Breathe Again (13 page)

“Oh yeah. Totally classy.”

His mood suddenly shifted and his arms moved from around my waist, dropping to his side. I knew I couldn’t stop him from doing what his mind and body were ready to do. I just hoped he realized what this could mean.

Tate

B
LAKE
R
YAN
was my brother. The words of my father continued to pound in my head. Had our whole friendship been a sham? Was his aim in life to destroy me? Had his concern for me during the worst time of my life been fake? The more I thought about it, the more my anger grew. I should have listened to Savannah. I should have taken her hand and allowed her to take me home. I should have huddled in her arms with the comfort of her and Jellybean and forgotten the shitstorm that was now brewing. But I didn’t.

The moment I stepped away from Savannah and she didn’t follow, I knew I had made the wrong decision. Pushing open the door of Red Velvet, I was greeted with a bar full of pretty people. Models were scattered everywhere, the music was blaring, and the atmosphere was electric. On any other night, this would have made me ecstatic. I would have smothered myself in happiness and my ego would have soared. But at this moment, I didn’t give a flying fuck about anything other than finding Blake Ryan. I stood just inside the main doors and let my eyes scout every corner of the bar. I found Lucas and Tanzi sitting at our usual table in what looked like a hilarious conversation, and Jack was working the bar and serving Thomas, our regular Hollywood high roller.

I jumped at the feeling of a hand pressed on my back and relaxed under the touch of Savannah. The feeling of having her near me suddenly calmed the fluctuating emotions bubbling just under the surface, and for a moment I forgot everything.

“I was wondering when you’d come back without that bitch.”

That wasn’t Savannah.

I whipped around to find Chelsea wearing a dangerous smile and a barely there dress. Her eyes roamed the length of my body and the unease in my stomach rose in waves of bile to my throat. She licked her over-plump lips and took an uneasy step towards me. She was completely wasted and had a face full of intention.

My jaw clenched. “You say one more word about Savannah and I swear to god, Chelsea.”

“What, Tate?” she scoffed, pushing her chest into me obnoxiously. “What are you going to do about it? I am a fucking model. She can’t do jack shit.”

“You are also a conceited bitch I don’t want in my bar.”

Chelsea’s face dropped momentarily and then fire ignited. As far as I was concerned, she had chosen the wrong fucking time to go head-to-head with me and I’d take whatever she gave.

“And who is going to kick me out? You?”

“Leave quietly, Chelsea, or be embarrassed when I make the biggest fucking scene you’ve ever witnessed. I don’t give a fuck what people think about me here, but you do. Your choice.”

Chelsea opened her mouth to retaliate but then spiteful hate exploded in her eyes as she looked over my shoulder.

“I need you to leave the premises, Chelsea. You are no longer an employee of Beautify and you will not be working with us again.” Savannah huddled beside me, grabbing my hand hastily. Her voice broadcast strength but her face revealed that she was being swarmed by anxiety. “Oh, and you have a life ban from Red Velvet.”

“You have absolutely no fucking say as to where I work, who I work for, and what bar I visit.”

Savannah’s hand squeezed mine before she spoke. “One, I was running this shoot and you broke one of the terms and conditions of your contract with Beautify. Two, breaking a contract means it’s instantly void. And three, I am pretty sure my boyfriend here will back me up and he owns the bar so yeah, you are shit out of luck with that one.”

“You are a joke. What did I supposedly do, you fat bitch?”

“You fucked a member of the Beautify staff, Chelsea. Section 5.1 of the model contract with Beautify states that models under contract with Beautify International do not engage in any sexual relations with staff and contractors while under assignment. Guess what you did today, you fucking idiot?” Savannah’s voice dripped with power.

