Chapter 20
Brian’s day started quite a bit differently than Sarah’s had. He, unlike Sarah, was far too excited to sleep. He’d spent most of the night replaying that perfect half hour at the lake in his mind, when he miraculously ended up with everything he’d ever wanted. The memory was so vivid that he could still feel Sarah’s warmth. He could still taste her kiss. He even slept in his clothes because he could still smell a hint of the perfume she’d left on his shirt. His thoughts eventually drifted from the endearing memory to the possibilities that the future now held. He imagined what his life could be like in California, with Sarah, and the sheer thought of it was a new kind of freedom that he didn’t know existed.
Brian woke up that morning having only managed a couple scarce hours of sleep in which his mind stayed busy with hopeful dreams. However despite the actual amount of rest he’d gotten, Brian awoke feeling completely rejuvenated. He was ready to start a new life. On the bright side he’d used the sleepless hours tying up some loose ends. He didn’t want to just up and leave his brother in a total lurch, so he went over all the details of their budding business making sure it would be simple enough for him to continue in Brian’s absence. After writing up a foolproof to-do list, he also put together a current resume and e-mailed some of his old college professors. Everything else was just details that didn’t seem to be all that pressing at the moment.
The only thing left to do was tell his family he was leaving. He wasn’t especially looking forward to it, nor wasn’t sure what he would say to them or how they would react. He broke the news to his parents over breakfast but Nick was nowhere to be found. As he began the speech he’d tried to prepare several times throughout the night, he kept silently repeating the words Sarah said to him the day before. Your father can’t control you unless you let him. Brian was through letting his father control him so he knew he had to be firm from the minute he saw him.
He was surprisingly confidant and it’s needless to say that his parents were a little more than shocked. But, once they recovered Brian’s mother, although in tears, was supportive of her baby boy. His father was a different story. There was a short lecture about spontaneity and running away from your problems, but knowing what waited ahead of him kept Brian strong. He tried to explain to his father that he wasn’t running away from his problems, but rather chasing a dream, but that didn’t do too much good considering he’d kept the part about Sarah to a bare minimum. No need to tell them something they would never understand.
Even though his father seemed very disappointed in him, Brian was feeling larger than life after the conversation was finished. It was a scary kind of liberation to defy his father’s wishes and he felt like more of a man now that he’s finally stood up for himself. He went upstairs to pack a bag. He knew he needed to talk to Nick and he knew that would be the hardest part about all of this. He knew Nick was not going to be happy. Nick was always so excited about going into business with his older brother, and he was always telling Brian that he could never leave him here alone. Though they had their differences, the two Harper boys had always stuck together and Brian was scared leaving like this was going to hurt Nick. He was kind of glad that Nick wasn’t at breakfast because he wanted the chance to sit down with him one on one and explain it to him. Brian’s Chance for that explanation came a lot sooner than he had expected. Almost as soon as he’d had the thought the front door swung open loudly followed by a very heated, “BRIAN!”
“I’m up here Nick!” Brian called back.
Seconds later Nick plopped down on Brian’s bed and watched as Brian neatly tucked clothes into a duffel bag. “Going somewhere?” Nick tried to ask calmly, but the anger radiated through his voice straight into Brian’s heart.
Brian quickly turned to him. “Now look, it won’t be so bad.” He defended.
“Not for you I suppose.” Nick said in a tone that made Brian’s confidence waver.
“Nick I have to do this! I need this! I can’t stay in this house obeying Dad’s every whim for the rest of my life. I thought you would understand.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed as his patience vanished. The whole ‘give him the benefit of the doubt’ thing no longer seemed like a good idea. “Oh, I understand!” Nick said starting to raise his voice, “I just never realized you could be so selfish!”
“Sometimes you have to be.” Brian said.
“Jesus Brian!” Nick finally exploded, actually causing Brian to jump back in surprise, “I knew you were a little coldhearted but I had no idea you were capable of hurting someone like this.”
Brian sighed. He knew it was going to be difficult, but he didn’t expect Nick to react quite like this. “I didn’t mean to hurt you Nick.”
“I’m not worried about me! How could you do it to Sarah?”
“Sarah?” Brian asked, suddenly clueless to what his brother was talking about.
“I can’t believe you would go to such lengths just to keep her away from me. I’m not going to let you take her to California.”
“That’s what you’re angry about?” Brian repeated incredulously. He then let out a disgusted smirk, “And I actually thought you were upset that I was leaving.”
“That’s kind of hard when you’re acting like such a jack-ass!” Nick hissed.
Brian began to lose his temper. He was done trying to help his brother if that’s how he felt. “You’re damn right I kept Sarah away!” he yelled, “From the minute I saw you spinning her around the dance floor I’ve done everything in my power to keep her as far from you as possible.”
“You saw us dancing?”
“I’m not the only one!” Brian laughed bitterly, “Deanna was one giant splash away from gouging Sarah’s eyes out.”
“You pushed Deana into the pool didn’t you?”
“Well she didn’t fall in all by herself.”
“You’re sick Brian.” Nick said in a low voice. He was now so disappointed in his brother that he no longer had the energy to yell. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Don’t you dare give me that look.” Brian said lowering his voice as well, “You didn’t leave me a choice. You never think before you act Nick. You just do whatever your little heart desires and never stop to think about who you’re going to hurt in the process. I have been cleaning up your messes since you were born. The only difference this time is that I didn’t wait for you to screw up. You were about to destroy everything and there was too much at stake. Too many people’s feelings were going to be hurt this time.”
