The Better Brother by Rye Hart

Author:Rye Hart [Hart, Rye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-25T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - PENNY

The door slammed shut so hard behind my mom that the mirror on the wall crashed down to the floor and shattered into a million pieces. Tears were streaming down my face as I gently pulled myself away from Gabriel who stood quietly behind me.

“I have to go after her,” I whispered. “After everything that has happened, I need to go talk to her alone for a moment.”

Gabriel nodded in understanding. “I understand. I’ll give you both a few minutes alone.”

Mindful of the shattered glass on the floor, I slipped into a pair of boots to jog down the hallway, hoping to find her standing at the elevators. She was nowhere in sight at the end of the hallway. The only clue I had was the little indicator above the elevator doors that was traveling downward to the lobby.

I pushed past the stairwell entrance and jogged down the steps as fast as I could. The air was bitterly cold in here, and every breath stung my chest. This was the last thing I’d wanted to happen, but it was out in the open now, like I had assumed it would be eventually. I just wanted to minimize the damage.

As much as I wanted to explore my feelings for Gabriel, I didn’t want to lose my mother in the process. She had just lost her boyfriend after he assaulted me. Even though the guy was a piece of shit, I knew it had rocked her world. She had cared about him, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual. It was a lot for her to handle, and I was supposed to be the one person she could cling to at a time like this. But I had just shocked her to the core, too. I needed to catch up to her and explain everything. She deserved that much, at least.

I reached the lobby just in time to see the elevator doors slide open. My mother stormed out of them with a furious expression painting her face. She stopped short when I jogged into her path, holding up my hands.

“Hold on,” I panted, trying to catch my breath. “Please, Mom. Just hear me out.”

“The truth would be nice to hear,” she said darkly. “I just walked in on you kissing Gabriel, or was it him kissing you?”

“We were both kissing each other. It wasn’t one-sided.”

My mother crossed her arms over her breasts. “I can’t believe you, Penny. Do you have any idea how old Gabriel is?”

“Of course, I do.”

“He’s old enough to be your father, Penny. You realize how dysfunctional that is?”

“It’s just a number, Mom,” I said. “You, of all people, can’t tell me that an age difference is really that big of deal.”

“We aren’t talking about Dylan here. We are talking about how the hell this happened between the two of you.” She shook her head in dismay. “Dear God, Penny. I thought you had a better head on your shoulders than this. That is Gabriel Bradley you’re kissing.

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