Chelsea’s face drained of all color as she looked at Savannah with wide, terrified eyes. “You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“There is a little thing called video surveillance cameras all around the bar, and what do you know, Chelsea? You were filmed fucking on camera again. You really seem to be making a habit of this. You should become a fucking whore.” Sav took a step towards Chelsea and thrust her phone into her face with a look of satisfaction and a surge of confidence taking her over. On the screen, it was as clear as day that it was Chelsea fucking the mail guy from Beautify in the corridor leading to the bathrooms. “Chelsea you are officially busted.”

You could have heard a pin drop around us. Chelsea stumbled back as realization circled her. Savannah had won. Chelsea shook her head violently and grabbed at my arm. Seriously, did she really think I was going to comfort her? Shrugging her off, I moved closer to Savannah and stood proudly beside her.

“You can’t do this!” Chelsea hissed.

“Already done, Chelsea. The video has been sent to Mr. Davenport, who has since forwarded it on to the CEO of Beautify International. Your career with Beautify is done. You have no reason to ever come near me or Tate again. If you don’t leave immediately, I will call the police and have you escorted off the premises.”

Chelsea took a step towards Sav and looked her square in the eye before dropping her gaze to Sav’s stomach and a vindictive smirk covered her lips. “You are a fat English slut and Tate will tire of you. He always does.”

From the moment the venom had spat from Chelseas lips to the impact of Sav’s fist to her nose, time stood still. “For the last fucking time, I am Australian! While you are unemployed, learn the fucking difference!” Sav growled, turned on her heel, and stormed through Red Velvet like a woman possessed. I had never wanted Savannah more in my fucking life.

Chelsea dropped to the floor, clutching her nose, her fingers covered with the blood spewing from her nose. “I am going to sue you, Tate! I will destroy you! I will destroy her!”

“With what evidence, Chelsea?”

“The cameras! I’ll get the evidence.”

“The cameras haven’t been turned back on. You got any other pathetic threat you’re going to throw my way?” I looked at her and smirked. “Get the fuck out of my bar, Chelsea, before Stevie throws you out. And don’t ever come back.”

I didn’t stick around to hear her pathetic excuse. I knew she wouldn’t do a thing about her threats. She was as weak as piss, and now that she had lost her contract with Beautify, she didn’t have a leg to stand on. Walking through Red Velvet, I was desperate to find Sav and make sure she was okay. She had put on her
I don’t give a fuck
attitude but I knew that would have gotten to her. My priority was her.

“Sav went to your office.”

My eyes slammed shut at the sound of his voice. Suddenly the reason why I had come to Red Velvet was standing in front of me. I turned to face him and the truth hit me directly in the heart. How had I never noticed before? As he looked at me, it was like I was looking into my or Tanzi’s eyes. The exact same blue eyes as mine were glancing back at me. There was no denying that he was my brother.

I breathed in slowly between clenched teeth. “How long have you known?”

Silence.

“Blake, start talking now. Otherwise, I swear to god my fist will connect with your face in about ten seconds.”

Silence.

“Tate, come on, man. Don’t do this here.” Jack stood beside me with fierce eyes. “Remember where you are. We have a bar full of people.” I scanned the bar. He was right. I couldn’t do this here. Savannah appeared and stood beside Jack with her hand grasping his arm and her eyes bouncing between me and Blake.

“Outside, Blake.”

The words left my mouth without consideration of my planned actions. Savannah took a step towards me and grabbed my hands in hers, trying desperately to pull me away, but I wouldn’t budge. Mr. Tate ‘stubborn’ Connors had arrived and he had one agenda in mind.

“You’re really going to do this?” She questioned.

“Sav, please.”

“You don’t need to do this,” Sav whispered, shaking her head, and I saw something flash over her face that I never wanted to see. Disappointment. I was disappointing the one person who never deserved to be disappointed. She didn’t let me respond. Dropping my hands as quickly as she grabbed them, she turned on her heel and rushed towards the table where Tanzi was looking on anxiously. Fuck! Tanzi!

