Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3)
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Impressions
- Blažka Cerarshared an impression3 months ago
👍Worth reading
Quotes
- Дарья Пальвальhas quoted2 years ago
“Guess you did.” I look to Leo, knowing he’ll never be able to keep his mouth shut. He’ll share what he’s learned, what half the damn school is likely already thinking. “I tested them all out, Captain won in the end. I’m sure Collins would love to have you as the plus one to the wedding.”
Leo is a weak bitch and can’t hold in his shock – he’d be a useless hands man.
When Collins body shifts toward me, movement over his shoulder catches my eye.
Bass moves from behind a tree, takes a step forward only to pause a moment later.
“Raven.” Captain’s steady voice hits my ears.
With a masked face, I turn to him. “Baby.”
His eyes slide between mine, a blank slate for the others to see – concern clear as day to me.
I’m tired of that, too.
I’m sick of the concern, the worry, the eggshells that seem to have been scattered around me the last few days. I’ve been treated as the weak doll, and then to my own horror, I slightly filled that mold. I fell into a brand new type of fuck-it mode, let the jaded me fall away and allowed these people to run their mouths while I brushed it off, because fuck them, right?
Wrong.
This is my home now, was supposed to be all along, and now it’s more confirmed than ever before it forever will be.
I made a choice and we have to live with it. There’s no room for unnecessary emotions in a place like this. I gave away one Brayshaw while gaining another. I can’t sit here and claim I lost. It could be worse.
The Gravens, they wanted a Brayshaw, but in the end, gained two.
We’ll show them what that means.
These people, they fell into a comfort they shouldn’t have, privileged assholes who forget – this is only high school and once it’s over? They’ll be nothing but the rich of this town. Our town.
I push against Captain and silence surrounds us.
His brows drop low as he studies me, and slowly his hand slides around me. He pulls my body into his, moving us back a few spaces, his mouth hitting my ear.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“We’re losing respect by the second. Collins is back, Leo too. Maddoc isn’t here and in their eyes, I’ve traded more times than I can count now.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Show them we aren’t falling apart, make them think we’re stronger than ever.”
Cap pulls back and looks at me.
“We should be. That’s the point of this right, join the families? Create a power couple?” I whisper, my gaze flicking between his. “A couple in general.”
A sharp pain shoots up my spine at the words, but I welcome it.
His fingers tighten against me, his expression not changing. “You can’t even say it, can you?”
“Why should I have to, Cap?” I shake my head.
At that, his brows wrinkle and he moves his lips back to my ear to hide it. “You don’t know this side of me, how I am with a girl who’s mine, so I’ll fill you in on one thing now.” There’s a slight rumble in his voice. - Дарья Пальвальhas quoted2 years agoI lean against the SUV, looking out over the parking lot, my annoyance growing more and more with each passing second.
It’s only been three damn days since we agreed to this and everything is continuously getting worse.
Royce won’t look me in the eye, Captain can’t meet my eye without sorrow creeping over his face, and Victoria glares everywhere but me.
The whispers started the second Captain and I walked in holding hands, grew louder when he kissed my knuckles before gym the next day, and the dirty looks came out to play when his hands hesitantly found my hips this morning.
People have restarted with their insults, girls are batting their lashes again, and the guys are suddenly braver.
Captain keeps quietly handling things while Royce has taken pleasure in letting his fists fly every chance he gets, and me? I’ve kept my knife in my jeans and my hands at my side. My mouth has stayed shut but I’ve cataloged every word with every face and when I snap, they’ll be the ones who feel it.
To make it all worse, still no Maddoc. Not a word from him, not a word about him.
Royce and Captain have to realize the only reason these assholes are acting this way is because we’re missing a link. Maddoc being MIA makes it seem like there’s a crack in our armor.
I’m fucking over it. They want to run their mouths, I’ll give them something good to talk about it.
They decide to push after that? We’ll shove harder.
I jolt off the bumper and move quicker than the others can follow, stopping beside Collins’ car, where he stands... with Leo.
Another disgrace let back in as a condition to our contract, a hand for Collins bitch ass to hold.
Both their heads snap my way, then toward the others I left with gaping mouths, deep frowns and clenched fists.
“Rae... whatcha doing?” Collins draws out, suspicious.
“Getting to know my future...” I make a show of pretending to trail off in thought. “What will it make you when I marry your cousin?”
Leo chokes on his drink, his wide eyes flying between the two of us.
That’s what I fucking thought.
If Collins hasn’t even confirmed to him, the only guy who can stand him here, then nobody else has heard. Their game must be the aftershock that’ll come with the knowledge, the storm it would create amongst the students here if they get left out.
Well, too fucking bad.
Collins licks his lips. “I guess it makes you a bit of a whore, hm?” He glares, a nice bite to his words.
There we go.
“Guess it does, huh?” I tilt my head. “How’s it feel to know you couldn’t even get the whore?”
His jaw clenches. “Guess I dodged a bullet then.” - Дарья Пальвальhas quoted2 years ago“Do it again, brother,” I wheeze. “Harder. Do it.”
His face goes slack before his forehead falls to mine. “Fuck, Madman,” he breathes, squeezes me tighter before pushing away completely with a shake of his head.
He takes a step away but turns back with barren eyes. “I know your entire fucking world is shattering, but so is mine. Shit, so is all of ours.”
“You sure about that?”
