The Next Chapter: Twisted Series Next Generation

Chapter 71: Callum Harper

"You've had some pretty awful dates in the past, but honestly, Jeremy's one date beats your entire history. Has to sting doesn't it?" He muses with a devilish grin before placing a mug of tea in front of me, taking a seat on the chair next to mine as he blows on his own cup.

A scoff slips from my lips as I perch my chin onto my palm. "I don't date."

"I rather not think about the alternative activities you do."

That lifts a smile to my lips as my head tilts at him. "You're no better than me."

Maverick returns his gaze to mine as he shrugs and takes a sip of his drink, "Debauchery goes against my image."

"Yet that has never stopped you."

I watch him fight back his own grin as he leans back against his chair. His entire demeanour has become more lively ever since he threw his arms around me. For that entire moment, it was just silence.

And then, slowly I returned the hug. We just stood like that for a few minutes before he pulled away and I could see the unshed tears in his eyes he was attempting to keep discreet from me.

A part of me felt like a bastard. For keeping the bar so low that it made my own brother cry when I managed to accomplish anything. I could practically hear the word pathetic being spewed down my throat.

Yet I remained unbothered. As his expression that normally carries such a tightness, began to ease up to an innocence that I had not seen in years.

My head tips back as my gaze finds the ceiling. "Did Dad go back to DC?"

Mavericks eyes widened before he contains himself, my curiosity obviously surprised him. I was not particularly an individual who cared about the wellbeing of my bastardly Father.

He clears his throat and rubs his nape. "He's flying to Eladora with us."

An unsurprised scoff escapes my lips, "Un-fucking-believable, doesn't he have a wife he should be crawling after?"

My last interaction with my Father, like every other, had been bitter. The one upside of this God awful experience with Jeremy is that it had coaxed my Father to lay off of me. Normally when I continuously rejected his calls, he'd send one of his men to shadow me like I was some sort of criminal. All this willing avoidance meant that he had no reason to contact me about the stupid position he forced into my hand. So much for avoiding the nepotism rumours.

There was no way in hell I was going to work at my Fathers company. I did not care if I had to sabotage this project, I was going to do everything in my favour to get out of it.

Living in his limelight made me want to tear my skin off. Everyday I thanked whatever higher power out there that I resembled my Mother. Otherwise if I looked like him, I would have punched every mirror in my existence. No offense to Maverick who greatly resembled my Father.

There was also no doubt in my mind that Dad was aware of the situation that happened at the restaurant the day he cornered me with that position. The strangest bit was that he never brought it up. Which pissed me off. Was he pitying me once again?

Fighting the urge to clench my jaw in frustration, I took a sip of the tea Maverick made to calm myself down.

"We could leave earlier, you and I. We could book a flight tomorrow."

That made me smile. However, if I was a bigger idiot, I would think he was doing this for my sake. In reality, he was doing it so no big argument would stir up and ruin the events of Ana's birthday. Well, I could not really blame him.

"Jere." Was the only thing I muttered out for him to come to a realization and nod.

"Shit, I forgot. Sorry man."

Offering him nothing more than a half assed nod, I let my gaze drift off in a distance.

For a moment I just sat like that, and Maverick did not say anything. He merely watched me with a gaze that was not filled with judgement.

Thoughts lingered in my head, frustration was weakening my muscles. Raking a hand through my ragged hair as my gaze lifts to meet my brothers.

"He'll be fine." Maverick was not skilled at offering consolation, obviously he was better than me but he was no master. Yet I knew he had concerns that went beyond what his body could withstand.

The amount of times I had heard that phrase in the span of a few hours had to be criminal. You would think the amount of time people would say it, it would come true. Surely the universe could grant a wish if a whole collective begged for it.

Yet here I remain. Vacant of any information on if that bastard was alive or dead. 

Another frustrated breath slipped from my lips as I gripped my knees and stood up in an ungraceful manner. "Do it."

Mavericks brows furrowed in concern as his gaze raked over my disheveled state. "Do what?"

"Book the tickets, let's go to Eladora now."