Chapter 30 – End of The Road (Kalenah Conrad POV) Pt.3

Over the years if there was one thing I could accurately say, it was that my children were each fiercely loyal to one another. Sure they fought but if Ansel and I stepped in, and questioned what was going on? Well the kids never just blurted out what was wrong. They did not throw the other under the bus. Instead they'd look at one another, as though poking one another.

Who would crack first?

Who would rat out whom?

Right before me, it was happening again, this time with Thaddeus and Brennan. My boys stared at one another, Thaddeus partially glaring while Brennan looked like a dear in headlights.

"Well someone speak up!" Ansel demanded. Brennan is the first to look away and turn towards us. My eyes flicker to Thaddeus, when he sags in his spot a bit.

Simmering beneath his calm façade was his built up anger – only apparent in his gaze. He could fix everything else to remain neutral but his eyes said all that was needed.

Swallowing Brennan, inhales quickly, his chest expands and he opens his mouth, "Can we uhm," defeated he sighs, "can we talk in private?"

"What you want to change what the story of what happened?" Thaddeus said angrily, "You cannot even," he doesn't finish instead Thaddeus comes and stands next to Brennan, two feet between them.

"Taylor told Harleigh that she isn't a part of this family, that yeah you guys adopted her, took her in, but she's not blood."

I look from Brennan to Thaddeus, and my eyes flickers to the stairs where Harleigh ran from the room like it was on fire. "What?" Ansel asks again, as though he had heard incorrectly.

Thaddeus shakes his head, "Yeah, Taylor said that Brennan could talk Samson into giving her a chance but Harleigh couldn't because she isn't really a part of this family," my eyes widen in – in shock.

Mind completely blown.

"Taylor? Why – how could she say such a thing?"

Crossing his arms against his chest, Thaddeus nods once, his face molded into a hard expression.

"Why though?"

Thaddeus snorts, and for a moment I do note that despite Thaddeus blurting out what had caused the riff between them now, that Brennan did not appear to be at ease.

"Taylor is... since after Silas died, I've been saying that something is wrong with her. Mom she – I only put up with her because Harleigh liked her, but she's so fake." Thaddeus's disgust of Taylor has never been so transparent.

"All Harleigh said was that Brennan should back off, leave Samson alone instead of trying to push Taylor onto him when he has no interest in her. That she wouldn't pester Samson," the anger and fire are now overthrown by the pain in Thaddeus' voice.

He shakes his head before taking a calming breath, "Taylor just attacked Harleigh. In front of everyone at lunch she said that Harleigh had to walk a fine line and that she wasn't family. She just," he gets flustered, "Just threw it out there like she was asking for a bottle of water!" The grays' of Thaddeus eyes grow, overpowering the blue.

"And that's why you're angry with Brennan? Because of something Taylor said?"

We were a temperamental bunch. The minute that Ansel has spoken, I know it was the wrong way to form the question.

"Of course it's his fault!" Thaddeus shouts, taking a step away from us and Brennan. "Brennan only said he would talk to Samson because he cannot say no to Devin, he'll throw each of us under the bus for her even when she's in the wrong. This is just – Samson doesn't want Taylor! God how many ways does he have to say it?" Thaddeus turns on Brennan.

"You – you just... Samson has told Taylor himself he's not interested. But you promise that you'll get him to give her a chance?"

"Why do you get to chose to be with Devin, but Samson has to be with who you and Devin want him too?"

"If you'd just have stayed out of it," Thaddeus starts, but stops just waving his hand at Brennan dismissively before walking away. Disappointment settles inside me, but sadness is the main emotion squeezing my heart.

Harleigh. For Taylor to have said something that I knew my girl consistently worried over, just halts all other thoughts. I'm walking to the stairs, my legs moving to go after Harleigh but Brennan calls out to me, "mom," he sighs. One glance over my shoulder, I turn to face him, my eyes cutting sideways to Ansel.

"What's going on son?" Ansel asks when Brennan's distress seems to increase, but he just shakes his head. "Y-you're going to be so..." he doesn't finish but I do not need him too.

"I – I love Devin," he whispers avoiding our gazes, focusing on the counter in front of him, "so I thought – I didn't see the harm in what she was doing."

I quirk a brow but I'm more confused and remaining patient.

Brennan never showed much of his feelings on the outside, keeping it private. Sharing those feelings with Devin.

What was this about? My mind was running in circles, because- "Is she pregnant?" I blurt out my eyes wide.

But when Brennan's head snaps up, and his eyes hold more confusion, even without his denial I know that is not what is bothering him.

"Devin is talented when it comes to computers," he says slowly, as though he had given me all the information and I just had to follow the breadcrumbs. "She's been using our network to practice her skills-"

Ansel is quicker than I, "she's been hacking you mean?" his tone is filled, heavy with the disappointment Brennan knew was coming. Looking between my husband and son, I stumble back resting against the sink counter.

"It's just us-"

"It's illegal," Ansel and I say simultaneously, "and not to mention a gross violation of our privacy," I finish, my own anger building. Until two minutes later when the other shoe drops.

"How long has this been going on?" Ansel requests. Brennan inhales, looking down again, "for a while, but seriously for around nine or ten months," he whispers.

"And you're only now just telling us Brennan?" Ansels' voice rises.

I'm more concerned with my lingering thought, "Why now Brennan?" I demand to know.

Eyes on the floor, he drags on to answer.

Ansel slaps the counter, "Look at your mother and I," his anger bleeding through.

"She said that – that she would stop entering the network, but Devin..." he shrugs, "I didn't tell her what Samson told me, she asked me to talk to him and I did-"

More pieces falling together, "she listened in?"

"Oh Brennan," I groan out my frustration. "So why now Brennan? Like your mom asked, why now?"

I'm not sure what I was expecting. I should have been expecting it to be bad, for it to be worse than Devin illegally entering our network and personal computers.

I'm not expecting for it to be beyond this house.

"Taylor and Devin have been looking into Faith," he whispers. Immediately trepidation, the same dread I felt when I learned what Taylor said to my Harleigh develops for Faith.

It's instinctual. I cannot help the rage building.

Ansel scoffs, shakes his head.

"Devin agreed to get Faith's school file from the Headmasters office," Brennan just says softly, but it's the hurt in his eyes that throws me off. "You let Devin continually invade our privacy Brennan? This isn't your house Brennan. You live in my home, following my rules – and you knew it was wrong. I know because I've taught you right from wrong." I stand silent looking at Brennan not sure where to begin in with these bombshells.

Ansel just storms from the room without a second glance at our son.

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