The Wrong Brother's Temptation novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Sienna

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Luckily, the door opened behind me and two staff members with a doctor came in quickly to hold her back.

Connor stepped back immediately without being asked, and the way his shoulders slumped told me of the way he felt absolutely defeated without him saying a word.

My heart broke some more for him as I saw his eyes grow moist when the hospital staff held his mother down and she fought the sedative for a moment, still saying he was gone, holding onto it with everything she had.

The sedative took effect and then she stilled, and Connor moved forward to swiftly hold her up and carry her to the bed.

The doctor and the staff left to give him a moment as he gently lowered her onto the bed and pulled the blanket up and stood there with his hand still on the edge of the mattress.

“Happy birthday again” He said in a soft whisper, leaned forward to kiss her forehead and then he turned and walked out, and I followed him.

The walk from his mother’s room to the doctor’s office felt like miles on stretch as I struggled to say something nice to ease and comfort him but my brain failed me.

So I was particularly relieved when we reached the doctor’s office. Connor stood near the window with his hands in his pockets and didn’t sit, and I stood near the door and tried to take up as little space as possible.

“The episodes are increasing,” the doctor said, her voice careful and steady.

“The condition is progressing, Connor. The treatment is managing severity but not reversing anything. It hasn’t been for some time. There may come a point where we need to discuss…”

Connor reached into his jacket without a word and swiftly placed a chequebook on the desk.

“Look, it’s not about the money…” She tried again but he angrily pulled out a pen and signed a blank cheque and slid it towards her.

“You’ll treat her,” he said, “until I can’t pay you. And I’ll ensure that day never comes.”

The doctor looked at the check and then at his face and sighed. She decided not to push any further tonight and simply pocketed the check. “Very well. I’ll keep you updated on developments.”

He nodded and walked out briskly, his strides eating up far more space than my feet could follow through and I was almost running after him through the quiet corridors and out into the night air.

He kept walking towards the parking lot and we got into the car, and sat in the dark outside the hospital, and neither of us said anything for a while.

I let him breathe, and begged my brain to come up with something nice to say to him.

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15:15 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 32

All I could come up with was “I didn’t know”

His shoulders sagged as he let his back hit the car seat and sighed.

“She wasn’t always like that,” he said.

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And I tried to recall bits of my childhood that weren’t entirely made up of Aaron. I recalled Connor always being grumpy, sarcastic and a generally unlikeable kid.

I couldn’t quite remember where his mother had been all this time. That thought simply had never crossed my mind because I was too fixated on my stupid crush on Aaron.

“When I was a kid she was the funniest person I knew. She used to do voices when she read to me. A different one for every character, and she was genuinely terrible at it…she couldn’t hold an accent for more than a sentence. A dark chuckle rose from the corner of his mouth. “I used to laugh until I couldn’t breathe. She could walk into a room and just make it lighter. I never understood how she did that.”

I didn’t say anything.

After she and alpha asher separated it got difficult for her. I was too young to understand what was happening or why. I was just told mom was sick and needed a doctor. And then suddenly another woman was living in my house, and occupying my mom’s room.”

I hesitated to reach out to him, my lips trembling due to the raw hurt in his voice.

“And then six years ago the episodes started. It took a while to understand what was happening. She’d forget things, get confused, and the confusion would tip into…”

He stopped and took a shaky breath before starting again.

“It progressed quickly. There are still good days where she’s present and calm and we actually talk.” He took a pause before adding. “She asked about you two weeks ago, actually. As in, she said she hoped I’d found someone worth keeping.”

My throat went tight.

“She won’t remember saying it,” he said. “By now she won’t remember any of it. But I distinctly remember that she said it.”

‘Connor…”

“Nobody knows,” he said.

“Aaron doesn’t know, or if he suspects he’s never asked. Alpha Asher knows she’s unwell but not the extent of it. He made his position clear about his responsibilities toward her years ago, and I made mine clear, and we haven’t discussed it since.”

He looked at his hands on the steering wheel. “She doesn’t have anyone else except me.”

“Say something!! My mind screamed at me.

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15:15 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 52

“She’s lucky to have you,” I said and I knew it was inadequate but I had never been good at words.

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Connor looked at me, his face devoid of all the masks he wore and I dared to reach across the center console and put my hand over his

He looked down at it and then back at me but didn’t say anything. He simply turned the engine on and we drove through the quiet city with one of my hands on his.

I wasn’t even aware of where we were headed to but minutes later, I saw him pull up outside the gate of my home

I nervously pulled my hand away and said. “It was an honor to meet your mom.”

He gave me a wry smile. “Goodnight Speckles.”

“Maybe you should come inside, have a glass of water…” I offered but he shook his head.

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