Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Clay gave her a shocked look. “You’re not wrong, Phoebe. But it’s just… people can be mean, and we didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“It hurt more to have all of you constantly telling me that I’m wrong and that I had to change. That I’m too much. I know you all blame me for Mama’s death—”
“What?”
“No, we don’t!”
“Who said that!”
They all joined in, their voices growing so loud that she was overwhelmed. Tears dripped down her face.
“Stop! All of you, shut up!” Barren lifted her out of the chair, then sat and settled her on his lap, holding her tight. “You’re all right, little girl. I have you. No one is going to hurt you. I’m here to take care of you.”
There was shocked silence.
“You don’t need to protect her from us,” Eric said tightly.
“Actually, I do,” Barren replied. “Because it’s our family who has the power to hurt us the most. All Phoebe ever wanted was your love and acceptance. Yet, you constantly put her down and made her feel less. Maybe you thought you were helping her, but did you ever think about how she felt? When I met her, she thought she had to behave a certain way so that people wouldn’t get sick of her. That she couldn’t be herself. But she doesn’t need to be anyone but Phoebe.”
What had she done to deserve him? She had no idea, but she was never letting him go.
“We’re sorry, Phoebe,” Joseph finally said. “We’ve been shit brothers.”
“Joseph!” Paul snapped.
“We have been,” Tony added, looking upset. “I know we thought we were helping but look at her. We were just harming her, and she thinks we blame her for Mama dying? Phoebe, nothing could be further from the truth.”
“When Mama died, we were so sad, but also so happy to have you,” Eric told her.
“I heard you talking once about how you missed Mama and wished I hadn’t been born,” she said.
“Oh, Phoebe,” Eric said. She glanced up to see him staring down at her, stricken. “We might have said that in our grief, but we didn’t mean it and we didn’t mean for you to hear it. We love you.”
“Really?” She glanced around at them all as they nodded.
Joseph approached her first and she slid off Barren’s lap to hug him. They all moved in after him, one after the other, until only Paul was left.
She didn’t expect him to hug her or apologize. He’d always been stubborn. Stern.
But, to her surprise, his eyes grew wet as he drew her close. “Sorry, little sister. I think we’ve failed you horribly.”
“You haven’t. I promise. I still love you all.”
“Good. Because we love you.” When he stepped back, he drew her back with him.
Away from Barren.
“But I’m not sure I approve of whatever is going on between the two of you.”
“He seems a bit old for you, Phoebs,” Darin said as he leaned back in his chair and glared at Barren.
“Yep. What are your intentions with our sister?” Joseph asked.
“Where did you two meet?” Paul asked.
“Okay, enough!” She moved away from Paul and sat in Barren’s lap once more. He didn’t seem too upset by her brothers’ antics, more amused. “I love Barren, and he loves me and all of you have no say in who I date. I know you think I’m naive and that I’m going to be taken advantage of, but Barren didn’t even know who I was! He’s not after me for my money.”
“I think we should have some say in who you date,” Eric muttered.
“Nope. Butt out.”
“I don’t know,” Clay drawled. “I think we should make up for being shit brothers by getting very involved in what you do from now on.”
She groaned. God give her strength.
“No one is getting involved in our relationship,” Barren said firmly. “It is no one’s business but our own. I take care of Phoebe now. She’s mine. And I will protect her. From her own family, if necessary.”
“We would never harm her,” Paul protested.
“Not on purpose, anyway,” Darin added, looking at her with sorrow.
“I would like to know about why you’ve been using a different last name and hiding from your brothers?” Barren asked.
She groaned. “After Dad died I was in a bit of a state. As you know, I went to stay with my uncle for a while, and when I came home, all Paul could talk about was selling the business.”
“None of us want to run it, Phoebe,” Paul told her, sitting in a chair. He looked tired as he ran his hand through his hair. “We all talked about it and agreed.”
“Except for me,” she said. “It feels like if we sell it we’re selling the last bit we had of Dad.”
“Aw, Phoebs, is that how you feel?” Joseph asked.
She nodded.
“You should have told me,” Joseph told her. “I thought we told each other things.”