Chapter 65.

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CHAPTER 65: momma knows best

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I knew that as fucking terrified as I was of losing Brielle to some lunatic, she was still hurt regardless of what would happen to her. I was a dickhead and I damn well knew it, but she made me into a better man. She's the reason I never became like Liam and that's because she was my rock for a lot of the years that we grew up together.

It was Saturday morning and I was busy having breakfast when my brother walked in. I stood by the stove and cooked us some bacon before placing it on the plates on the table. By the expression on his face, I could tell he was rather sceptical of being in the same room as me and I understood why.

"Sit down," I mumbled before turning my back to him once more and getting some glasses from the cupboard and collecting the orange juice from the fridge, "you need to eat."

"Uh, thanks," he said as he sat himself in a chair and waited for me to sit down as well. I handed him a glass and poured some orange juice into it. We sat there in silence, eating the first few bits of our breakfast. Occasionally, I'd catch him glancing up at me before putting some egg or bacon in his mouth.

"We need to talk and I mean it this time." Jaxon nodded, his shoulders less tense as if he was waiting for me to say it, "we're brothers and we'll fight, but we have to make up. I'm in charge of your well-being and I can't let some petty fight get in the way of looking out for you so I'm sorry. I should've talked to her privately and broken up with her in a better way instead of dropping it on her like that, but you need to understand that this was between me and her—"

"...and Ivy," he said as I nodded quickly, rolling my eyes.

"...and Ivy, but that's not the point. You understand where I'm coming from, don't you?" he nodded, his brows furrowing together slightly as he sighed.

"Y-Yeah, of course. I was just angry because I told her to come round to our's and talk to you. She got hurt because I recommended that she come to our place just for you to break up with her. She was devastated, Owe. She loved you."

'She loved you'.

Every time someone said that, the pain only increased. God, why did I have to be such a fuck up? I groaned in frustration before shaking my head.

"That's why I'm trying to fix things. She doesn't deserve what I did to her and to be honest, she doesn't even deserve me in general, but I owe her an apology at least," I explained to Jaxon as he ate his food peacefully, stuffing some bacon into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"Well, apologising is a good start, but then what? If you love her—and I know she loves you—you need to prove to her that you still do. It's going to take time for her to trust you and let's be honest, you're going to struggle because you don't go on your hands and knees to beg for just about anyone—"

"Thanks for reminding me," I grumbled under my breath as he shrugged in response. My brother's hair was messy and he looked as if he hasn't been sleeping properly. This gang war wasn't really helping any of us and because I'm always in school, the gang's at more of a risk. Most of my days are at school, occasionally skipping lessons I didn't want to be in and coming back later on. I won't hear the end of it from Malcolm at this rate; he just loves to ramble on about how much better it was if I was out of school.

He needs to remember my father wasn't the eldest in his family, went to high school and completed college just like any student and became the leader of the gang. School was never a distraction for him and actually—ironically enough—it made him smarter.

So yeah, Malcolm. Suck that.

"I would help you, but you know how it is. Got nothing to do with me, bro and anyway, she's scary when she's angry," he whispered the last part as if scared in case she heard him and would be on her way to kill him. I nodded slowly, processing the fact that I realised my school was full of crazy bitches.

Ah, SVA just wouldn't be the same without the drama. The girls in my school are insane, crazy enough that they'll go to extreme lengths to make their exes look bad. It was the same the other way round except we were more brutal, but this time, it looks like I'm the punching bag now.

Brielle's a strong girl and I've known that for years. Plus, she can really pack a punch so she wasn't the kind of person I wanted to make angry nor tickle in case she accidentally punched me.

I'd have to apologise to her at some point. It was simply a waste of time always worrying about what might happen instead of focusing on what's happening now. My mother used to say 'better out than in', but not in the same context as this.

I got up to put my plate away when Jaxon grabbed onto my arm and pulled me down slightly so he could talk to me quietly. His brows were slightly furrowed as he stared at me dead in the eyes.

