Unsteady

30. Don't Leave

Let me tell you you are everything, you are
Losing my words, I don't know where to start
But baby, don't leave me
Shut your mind off and let your heart hear me
I won't trade this for nothing
I may not ever get my shit together
But ain't nobody gonna love you better
Don't leave
-Don't Leave
-Snakehips
-MØ

•••••

As if on cue, the door the dusty room opened and Dylan stepped into the room. He looked better than ever, not a single scratch on his face.

He kept his eyes trained on the ground, refusing to meet my accusing ones. His brown hair was ruffled on his head, as if he was running his hands through it before he stepped into the room. Dylan's expression remained neutral, not giving away what he was feeling.

Sweat stained the front of his grey shirt. His muscles bulged as he crossed his arms over his chest, still not lifting his head.

I felt like someone had stabbed me through my chest. The betrayal had overcome any other emotion that may have surfaced in a situation like this, yet some part of me wanted to believe that Brandon was lying and that Dylan had come to help me.

Maybe I was still the same naïve person I thought I had left behind after all.

"Hm, I expected you to have more of a reaction," Brandon said, moving to stand beside Dylan.

Having them stand beside each other, you could tell the resemblance between the two if you looked closely.

They both had the same pointed nose, and the same ominous black eyes. Their cheek bones sat high on their cheeks and their hair was a dark, close to black colour. Although Brandon's was slightly wavier than Dylan's, you could tell they were siblings. I couldn't believe I didn't notice it earlier.

I clenched my jaw to try and rid the building pressure in my body. The hurt from Dylan's betrayal was pushed to the side by the anger that I was so stupid to believe there really was some good left in people.

The world was a cruel place, there was no such thing as good.

"How?" I asked through gritted teeth, my anger enabling me to only speak in monosyllables.

"How? How did we manage to fool you? How are we related? How is Dylan involved?" Brandon taunted me, dropping down into his seat in front of me. "You've got to be more specific Riley."

I bit the inside of my cheek and spared a glance at Dylan. He resumed staring at the floor.

Coward

"Everything," I said, my voice cutting through the tension in the air.

Brandon sighed and shook his head at my refusal to be specific.

"Dylan, is actually my stepbrother but let's just cut the long story short. My mom cheated on my dad with Dylan's dad, and out sprouted Dylan. Four years later, I came into the picture. Dylan's dad made an appearance into our lives when I was thirteen, that's when I met Dylan," Brandon's eyes clouded over as he stared at his shoes.