“Tate, you’ve got to get your priorities fucking straight,” Jack growled beside me. He was right. I rubbed my face with my hands and let out a deep sigh. I needed to get my emotions in check and fast. “What the fuck?” Jack mumbled and shot a look towards the table where Tanzi and Sav sat.

Blake stood beside Sav, leaned down, and whispered something into her ear. When the fuck had he even left? That’s all it took. I stormed through the bar, all thoughts of not making a scene escaping the moment he’d gone near her. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, I pulled him away and flung him hard against the wall near my office. Patrons scrambled out of the way and the door of my office flung open under the collision of Blake’s back to the wall.

“If you want to do this, at least take me in your fucking office. Don’t do this in front of them.” Blake looked over my shoulder in the direction of Tanzi and Savannah, who were huddled together with fear in their eyes. I grabbed him by the collar and pushed him through the door of my office, slamming it behind us.

“How long have you known?” I spat.

“Three months.”

“How did you find out?”

“My grandmother told me just before she passed. I didn’t believe her at first. I couldn’t believe her. The thought of you and Tanzi being my brother and sister scared me. Grandma had been sitting on this secret for twenty-three years.” Blake dropped his eyes to the floor. “I admitted everything to Grandma about our past, and she hated that we were no longer friends.”

“You brought everything on yourself, Blake. You fucked Sarah and then you had to go after the one girl you knew I was interested in even after I told you. I had every intention to make amends with you that first night. That’s why I asked your band to play at Red Velvet, but then you had to go and take her home.”

Blake moved farther into my office, his eyes traveling to the wall that held my favorite family photos. Sadness washed over his face. “I’m a fucking asshole, Tate. What more do you want me to say? When I first moved in with my grandparents, it was because my own mother had decided that I wasn’t worth looking after and, well, my father was nonexistent. I moved in and saw your perfect life. You had a mother who adored you, a sister who cherished every breath you took, and what did I have? I had grandparents who didn’t deserve to be given the responsibility of looking after a fucked-up teenager. I was jealous. I craved affection, and when Sarah showed me affection, I took it.”

The sound of the door opening pulled my attention away from Blake. Savannah, Jack, and Tanzi nervously walked in. “Get them out of here, Jack,” I barked.

“We aren’t going anywhere, Tate. If he is my brother, I deserve to know.” Tanzi’s voice hitched under her words, and I could see a wave of tears ready to crash over her cheeks. My heart ached for her.

Screw this. I rushed towards Tanzi and cupped her face in my hands, making her look at me. We stared at each other, communicating through unspoken words like we did so often when we were younger and not wanting anyone to hear us.

“You and me, Tiny. You and me,” I whispered, using her nickname from when we were children. “We will get through this. I am your strength and you are my calm, remember?”

Tanzi nodded slowly as tears finally spilled over her cheeks. She took a step away from me and moved towards Jack, who wrapped his arms protectively around her. Turning my attention back to Blake, I saw that he was watching Tanzi closely.

“And Savannah? Why the fuck did you go after her? You knew I wanted her. You knew that but you still went after her,”

Blake turned to look in the direction of Sav, who had now moved to sit on the corner of my desk. His features immediately pained. Regret swamped his face and his eyes lost the spark they’d had moments ago. “For once I saw someone I was genuinely interested in. She was stunning and I knew she wasn’t an LA girl. That was refreshing. That’s what I needed. I saw the way she was looking at you and I saw the way you were looking at her. I am an asshole. I just wanted to forget for one night. I’m so sorry, Sav.”

Sav walked across the room and stood before Blake. I waited with bated breath. Sav grabbed hold of both of his hands, pulled him to her body, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him. Right there in front of me, she hugged him. “It was what it was, Blake. The past is exactly that—the past,” she spoke softly.

“This is so fucked up,” I growled, pulling Blake from Sav’s grip. Every emotion I had bubbled over inside me and unleashed in a flurry of confusion. My father, my brother, my ex-girlfriend, my current girlfriend, my unborn child, my sister, my mother—who the hell could I trust anymore?