All in his head

thirty nine

Tate

Adrian and I spend a week in the apartment, giving me time to process what was been happening and what this means going forward. After a lot of convincing, I agreed to move back down to San Jose and let Adrian set up the nursey in one of the guest bedrooms. He also explained my connection to Gage and how he played a major role in this being a success.

I was right when I thought he looked familiar, turns out Gage is my second cousin and had been working for Adrian in order to find more information on my family. And that's how they found out about my brother. 

Today, I'm going to see my brother for the first time in 7 almost 8 years. My body is surging with nervousness as I get ready with Adrian and drive over the warehouse. 

He holds my hand tight as we walk down to the basement, a place I have never been. It smells like blood and burnt skin, them smell alone makes me nervous and wiggle closer to Adrian. I feel him kiss the top of my head and place his suit jacket over my shoulders. His scent overpowers the other smells around me and calms a little more. 

I missed the way he smelled, something about it always calmed me. Even after all this time I could never make out what about it I love so much. 

The warmth of his jacket helps as we walk down a poorly light hall and to the final door at the end. Atlas and Gage stand there waiting for us, I nod at them and stare at the door. 

"He's calmed down a lot since he got here, but be careful" Gage says, Adrian says something to him in Dutch before they open the door. 

Adrian lets go of my hand and places his large hand on my lower back.  My heart hammers in my chest as we walk through the door. 

A teenage boy sits in a chair with his head down, blonde hair covering his face. The heaving of his chest and the way he tightly grips the chair is  the only signs of life in him.

I let Adrian guide us to the other of table between him and two empty chair, I sit down and let my hands fall to my stomach. 

"Tommy, look at me" I say in the softest tone I can muster. Slowly he lifts his head, and it's definitely my brother. 

We have the same eyes and he looks so much like our father. The busted lip and black eye he is sporting is clear evidence that he wasn't detained without a fight. His young age shows clearly in the boyish features, and the way he looks at me like he is getting in trouble for breaking curfew. 

But the moment it processes in his head who I am, the guilty look melts and turns into one full of hatred. 

"You better wipe that look of your face, you little shit" Adrian says, I watch Tommy's eyes look over at Adrian and keep the same look on his face. 

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Tommy snarls, he sounds like a man now, not the sweet little boy I used to take care of when our mother couldn't. "And aren't you supposed to be in high school, kid?" Adrian fires back, I grab his hand under the table and squeeze it. 

"Tommy, we just want to clear some things up with you. We have no intention of hurting you" I say, he scoffs and smiles at me. A smile that looks just like our mom's smile. 

"What could you possibly need to clear up? Why you decided I wasn't worth keeping around or why the fuck you think letting the enemy fuck you is ok?" He spits, my mouth hangs open at his words. 

"You really have no idea what happened, do you?" I ask, he doesn't say anything and Adrian throws something on the table. 

A newspaper.

"Know what this is, kid?" He ask, Tommy shrugs and looks down at it. "It's the article of the Carter family after your mother took her own life and Tate was found alone in the house holding your dead body. Because guess what, kid, up until 7 months ago, she thought you were dead."