Beautifully Broken

- 6 -

"So you joined the people that killed our father?" 

I shake my head, "Not to mention, they tried to kill you as well."

I'm staring at, in fact, the man that is my brother.  We were in the office at his 'Gang house' as he calls it. 

I try not to let the emotion in my voice peek out but it's something that is hard to control. A part of me wants to run and hug him, tell him how much I missed him. The other part has burning questions.

Did he know what mom does to me?

Did he know I was alive?

What body was buried at his funeral?

If he's alive, does that mean dad is too?

The last questions sparked a small sliver of hope in me. The thought of my father being alive as well would be my prayers coming true, but I am well too aware that would make life too easy. 

"Lorena-"

"Don't call me that." I snap.

I didn't mean to, I really didn't but I can't stand the name - not anymore.

"Sorry I didn't mean to yell at you," I apologize, "But I don't go by that anymore,"

He nods.

"Is that why you told Cole your name was Rose?" He asks, sitting behind the dark brown desk in the room. 

"Who?"

"Cole, the guy that was with me. Also the leader of the gang." He answers, staring at my leg.

Oh, so that's the blue-eyed devil's name - It's fitting

His eyes stay to my leg, looking at the wound. I did a pretty good job stitching it up. Even if he were to try and tend to it, I wouldn't allow him. I didn't want help from anyone in this building. I felt sick to my stomach even being in here. I feel as though, by being here, I'm betraying my father in some way. 

I'm quiet for a moment, sitting on the green velvet couch in the room. 

This makes no sense. I can't figure out how I want to react. My emotions are running circles in my head, it's impossible to hang onto one.

"She used to beat me every night," My voice comes out strangled from biting back tears. 

"Ros-"

"Every - fucking - night!" I seethe, "I had to drop out of high school when she started doing drugs to support the bills,"

He's quiet, looking at me with softened eyes.

"I'm 19 years old, and I don't have a fucking GED!" I yell, not directly at him, "All I've ever wanted to do was be a veterinarian, to help people, and she took that away from me."

He lets out a strangled sigh. I look at the large dark door, behind it is where Cole stands.

Giving us some privacy

"I can't tell you how many times I've wished it was me who died, not you. That bitch of a mother we have didn't let me forget what happended to you," I shake my head at him.

"Every night she used to say 'I wish it were you' and every time I would think 'Me too'-" I choke.

"-but here you've been. Sitting up in mansions and rubbing elbows with the people who started it all," I spit, everything in the room has to be at least more then I make in a month.

Working both jobs

"Tell me, Brother." I squint over in his direction, "Did you feel loved? Did you feel like you belonged? Here, with them?" I gesture to where Cole stood behind the door.