Chapter 25

JUNE

June shouldn't spend this much reminiscing about that night. But she couldn't help it. Every moment from that evening spiraled around her thoughts in vivid images.

The way he'd touched her. The way he'd held her. The way he'd soothed her with his words.

Her mind lingered on every single detail of that night. Truthfully, June hadn't expected from her first time. She had prepared herself for the worst, bracing for one of her many nightmares. But it had been the best night of her life.

Now, she wished it hadn't been so perfect, she wished she had something bad to say about that night. Because at least, she wouldn't be stuck replaying it in her head, obsessing over every single touch.

The sky outside was unnaturally bright today. The air felt different—sort of soothing. The atmosphere was warm. She felt extra light and warm inside, but she wasn't about to admit it was because of the sex that was supposed to be anything but romantic.

As she neared the entrance of her apartment unit, a thudding sound drifted to her, making her cock her head. She paused mid-step, and her hand tightened around the straps of her bag.

There was no way it was the twins since they would be in school by now. That left her with only one option.

John.

Her good mood turned sour at the thought of her brother. Volcanic lava dripped into her veins, poisoning her blood with each pulse.

If he thought he could just come back like nothing ever happened after what he'd done, he had something else coming for him. She wouldn't forgive him this time. She was done with him. She'd finally come to her senses that her brother stopped being the person she knew and cherished a long time ago. He'd become a curse to her. He'd put the twins' lives in danger and even hers. And he hadn't cared even a little bit.

As June kicked the door with her foot, it swung open, hitting the opposite wall with a bang.

People loitered around the living room, drinks in their hand. He had the guts to throw a party while she was sweating about how to get seventy-five grand. He had the fucking guts.

Her mouth tasted bile as she clenched her fists at her sides.

The crowd leered at her as if she was the one who wasn't supposed to be there as she stomped across the room toward the loudspeaker

With a sharp kick, she sent a chair skidding out of her way and yanked the speaker's plug out f the wall socket. The music cut off abruptly, replaced by a chorus of groans and murmurs of displeasure.

“Party is over. Now, get the fuck out!" She screeched, her voice cracking at the end.

The rage simmering inside her threatened to spill over, her breathin becoming uneven and erratic. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath stroking the fire of her anger.

“Who’s this bitch?” She heard someone say from the crowd.

Facing no one in particular, she yelled. “This bitch owns the house, so fuck out.”

Just then, John sauntered out of the room in staggering strides, clearly drunk out of his mind. The fucker didn't even care that minors lived in this house and could be home at any moment.

He'd stopped caring a long time, she was one who couldn't come to terms with it. She couldn't accept such an awful person her brother had become.

He clapped his hands together at the crowd as a stupid grin spread across his face. “You heard the girl. Party's time is over. Leave.”

June let anger bubbled inside of her as the crowds scrambled out of her house one by one until it was only she and John in the living room.

She glared at John when he finally faced her with a smile tugging his lips. The very sight of him ignited a firestorm of disdain withn her. How dare he smile? After what he'd put her through? After all, she'd gone through to pay his debt?

“Hey, little sis.” He slurred slightly, swaying on his feet while scratching a vicious red mark on his neck.

“Get out.” June's voice was low, barely containing her seething anger.

“What?” he scoffed out a chuckle. “Why should I go outside? I have no business there.” He shrugged.

His nonchalance pushed her over the edge and she snapped.

“Do I look like I care?” Her voice rose sharply. “Fuck out, John. Fuck out. Get out of my apartment.” She gestured vehemently towards the door “Get out!”

Her body trembled as John reared backward, taken aback by her outburst.

Any hint of playfulness melted from his face as his next words tumbled out of his mind.   “What is this all about, June? Why are you being like this?" He dared to look genuinely confused.

She let out a bitter scoff, incredulous at his obliviousness. What was this about? Why was she being like this? With effort, she drew in a shaky breath. "Just get out, John. I want you out of my house."

Fear licked his face at the utter seriousness in her voice. "What do you mean? Where the fuck am I supposed to go?” His voice quivered.

June felt a twisted satisfaction that he finally grasped a fraction of the nightmare she'd endured for days.

“Do I look like I care?” she said. “Do I look like I give a shit wherever the hell you go? I just want you out!”

“I’m your fucking brother. You can’t do this to me.” His hands trembled, more from the effect of the drugs he'd taken than from the fear written on his face.

A humorless laugh escaped her mouth as she held his gaze, unable to summon any hint of sympathy for him. “Brother?” The word tasted like tar in her mouth. “Which brother would be so evil to do what you did?” The memory of all the awful things John had done to her crashed on her at once.

The countless times she'd had to pay his debts. The countless times he'd spent her savings on useless drugs and gambling. The times she'd had to bail him from jail and so on.

But now she was done.

He stared at her for a long, tense, moment before his face contorted into another laughter. "Is this a joke? Or are you drunk? High?" he said, mockingly. "What are you on, little sis?"

“What am I on? You left me with a fucking debt and have the guts to ask me what I am on?"

John's mouth formed an 'O' as realization dawned on his face. “So, this is what it's about? It's about money."

Her anger turned spiteful at his lack of remorse and enthusiasm. He didn't look sorry for leaving her to pay that huge amount of debt. Instead, he made it sound like she was making a big deal out of nothing.

Tears stung her eyes, the sting of frustration twisting her guts. “Do you know how I paid for it? What I had to go through every fucking time I had to pay for your debts?" A familiar sickening gnaw chewed her gut. "How i—."

She swallowed her remaining words when John shrugged dismissively. It was clear he didn't care.

 With a tired sigh, she walked to the door and opened it, stepping aside.   “Get out. John.”

“Where am I supposed to fucking go? Go sleep on the street?" He rose with clear agitation. 

"Leave."

"You can’t do this to me, June. You can't do this to me." In a fit of rage, he hurled a beer bottle across the room. It narrowly missed June, shattering against the door with a deafening crash. "You can't fucking send me packing."

She didn't flinch. Instead, she met his furious gaze. Her heart had hardened toward him and she longer a hint of sympathy for him. "Get. Out."

“Don’t do this to me. June, please.” John's chest heaved as disbelief etched across his face.

"Don't make me call the cops on you, John. Leave now and never come back."

He took slow, menacing steps towards her, stopping just inches away. She stood her ground, her eyes locked onto his. "So this is it? You’re going to send me out after everything we’ve been through? After everything I’ve done for you?"

"Why did you think I have endured this long?" She yelled. "Why did you think I have endured your bullshit for long?" She paused momentarily catching her breath. "I have put up with you because of everything we have been through but I'm tired too, John. If you considered me your sister for once, you would leave."

A flicker of something unrecognizable flashed in his eyes. Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words and unresolved pain. Finally, John turned away, and walked out of the room, kicking a stray bottle with a loud grunt on his way out.

June closed the door behind him, twisting the lock in place. Her back slid down the door, and she sank onto the floor. Tears flowed down her cheeks like a river.

Sending John out felt like losing a part of her, considering what they'd been through. She knew she made a good choice by sending him out but the pain gnawing at her chest screamed otherwise.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and June ignored it, drowning in her sobs. She tilted her head back against the door, staring at the ceiling as waves of anguish washed over her.

When the incessant ringing of her phone was too much to bear, June shoved a shaky hand into her pocket and brought her phone near her ear

Too exhausted to speak, she could only breathe into the phone

“Hello." A familiar deep, velvety voice drifted through the line. “Princess?"

The last trace of resistance vanished and she yielded to the compulsive sobs that swelled her throat, her lips trembling.

“Where are you?” he asked.