Her Betrothed Prince CHAPTER 14 by Jennifer Brunner (bookreader TXT) 📕

Chapter 14
Landon’s P.O.V.
***

Symphony was supposed to be gone for a few hours with her mom, so I decided to dedicate some time to the book I was currently working on.
The one about me and Symph.
I sat down with a freshly made cup of coffee, blowing on it slightly.
My computer was already up and running from the night before, when I couldn’t sleep.
I looked at the screen. My mind was blank even though I had things to write about.
I needed music to help me concentrate.
I put on the first thing that came to mind. Miss Murder by AFI. The interesting facts came up and I scanned through it quickly. That was weird. It said it came out on June 6th of 2006 (A/N, yes that is the actual date the album was released and it just so ironically happens to be my birthday!). Symphony said she got it for Krystian for his birthday.
But Krystian had been dead since 2002. What was wrong here? Was she just lying to me or was she thinking of something else.
I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.
I dialed Kim’s number.
Symph might be her friend, but I was everything except that.
“Hey Kim. It’s Landon.” I said a little breathless.
“Hi.” She drew out the word. “What? Do you want Xavier? I thought we agreed every other week—” Kim moved out this morning but before she left, we made arrangements.
“No Kim. I kinda need some professional psychiatric advice.”
She let out a long breath. “What?”
“Can you come over and talk to Symph about her brother. I think she is mixing things up.”
“Like what?”
“She said she got her brother this CD for his birthday but he died four years before it even came out.” I closed my eyes and held the phone tighter to my ear. “Do you think it is brain damage from the abuse?” I switched the phone from ear to ear, not even noticing.
“Most likely if that is the problem. Maybe she is creating fake, happy memories to block out the bad ones? It is most likely trauma is in which the payment for her father being so heinous.”
I heard Xavier cry out in the background. “You should bring him over. Please? I miss him already. Plus you can talk to Symph when she gets back while I take care of him. It will give you a break.”
She was there twenty minutes later.
“Hey” Kim said a little breathless. I stood and grabbed the car seat from her hand and gently removed the bag off of her shoulder.
She rolled her neck and sighed deeply. “Thanks. Did you find anything?”
I bent down and unbuckled Xavier. “Uh, no. I was waiting for you.” I answered and she took a seat at my desk. “Hi there little man.” I whispered in an easygoing tone. “Did you miss Daddy? Huh? I bet you did.”
“Will you see if he needs to be changed Landon? He wouldn’t have taken a poop I don’t think, but see if he is wet.”
I raised him to my nose. “Woo!” I exclaimed. “You were wrong about to poop. This little guy did the nasty.” I rolled out the blanket and laid him down on it. My face screwed together in disgust. “What did you feed him? Spoiled milk?”
“No.” She answered defensively. “I gave him formula.”
“Give him your boob juice.” I shot back with a laugh.
“What are you? Fourteen?” She rolled her eyes. “Grow up.” She muttered under her breath. Then she gasped. “Landon come here.” She waved me over.
“What?” I finished strapping Xavier into his diaper and buttoned his onesie. I picked him up in one swift and gentle movement.
She pointed to the screen. “Read it.” She demanded
I read the article from an old news paper clipping once, twice. Then a third time for good measure.
Krystian wasn’t the only Jacobs who had died in that car accident. I read it a fourth time

The sheriff's office says two boys died after the car they were riding in crashed into a passing car.
In a news release, the sheriff's office says the one boy was a passenger while the other was sitting directly behind him in a car traveling through Saturday to get to his sisters ballet recital when the father lost control and it swerved and collided with first a Volvo, then rolled, uncontrollably into a ditch.
An 8-year-old girl also riding in the car suffered minor injuries.
The two teen boys were taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital in where they were both pronounced dead. Ironically enough, the boys were twins, born 6 minutes apart and that is how they died. The older 16 year old, Krystian Jacobs, was pronounced dead 6 minutes before his younger sibling, Krystopher Jacobs, had passed away.
Neither of the parents were harmed or even scratched. Is it a coincidence? I think not.
The 8-year-old girl, whose name is not allowed to be released, suffered from temporary amnesia. The doctors say that she will be able to regain her memory with the help of her loved ones.