"Also, get rid of Ivy. I can't fucking stand her," he said, his voice calm yet it hid some venom in each word, "neither can Coco. Neither can anyone else for that matter. Owen, no one likes her and I get it, you two have a small pity party, but no, just no. She's cancelled. Finito. Adios, bitch."

"She's not that bad," I told him in which he stared up at me obviously, "okay, so she's a bit psychotic and crazy, but she's had it rough before—"

"Oh, honey, the only reason why she's had it rough was because she got into an argument with Miranda, got kicked off the team and shared her nudes to everyone in school whilst slut shaming her. Do you realise how much she wanted Miranda off that little throne of her's just so she could take it for herself?" he told him, snapping his fingers sassily, "anyway, Brielle's had it rough too. She's been through worst shit than some girl living out a teenage dream reality."

I paused for a second, realising why Michael ever stopped associating with her. A man who got on with everyone yet that one girl whose name he couldn't even mention was someone he despised more than anything. He used to like her and hang around her because her friends were friends with his, but after some drama, he left the group and spent most of his time with Brielle—who at the time—was vibing and ignored the drama going on.

"Yeah, you're right, but it's going to be tough. Last time, it was easy because I didn't see her in the summer and when we got back, I avoided her every chance I got. Now it's going to be difficult because—well, yes she's fucking psychotic."

"Be a man, Owen. I can't even believe I'm telling you this. You will go out there and you will win Brielle's heart back, okay? Okay." before I can even get a word out, he finishes his last piece of breakfast before standing up, picking his plate up and patting me on the back.

He went over to the sink and placed his plate in it before heading out of the room, but not before making one final remark.

"You're going to need every bit of luck you can get." it was quiet and barely audible, but I still heard it. My brother ran up the stairs as I glared back at him in annoyance. This kid honestly.

I already know by the feeling in my gut that he was right. Brielle loves hard and deeply, but she knew her worth. If she thought someone wasn't worth her time then she wouldn't associate with them. After what happened, the chances of her wanted to talk to me was near to zero, but it didn't hurt to try.


Okay, this was a mistake.

I had finished basketball that afternoon at school. The sun was out, covering the whole school in a layer of warm heat and bright rays. It was still slightly chilly out, but the weather was warm enough that we could now play basketball outside.

Near us, I could see Brielle and her friends on the bleachers with notes by their sides as well as an art sketchbook. I really need to stop looking otherwise someone's going to notice.

I haven't done basketball in a while, but I continued to coach my brother and I occasionally practised when I was free. Playing with Jaxon, Darren and the rest of my former team felt good. It was like a trip down memory lane and of a time that I once enjoyed and was happy.

No, we're in the present. You need to apologise for being a huge dick to Brielle.

Way to ruin the mood.

"Yo, Owen, do us a favour and keep your eyes on the fuckin' ball. I don't want to end up hitting you square in the face because of it," Darren snapped as I turned to face him. He threw me the ball and I caught it with ease, passing it to my brother.

"Darren, do me a favour and shut your mouth," I retorted, rolling my eyes as he glared at me. Yeah, doesn't feel good, does it? He threw the ball at me again slightly harder, but that didn't stop me from catching it easily. No offence, but Darren's an amateur. His sport is mostly boxing or football instead of basketball, but he was still decently good at it.

"What's wrong with you anyway? You've been spacing out all day," Darren said once again before Jaxon scoffed, he casually bounced the ball a few times before passing it to Darren. A small devious smirk made its way to his face as I stared at him confused.

"It's because he's going to try and get Brielle to forgive him," he spoke and that was when Darren's breath hitched, a gasp leaving his lips as he stared at me astonished. Jaxon simply nodded in agreement before he burst out laughing. It was so loud, it was attracting everyone else's attention.

Brielle and her friends were looking at us like we just grew eight extra legs, but Brielle's gaze in particular was glued on mine. Her eyes fluttered slightly before she looked away once again. I didn't know if I was hallucinating or not, but I felt the butterflies and the tingles and not just from me. She feels it. I know she does. She just doesn't want to get hurt again.

