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A Broken Family

By: HollyBranch



Holly was just a normal 19-year-old: extremely opinionated, into partying, and a bit of a dreamer. Her three brothers were also typical brothers. They were very playful, slightly lazy, and always fiercely overprotective of their only sister. 

Alex was the oldest at 23. He'd taken custody of all three of his siblings when their parents had been murdered five years previous. It had been a difficult time for all of them, but he managed to get them all through it. He invested half of the life insurance policies into a local internet service that hit its high point the year after, and worked two jobs that first year so that they could keep their two-story childhood home. After the internet service investment paid off, he started going back to college for his business degree. He now owned his own valet service, something that was very beneficial in their rich west-coast town. 

JT was the middle brother at 21. He was the average college player: big time partier, sweet outer exterior, and a major lacrosse and cross-country jock. His muscles he earned in sports helped him in scaring off any of the frat boys on campus that tried to get with his sister. Holly was constantly meeting his one night stands in the hallway on her way to the bathroom in the mornings. The brothers often used JT as an example of how men could treat women they didn't really care about. 

Finally there was Eli who was a year younger than Holly at 18. Eli was soft-spoken, but radiated authority when he spoke that had nothing and everything to do with his football-toned stature. He'd only had one girl friend in high school and she had broken his heart, having him moping around the house for days during his senior year. Holly had been the one to tell him to cheer up, that some sexy college cheerleader would glue those pieces of his heart back together. 

Holly loved the three of them more than anyone in the world. They had been there for her first kiss and tried to pummel the guy afterwards, her first period, and basically her first everything. They'd all helped each other cope with their parents' deaths, bringing them closer than most siblings. The only thing she hated was how completely suffocating their over protectiveness could be. She'd never even gotten felt up by a guy before because it was as if they were always watching her, ready to bust her once she went further than a chaste kiss on the lips. She craved male attention and sometimes it scared her how deep her needs could be. 

"Planning on transferring away from us, little girl?" There was a smile in his voice as he sat down on the bed behind her. 

Holly jumped, almost knocking the mouse off the desk. "Just for my last two years possibly. I'm going to have to be free from you guys someday if you expect to ever have nieces and nephews." She turned her chair around to face a grim-faced JT. 

He shook his head, sprawling back across her bed and picking up her stuffed elephant she'd slept with since she was twelve. Her father had won it for her in one of those machines with the claw. "You'd think you'd know first-hand not to sleep with a college guy." 

Holly got up and took her stuffed animal away from him, hugging it to her chest and catching JT following it there, his gaze lingering a little too long. "I didn't say I'd fuck anyone, and maybe I'd meet a guy at the video store somewhere. The point is that around here guys avoid me like the plague thanks to you and your two nut-head brothers." 

JT grinned at her. "We all share a bit of the same DNA, sis. Plus, we're doing you a favor. What if you had actually stayed with Connor Fairchild? You might have ended up like Stephanie, knocked up at 16 and unable to lose the fat from the pregnancy." He talked of the guy she had her first kiss with. It was true, she could have been Stephanie, but she also asked herself if it was really as bad as people saw it. They loved each other and had a beautiful baby who loved them too. 

She smacked his chest lightly and got up, set her elephant on her bed, and walked to her closet. "At least I would have had passion-filled sex before I'm thirty." 

"Hey, that's a good idea. Think you could wait that long? Sure would save us some effort." His eyes followed her as she moved about her room, grabbing her swimsuit and suntan lotion. 

Holly just glared at him and sat the stuff on her bed. "That's not funny. Now get out of my room so I can change." 

"Nothing I haven't seen before, sweet pea. I helped change your diapers," he reminded her, but got up anyways. He ruffled her hair as he walked by, shutting the door behind him. 

- 

A few minutes later I slipped on my flip flops and grabbed my lotion and sunglasses before walking down stairs and to the back yard where our in ground pool awaited me. I smiled and slipped my shoes off beside a lounge chair. Eli was floating in the middle of the pool reading, completely oblivious to the world around him. I silently slipped into the pool and moved slowly to his raft, careful not to make too many ripples that he'd realize I was there. Just as I was about to scare my little brother, I felt hands tickle my sides. I screamed, making Eli fumble for his book as he jumped, and turned around to see Alex laughing. I hit his chest with my fist. 

"That was not funny, Alex!" I punctuated each word with another blow to his chest, and he caught my fist on the last word. I found myself smiling in spite of it all. 

"Hey now, I was just protecting Eli. I can't have his older sister deliberately scaring him all the time. I might have to start buying him a night light if I did that." 

Eli mumbled something about us being crazy as he paddled to the side of the pool and got out, making sure not to drop his book in the water. "Either of you want anything for lunch?" 

I looked up at the brother that looked most like me with his shaggy blonde hair as he sat his book down in a chair and started walking towards the house. "Strawberries?" 

"You're going to turn into a strawberry someday," he called back to us as he entered the house, holding it open for Alex's best friend Drew to walk out. 

"He's right you know," Drew said and walked to the pool. Alex let go of my hand and swam to the side of the pool. "You've got an unnatural love for them, Holly. It's like JT and his endless supply of women." 

"Hey at least I'm not getting STDs from them," I replied, floating on my back and closing my eyes against the summer sun. It was silent for a few minutes. 

"Holly, get out and change into your other swim suit." I opened one eye at Alex who was standing next to a staring Drew. 

