Chapter 1

Kiara

I arrive at my favorite coffee shop to find my best friend, Candice, already sitting at our table drinking a frappe. When she sees me, she waves me over with a huge grin on her face.

"Damn Candy, you couldn't wait for me?" I scowl playfully at her.

She scoffs. "Girl, you know I had to get my caffeine. My boss is killing me with these extra hours."

I hang my purse on the back of the chair and go to order. Thankfully, there isn't a long line like usual.

Samantha, the barista, greets me with a smile. "Hey Kiara, what can I get you today?"

"The usual. A venti vanilla Latte. Two extra pumps of vanilla. Extra hot. Stirred. Add whip cream, please."

Yes, don't judge me. I come here so often they know me by name. When you are a writer, coffee becomes your best friend.

After my drink is up, I thank Samantha and sit down at our table. Candice is on her phone, and judging by the grin on her face, she's texting her girlfriend.

"How's Pat doing?"

"Huh?" She's still looking down, her fingers moving a mile a minute.

"How is Patricia doing?" I ask a little louder this time.

She finally slips her phone back into her purse. "She's good, busy as hell as usual. I just can't wait to fly out next month to visit her."

They started dating just before Patricia left for her internship. I can tell the distance is getting to Candy, but she would never admit it. She wants so badly for their relationship to work.

Changing the subject to avoid upsetting her, I ask, "so you said you had something to tell me?"

She looks confused, but then her green eyes widen with recognition. "Oh yeah. So guess what! My brother is moving back here from Texas. Supposedly, he's finally found an executive position here."

My family and I moved to Virginia my senior year of high school. I met Candice in English class on my first day, and we've been tighter than peanut butter and jelly ever since. Throughout our four years of friendship, I've never met her older brother. I've heard plenty about him, though.

How he's a huge fuck-up. A selfish asshole. He graduated high school, and abandoned his family to chase after an impossible dream, forcing Candace to step up and finish raising their little brother. She even had to work a part time job in high school to pay the bills because their mom is an alcoholic and completely incapable of managing anything herself.

There are always two sides to a story though, and he's never been given the chance to tell his.

"How are you feeling about it?" I ask, savoring my perfectly-crafted latte.

She grimaces. "I just can't find it in my heart to forgive him. He knew that my mom has been drinking since Dad left when Jeremiah was a baby, and still he abandoned us too."

"Maybe give him a chance to explain, see things from his perspective-"

"Ki, are you seriously taking his side right now? You don't even know him. He's a dog, a selfish asshole, and a-"

"I know. I know. A fuck-up," I sigh deeply, "I'm not taking his side. All I'm saying is just give him a chance to explain himself."

She huffs. "Fine. I'll give him five fucking minutes, that's all." She pauses to take a long sip of her frappe. "Are you coming on Friday?"

"To what?"

"My mom wants to throw him a welcome home party at the house. There will be plenty of food, I know that's a requirement for you," she laughs.

"Uh yeah, I guess I'll be there. It's not like I have anything else to do."

I was going to tell her about how I just broke up with my boyfriend after I found him cheating with my sister, but I don't want to hear the, "I told you so".

At least, not today.

She's been telling me for the past year to dump him, but I didn't realize how much of a bum he really was until after the shit-colored glasses were forcefully removed from my eyes when I caught him fucking my sister in MY bed. In MY apartment.