Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Thirteen

"Hey!"
I greeted as I stepped through the front door Tuesday evening after working Phoenix.
He seemed to be in full strength again now, from his injury so I was excited about riding him again soon!
"Hey."
I did a double take at the kitchen entrance and doubled back to peer into the room.
Heath was in the kitchen with Kylie.
Weird.
Kylie's blue eyes were glistening and she wiped at them with a tissue.
I was stuck on the spot.
Kylie is a beautiful, loving woman who's done nothing but take me in for my whole life, even now when my Dad was who the hell know's where.
But did I have any right to ask her what was going on?
I never came home to Kylie crying!
"I'll leave ya to it."
My fourth next older brother stated and headed for the other kitchen entrance/exit.
I stared after the just gone twenty-two year old, wide eyed.
Who the hell leaves their crying Mother alone?!
I dropped my backpack to the floor just outside the kitchen and crossed the room to go to Kylie's side.
I decided it wasn't my place to pry, so I just wrapped her up in my arms, attempting to offer her some comfort.
"I don't like it when my babies move out."
She whispered.
Wait.
What?
Out of Dad and Kylie's kids, the only ones that lived at home were the younger half, that being Heath, Izac, Judd and Keegan.
I took a step back from Kylie.
"Who's moving out?"
She dabbed at her eyes with her scrunched up tissue one more time, then tossed the tissue into the bin.
"Heath."
She told me.
Heath is moving out?
Since when?!
Does Amara know about this?
Why is Kylie only just now finding out?
"Umm... isn't this a bit left field?"
I asked.
I don't like change.
I don't want my brother to move out!
What if I barely see him?
We definitely don't see Arian, Brogan, Corbin and Ethan enough!
Kylie sighed, turning around to lean backwards against the nearby kitchen bench.
"Not really."
She denied.
"He did move out when he was eighteen. He's only been home for the last couple of years."
Wait...
"Heath's been moved out before?"
I asked, surprised.
This was news to me!
Kylie nodded.
"What? Why? Why so young?"
Surely eighteen was a bit of a young age to move out wasn't it?
It's not like his Mother didn't love him!
I guess this is what I get for only being a part time member of the family.
I don't know all the in's and out's apparently.
Kylie sighed heavily.
"He moved out with his girlfriend."
Girlfriend?
Since when?!
What is this a day of revelations?
"What girlfriend?"
I squeaked, shocked.
Kylie smiled just slightly.
"Don't worry honey. It's safe to say it didn't work out."
"But what girlfriend? How did I not know about this?"
I insisted.
"Her name was Brianna Lake."
Kylie explained.
I frowned.
Was?
"What do you mean 'was'?"
I asked.
"Does she not exist anymore?"
I joked.
"It's not my place to tell you all the gory details. The briefest summary is that Heath was very lost through their relationship. Eventually we and the Hunter's got him to see some sense. He moved home and three months later Brianna was pronounced deceased due to an overdose."
Kylie explained.
An immediate chill hit my spine.
"She killed herself?"
I whispered, shocked.
All over a breakup?
Or were they even broken up at the time?
Kylie just said Heath moved back home...
No wonder Heath was struggling to get into a relationship with Amara...
He has to tell her about this.
Kylie shook her head.
"It's not known if it was intentional or not. Then again, any drug use is one's choice."
"Were they broken up?"
I whispered, feeling guilty that I was so desperate to know the answer.
"They were."
Kylie agreed with a nod.
"But in the two years they'd been together, he believed he loved her and that she loved him. So I'm sure you can imagine what happened to her certainly cut him deeply."
And here Amara thought Heath just didn't want a relationship with her.
In an actual fact, he was no doubt doing the absolute best that he could to beat his personal demons and move forward in life.
My heart clenched for my brother.
Now I had a better understanding of why he walked around acting like surfing, tattoo's, partying, fighting and sleeping with a multitude of girls was all that he cared about.
He'd been burnt in a tragic way and hadn't yet recovered.
But why would all of this be coming up now?
"Do you...know why he's decided to move out now?"
I prompted.
Kylie pressed her lips together and shook her head.
"All he said was that 'its time'. I'm thinking maybe he's met a girl though. I just hope she's nothing like Brianna, because I really don't think I could watch him go through that again."
My thoughts turned to Amara.
Wholesome, sweet, loving, caring, innocent Amara Kyle.
"Was Brianna not nice?"
I asked quietly, one hundred percent praying Heath wouldn't come across us talking about this.
I'm about a hundred percent certain he wouldn't like that very much...
Kylie sighed.
"She was a troubled girl. Worst of all, she had a habit of using drugs. At first, it was Marijuana. By the time they moved out, fresh out of school and barely six months after starting dating, it became pretty obvious she'd relapsed to using more than Weed."
Uh oh...
"Did um... did Heath...?"
It was hard to ask if my brother had been also using drugs.
Kylie grimaced and nodded.
"He did. He promised me even again now that he's done nothing since he came back home."
Thank god.
"And I believe him, because I've seen none of the obvious signs. Yes he'll drink too much when he's with his friends, but that's hardly abnormal. That should settle down with a bit of age and maturity, too. Well, unless he takes after his Dad..."
I sure hope Heath won't take after Dad...
"What are you guys talking about?"
I turned around, surprised at the sound of Keegan's voice, but also at the fact I apparently hadn't heard him enter the house.
"Heath is moving out."
Kylie told her youngest baby.
Keegan blinked, but didn't seem as surprised as what I felt.
"Really?"
My brother asked.
"Is that wise?"
I frowned at Keegan.
Does he know something that we don't?
"He tell's me he's been clean for two years."
Kylie explained.
Keegan nodded.
"And I'd believe it. He still attends those appointments with the shrink and I'm pretty sure he just got a blood test that said he was two years sober."
"They can tell for that long?!"
I asked, shocked.
I had no clue the drugs could even remain in your system for that long.
Keegan rolled his eyes dramatically and slung an arm around my shoulders.
"Sometimes I forget you grew up sheltered."
It took me a moment to realise he was actually insulting me.
"Hey!"
I protested.
Kylie and Keegan both laughed!
"No sweetie, what he means is that over the duration of the two years he's had regular test's done. The results from the two years state he's remained clean."
I looked to Keegan, surprised.
"You knew he was seeing people and being tested?"
Keegan rolled his eyes.
"He doesn't exactly hide it. At least not from us."
I looked down at the kitchen floor.
"I didn't know."
I muttered.
"Honey all that means is that he wouldn't want you to view him differently."
Kylie soothed.
"Even though you wouldn't. Image is important to all of us. You remember how you didn't want the boys to know about your ex boyfriend and his misdemeanours."
She had a point.
Although I was standing here with no intention or inkling of judging Heath, would that be different if I knew he was in fact taking drugs?
Drug's are bad.
They ruin lives.
Zander and I practically broke up over him using Weed.
"He's tried hard and apparently is succeeding to turn his life around."
Kylie reasoned.
"Has he told ya he's into Bailey's mate yet?"
Keegan asked, removing his arm from my shoulders and heading for the fridge.
Kylie's head snapped my way, her eyes wide.
I shot a scowl at the back of Keegan's head.
Way to dump us all in it Keegan!