She's Still The One: A Brother's Best Friend, Rockstar Romance Kaci Rose (essential reading txt) 📖

need to figure out how to end it with Dallas that will do the least amount of damage, but still be enough that he will believe me.

As I'm packing, I hear a door downstairs slam and I freeze. Is he back? He said to go to the apartment, and he can't expect me to have packed that fast! What could he want? Can I get out my window and run safely, before he finds me?

I turn to lock my door, but my whole world crashes, when I hear it.

"Austin!" And then, the pounding footsteps.

Chapter 34

Dallas

The second I get home, I hit the ground running. I run in, slamming the door behind me. "Austin!" I yell but hear nothing in return. I run through the living room, and then up to the stairs, my panic rising.

"Austin! Answer me!" I yell again and then listen, before heading upstairs.

Just as I get to the top of the stairs, I hear her door close, so I beeline for her room. I jiggle the door to find it locked. What the hell is going on?

"Open up, Austin, or I will break this door down, so help me God!" I yell.

There’s some shuffling from the other side, and finally, she opens the door. She looks a mess, but she’s safe as I pull her into my arms and just hold her. She’s secure and is here in my arms. Everything else I can deal with. When my heart finally calms down, I notice the state of her room.

Her closet is open, lights on, and it’s a mess. There are bags on her bed. With clothes strewn around them. She's packing.

I pull back from her and hold her at arm’s length to get a good look at her. She's been crying, and she's in the oversized clothes she wears to comfort her, when something is wrong. Even though, she looks beautiful to me, I know something is wrong.

"What’s going on?" I ask her.

She shakes her head and pulls away, walking to her bed and turning her back to me.

"I can't do this anymore." She says, but she refuses to look at me.

Who knew those five little words could break my heart? But I refuse to accept it. Something else is going on here. I’ll get to the bottom of it and won't let her push me away.

"What the fuck happened?" I ask, trying to keep my emotions under control and failing. I walk towards the bed and notice she's crying and my heart shatters.

Something isn't adding up. Something is very, very wrong.

I pull out my phone and text Landon.

Me: Did you talk to Austin?

Landon: No. Tell me she's OK!

Me: Physically, yes. But she's really upset and won't talk to me.

Landon: Well, she’ll be fine. Give her some time.

Me: No, she's so upset she's packing, saying she can't do this anymore.

Landon: Do what?

Me: She won't say. Maybe us? Maybe living here?

Landon: I'm twenty minutes out. Keep her there, until I get home.

Me: Will do.

I sigh and run my hand through my hair.

"Baby girl, talk to me. Tell me what happened." I say in a soft tone, hoping she will open up to me.

She cries harder and covers her face with her hands, and that's when I notice the wrist brace she wears, when she works on the computer. I gently take her hands in mine, and she winces in pain. Her wrist was fine, when I left this morning.

I start to remove the wrist brace, and she tries to pull her hand away, but I hold her hand above her wrist a little tighter. When the brace comes off, and I see the bruises, my throat closes up. They’re dark purple and nasty looking.

Someone did this to her. Someone put their hands on my girl and hurt her, and I wasn't here to stop it, because we mixed up the dates.

"Baby girl," I say, but get choked up, before I can say anything else.

I keep eye contact with her, as I remove her sweatshirt, so she’s in just the tank top she wore under it, and I see some scratches and light bruises up her arm.

"Who did this?" I ask, keeping my voice gentle, but my insides are raging. Whoever did this to her is going to suffer.

When she doesn't answer, I say the first thing that comes to mind and hope it's not true.

"Was it Branden?" I ask, in a whisper praying I'm wrong. But he's in the forefront of my mind after talking to the private investigator earlier.

She nods, then bursts out crying again. "Oh, God." She says, as I pull her into me and hold her.

I swear when I get my hands on that little asshole. I want to kill him, but the only thing stopping me from doing so is this girl in my arms. Killing him will take me away from her, and I can't have that.

I grab my phone and call Landon and get him on speakerphone.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He says.

"Austin has a nasty bruise on her arm and some scratches on her arm. She admitted Branden hurt her." I tell him.

"Motherfucker. I'm going to kill him myself!" Landon lashes out.

"Austin, baby, tell us what happened. Please." I keep my voice soft and coaxing. I can tell the last thing she needs is me upset, too. "We can't help if you don't tell us."

She takes a moment to get herself under control, before she speaks.

"I was just relaxing, when you guys left. I took a bath, watched some TV, and then, I heard the kitchen door. Thinking it was one of you, I went to start lunch, but it was Branden. He wasn't himself." She pauses.

"I think it was drugs. He was dirty, wrinkled clothes, red eyes, and acting off. Like some of the guys on tour who would party all night, before you guys put the drug ban in place. He's Dave's son, did you know that?" She asks.

She tosses that in there, like it’s no big