“Johnny, she doesn’t know?” Elijah said in a clipped tone assessing Johnny’s wariness.
“Nope,” he replied, matching his gaze but avoiding mine at all costs.
“You’re a bloody fool, you know that. Why hide it away?” Elijah questioned, tilting his head to the side.
“Is someone going to tell me, then?” I demanded, looking between the two men with my hands on my hips.
It seemed my brother dearest wasn’t in the mood for beating around the bush, after years of not telling the truth and hiding away, he had finally found the courage to tell me.
“I own my distillery; these are my brews, Harlow,” Johnny sheepishly replied before shooting a daggered stare at Elijah.If looks could kill.
No wonder he’d always attempted to talk and gather information from me on the telephone. I wouldn’t have given him the time of day to be honest, more scared if I listened, I would’ve come straight back for them both. I hadn’t wanted to be tempted by the snippets of their lives. It hadn’t mattered if Johnny was my brother and Elijah my enemy. I needed to let them lead their own lives; they had been forced to grow up too quickly looking after me. Well, it seemed they had managed to do so with the inheritance and had a whole future planned. The irony hadn’t escaped me. It was bittersweet to realise how far Johnny had come without me being there, holding him back.
Bitterness and anger overwhelmed me. Of course, he did. He always managed to come out on top somehow. Elijah had to rub salt into the wound, though, didn’t he, tonight of all nights. He couldn’t just welcome me back home with open arms... no, the pair of them had to make a full-blown joke within the first five minutes of me being here.
“Elijah, chuck me any of them and give me some vodka neat, I think I need it, I’m going to bed. Don’t you dare follow or talk to me,” I snapped.
I pointed at Johnny with what I hoped was a,don’t argue with me,stare.
“I need to be alone,” I whispered before turning on my heel.
With that, I left them to contemplate their actions. I hoped my abrupt departure would make them realise that the bombshell of how successful Johnny was now could’ve waited until the morning and would have given me the time to process tonight. In the last few hours, I had lost my home, my job of the last two years, and the people who had taken me in. Comfort was what they should have given me, but instead I cried myself to sleep, a little bit numb, thanks to the alcohol consumption.
Six
Elijah
Well,that was a turn up for the books. Harlow was home. Knowing I needed to give them a moment together, the alcohol called me straight away when I headed into the living room. I needed something to try and get me through this evening. I hadn’t expected to react to her the way I had when I saw Harlow the woman, not Harlow my best friend’s sister. I reached for the nearest bottles not caring what the contents actually were and quickly had two fingers of scotch and a glass of wine. I scanned the selection, deliberating on what poison was required to be consumed next, as they entered.
She didn’t have to know that I had originally intended the drinks were for me, but Johnny certainly wasn’t impressed. He needed to understand she wasn’t a child anymore but a grown woman. A fact he was going to have to get used to very quickly, as much as I was.
The night turned sour pretty quickly. I hadn’t realised he hadn’t told her about the distillery. Seriously, if I had known, I would’ve kept my big trap shut. That fucking twat hadn't given me one inkling she didn’t have a clue. Even with quick talks over the last few years, I thought the bomb would have been dropped by now, two years he’s had, but no, stubborn to the core.
Harlow had come home, needing her brother’s help and what do I do? I told her about how successful he was and flaunted it in her face, albeit unintentionally. No wonder she hated me.
Though I couldn’t deny she looked sexy as the anger permeated through her, she stormed up the stairs blowing us both off, taking both her drinks to bed. I shook my head as I tried to rid myself of the notions, she was my best friends’ sister... Surely it must’ve been the shock of seeing her after all this time. With the immediate shut down of emotions as she refused to talk about what happened, I realised that there were some things she hadn’t grown out of in her time away.
I stayed for another hour.
“I should have told her.” He placed his hands over his face rubbing them up and down in frustration.
“I just couldn’t build up the courage to admit to her that maybe her decision to leave was the right one. If she had known, then I may have never got her back through these doors,” he whispered.
“I wanted to show I could manage everything before telling her the truth, you know?” he said cocking his head as I finally had enough of listening to his blatant attempts of justification.
“It’s just lame excuses. All bullshit, Johnny, and you know it,” I stated trying to keep my temper in line.
“You didn’t just take yourself down with Harlow then, but you were happy to throw me under the bus too. Not even pre-warning me of what she did and didn’t know. You call that friendship?” I hissed the anger building through my veins.
“I’m sorry, man.” He dropped his hands and looked at me, the tears evident.
“I know you are, but seriously whatever macho bullshit you’re scared of, deal with it. Harlow isn’t a kid anymore. Treat her with some damn respect,” I demanded knowing that Johnny needed that kick back into reality.
“I won’t hide anything so big from her again.”
“Okay,” I replied pulling him from his seat and into my arms for the comfort I knew he required.
“Thanks,” he said into my shoulder before pulling away.