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Samantha didn’t miss the anger that briefly flickered behind Bryce’s gaze. It was obvious they had both suffered because of Brandon’s actions. She took some solace knowing it wasn’t her fault and that he treated others with the same disregard. It didn’t take away the pain she’d endured, but at least she could try not to blame herself for his actions.
Bryce took her hands in both of his. “I’m sorry he did that to you.”
She forced a smile. “It isn’t your fault. I’m glad you were here today, by the way.”
He stood. “I better go. Call me if you need anything. If nothing else, I’ll see you Thursday. Would it be strange if we went together?”
“Maybe. But I think I would like it. It would be nice having someone with me who I don’t have to pretend around.”
Bryce dropped his keys on the wooden table just inside his front door. What a day. On top of the shit day he was having, he couldn’t stop replaying his interaction with Samantha from the other day. If his brother wasn’t already dead, he would be ready to kill him. Brandon had treated Samantha worse than he could have imagined. He shouldn’t have let it get to him. But it did. Her haunted eyes had haunted his dreams since the night he met her.
He tried putting her out of his mind, but it was useless. The funeral was in two days, and he still hadn’t stopped thinking about her. Long days at work did nothing. If anything, it only made things worse. He hadn’t made it through one workday before one of his guys offered his condolences. Condolences he didn’t want.
He felt like a fraud receiving sympathy when he hadn’t as much as spoken to his brother in years. If it wasn’t for Samantha, he wasn’t sure if he’d even go to the funeral. He had basically washed his hands of Brandon when his mom died, and Brandon still couldn’t be bothered to stick around and do his part… or be a decent person for once.
It could sometimes be difficult to look after their mother. There had been times Bryce wished he could go off and start a new life. He was, after all, the older of the two boys in the family. After graduation, he thought about going away to college. As a teenager, he had spent his summers working for a local construction company, but architecture had always been his dream. Sure, he would have loved to run off and live his own life, but his mom needed him.
“Hey,” Rayelle greeted from where she was lounging on the couch.
“Jesus Christ, Ray!” he exclaimed as he clutched his chest with both hands. “You’ve got to stop doing this. I don’t care if you’re here, but just send me a text letting me know.”
Rayelle folded her lips in to keep from laughing, but Bryce didn’t miss it. His train of thought had been effectively derailed, which didn’t bother him. He preferred not to go down that rabbit hole anyway.
“Dom is over the road this week. I got bored,” she explained.
“I thought he had this week off.”
“So did I,” she said as she ran her fingers through her thick curls. “But apparently that changed. Supposedly he’ll have a few more days off once he gets back, but we’ll see.”
Rayelle was the closest thing Bryce had to family. Her family had moved in next door while they were both teenagers, and they had remained inseparable ever since. She was married to Bryce’s best friend since kindergarten.
“Are you all set for the funeral?” she asked. “I can go with you if you want. Dom feels real bad about not being able to get back for it.”
“Yeah, I’m as ready as I’ll get,” he answered. “You can come if you want, but you don’t have to. His widow doesn’t really have anyone, so I said I’d go with her.”
Rayelle’s gaze didn’t let up. “That’s nice of you. Did you know her from before?”
“No,” he answered carefully. “You know I’ve barely spoken to Brandon since Mom died. I met her at the hospital the other night. She seems nice. I hate knowing what she had to put up with.”
Rayelle latched onto that bit of information and sat up straight. “What do you mean? What did she have to put up with?”
Bryce shrugged his shoulders. “You knew my brother. It isn’t hard to imagine what all she went through being married to him. I just feel bad that I couldn’t do anything about it. She was under the impression he was an only child.”
“Oh, wow. So, she shows up at the hospital, finds out her husband is dead, and meets his secret brother. That sounds like a movie.”
“Tell me about it.” Bryce plopped down next to her. “She’s not what I was expecting at all.”
Rayelle turned so she was facing him. He could feel all her focus on him. “What’s she like?”
Sitting back, he closed his eyes and tried to think of a way to describe Samantha. He was able to replay nearly every moment they had spent together because he had been so intrigued by her.
“She’s quiet, but strong. I got to the hospital before she did, and she walked into the waiting room without losing it. I was expecting some blonde trophy wife to come running in and have a breakdown before the doctor even came out.”
“Not blonde?” she asked.
“Nope. But she is pretty. Just not in the way I was expecting. Her hair is in braids. She’s brown-skinned. She had on makeup, but she didn’t look like it was Halloween.”
“Oh, she’s black? That is a surprise. I’m with you. I pictured a blonde-haired basic bitch,” she commented.
