"Brandan."

Without looking at Martha, Brandan hurriedly picked up his wallet, he didn't like getting late at work. So he was moving around the room in a comet like speed getting ready for office. Making a low, irritated snorting sound Brandan double checked the drawers and his wardrobe. It seemed like his handkerchief had suddenly decided to vanish from this world.

Shaking her head, Martha walked towards the bed, picked up his handkerchief from upon the pillow and moved to stand before Brandan. Brandan smiled thankfully at Martha while she lifted the handkerchief towards him. Taking it from her hand and tucking inside his pocket Brandan said. "I gotta go now mom. Bye."

Martha stopped him immediately. "But Brandan... I need to talk to you."

Brandan moved away briskly. "Let's talk later mom when I come back from work. Not now."

Martha smiled sadly. "There's no scope to talk to you when you come back Brandan, I don't even have any idea when you will be back home. Sometimes you don't even come back and pass the whole night in that damned office." Martha complained a little bitterly. There's just so much a mother could watch her son waste away.

A flicker of guilt slithered up Brandan's spine, it was true that he had always disappointed his parents. Though he had changed his ways but still he was disappointing them, in one way or another. It was as if written in his fate - to be a disappointment, to be a destroyer to everyone's happiness around.

Quickly Martha recovered the look of sadness from her face and looked at Brandan with motherly love. "Anyways, you were sent an invitation to your college reunion party. It's next week, one of your friends from college called me earlier checking on if you will be there. What was his name..." She tried recalling the name of his friend.

The name of college, his wrecked friends, parties... Brandan shook internally with the amount of aggression that suddenly consumed him.

With a cold detached look he began walking past Martha to get out of the room. "I won't be able to attend the party mom, there's too much pending work at office."

Martha walked around to stand before Brandan once again. She kept a hand gently on his shoulder. "I think you should go Brandan, it's okay to loosen up for a while, go enjoy, live a little, get a pretty girl."

Brandan waved his hand in the air brushing off Martha's idea. "No mom. I don't need any such loosening up and all."

Martha sighed and said desperately. "Six years, Brandan. It's been six years since you haven't attended any party, gone out clubbing, you haven't even met any of your friends since then. I know, something must have happened that night in that party six years ago but..."

"Enough mom. Just stop it."

Martha gasped and took a step back when Brandan's eyes suddenly turned red as he yelled. Martha was staring at Brandan, shocked. Raking a hand through his now dishevelled hair Brandan breathed heavily. A rush of memory almost blinded him with it's force.

"Sorry mom." He mumbled out.

He didn't wait a second to hear a reply, briskly storming out of the house he controlled both his heart and his moist eyes from a breakdown. All the way to the office his heart beat erratically wishing he could change that night, wishing he could change the morning that followed, wishing he could stop the consequences that followed when it was still possible.. But his wishes were just that, wishes and nothing more. And they would just stay like that, for the past could never be changed.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Parking his car finding a free space in the lot, Brandan made his way over to the mall. He was whistling away while twirling the keys in around his finger.

The tinted glass front of the mall looked royal and inviting.

Brandan thought with a smirk how he was going to gift Melissa the perfect lingerie. That would bring out the wild cat from inside her again, the wild cat that seemed to have dimmed ever since he had returned from that wrecked trip with Emma at Bernis.

It had been a week, and limitless fucks with Melissa. But something seemed to have changed. For hell's sake, Brandan couldn't point out what that changed something was. But Melissa's kisses missed that seductive power, her body felt too skinny. It was hard to say if Melissa had changed or his own preference.

And last night had been a disaster, Brandan could still remember how he was pumping away with Melissa writhing beneath her, but then Emma's freaking face popped up behind his close eyelids, a face that was glowing in the light of fire. Melissa moaned and began saying everything that would leave even a porn star red faced. And Brandan felt all the lust leave his body. It was like his soul was evaporating off of him and he couldn't do a damn thing. That splendid orgasm that each time followed was replaced with frustration and disappointment. After that, Melissa was screaming like a crazy monkey whose food was taken away from her. Brandan had left her place pissed.

Hence the hunt of lingerie. And if Brandan added something like a pricey handbag or necklace, Melissa would get back to be his pet. It was easy to buy that girl, or any other girl. Brandan shook his head.

Right before he could step foot into the lingerie shop, his head snapped towards the noise of someone laughing. And there was just something in that musical laughter that made him turn around.

Emma!!

