Brayden & Adalee

"Please ask me if I give a shit." I said as I came through the door, her brothers behind me.

"No thanks, I'll pass," I said, sitting down on the couch and crossing my arms over my chest. 

"I am so close to slapping your head and ass together. Do not fucking sass me again. Is that clear?"

"Then let me go to my room. I have nothing to say to you. I love him, I wanted to do it, and I'm not sorry. Nor do I regret it. I know the possible consequences, and I don't care. I'm not a child, so stop treating me like one." 

"And what makes you an adult? Do you think fucking some guy makes you a woman? Shut up with that ignorance or my ears may start bleeding." 

I stood up and glared at him. "You are such an asshole. I am not some two-bit-tramp that fucks any guy that comes along. He is not just some guy. He is my boyfriend and I love him. I wouldn't have had sex with him if I didn't, and if I didn't know he felt the same way. I may only be 16, but all the bullshit I've been through in my life so far has made me more of a woman than you think I am. Lighten the fuck up, how old were you and mom when you had sex the first time? Or Jay? Or Lucus or Milo? Stop treating me like shit just because I'm your daughter and not your son."

"Do you think having babies and starting a family is easy? I'm not treating you like shit god dammit, I love you. You're too young to go through something like that. I don't care who else is doing it. You ran off tonight and it's unacceptable. You'll be going to work with me through the days until further notice. Go to work with me, come home with me. It's final, now go to bed."

"What if that's what I want? Did you ever think for two seconds about asking me what I want? Or what I think? No, you've been too busy ever since we came out here to do anything but give me the sex talk with the rest of the family. We haven't spent hardly any time together since we got here, so don't go around acting like you know everything when it comes to me. I love David, and if I end up pregnant, while I'm not aiming for that, I wouldn't be disappointed. You think I don't know it'd be hard? I'm not stupid. I know it'd be hard, but I also know I could handle it. I love him, and he loves me, and he's a wonderful guy. He's not some dirt bag that would walk away from me if that happened. I don't want to be with anyone else but him and that's not gonna change. And before you say "You're only 16, you don't know what you want", again, how old were you and mom when you got together? Or Uncle Brady and Aunt Dove? So I don't want to fucking hear it. And you're not keeping me away from him." 

I rolled my eyes. All of this fucking teenage drama was so annoying. "You live under my roof and you will until you're actually an adult. Now, shut your mouth and go to bed. You're done for the night." 

"Yeah I am. I'm done with you," I said and went to my room, locking my door. 


"Well that went well. Do we have any alcohol?" 

"Father of the fucking year standing before your very eyes. Just imagine the family dinners when Jay marries Selene and Milo to Caitlin. Me, Allistair, and Victoria all at the same table. The criminal, the traitor, and the evil mastermind. Buckle up sweetheart, shit is about to get wild around here."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Stop it Brayden," I said and went into the kitchen, rooting around in the cabinet until I pulled out the jug of moonshine that was in there. 

"Dad needs a prozac."

"That's enough Milo. Why doesn't everyone just go to bed." 



"I'm going to see Selene," I said and left before anyone could say anything.

I couldn't help but smile "If you're pulling out the good shit then I can talk about prozac. Here, I'll even pour it for you. Go on. Sit down. Let me be nice to my Step Mother."

"I can pour my own drink Milo, but thank you. What do you want?" I asked as I poured a big glass. 

Dad wasn't saying anything else, he just stepped out on the porch and shut the door. "Well, considering our situation I really was trying to be nice. And I'm not talking about all of this shit tonight. I'm talking about me and you."

I sighed a little and sat down as Lucus left the room too. "I'm sorry. Just... way too much on my mind right now. Did you want to talk about something? You can sit with me if you want." I hated to admit it, but this felt a little awkward. He was my stepson, but we'd never really talked, and I couldn't help but think of why he was my stepson... no matter how hard I tried to push those thoughts away. What had happened wasn't Milo's fault. 

I went over and sat down at the kitchen table "I see the way you look at me sometimes and then I see the way you try not to look at me. I just wanted to tell you that it's alright and I understand. But one day I would like to move past it."

I looked down at my lap then took a drink from my glass. "I'm sorry.... I don't mean to... be that way. I just can't help it sometimes. It wasn't your fault what happened, and I need to remember that. Your my stepson, and I need to start treating you like that. I would... really like to move past it one day too." 

"I don't hold it against you. At first I beat myself up with questions about it too. Why didn't my Mom say something? Why did I get stuck with Rick for all of those years? Things like that. If me hanging out here bothers you I can stop."

I didn't say anything for a minute. "It bothers me... for the wrong reasons. So no. I don't want you to stop hanging out here. I'm your step mom and Brayden's your dad. And your siblings are here. You belong here Milo. I need to... put aside my... issues with the situation. It was in the past and... I need to move past it. I kept my own secret from Brayden for many years... so I really have no room to talk." I took another drink then slowly set my glass down. "You should've... been with us the whole time. You never should've had to live with Rick."

"My Mom was afraid of him...she did the best she could and I had Owen too but it does feel good to have a bigger family now. Did you know that I tried protecting Autumn Dove back in the Districts? When Nicholai was fist taking her Owen and I nearly beat Allistair to death. Literally."

I nodded slowly. "I know. Brayden told me. I appreciate that. I love her... like a sister."