HARU

Lunch with Uncle Jin and everyone was fun and the food was delicious, but I must admit that deep down, I felt like shit. The reason? That woman named Patricia Steel.

Wearing that kimono and with her face perfectly made up and her long hair done, she was beautiful, which made me feel uncomfortable, more so when she was flirting with Aiden in that subtle way of hers. I knew this feeling well. I was afraid and I felt insecure, especially where Aiden was concerned.

Fact was, I hadn't yet figured out how she knew Aiden, how she knew us brothers. I had put off asking Aiden, or any of the others for that matter. Deep down, I was afraid of what I'd find. What if she was more than just a friend to Aiden? What if they had some sort of deep, more intimate past together? If so, did Aiden still have any lingering feelings toward her? I mean she was freakin' beautiful, after all. Hot, even, and comparing me to her…

She was a woman and I was a man, so…

Shit! This was getting on my nerves and I decided to quit thinking about the woman. I needed some fresh air.

Uncle Jin was still chatting animatedly to Reo, Noah, Mason, Connor, and Isaac. After the hearty lunch, we had gathered here in the living room, and I had been so consumed with my own thoughts since then that I had no idea where Aiden had gone off to. Had he left and returned to the suite without telling any of us?

I quietly left the living room and headed along the corridor.

"Haru-kun, where are you going?" Higa-san's voice came my way, which made me jump.

I scratched my head as I said, "I was just thinking of stepping outside for a bit. I need some fresh air."

Higa-san nodded. "Good idea. You have to go through the dining room there."

I see. So that was how you get to the private garden on the rooftop.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," he said. "And be careful not to stay out too long. You're still recovering, aren't you?"

I nodded. "I won't be too long," I said.

In the dining room, I noticed that the staff was busy clearing the table and cleaning up. I bowed at them, the Japanese way, to show them I appreciated their hard work, and they bowed in return. After, I headed toward the sliding door.

I sighed and instantly relaxed once I was outside. It was cold, but I had on a thick sweater, so it wasn't too bad.

The place was nice, with potted plants, obviously bare and looking dead since it was winter, and the sitting area as well as garden ornaments. But the best of all, of course, was the view. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with the lake and the mountain covered in snow in the distance.

I smiled, taking my time and enjoying the scenery. The right-side view was awesome, and I wondered if the left was as well, so I headed in that direction to get a better look. It was then that I heard voices. It was Patricia, obviously, and I thought about turning back, since I wanted nothing to do with her, but then another voice, laughing merrily, caught me off guard.

It was Aiden's.

I felt this sickening feeling rising in the pit of my stomach and my heart started racing. I should turn back and leave them to it, whatever it was that they were doing. Probably talking about old times. But I found myself edging closer to listen. Shit, was I being stupid or what? Eavesdropping like this.

"Brings back memories," I heard Aiden say.

"Right? I remember that time you beat up Michael because he was hitting on me," Patricia said.

"It was tough with Michael," Aiden said. "He didn't know when to give up."

Patricia laughed. "You beat up the captain of a football team. I was impressed, and naturally, I fell for you then. I miss the old times, you and me together. I remember our first time together. It was your sixteenth birthday and it was my present for you—"

I felt bile rising in my stomach and I couldn't listen anymore. I turned on my heel and headed back into the penthouse.

Fuck! She was reminding him of their first time they had sex.

I was shaking and felt my head spinning as I rested back against the wall of the corridor.

"Oi! Haru!" It was Noah's voice. "Are you okay?"

I worked on composing myself, but found it was difficult. I felt Noah's large, warm hand touching my arm.

"Haru? Look at me," he demanded.

I did, my eyes brewing with tears.

"Shit," Noah said. "Come here."

With his hand tight around my wrist, he peeled me away from the wall and led me somewhere. Of course, I blindly followed him and we entered a guest bedroom, the one I had found myself waking up in yesterday after I had fainted.

After shutting the door, he cupped my face. "Look at me, Haru," he demanded.

I did, reluctantly.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

I didn't answer him.

He sighed. "Shit, how stupid of me to ask when it's so obvious." He let go of me then and asked, "Do you want to know who she is?"

He knew what was bothering me?

I shook my head though I desperately wanted to know.

"Sit down, Haru," he said.

I did, since my legs felt weak.

"That woman, Patricia Steel, is Aiden's ex-girlfriend, the hot cheerleader from back in high school. They dated for three years. She asked Aiden to move in with her after they graduated high school, but Aiden refused and she broke it off with him."

I absorbed that information silently.

Noah came down to his knees on the floor as he searched for my gaze. He said, "Do you know why Aiden refused to move in with her?"

I said, "Because he couldn't afford to?"

Noah cocked his head to one side, a slight smile playing about his lips. "Well, you can kind of put it that way, but it's not related to money. Aiden is a hard worker and he's smart, so making money isn't difficult for him. Haru, he couldn't afford to move away simply because he didn't want to lose us, his brothers. Despite him never mentioning it, and maybe he didn't know it at the time himself, but he didn't want to be away from you."

"Really?" I asked.

Noah chuckled. "Why are you acting all innocent when you're always the one hanging on to him, begging him to never leave you? Are you stupid?"

Now that he mentioned it, I had always done that, hadn't I? Told Aiden again and again to never leave me. Had I conditioned him into thinking that I would always need him with me? Didn't that also mean that I had chained him to me in a way?

That very idea made me feel sick with myself. God, but now that I thought about it, I was pathetic.

"Sorry," I blurted out.

Noah raised a brow. "About what?"

"Just now," I said, feeling guilty for making Noah worry.

Noah ruffled my hair as he said, "Come to me if you're in trouble and can't consult with Aiden. I'm your brother, too, you know. I'll only be too happy to help."

I nodded. "Thanks, Noah."

I noticed Noah giving me one of those deadly gorgeous smiles of his. He said, "You know, I quite like the Japanese word onii-chan. You want to try saying that to me?"

I raised my brow. Noah wanted me to call him onii-chan? That was news to me.

Onii-chan in Japanese was an endearing way of referring to an older brother. I had never even called Reo that. In the family, we had always referred to each other by name.

"Try saying it," he urged.

"O…onii…chan," I said.

Noah chuckled. "Good boy," he said. "You're so cute it makes it hard for me to leave you alone."

Huh? His words caught me off guard. I didn't know that Noah found me cute, or the fact that he had paid me any particular attention.

What the hell was this new development?