Shocked and a little entranced, Brandan kept staring at Emma who laughed at what an old lady said. And then she held the lady's wrinkled -trembling hand and was leading her to the exit gate. The old woman was blind, Brandan realized. Then a teenage girl ran upto the blind woman and took her hand from Emma's with a relieved look. Well, looked like Emma just reunited some helpless, lost souls.

An unknown smile crept up on his lips when the old lady placed her wrinkled hand on Emma's cheek and seemed to say something affectionate.

He stood like that, next to a mannequin staring ahead with that dazed smile until Emma left.

"You want that, sir?"

The very shrill, enthusiastic voice made him snap out of whatever haze he was in.

Brandan looked away from where Emma was just a minute ago... to the blonde bombshell giving her a sexy smile and f*** me look. And the blonde bombshell gestured towards where he had his kept on.

Brandan followed her eyes, and damn! His hand was on the see through bra on the mannequin's chest. The innuendo in her question clicked in his now active brain.

"Uh... yeah... yeah, I want this one."

Recovering from his floundered state, Brandan managed a cheesy smirk. The blondie was giving him her best sexy looks and moves the whole time as he paid, took the damned lingerie and left the mall. He would have had a little sagging with the blondie in the storeroom of the shop but that Melissa was way too angry this time. Sometimes he felt like, his recent girlfriend cared only about sex or money. Bloody s***! But hey, no one was complaining. Not that this one's going to last for too long.

As he got inside his car and pulled out of the parking, the scene he had witnessed in the mall stayed put in the fore front of his mind. It was not the first time he had seen Emma help someone, save someone. Just three days ago he had seen her rescuing a limping kitten at the back of their college building. That was just minutes after his friends had enjoyed their daily sessions of torturing her. Like always, he had been in the side line, watching and sometimes adding his own two bits. And like always Emma had left with moist eyes, he knew she would cry later. But strangely, that day he didn't feel too good about it.

But he should have felt good, he should have been rejoicing, celebrating. She was right there where he wanted her to be. Hurting, paining... getting the worst moments of her life.

But he wasn't happy.

And after he followed her, the sight of her picking up that little kitten and kissing on top of it's head while a drop of her tear fell on it's fur, Brandan felt...

No no no!

Brandan hit the steering wheel in frustration of not knowing what's going on with him. Pulling the car to a screeching stop in front of Melissa's apartment, Brandan stormed out brushing away all the ridiculous thoughts of Emma.

She was his enemy. He reminded himself. A enemy that his father was trying to use in order to tether him to responsibilities, duties and to a state where he would have no freedom.

Yeah! That was it. His heart and mind was back to the right place.

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Emma sat in the couch, her eyes were set on the TV, a chick flick film was playing over there. But her ears, they were set on her dear brother's conversation from the next room or better to say argument over the phone with the person she assumed to be his girlfriend.

"Helen!! Please baby listen to me, it was a mistake."

So it was Helen, Emma tapped a finger on her jaw. She noticed that Evan had been recently pretty serious about this girl. Unlike his past girlfriends Evan seemed to pay extra care and shower his money openly upon this certain girl - Helen.

Then she scrunched her brows, Evan and Helen had barely had any big arguments between them and today it seemed rather critical by how Evan was pleading, literally begging for her forgiveness.

"No! It was that girl who started flirting first and was her who kissed me, I tried pushing her away but Helen.. hey hey.. are you crying? Please, please don't. Helen..."

Though it seemed pretty hilarious that her macho of a brother begging and crying like that to someone so desperately but she couldn't laugh at the situation. Instead she felt sympathetic. But then again, it was Evan's fault that she could say for sure. Once a player, always a player. Then another thought crossed her mind. Would Brandan too stick up to his player reputation always? Obviously he would. She shook her head trying to clear her brain of those thoughts.

"What !! You are breaking up with me? Just like that?" She overheard him asking frantically.

Uh Oh. It was worse than she thought it to be. A girl was breaking up with Evan! That would be a news. The best buddies Evan and Brandan, only they did break up with girls, it was never the other way around. But unfortunately, there happened to be a first time of everything.

A crashing sound could be heard that made Emma jump, might be Evan's phone crashing into the unlucky wall. It was followed by the slamming sound of a door opening, it felt like that poor door was ripped off of it's frame. Her brother might be angrier than she thought.

Evan's footsteps thudded and echoed across the room as they neared Emma. He slumped down in the small love-seat beside the couch Emma was sitting in, his hand covering his face in a very frustrated manner.