I turned back to Darren and glared down at him as he curled over in a laughing fit. Sometimes, it is an utter embarrassment when this guy is around me. His cocky attitude makes me want to strangle him and every time I ended up snapping at him, I get told off by my uncle of aunt for not being discreet. I worry for the day he gets married and for the girl he ends up putting a ring on.

"Will you stop causing a scene?" I snapped as he held onto Jaxon for support before leaning against him with a smirk, "you are an insult to society."

Jaxon simply snorted and shrugged, heading over to our things and picking a towel up from his bag. He patted his forehead to get rid of the sweat that had built up there before placing it back into his bag. Me and Darren soon joined him, getting our stuff so we could leave.

"Speak for yourself, bro. Look at you. It's like you're stalking her and anyway, what are the chances of her forgiving you?" there was slight pause after Darren said that before nodding in confirmation, "exactly my point. Face it, Owen. That girl's been scarred by a previous boyfriend who she loved with all her heart and then you go and do the same. No offence, but full offence, if she swore off love forever and decided to become a nun, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Oi, Oakley, stop putting him off. I have a feeling they'll be back together soon enough. This was just some little slip up," my brother spoke, stuffing his jumper into his bag whilst waving his other hand dismissively at us, "she'll forgive him—well, I think."

He zipped his bag up and turned his attention to me before he moved his head in the direction of the girls' direction. We watched confused as he simply placed his bag over his shoulder and the ball under his arm.

"But not if you don't go up there and explain yourself. If she runs away, don't be surprised because I think that's likely—I'll shut up now." we walked down the path towards the bleachers in which Brielle and her friends were already leaving. Kelly waited behind slightly for Darren and the others waited at the end of the steps for her. Okay, I may not get another chance to say anything to her so I'd have to do it now, "quick, it's go time, boys."

Darren quickly ran up the steps and caught up to Kelly, his hand going in her's as he placed a kiss in her hair. Jaxon was behind me, patting me on the shoulder for comfort. There was some mumbling between Nicole, Cass and Brielle that I could only vaguely hear. I looked passed Kelly to see Brielle clutching onto her sketch pad with both arms.

"I'm going to go ahead, guys. I'll see you all tomorrow," Brielle spoke, her voice quiet and timid as if she didn't want a lot of us to hear. By a lot of us, I mean specifically me. I watched as she waved to the others and turned to walk out. I saw my chance and weaved past all the other people in my way down the steps, their gazed burning into me.

"Brielle, wait!" I exclaimed and she turned her head slightly before shaking it, carrying on down the steps. My teeth gritted together as I made quick steps down the bleachers before grabbing onto her wrist and stopping her completely, "wait, I need to talk to you."

I watched as she yanked her arm away from my grip, her eyes meeting mine. They seemed to take me aback when I noticed the same look and same clashing emotions that I saw when she fought Ivy. It was the same look, unbothered but also having enough.

"What is it, Owen?" she asked kindly, her voice quiet as if she was worried she'd break, "I have to get to the bus before it arrives."

"No, I'll give you a lift or at least just talk to me—we can sort out whatever's going on," I said to her as she arched a brow at me, nails beating against her book cover, "please, just—let me help you."

"I don't need your help. Anyway, don't you need to get home? I hear Kiara needs your help with some gang business. Also, you don't need to give me a lift. I'm fine waiting." her words, as delicately and kindly as she put them, seemed like tiny sharp needles pricking into my skin with a slight sting, "also, you don't need to explain yourself. You were right. You were tired of the stress and what I had done didn't help, but the fact that Ivy thinks she can talk about our relationship the way she did, makes me think just how low could you get to spend time with someone like her? You saw what happened. Clearly, she needs to get her facts straight and to sit down and shut up, but anyway, please keep her in line. I don't know what I'd do if we had another Miranda situation."

Before I could get another word out, she turned on her heel and headed into the school. I let out a slight growl, running a hand through my hair. Fucking shit, I thought. My frustration was quickly building up as I stared up the steps to see the others looking at me strangely. My gaze then snapped to my brother and I stared at him, hoping he knows what I'm thinking.

