Older Brothers

55

I was fine for the rest of the night.

Addison and I hung out for a bit. We danced and we sat outside chatting to strangers where people were smoking. I felt like I was distracted. I was okay.

It was only when Charlie spotted my hand in hers as we came outside again that I was reminded of the tension I had been ignoring.

"What is she doing here?" Charlie growled, coming up to me.

He was stood with Logan and Logan chased after him.

"Nice to see you too, Charlie. Miss me?" Maddie said, her head titling to the side like she was watching her favourite show.

Charlie's head shot to me. "You're seriously okay with this?"

"She's my friend Charlie. It's fine. Drop it."

"Drop it? I won't fucking drop it. She needs to get off our property."

"Charlie there's no need to have a little temper tantrum. You know you love me really. I mean, you can't have forgotten that night —"

"Shut the fuck up." Charlie spat.

"What night?" I perked up.

"It's not nothing, Khlo." He said. "She's not good for you."

"Maddie scoffed. "She's not is she? How about we question whether you're good for Khloe, shall we?"

"Maddie, stop it" I warned.

Maddie only so much glanced at me. "Her skin's looking pretty clear tonight, don't you think? Funny how make-ups good at making people looking flawless."

Charlie scanned over my face as if Maddie was implying something he couldn't see. But when he saw it, he knew what she was referring to.

The scratch he'd left me was still there. Healing, but still there. And Maddie had just successfully reminded him of it.

"You're a bitch, Maddie."

"And Dean's not the only one in your family who has a temper." Addison stated, folding her arms over her chest.

"Maddie that was nothing. Nothing, okay?" I said.

"Nothing?" Maddie laughed. "There's many things that are nothing. But your family and what they've done aren't nothing. They've let you down so many times, Khlo."

"Not Charlie." I stated, irritated with Maddie. "Now shut the fuck up."

Maddie rolled her eyes at me. "I'm right. I'm always right."

Charlie scoffed. "Like she said, shut the fuck up."

Maddie rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

I grabbed Charlie's hand and dragged him back inside. I knew Addison would pre-occupy herself with a cigarette or something whilst we chatted. Maddie was pretty good at entertaining herself.

"What the fuck, Khloe?!" Charlie confronted me.

"Chill, charlie. It's no big deal. I'm fine. Everything's fine, okay?"

"No it's not, she's here with you and we've forbidden you going anywhere near her."

"Forbidden me?" I scoffed. "Fuck you, Charles."

"Don't look at me like that, Khloe. It's only to protect you, which is what I'm always trying to do!"

"Were you trying to protect me when you slept with Maddie?"

Charlie looked at me shocked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I didn't sleep with her!" Charlie argued.