Barely Associated

49

Tyler

"Tyler, is tracking down some random guy really necessary?" Hunter asks sitting beside Angel. "I mean, what if he's a murderer?"

"Then that's good news." I shrug clicking through random Facebook accounts that lined up with the names and descriptions of women from Dad's teenage years. "Proves how fucking dumb Grandpa is."

"You're doing all of this because Grandpa called me a fag? I don't care." Hunter laughs. "He's a tap on the shoulder away from being dead."

"Yeah. If you really want to deal with him, throw a balloon at his chest and watch the asthma attack." Angel nudged Hunter.

"Almost. You're getting there." He laughs throwing his arm over Angel's shoulder. "One of these days, you'll be just like me."

"God forbid." I mumble. "Point is, he's probably our brother. Don't you want to meet the guy?"

"I don't even like you, Tyler. Why would I want to meet another brother?" Hunter scoffs.

"Tyler, if you find that boy, don't do anything crazy." Mom says walking into the living room. "He probably didn't grow up like you guys. You might give him the wrong impression."

"Like you guys?" Hunter repeated with a scoff. "I didn't grow up anything like Tyler. That man is crazy. Not in his right state of mind. Something is seriously off about him. You see his wife is in an asylum..."

I glare at Hunter the same time Angel hits his arm and Mom comes over to sit beside me.

"Don't say that." Mom says. "Danielle just has some personal issues she needs to work through and Tyler..." She looks over to me. "Should be trying to help her."

"Yeah. Over my dead body." I mumble. "Mom, that girl is ridiculous. I can't handle her anymore."

"Sure you can." She says. "You're a reasonable man, Tyler."

"Reasonable man?" Angel asks. "He's tracking down his long lost brother just because his Father showed up and tried to have a conversation with him."

"I guess it's up to us to save this family's bloodline because if we leave it to Tyler..." Hunter shakes his head.

"Mom I really hate them both." I say staring blankly at the two who were simply shaking their heads and talking quietly about me.

"Ignore them." Mom laughs leaning over to hit Hunter and Angel's legs. "So, back to Danielle? Baby, she made a mistake. She was probably hurt, angry, and confused. Can't you forgive her for that?"

"I cannot." I shake my head. "You know, it would've been different if she had simply threatened me about my past, but she went directly to Amari. Amari has nothing to do with what goes on between Danielle and I. She had no right."

"I understand that, but if she communicated with you that she felt Amari was the reason you became distant, doesn't that give you the slightest bit of insight as to why she did that?"

"No." I scoff. "I wouldn't have done that if it were the other way around. If I felt like Danielle was becoming distant because of another man, I'd simply leave. I refuse to be anyone's second choice."