Husbands But Not

30: Half brothers

Noah

I really wished I was clueless.

I hated knowing things, especially when things were supposed to not be known.

In some twisted sense, I had a feeling that there was more to everything and everyone than what was being let on.

Kent had just arrived at the drinks bar when dad called for me.

I went to answer him but got distracted by a noise coming from backstage. It sounded like something had fell. He gestured for me to go check it out.

I slid through the golden curtain that separated the stage from the back of the café. The storage room and an equipment room were there side by side.

I heard ruckus in the equipment room, which could only be Spyder and his dad.

"It is him, dad." Spyder said, albeit his tone was a mix of resentment and anger. "I know it is. And I know you know it's him."

I could hear their muffled voices clearly. The doors and the walls weren't that thick. "What good would it be to dwell on it?" Spencer, his dad, asked.

Suddenly I felt their footsteps near the door and the quickest thing I could think of was to get into the storage room. It smelled strongly of cleaning supplies.

I held my breath to limit the noise, but I felt a really strong urge to pee.

"Are you seriously going to just ignore the fact that it's your half brother?"

"Enough, Ronan." His dad must've been really annoyed to call him by his actual name. "I don't care whose son he is. He has his own family and we have ours."

Their argument died down, and upon hearing the people in the café cheer, I knew that he was no longer backstage.

I opened the door and came out of the stuffy, sanitation-smelling room.

My expectations were as usual, wrong, because I came face to face with Spyder.

My fists, once again, were at his collar as I pinned him to the nearest wall.

"Is this our thing now?" He spat sarcastically. "Pinning me to walls would be a lot more romantic if you didn't want to beat me up."

"I thought we worked everything out?" I yelled.

"Apparently some things don't get solved that easily."

"What do you want from Kent? Can't you just leave him alone?" I was getting riled up, angered by his calm voice, and fueled by the urge to pee.

"No, I can't."

"I swear to God-" before I was able to finish, I felt a hand clutch the back of my shirt, then the back of Spyder's.

"Do you kids wanna be any louder? The people of Hilltown haven't heard you yet." The steady voice threatened. "Care to explain what's going on?" I looked up, and Raiken's dad was glaring at us, Raiken standing shyly behind.

"I'm sorry guys, but he heard I swear." Raiken apologised, even though he wasn't the one to blame.

"Sorry Mr. Red."

His dad loosened his grip. He fixed his glasses and passed a hand through his ghostly white hair. "Stay here, and when Spencer's done, you exit back to the seating area."

We nodded and didn't dare speak any more words. Raiken's family was intimidating, and neither Spyder nor I wanted to get on his dad's, Thomas Red's, last nerve.