him but I couldn't sit still while I spoke about all this. The confession was releasing this heavy burden off my chest and I couldn't stop talking now.