I'm guessing it didn't work? he thought.

No, of course it fucking didn't. She hates my guts.

I know. I heard because it looked like she was giving you pure sass. Let's be honest you deserve to get slapped.

Shut up, don't even think of giving her any ideas. Let's go home. I need to clear my head.

My brother nodded once more, pulling Darren from Kelly's arms and dragging him down the bleacher steps to me. I was angry, frustrated and I just wanted to punch something.

We walked into the school through the double doors that led to the field, me ahead as I stormed out the main entrance and into the car park, my eyes scanning the parking lot for our car. My mouth was clenched tightly shut in case I say something I might later regret.

"Shit, where's the car?" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air before Jaxon pulls me down the steps so we can search for this goddamn car of mine. What the hell? This is like where's Wally except this time the car doesn't actually exis—.

"Found it!" I followed the cheerful voice to see Darren leaning up against the side of the car, a small smile of achievement on his face, "where are we going?"

"We're going home and we're doing boxing. We don't have time to stop by the warehouse to see Alfonso. Owen's a bit frustrated and whether that's sexually or not, hm, still waiting for the results," Jaxon spoke, getting into the passenger's seat as I got into the driver's. I glared at him as I fastened my seat belt and turning the engine on.

To be honest, I don't even know if I am just sexually frustrated or whether I'm just frustrated that this girl is stubborn as fuck. All I know is that boxing was one of the outlets I used for the stress. I haven't done it in a while though because I've been far too busy for any free time, but this was a good time to practice whilst calming myself down. 


When we finished, I was in the shower and staring down at my knuckles as I turned my hands around a few times to see new bruises building up upon the skin. There wasn't any pain and I certainly didn't feel any better either. All that pent up frustration has led up to me utterly destroying every punching bag we had and nearly knocking my brother out clean.

I was stood still, letting the water rain down on me hard, numbing the throbbing of the new bruises when I heard footsteps from outside. I could recognise the groaning as I heard my brother crack his fingers. I sensed the pain in his voice as the water from the shower rained down over my head. The longer strands of hair fell forward over my forehead, dripping with water as I simply stared ahead.

"Bro, did you really have to punch me that hard? I probably have a broken nose," he spoke, releasing another groan as my jaw clenched. I didn't mean to, I thought, he asked if we could spar so he only had himself to blame. Clearly, I wasn't in control of my emotions.

"Does it feel broken? Does it hurt? Out of place? If not, you only suffered a nosebleed," I said simply, turning the shower off and wrapping a towel over my waist and walking out with a plain look on my face. I thought hitting things would help, but I was so goddamn frustrated. Fuck, I felt like a fool, I thought, running a hand through my hair as my brother got his towel out, "sorry for punching you that hard. Honest mistake."

"I know, but I'm getting you back for it," he said, pointing a finger at me as I walked out into the locker room before opening one of the lockers and collecting my clothes. Reaching into the bag, I pulled out a pair of boxers, jeans and a plain T-shirt.

I miss her.

I paused midway putting my boxers on and sighed, shaking my head once again. She loved me. I promised I wouldn't hurt her yet here we are. If I can't talk to her soon, I'll go insane, but she doesn't even want to be around me.

No, I can't think like that.

What would mom say if she were to hear me now? She'd tell my dumb ass to grow a pair.

Once I put my clothes on, I ran my towel through my hair to dry it as much as possible before grabbing my phone and quickly texted my brother to tell him I'd meet him back at the house. I put my stuff away in my bag and headed to the door, quickly checking in on my brother.

"Jax, I just texted your phone. I'll see you later," I called, waiting for his response, "don't forget anything, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later," he called back and I headed out into the corridor. When I walked to the exit, the sky had darkened considerably. That probably meant it was almost dinner time, but I still needed to study for tomorrow's chemistry exam—shit.

Upon remembering I was sat next to Brielle in that lesson, I groaned in

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