Billionaire Bachelors 6 ; Runaway Heiress(14)

"I don't need anyone else coddling me."

"I know you don't but you've been given a lot to handle the last couple of weeks and even the strongest of us can use a friend to vent to sometimes," he calmly replied.

"I know my family wants to keep me safe and I know you have a job to do but I'm sick of feeling smothered. They treat me like a child, instead of an adult. I came here to gain independence, but it seems I'm not even allowed that," she pouted. Chad had to carefully compose his features to make sure a smile didn't come through. She'd probably haul off and hit him if she saw even the hint of a grin.

She said she was an adult and didn't want to be treated as a juvenile, but at the moment she was throwing a bit of a tantrum. The situation was amusing and helped ease the anger inside him that had been building since he saw her tossed house.

"I'm going to share something with you that I don't talk about to anyone  –  ever," he quietly whispered. "I had a sister  –  she was the cutest little girl in the universe. I was ten years older than her and I worshipped the ground she walked on." The tone of his voice instantly put Bree on alert. She didn't think his story would have a happy ending, especially when he used the word, had.

"My mother wasn't a great person, not even the tiniest bit, and my sister wasn't planned. My mom was so messed up she didn't even realize she was pregnant until she was five months along. She tried to abort her, but it was too late at that point and the doctors refused to do it. Mother was working at a little diner when all this came to pass and the manager was a real decent guy. Apparently, he'd had a crush on my mom for a long time so he jumped at the opportunity to date her. She was down and out and searching for a sugar daddy, and he was the only guy offering, so she accepted. We moved in with him and his place was heaven compared to the trashy apartment we'd been living in," Chad spoke in a monotone voice. Bree grabbed his hand without either of them realizing it.




 

 

"My mother was a user  –  she took all she could from Ray. He was real nice to me. She stopped doing drugs long enough to get through the rest of her pregnancy, but she only did that because she liked living at Ray's place. She didn't have to worry about the bills, or food. She had my sister and wanted to give her away, but she knew the gravy train would end if she did, so she brought her home." Chad paused and Bree was shocked to see moisture in the corner of his eye. He turned away and took a moment to compose himself before continuing.

"Mother had nothing to do with Jackie from the day they came home from the hospital. Ray and I named her. We were the ones who fed and changed her. She was amazing. I don't know how something so perfect could come out of someone so horrible, but she was an angel. She hardly ever cried and she had this smile that would light up the room. The first time she laughed, I couldn't help but join her. It seemed like only days, but all of a sudden three years had gone by. My mother was gone more and more and I could see how upset it made Ray. He offered to marry her but she always managed to delay it. We both knew she was out with other men  –  sometimes she'd be gone for a few days, then walk in as if nothing was wrong. Jackie didn't even call her mom."

Bree was horrified as she listened to Chad speak of his past. She certainly got upset with her family but she knew how much they loved her, and she loved them without question. They had grown distant after their mother passed, but she'd never doubted their love. They had all just needed time to heal from the tragic loss of losing their mom.

"I was watching Jackie  –  which was nothing new. I loved spending time with her. I know that sounds weird, because at that point I was thirteen, and most kids that age would feel put out by having to watch a baby sibling, but I loved her so it was never a burden. Besides, I knew she needed me." His voice grew more hoarse the longer he spoke. Bree knew she couldn't interrupt him, though she wanted to stop what was coming.

"We were at the park watching a few kids playing touch football. I took my eyes off her for just a moment, not even half a minute. She was playing on the large fort and laughing, having a great time. I looked at the game, for the first time feeling a little envious that I couldn't play with them. I heard someone scream and jerked my head back to where I'd last spotted her. She was grasping the rail at the top. I jumped up, but before I even reached my feet, she slipped and fell to the ground. It was like the entire event happened in slow motion. One minute she was laughing, the next she was falling. It wasn't even that far, but she was so tiny, and she landed wrong. Her neck broke  –  she died instantly."