“What this is saying is that she lost her memory.” Kim said lowly, pointing to the screen. “Her parents helped her gain it back but I don’t think they told her that she had two brothers.
“The only reason she must know about Krystian is if someone told her. Do you know anyone who had a big connection with both of them that would have said anything?”
I came up with nothing but when I went to shake my head I thought of it. The name came like a siren for a tornado. “Lisa.”
Kim’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would she talk about Krystian and not Krystopher?”
“Lisa had a crush on Krystian.” I said still thinking. I pushed her hands off the keyboard and went to Google Search. I typed in Krystopher Jacobs, Born: June 6th 1986, Died: January 18th 2002 then clicked Search hoping for it to come up with his life story.
I clicked on a link that seemed to be the best bet. I read through the article then hit the back button because it wasn’t the right one.
“I wish I knew his middle name.” I handed Xavier to Kim and pulled out my phone.
“What are you doing?” She asked once I pressed the phone to my ear.
“I’m calling Lisa and Trey to see if they know.
“Hello?”
“Hay Lisa, uh, I have a quick question.” I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger.
“Yeah what is it?” She sounded breathless and that’s when I heard Trey’s voice.
“Lisa, babe I’m holding on as good as I can.” My eyes popped right open and my hand flew to my now smiling mouth.
I started coughing up laughs. “Shit.” Lisa hissed. “Did you hear that?”
Even though she couldn’t see me I nodded and whispered “Yep” so that I wouldn’t snicker again.
“Trey he heard you.” She passed the phone over to him.
“Hey.” Trey laughed a little. “Uh, can you not tell Symphy about this? We have been trying to keep it on the DL for a while now.”
“Yeah man.” I said with a whole lot of humor in my voice, it wasn’t sarcasm. “Only if you answer something for me.”
“What?”
“Symphony had two brothers right?” I sobered.
“Um—”
“Trey just answer me. This isn’t going anywhere but between us, Kim and Lisa.”
“Kim’s in this with you?” He asked, taken back.
“Yeah,” I explained about Symphony telling me about the CD, how it was impossible, how we found out about her other brother, Krystopher and how Kim is going to help her.
“How would any of that solve how she is mixing up memories?”
“Honestly I don’t know.” I said precariously. “But that is what we are trying to find out.
“Yeah. Do not tell her. It took us all this time to keep her from remembering him and I will kill you if she finds out now.
“She had a brother named Krystopher Jay Jacobs. He was the bad one, whereas Krystian was the good one. Krystopher had bad grades and a bad record for breaking and entering and damage to private property.
“Before the accident Symph told us some stuff that we didn’t want to believe.” He let out a sigh. “She told us that Krys had touched her.
“She had told us that she had woken up one night. She felt something and it hurt like hell. Her brother was on top of her, biting at her—well you know.”
“How many times had this happened?”
In my head I saw Trey shrug. “That we know of, once.”
“Downstairs or upstairs?” I asked
“What up did she have up there back then? She was seven. I mean she is blessed now but—”
“Trey I really don’t want to hear that you—apparently are now strait—and are having visions about my future wife naked.” I interrupted.
“Oh, I’m not imagining. I lived with her. Remember? And I am bisexual. If you ever want to—”
“Trey!” I shouted which made Xavier fussy. I heard Lisa smack Trey through the phone.
She went on a rampage about him not being able to do anything with any other girl besides her, bla bla bla…
“Hey.” I said, resuming his attention. “I’m gonna go now so you guys can have make up sex.”
“Bye.” They both said in a rush and hung up.
“What happened” Kim asked. I ignored her and walked out onto my patio to get fresh air.
“How would any of that even mess up her dates?” I muttered to myself.
Kim answered me, even though it was rhetorical. “Maybe she has a bad memory for that day and her mind wanted to just replace it with some made up thoughts or dreams.”
“You’re probably right.” I looked at her. “Just don’t tell her about any of this. Okay?” She handed me Xavier, which seemed to calm me down a little bit.
He looked up at me with wide, thick lashed, blue eyes. “Daddy’s weird huh? Don’t worry little man, you and Daddy are two different people. Your gonna be a lady killer when you get older.”
“I thought you said you two were different?” Kim snickered.

Publication Date: 04-10-2011

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