"Evan..." Emma called out softly, her purpose to comfort him. But the next moment she inhaled a deep breath realizing that it was not that much of a good idea.

Slowly Evan raised his head from his hand to look at Emma. His eyes dark in the faze of fury. Whether the darkness was from anger, grief, humiliation or hurt Emma couldn't surely tell that.

"Now what the hell do you want?" He sneered at her.

Emma began speaking. "I..."

But nothing came out of her gaping mouth. What would she say? There was a pin drop silence for a long minute when Emma witnessed Evan's eyes darkening with more anger now, all his rage now directed towards her.

Emma trembled when Evan yelled at her too much loud. "Why do you have to always irritate me! Just, get out of my sight."

Emma sprang up from the couch to a standing position and started to walk out of the room quietly. Her heart clenched to the point that she felt suffocated. There was just too much one can take this amount of hurt. She stopped walking away that instant, she had walked away too many times. For once and for all she needed to ask Evan this question that had been eating her insides alive for years now.

So turning around with moist eyes she asked Evan. "Why do you hate me so much?"

Evan who had his eyes closed now, once again he opened them slowly to look at Emma standing there by the door. His blood was boiling with sheer anger, Emma's abrupt interrogation just added more fire to that.

"What the hell, Emma! Didn't you get what I just told you." Evan shouted at her again but Emma stood her ground this time. She didn't know how she managed that.

Maybe there's a point from where the hurt gets too unbearable that it makes everything possible.

"Why?" She asked again determined, it was showing in her eyes that she wouldn't back down.

Evan clutched at his own hair in agitation. "You want to know why?"

Emma just stood there in silence, her dove shaped eyes filled with unshed tears, stared at her elder brother.

"Fine." Evan gritted his teeth.

It could be felt in the atmosphere that it wouldn't be good, that the answer would have the power to be a nail to her coffin.

"Because... It was because of you, I lost my mother. If you were not born, mom would still be alive. I, mom and dad - we were a family, we were so happy together... better without you."

Emma gasped, she felt like someone had knocked all air out of her lungs brutally and she was left to die thrashing against the excruciating pain of hatred. This was the reason, this was it, this was why Evan always hated her as they grew up. As Evan missed the presence of their mother and the void kept increasing, his hatred towards Emma also kept spiraling up.

Emma didn't know what to think of this situation fate cruelly threw upon her. She didn't know how to exactly react. So she did what seemed to be the easiest way. Right after an adamant loud sob escaped her lips and unwantedly letting Evan have a glimpse of her tears cascading down her eyes, she turned around and ran. She ran to her room upstairs and closed the door behind her.

She missed Evan uttering, "Shit!"

Emma couldn't take a step forward, she slumped down against the closed door and breathed heavily. The tears seemed to have their own mind as they showed no sign to stop.

Feeling suffocated in her own room her own house, Emma stood up holding the door knob. She had to get out of here for a while, it felt so difficult to breath in the confines of her own room. Then as if a light had suddenly lit up in her head, she recalled about the party tonight to celebrate the end of the torturing days of a college year. Earlier she had decided not to go to the party, the hooligans of the bully group must be having a wild bash over there. So it was a big red flag for her that declared against her safety to arrive there and willingly fall into their trap.

But what more pain could they cause than the pain she was experiencing right now. Another mass of hot tear escaped her eyes making her sight to blur. She wiped them off of her face. She needed to get away and she just knew that, nothing else. Plus regarding the fresh break up, Evan would prefer to stay at home wallowing at his fortune with the whiskey bottles in the kitchen cabinet, or probably he would go over to Helen's place to beg some more. Emma wondered if his ego could take anymore.

Then Emma mentally slapped herself, just a little while back Evan declared his hatred towards her, accused her of being responsible for their mother's death and she was still worrying about him. Emma sobbed again, how much of a greater fool she would prove herself.

She looked at her father's picture hanging on the wall, she missed him so much. She missed him always and she missed him more now.

Emma ran towards her wardrobe to search for a perfect dress to wear, she wanted to mix into the crowd tonight. All her nervousness and insecurities seemed to fade at that moment. However, everyone was going to hate her anyways, no matter what she wore, said or did. Not that anyone would notice, specially not Brandan. Of course, he would be probably busy smooching some hot and happening girl right now.

That thought, imagining him with one of his girls, she felt a headache coming at that. She knew she would have to see a similar kind of scene when she would arrive at the party, maybe even worse. The question was, would she be able to handle it?

(**Flashback - to be continued**)

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