“You mean YOUR feelings.” Nick spat.
“Yeah my feelings… And Deanna’s feelings, and Sarah’s feelings. If you’d have gotten together with Sarah you would have ended up breaking both their hearts.”
“So it had nothing to do with Deanna’s unsigned contract? You weren’t the least bit concerned about the business falling apart?”
Brian looked down at the bed in shame. He couldn’t say no. He knew he was not entirely guilt free in this whole ordeal. He felt bad for having lied to Sarah, but he still felt he’d done so rightly. He decided it was time to tell Nick about his true feelings for Sarah. Maybe then he would understand. “This was not just about our business, it was about Sarah.” He said quietly.
“Brian, you lied to her.”
Brian’s eyes again fell to the floor. “You manipulated her.” Nick continued, “You tricked her into falling for you.”
Brian looked up at Nick shocked by his words. “I had breakfast with her this morning.” Nick explained, “She said she’s crazy about you. God Brian! Driving her to California just to keep her away from me? How do think she’s going to feel when she finds out that you totally played her just to keep from losing the business?”
Brian’s face went white and his mouth dropped open as he stared at his brother with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe that Nick thought he was capable of something so cruel. He was so deeply hurt that he couldn’t find his voice. There was silence for a brief second and then it was broken by a quiet shaky voice. “I feel pretty stupid actually.”
Brian and Nick were both startled by the intrusion and whirled around to see Sarah standing in the doorway with tears starting to stain her face. “Sarah!” Brian gasped in panic.
Brian felt so sick that he sank to the bed. “Sarah, I-“
“Don’t.” Sarah snapped. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then whispered a lot more calmly, “Just don’t”
Nick whispered, “I’m sorry.” And then attempted to give Sarah a hug.
Sarah pushed him away and backed out of the room. “Please Nick.” She said, “I don’t want to hear and apology.”
“Please let me explain.” Brian whispered.
“I don’t need any more explanations either. First Nick and now you? I think I’ve heard enough for one day.” Sarah took another moment to steady her voice and then looked at Brian. “I’m sorry I got in your way, but believe me, I won’t be anymore. I never want to see you again.”
Sarah left the room and headed for the exit as quickly as she could. The moment she left the room a waterfall of tears poured from her eyes. Nick glared at Brian, who was just sitting helplessly in shock on his bed, and then ran out the door after her. “Sarah wait!” he called.
“Nick just stop!” Sarah yelled. “What I said goes for you too! I have spent too much of my life worrying about you and I’m done. You’re right I was naïve and I didn’t know Brian as well as I thought, but guess what, lesson learned, ok? I’m sorry we can’t be friends Nick, but I’m going back to California and I’m leaving ALL the Harper’s behind me. It’s time to move on.”
“Sarah.” Nick tried one more time as Sarah climbed into her car.
Sarah looked up at Nick as she wiped furiously at her tears. “At least this time you guys have made it pretty easy for me.” She said bitterly and then drove away from the Harper House for the last time.
Nick stood in the driveway still completely filled with anger. He looked up at the window to Brian’s room and then stormed back into the house. When he got back upstairs he found Brian quietly packing his bag. “What are you gonna do, go after her?” Nick said sarcastically. “I think she made herself very clear.”
Brian ignored his brother and continued stuffing clothes into the large duffle. “I don’t think going to California is such a good idea Brian. I think she needs her space.”
“I’m not going to California.” Brian muttered.
“Then why you still packing genius?”
“Cause I’m still leaving, genius.”
Nick frowned. “What do you mean you’re still leaving? Where you going?”
“Anywhere but here.”
Nick was now so confused, but his confusion only made his anger increase. “So what, you just broke Sarah’s heart for nothing? What about your little business?”
Brian glared at Nick with tears in his eyes and pushed the briefcase into his hands. “Knock yourself out.” He said coldly and then zipped his bag shut and flung it over his shoulder.
As he walked past Nick headed for the door, Nick stopped him. “I don’t understand you man.”
“You never have.” Brian replied sincerely. “It’s not your fault though. I’ve never been easy to understand.” Brian smirked. “I think Sarah may have been the first. She understood me better than I did.”
Nick watched suspiciously as a dreamy smile appeared on Brian’s face at the mention of Sarah’s name, but quickly as it had appeared it was replaced with sadness. Brian shocked Nick by pulling him into his arms for a big apologetic hug. “I’m sorry Nick. I only ever wanted the business because you said you did. I thought it would be fun to escape together. Guess I was wrong.”
Brian let go of Nick and smiled up at him sadly. “And for the record? The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt Sarah.”
Brian walked out the bedroom door and flipped the light off behind him. “Don’t let Dad push you around once I’m gone. He can only control your life if you let him.”
As Nick stood there slowly piecing together the entirety of the situation, Brian got in his car and drove away. Nick could hardly believe it, but Brian wasn’t playing Sarah, he was in love with her. The feelings he’d confessed to Sarah that she’d tried to explain over breakfast? Those feelings were real. Sarah tried to make Nick understand and instead he’d filled her head with nonsense. “Oh God, what did I just do?” he said aloud to the dark empty room.
Author's Chapter Notes:
oh man... only one chapter left... can you believe it? I got through this story so fast! Granted 2/3 of it had already been written as a screenplay, but still. Kind of sad to see it finished. But I feel that way about all my stories I guess. Well, I should finish up the last chapter by the end of the week so you won't have to wait too long.
