Brandon’s POV
“Brandon, I…” Her voice faltered, the words catching in her throat.
I immediately tightened my arms around her, drawing her closer to my chest. My hand moved in gentle circles across her back, a soothing rhythm I’d learned calmed her.
“Hey, silly girl,” I murmured against her hair. “I’m right here. I’ll always be by your side.”
I felt her body gradually relax as she nestled deeper into my embrace, absorbing my warmth. Her head rested in the crook of my neck, her breath warm against my skin.
“Mmm,” she hummed softly, a small acknowledgment that pierced straight through my chest.
I continued stroking her back, the repetitive motion as much for my benefit as hers. The protective instinct surging through me was almost overwhelming–seeing her this broken, this vulnerable, ignited something primal inside me.
“Ready to tell me what you heard now?” I asked gently.
The silence stretched between us. I glanced down to find her looking up at me, her eyes reflecting a storm of emotions–fear, confusion, hurt, uncertainty–all swirling together.
“Not yet?” I asked, understanding her hesitation without needing words. “That’s fine. Get some sleep. You can tell me whenever you’re ready, alright?”
Relief washed over her features. “Thank you, Brandon,” she whispered.
She shifted slightly, reaching up to press a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. I turned my head, catching her lips with mine for a brief moment.
“Sleep now,” I whispered against her ear. “Everything will be better when you wake up.”
Only when I was absolutely certain she was deeply asleep did I carefully extract myself from her grasp. She made a small sound of protest but didn’t wake as I tucked the covers around her and quietly left the room.
The house was unnaturally quiet as I made my way downstairs. As I approached the darkened living room, the acrid scent of cigarette smoke greeted me.
Sean sat in the shadows, the burning end of his cigarette glowing orange in the darkness. I reached for the Hght switch, flooding the room with soft light.
Sean squinted up at me, cigarette dangling between his fingers, “Well, you look like shit,” he observed bluntly.
I glanced down at my rumpled clothes and couldn’t argue with his assessment. Sean held out a cigarette, offering it to me with a questioning eyebrow
“Rough night?” I asked, accepting the cigarette but not lighting it.
“Like you’re having a fucking picnic,” he retorted, then his expression sobered. “What’s going on with Summer? I’ve never seen her like that. I’d barely stepped into the hallway when I saw Summer looking like she’d seen a ghost. I heard voices from the study, grabbed her, and got the hell out of there.” He paused, studying my face. “You think it’s about her background? Her real parents?”
1/2
Chapter 302
I nodded slowly.
Sean continued, “You know, this isn’t exactly news to you, is it? You had Edward looking into her background months ago. I heard something about that.”
‘She was… different tonight,‘ I said quietly. “Whatever she overheard hit her hard.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed Edward. He answered on the fourth ring, his voice thick with sleep.
“Summer’s background. What have you found?” I asked without preamble.
There was a pause on the other end. “It’s been a bitch to trace. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble erasing and altering records.” Edward’s voice turned thoughtful. “Which is interesting in itself. Nobody bothers covering tracks unless there’s something worth hiding.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, impatience rising. “I need answers now, Edward. What do you have?”
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