“You don’t get to do this. You made the final decision.” His jaw clenches as his lip curls, but the defeat in his eyes is what kicks me in the ribs. “At least he gave you the choice.” He takes a few more steps away, and with each one, more life drains from his eyes. “I had just as much to lose, and I didn’t get one.”
He picks up a barstool, smashing it against the wall on his way out, slamming the door with his exit.
With a cough, I push to my feet, taking a look around the room.
My eyes fall on my dad standing at the end of the hall, hiding away and watching like a coward, with his hands in his pockets, a frown on his face.
“You fuckin’ happy?” I spit, blindly throwing a pool ball at the trophy case, the shattering of the glass and the toppling of bronze and gold worthless accomplishments mocking me with every hit against the grain. “The Gravens got what they wanted, you’re still standing, and all it took was the fall of your own sons.” I shake my head. “We should have denied you, accepted the scholarships we were offered for basketball, taken her with us. We wouldn’t have needed a fucking thing from you or this place. We’d have lives, real lives, away from fake laws and faker people. Captain wanted time to focus on his daughter after graduation, now he has to run an empire that will take time from her, just like it took your time from us, like it took time from Ravina when her grandfather was in charge, and you saw what happened there. A girl, desperate for love, so desperate she agreed to an arranged fucking marriage from the first person to make her feel wanted.” I shake my head.
“Royce has connection issues; did you know that?” I don’t let him answer. “But with Raven here, he was getting better, she moved him in a way we couldn’t, loved him in a way he needed and never had. Bet that’s been blown to shit. And me?” I shrug, looking away. “All I ever had was my brothers and strength, it grew with her. Now I’m standing here, by my fucking self, having never felt so weak in my damn life.” My eyes hit his once more. “Guess that means I’m useless to you now, too, huh?”
I force my steps steady as I make my way to my room, but my feet carry me to hers instead.
I drop down, my ass on the floor, back against the bed.
Hours must go by as I sit there alone.
I take my time, replay every moment from the first glare to the last kiss, and I gulp when I’d swear my fucking chest plate is cracking open.
I’m so fucking sorry, baby.Его лицо расслабляется, прежде чем его лоб прижимается к моему. “Черт, Безумец”, - выдыхает он, сжимая меня крепче, прежде чем полностью оттолкнуть, покачав головой.
Он делает шаг в сторону, но оборачивается с пустым взглядом. “Я знаю, что весь твой гребаный мир рушится, но и мой тоже. Черт, как и все наши.”
“Ты уверен в этом?”
“Ты не должен этого делать. Ты принял окончательное решение.” Его челюсть сжимается, а губы кривятся, но поражение в его глазах - это то, что пинает меня под ребра. “По крайней мере, он дал тебе выбор”. Он делает еще несколько шагов в сторону, и с каждым шагом из его глаз уходит все больше жизни. “Мне было что терять, и я ничего не получил”.
Он поднимает барный стул, разбивает его о стену по пути к выходу, хлопая дверью при выходе.
Кашляя, я поднимаюсь на ноги, оглядывая комнату.
Мой взгляд падает на моего отца, стоящего в конце коридора, прячущегося и наблюдающего, как трус, засунув руки в карманы, с хмурым выражением лица.
“Ты, блядь, счастлив?” Я плююсь, вслепую бросая бильярдный шар в витрину с трофеями, разбитое стекло и опрокидывание бронзовых и золотых бесполезных достижений издеваются надо мной с каждым ударом по зерну. “Грейвены получили то, что хотели, ты все еще стоишь на ногах, и все, что для этого потребовалось, - это падение твоих собственных сыновей”. Я качаю головой. “Мы должны были отказать тебе, принять стипендии, которые нам предлагали для занятий баскетболом, взять ее с собой. Нам бы ни хрена не понадобилось ни от тебя, ни от этого места. У нас была бы жизнь, настоящая жизнь, вдали от фальшивых законов и фальшивых людей. Капитану нужно было время, чтобы сосредоточиться на своей дочери после окончания школы, теперь он должен управлять империей, которая отнимет у нее время, точно так же, как это отняло у вас время у нас, как это отняло время у Равины, когда ее дедушка был главным, и вы видели, что там произошло. Девушка, отчаянно нуждающаяся в любви, настолько отчаянная, что согласилась на гребаный брак по договоренности с первым встречным, чтобы почувствовать себя желанной.” Я качаю головой.
“У Ройса проблемы со связью; ты знал об этом?” Я не даю ему ответить. “Но с Рэйвен здесь, ему становилось лучше, она тронула его так, как мы не могли, любила его так, как он нуждался и никогда не любил. Держу пари, что это было разнесено в пух и прах. А я?” Я пожимаю плечами, отводя взгляд. “Все, что у меня когда-либо было, - это мои братья и сила, они росли вместе с ней. Теперь я стою здесь, сам по себе, никогда в своей чертовой жизни не чувствовал себя таким слабым.” Мои глаза снова встретились с его глазами. “Полагаю, это означает, что я теперь тоже бесполезен для тебя, да?”
Я заставляю себя идти ровно, направляясь в свою комнату, но вместо этого ноги сами несут меня к ней.
Я падаю, моя задница на полу, спиной к кровати.
Должно быть, проходят часы, пока я сижу там в одиночестве.
Я не тороплюсь, проигрываю каждый момент от первого взгляда до последнего поцелуя, и я сглатываю, когда, готов поклясться, моя гребаная грудная пластина трескается.
Мне так чертовски жаль, детка.
Шаркающие шаги приближаются, и
