Chapter 4
965 Words
I swallow my fear as I do what I do best lately. Lie. The words pour out of my
mouth and I'd be lying, again, if I said I didn't sound convincing.
"It's so embarrassing. I don- ugh. I was just having some girl problems and I
needed to get some stuff..."
Usually when I say that it doesn't matter which brother hears. They all back
off.
But James sits with his arms still crossed and his Stony expression doesn't
waver.
"You know... I'd believe you. I would, if it weren't for the army of hickeys
decorating your neck!"
My eyes widen and I nearly facepalm.
"Rashes. Bad ones all over my body really. It's just because of the lady
thing..." I try again.
"You can stop lying now." My big brother grits out.
He stands, his full height 6'1, towering over my measly 5'5.
It doesn't matter what he says in this moment as long as he doesn't tell
anyone.
With every step back I take, he takes one forward until I cower in the corner.
"Did a boy do this to you? Stupid question of course. WHICH boy did this to
you?"
"Keep your voice down!" I whisper yell.
"Then tell me. Who hurt you?"
My brow furrows.
"No one hurt me-"
"Bullshit! Your neck is covered in hickeys, which medicly are bruises and
what's up with your cheek?!"
My eyes widen. It must be starting to bruise.
It takes nearly ten minutes to make my brother calm down and get him to sit
back on the bed.
"Don't freak out. Nobody hurt me because I let my boyfriend do this."
James's eyes turn to angry saucers and he tries to jump up only for me to
push him back down.
"I said don't freak out! I love him and I'm not going to stop seeing him so don't
try that. If you want you can meet us for dinner Wednesday night, but only if
you keep this to yourself. Don't even tell Jonah."
I can see the battle on my brothers face, but it seems to dissapate with
realization.
"Wednesday. I'll see him and I ca-"
"You can be nice and get to know him," I cut off his probably diabolical plan.
After taking care of that situation, I push him out of the room and hop in my
PJs.
Tomorrow will be the real test. Can he keep his mouth closed?
I'm thankful he didn't judge me. I was afraid he would never talk to me again,
but now it seems like we're closer than before. He is after all the only family
member in the know.
Thankful that things worked out at least for the moment, I drift off to sleep.
......................,.
"Oh my God thank you!" I say to Grey and Gio as they walk in my room with
breakfast on a platter.
"No prob. James and dad's were worried you didn't come for breakfast, but we
see your hard at work."
They place the tray on my widow seat cushion since the desk I sit at is
currently covered in crap.
I've spent the past three hours fixing the website for Mal-Xa designs and
drawing out plus record keeping on only hard copies of documents. Not an
inch of my desk is visable.
"How's it going?" Gio says leaning on my chair armrest.
I mumbles incoherent words, making the boys give each other concerned
looks.
"You should take a break. It's Thanksgiving! You're not supposed to be
working."
I roll my eyes.
"I work everyday because something always needs done."
"Well too bad. Come down after breakfast. Dad's want to talk to us."
I finish what I'm working on and devour my food before making my way to the
living room. Everyone sits on the couch and and walk right over to sit on my
dad Kai's lap.
My other dad Jack picks up my feet and rests them on his own lap not wanting
to be left out.
I assume my mom as sleeping. Probably from her a dads... Activities.
"It's Thanksgiving and you all need a break," the dad who holds my feet says.
"So we're going on a hike."
......................
"Uugghhh!!" I groan climbing over a particularly Rocky area.
"That's it! I have climbed this mountain and now I will die upon it!"
"Drama queen," Ragnar snickers before sliding the backpack off my
shoulders.
"You're a gem," I compliment in hopes he'll carry it the rest of the way.
"Riddle me this," start as we all come to a smoother area.
"We drove nearly twenty minutes, twenty miles, just to climb for five miles and
then drive twenty miles back home. Does this make sense to you?"
My dad Kai wraps an arm around my shoulder.
"Do you get this scenery in the city?" I shake my head looking through the
trees.
"No, but there's no bugs in that carbon polluted air."
"Preach," Kaine mumbles next to me.
"Okay kids," daddy Jack breaks in.
"We're almost done. We've got to get back in about twelve minutes. Your
mom should have dinner ready by the time we all shower and change, just
keep walking."
I curse the tall neck shirt I have to wear in order to cover Archer's hickeys. It's
too hot for this crap. Worth it though.
The though of my boyfriend reminds me we're going to have a Skype call
tonight. Even though I can't see him in person at least we won't get carried
away. Twelve minutes.
Just twelve minutes and I can hop in the air conditioned car. Shower. Eat. And
talk with Archer. Some of my favorite things.
The twelve minutes turns out to take a little bit longer however.
How was I supposed to know that bears aren't friendly?
- Writer
