Filed To Story: Craving The Wrong Brother Book PDF Free by Elysian Sparrow
He turns around.
“Make me forget, Serena. I’m a father now. I can’t be like this. I have to look organized when I see my son, who I didn’t even know existed for twelve years. Would you want to see your father looking this messed up?”
“Am I to answer that?”
“I don’t care. Make me forget. Because right now, the only other solution is to go for someone who looks just like her.”
It takes me a full breath to process the sentence.
“You didn’t come here for any hypnotherapy bullshit, did you?” I say slowly.
He doesn’t answer.
“You came here to look for a replacement for Sloane. And what better replacement than her bloody sister, huh?”
At least he has the decency to look guilty when he mutters, “Maybe. Will you help me?”
I stare at him for a long second. Maybe longer. The kind of stare that feels like time itself has slowed just so I can catalog every ridiculous thing about this moment-the audacity in his eyes, the desperation in his voice, the fact that he’s clutching Sloane’s old shirt while telling me he wants to screw me to get over her.
And then I speak.
“The only kind of help I’ll be giving you, Finn Hartley, is helping you find the darn door.”
I push off the wall, march across the room, and grab his good arm-not gently. I can feel the tension under my fingers, the taut line of muscle and bone as
I yank him toward the exit. He doesn’t resist, but he doesn’t exactly cooperate either. It’s like dragging a reluctant golden retriever on a leash.
“Please, Serena,” he says. “For old times’ sake.”
“I don’t want to hear one more word from your mouth, Finn.”
I twist the handle of the door, ready to throw the door wide and release him into the wild.
But when it swings open, there’s someone already kneeling there.
Black clothes. Black gloves. Black mask. He’s crouched low like he’d been fiddling with the lock, the glint of tools still visible beside hi the door opens and our eyes meet, his entire body tenses-and then he straightens.
A gun is in his hand the next second.
It’s small, fitted with a long, narrow barrel that tells me everything I need to know. Silencer. Professional.
“Don’t make a sound,” the man says. “Walk back slowly.”
SLOANE
The last time I saw my mother, she was aiming a loaded gun at me.
It had been one of those nights you don’t forget, no matter how much time passes or how many good days stack themselves on top of it.
Now, I’m seeing her again. She’s lying still on a bed, palms resting one over the other on her stomach. Her eyes are on the ceiling. Her face is drained, like she’s been crying for hours and somehow still has more tears left to shed.
I stand in the doorway for longer than I should, my hand pressed to the frame. I don’t know what to do. Don’t know if I should walk in, touch her, speak, or sit beside her.
She’s so still that I almost wonder if she’s alive.
A wave of guilt hits me. Can’t tell why. It’s not like I was the one who caused this. But I wonder… if that day hadn’t gone so badly or if I’d reached out after it did, offered an olive branch instead of silence, would she still be pregnant? Would the stress have been less, the pressure bearable?
It’s a long reach, I know. Anything else could’ve caused the miscarriage. But I can’t shake the nagging possibility that maybe… maybe I’m part of the reason.
I inhale before speaking.
“Mom.”
I gather my courage and step forward. My knees feel like they’re trying to fold under me, but I ignore it. I reach the side of the bed and lower myself gently onto the edge, leaving just enough space between us that I don’t touch her. I was going to place a hand on hers, but something in her stillness tells me not to.
“It’s going to be alright,” I say, though I don’t know if I believe it. The next words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Should I call someone? Maybe your husband.”
Her eyes don’t move, but her mouth does. “I don’t want to see him.”
“I know, but-“
“I loved that man so much. So, so much. The funny thing is, I always hated the idea of giving kids their parents’ names, but the second I found out I was pregnant, I knew. I wanted one of them to be called Jaden. No shortening it like he does-no ‘Jade’-so it wouldn’t get awkward. But… I loved him. And he slept with my daughter. I should’ve known it was a bad idea to marry someone younger.”
I swallow hard. This isn’t going as planned. “He was scared, you know. I’m not saying you should accept him back, but he’s the right person to be processing this loss with.”
“I don’t want to see him, Sloane.”
I nod slowly. “Fine. How about Serena? She can take you home and be with you-“
She turns, her eyes finally meeting mine. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Doing what?”
“Making me focus my emotions on something else. Like anger. First you mention Jade. Now your sister?”
What she did was stupid, I know.
“Stupid?” Her valce spikes. That’s the word you chose? How about self-centered? Deceitful? Bitchy? She came to my house and smiles at was sleeping with my husband. If I lay my eyes on her, I’m going to kill her.”
She sits up with effort, wincing as her body adjusts, hand drifting to her belly that’s still slightly distended, a soft reminder of what was once a there. The sight of her like this makes me want to retreat and move forward at the same time. I don’t know what to do with her pain. I don’t even kn what to do with mine.
She’s not going to be able to stay here. That much is clear. This house isn’t safe for her-not because of physical threats, but because of everything else. My father’s wife, Daphne, is due back next week. And if she walks in to find the ex-wife camped out here, just after being accused of cheating-God.
I glance at the time on my phone. The bodyguards are still waiting outside. Knox would be thinking I’m on my way to his club. I’m supposed to be laying low, staying out of sight. And here I am, knee-deep in family mess.
She can’t come with me. And I can’t take her back to her place-not with a target still on my back.
There’s only one other option, and I don’t care if she doesn’t like it.
“I’m going to call Serena, Mom,” I say, rising from the bed. “She’ll come pick you up and take you home. Whatever issues you have between yourselves, I’m sure you can work it out.”
“You must be out of your mind.”
“I’m not. I’m the only one thinking straight here. You called Dad? Dad? He has a wife who doesn’t know you’re here. What do you think she’s going to do when she sees you?”
She stiffens. Her eyes retreat to a corner of the room.
“He was the only one I could call,” she says.
“That’s not true. You could’ve called me.”
“You only care about your boyfriend, Sloane. Nobody else matters to you right now. Why should I call you?”
I stare at her, jaw tightening. “I don’t care if you called one of the workers at your flower shop or a friend or even the paramedics. You shouldn’t have called Dad.”
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“I can,” I say. “And I will. You’ve had your moment making us feel guilty for being shitty children. But it’s time for you to let it go. That man downstairs is only letting you stay here because he doesn’t know how to say no to you. Even after you broke his heart.”
Her eyes snap to mine, narrowed.
“You… You cheated on him,” I continue.
I hadn’t wanted to go there. But the words are already out, and I can’t reel them back in. I hate that I’m crying now, hate that this is what it’s come to.
Her mouth opens slightly. One tear slides down her cheek.
“It’s not what you think, Sloane,” she says, softer now. “Your father was unavailable, and I… I made a mistake. Once. I wish I could take that back.”
“You can’t,” I whisper. “Just like Jade can’t. Just like Serena can’t.” I step back and take out my phone. “I’m calling her. I don’t care if you let her stay at your place or not, but you can’t stay here. You can’t.”
My fingers move quickly. I need air. I walk to the door and out into the hallway, my chest tight. At the staircase, I press the call button. It goes straight to voicemail. I try again. Nothing.
With a sigh, I open the voicemail app and hit record.
“Hey. Serena. It’s me, I’m at Dad’s house. Moin’s here. She… she lost the triplets. She’s not doing well, and I need someone to be with her. Can you came pick her up? Please.”