My Brother Never Gave Me a Home Chapter 05
I looked at him carefully.
Dark circles under his eyes. Exhaustion carved into his features.
Genes had given us similar bone structure.
But years of different living and different habits had worn us into completely different shapes.
He didn’t look like family. Not the kind I wanted.
“I’m going home. Here’s your key.”
Something in him snapped. His voice rose, sharp and desperate.
“What do you mean you’re going home? This is your home! Adoptive parents aren’t blood relatives. What can they even give you?”
I stared at him, frozen.
He rubbed his temples.
“I’m not yelling at you. I just want you to be a little more mature about this. She’s sick. Don’t sink to her level and start throwing tantrums too. Just give me more time. I won’t let you suffer.”
First time he’d ever used that tone with me.
But all I’d said was that I wanted to go back to my own home. That I wanted to leave a home that didn’t want me.
How was that immature?
My heart clenched and hollowed out even more.
But the part of it that still belonged to him had already shrunk to almost nothing.
Before I could speak, a girl’s voice rang out from downstairs.
“Leo! Hurry up! We’re gonna miss our flight.”
Leo’s face softened.
“She’s not in a good headspace. I’m taking her on a trip to clear her mind. If you want to stay with your adoptive parents while I’m gone, you can. I’ll come pick you up when I get back.”
“And don’t worry about the proof. I’ll handle it. You’ll get into school.”
As he finished speaking, my brother came charging up the stairs.
“Joyce, what are you standing there for? We’re waiting downstairs—”
Ethan stopped.
His eyes met Leo’s.
Awkward.
Leo grabbed my suitcase before Ethan could.
“I’ll walk you down.”
Two cars sat waiting at the curb.
Chloe was already in the front one. A Maybach.
Her smile froze when she saw me.
She rolled up the window. Quiet. Invisible.
A tiny move. But Leo caught it.
He looked rushed. Uneasy.
“Call me if you need anything. I’ll come get you. Thank you for taking care of her.”
My adoptive parents smiled.
“No trouble. We’re all family.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else.
But there was something more important waiting for him.
He nodded goodbye and hurried to the car.
They pulled out in the opposite direction.
Through the window, our eyes almost met.
He was already bent toward Chloe, soothing her pout.
The goodbye I said, he never saw.
It didn’t matter.
From now on, you guarded your one and only sister.
And I’d go back to my real family.
