Page 32 of Twisted Heathens

Kade

Daddy by Badflower

I storm out into the quad, freeze, and turn back. Heading inside once more, before I freeze again and turn back around. Once, twice, three times. I repeat the nonsense while fisting my hair, struggling to contain my emotions.

“Fuck!” I shout. I’m so goddamn frustrated.

She’s infuriating. Her rejection stings just as badly as before. Why do I even care? I get myself into these messes. Always trying to save people’s asses when they don’t need or want it. She does though, that’s the most infuriating thing. God, she needs it. That girl is crying out to be helped and ever the bleeding heart, I can’t help but listen.

One of these days, I’m going to be fucked over for the last time.

But not today.

Finally making my mind up, I race back up the stairs for the final time and stomp all the way to the fourth floor, my jaw set and blood rushing in my ears. She doesn’t get to push me away, I’m already dealing with Hudson’s need to self-destruct. I can’t take any others right now. I may not know a thing about her, but I’ve seen enough to know that she’s worth saving. Beneath the ice cold exterior and sharp tongue, there’s more.

I hammer on the door, too blinded by anger to let myself in. She doesn’t answer and soon I’m smashing my fist against it even harder. Anger isn’t usually my first response, but it’s been a long week and this is the final straw.

“Jesus, will you keep it down?”

I glance to the side, following the familiar voice. Hudson’s door swings open as he yells, stumbling out with his hair rumpled and inked chest bare. When he realises it’s me in the corridor, he suddenly looks a lot more awake, scrubbing at his eyes in confusion.

“Kade? The hell are you doing?”

“None of your business,” I reply.

I can’t deal with that asshole right now as well. We still haven’t spoken since the exchange two days ago, and I have no desire to start a conversation with the dick until he bucks up and gets his head out of his ass for once.

“Seriously, what are you playing at?”

“Go back to your room, little brother. This doesn’t concern you,” I answer.

He’s grumbling and cursing when another voice chimes in, this one female.

“Hud, baby. Come back to bed. Leave him to it.”

I see Britt emerge in my periphery, peeking out with a bedsheet wrapped around her stick-thin, naked body. When she sees the door I’m waiting by, a hateful look carves her features.

“Not that fucking whore. She broke Maya’s nose, you know that, right?”

“That’s hilarious,” Hudson splutters, earning himself a punch in the shoulder.

“It’s not! She’s a psycho bitch. You best walk away, Kade.”

I ignore them both, continuing to knock with persistence. Eventually, they slip back into the room, thankfully leaving me alone. You know what? They deserve each other. Britt is an ugly personality wrapped in a brittle shell. I hope she breaks Hud’s heart and leaves him. That’ll teach him. Or, it would. If he had a heart to break.

I come to my senses enough to let myself in, preparing to lecture the hell out of Brooklyn until she bucks up and accepts my help. Instead, I’m left standing awkwardly, unsure of what I’ve walked into.

The setting sun blazes through the room, highlighting the picture of despair cowering in the corner. She’s in a tight ball, knees to her chest, hands clamped over her ears. I can see her shoulders shaking from here, bobbing up and down with heaving sobs. Definitely not what I was expecting.

I creep over, unsure of how to approach this situation but knowing that I have to do something. Walking away isn’t in the realms of possibility. Sinking down to her level, I reach out and brush the top of her head. Her hair is like satin beneath my touch and she stirs, peeking out through the pale curtains covering her face.

“I told you to go,” Brooklyn croaks.

“You know I can’t do that.”

Cupping her pixie face, my thumbs brush over her reddened cheeks to wipe the tears away. Her hands slowly begin to slacken, releasing the death-grip she has on her head.

“I’m sorry for knocking so loud.”