Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 90 (Hendrix's POV) I sat cross-legged on my bed, my headphones blaring music loud enough to drown out the chaos around me. It was the only way to quiet my thoughts those days. But the vibration of my phone against the mattress pulledout of the trance. I picked it up lazily and glanced at the caller ID.

Dad.

I hesitated. It had been weeks since we last spoke. My father wasn't exactly the most attentive parent, but when he did call, it was usually for a reason. I pressed my lips together and answered. "Hey," I said flatly.

"Hendrix, how's my boy?" His voice was warm, but there was an edge to it, like he was trying too hard to sound casual.

I leaned back against the wall. "Still breathing." He chuckled, though it sounded forced. "That's good to hear. How's the... uh, treatment going?" I clenched my jaw. The word treatment grated on my nerves. "Sas always." There was a pause on the other end, and I could almost hear him choosing his next words carefully. "Listen, kid, I know this isn't easy for you. But you're doing the right thing. You're strong, just like your old man." I rolled my eyes, though he couldn't see it. "Right. Strong. Sure." "Con, don't be like that," his tone dipped into something more serious. "I'm trying here." "Trying what, exactly?" I snapped, unable to hold back the bitterness. "You shippedoff to this place, and now you want a pat on the back for calling once in a blue moon?" Travis sighed heavily. "Hendrix, you know that's not fair." "Isn't it?" I challenged.

Another pause. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "How's Angel?" My entire body stiffened at her name. "Why are you asking about her?" "She's your sister-" "Stepsister," I corrected sharply.

"Fine, stepsister. Whatever. I just... I want to make sure you two are looking out for each other." I laughed bitterly. "You mean like how you looked out for me? Or for her?" "That's not " He stopped himself, then his voice dropped into a low growl. "This isn't about me, Hendrix." "Then what is it about?" I pressed. "Why are you even calling?" There was a long silence on the other end, and for a moment, I thought he might hang up. But then he spoke in a tight and serious voice.

"Something big is coming." The words hitlike a slap. I sat up straighter. "What does that mean?" "It means you need to be careful," he said. "The center's under scrutiny, and things are going to get... complicated. Just keep your head down and stay out of trouble." "Scrutiny from who?" I demanded. "What's going on?" "I can't say more," Travis said firmly. "Just truston this." I laughed again, but there was no humor in it. "Trust you? That's rich." "Hendrix, please," he was almost begging. "Just listen tofor once. Stay close to Angel. Keep her safe." The mention of her nsent a jolt of anger through me. "You don't get to tellwhat to do," I snapped. "Not about her. Not about anything." "Hendrix-" I hung up before he could say anything else and threw my phone onto the bed. My chest heaved as I tried to process the conversation. What the hell was he talking about? Scrutiny? Complications? And why did he care so much about Angel all of a sudden? Something about the way he talked... it didn't sit right. What did my father have to do with the center? And why did I get the feeling he knew more than he was letting on? I ran a hand through my hair as my thoughts continued spiraling. I should tell Angel. She had a right to know. But the idea of facing her, of seeing her with Thomas, madesick.

No. Not yet. I'd figure this out on my own.

(Thomas's POV) It started with a few whispers. A couple of sideways glances in the cafeteria. By the tAngel and I sat down at our usual table, it was impossible to ignore the buzz of gossip around us. "Are they really...?" I heard someone murmur behind me.

"No way," another voice replied. "She's totally out of his league." I suppressed a smirk as I glanced at Angel. She was oblivious. Her focus was entirely on the tray of food in front of her. I couldn't help but admire her-how she carried herself, how she didn't seem to care what anyone thought. But I cared. Not about the whispers or the stares, but about what it meant. People were noticing us. They were starting to talk. And while part ofliked the idea of being with her openly, another part ofknew it was only going to make things harder.

"Is something wrong?" Angel asked. Her voice pulledout of my thoughts.

I shook my head quickly. "No. Everything's fine." She narrowed her eyes at me, clearly unconvinced, but let it go. Instead, she leaned closer. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You're acting weird." I grinned, trying to play it off. "Weird? Me? Never."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, and m for a moment, everything felt normal. But then I caught sight of Hendrix sitting at a table across the room, his eyes fixed on us. There was no mistaking the tension in his jaw or the anger he was trying to hide. I sighed and leaned back in my chair. "He's going to kill me, isn't he?" Angel followed my gaze, and her expression softened when she saw Hendrix. "He's just... going through a lot." "Yeah, and I'm part of the 'lot,"" I muttered.

Angel placed a hand on my arm. "Give him time." I nodded, but I couldn't help the frustration rising inside me. How much twas I supposed to give him? How long was I supposed to tiptoe around his feelings while pretending everything was fine?

Later that day, it happened again.

Angel and I were sitting on the couch in the common room, laughing over something stupid, when Hendrix walked in. He didn't say a word, didn't even look at us. But the tension in the air was palpable. "Hey, Hendrix," Angel said cautiously, her smile faltering. He grunted in response and headed straight for the bookshelf on the other side of the room. His movements were stiff, like he was trying to keep himself in check.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye, waiting for the inevitable explosion. But it didn't come. Instead, he grabbed a magazine and walked magazine out Without a single glance in our direction. Him and these magazines those days. Angel let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "That went... better than I expected." "Did it?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended. "Because it felt like he was one step away from punchingin the face." Angel frowned, and her hand reached for mine. "Thomas-" "It's fine," I said quickly, cutting her off. "Let's just... forget about it." But as much as I tried to brush it off, I couldn't. The tension between Hendrix andwas like a ticking tbomb, and I had no idea how much longer I could handle it.