"Alex, go away and change Drew's eyes out." I closed my eyes and proceeded to backstroke. He started to talk to me as I hit the wall and flipped, swimming freestyle back to the shallow end I came from. My right hand grasped the wall and I stood up in the water, dipping my head back to get my waist long hair blonde hair out of my face. Despite being in a pony tail, my long bangs fell out and blocked my vision. Alex said that mom always wanted me to grow out my hair but I never wanted to when I was younger and she wasn't going to force me into anything. Ever since he'd told me, I never cut it short again. 

"Sorry, what'd you say, Alex?" 

"That he wasn't kidding and that he was going to call me out here." JT dove in right by me. He tugged at my legs, pulling me towards the steps. Once I obliged, he resurfaced. 

"I don't see why I have to change. It is my house; I should be able to wear what I please." 

"I don't see why store clerks sell skimpy bikinis to little sisters. Or why God lets sisters have bodies like yours. It'd be way simpler if guys weren't always after you." 

"Bodies like mine? You do know most of those girls you've been with are sisters to someone. Besides, would you rather me look like the ugly stepsister?" 

"Yes. Now get out and go change into your one piece." 

"He's not out here anymore, so I'm not going to." I dove back under the water and breast-stroked to the deep end before coming back up. 

"If he does come back out here and you're not changed, I will not hesitate to throw you over my shoulder and take you upstairs." 

I ignored JT and swam to the side as Eli came outside. "Strawberries?" 

"Here you are," he dropped down onto the side of the pool with my strawberries in one bowl and ice cream for him in the other. 

"Actually," I took his spoon from him and took a bite. "Thank you." 

"Of course, because I so said you could have a bite." 

"Didn't have to. I'm the older sister; I get to claim what's mine. By the way, I have no idea how you don't gain weight." I eyed his abs, wishing I could magically make them disappear. 

"So since I'm the older brother, I get some of both, huh?" JT had gotten out of the water and now sat beside Eli, taking a strawberry and the spoon. 

"Hey!" we both said as JT took a bite of ice cream followed by the strawberry. 

"JT stop antagonizing the children," Alex said as he and Drew walked outside. 

My eyes widened as JT turned to look at me, Eli taking over defending how we weren't children. I quickly pushed off from the wall as JT dropped himself into the pool. I really didn't stand a chance as he grabbed onto my ankle. He dragged me to where he could touch and then swung me over his shoulder, heading towards the ladder. 

I beat on his back. "Bending me over like this isn't helping his imagination, Jesse Tyler." 

"If you were so worried about it, you should have gotten out and changed when I told you to, Holly Elizabeth." He started walking towards the house as the three boys grinned at us. 

I received a smack to the ass before I was promptly dropped onto my feet in my room. He took my wrist, pulled me over to my drawers, pulled out my green one-piece, and put it in my hand. "Now, dress. I will be right outside of the door. You are not leaving this room until you are changed." 

"You're a party pooper, JT. Drew is a harmless little teddy bear that is fun to tease," I said through the door as I quickly pulled off my bikini and pulled on my single. 

"You can only tease a man so much before he cracks, Holly." 

I opened the door and he was leaning against the opposite wall. "I'll take it you know from experience." I turned and walked towards the stairs. 

"You would be correct to assume so. Be nice to Drew; he's like family." 

"I know. Which is why it's fun to mess with him." I turned my head and winked at him before opening the door to go outside. The boys all looked up at me and I smiled. "See, Drew still looks at me." 

"Drew, quit looking at my sister," Eli said, returning back to his book and nodding to my strawberries that were still there. 

Alex whacked him in the back of the head and they went back to playing their card game. I sat in between Eli's legs and started eating my strawberries. JT started swimming laps in the pool and I watched him. 

"How does your hair not turn red or something?" Eli asked me, looking over his book at me. 

"Not sure really. I imagine I must be half strawberry now." 

"Great, more guys trying to take a bite out of you," JT said, stopping for a breather to look up at us. 

"Sounds lovely to me." I smiled and ate my last strawberry, setting my empty bowl down on the ground, and jumping in right by JT. I resurfaced to him shaking his face free of water. "I win." I started my leisurely backstroke again. "My birthday is coming up soon." 

"In two weeks," Alex said. 

"Exactly. So, Alex, what are we doing for my birthday?" 

"Want a back-yard party?" 

I put my feet down in the water and looked at him. "Will there be alcohol?" 

"Not for you or Eli." 

"But it'll be my party, that's not fair!" 

He smiled at his cards. "Never said life was fair, Holly." 

"Screw you. I'll go out to a club with Amy and get her to buy me liquor." I started swimming again with a satisfied smile on my face. 

"You're not allowed to go out with Amy anymore." 

"JT, shut up. Alex didn't say I couldn't." 

"You can't go out with Amy on your birthday, Holly." 

"It's not fair to gang up on me like that. Eli, side with me?" 

"Sorry, but I don't get to drink either way. At least if you're here, no guys will be copping a feel." 

I turned to look at them, splashing water at a smiling JT. 

"You guys suck. I want you to know this." 

"They're just trying to protect you," Drew put in and I glared at him until he went back to his cards. 

"If you wouldn't stare at me, maybe I'd be able to get Eli on my side." 

"Nope," Eli said, keeping his eyes on his book. 

I pulled myself up on the ladder and grabbed my towel. "I really don't like you guys sometimes." 

"So, Drew, want to help me plan this party?" Alex asked his friend as I closed the door behind me. 

- 

"Come on," I giggled to my friend Amy as we pulled the door shut behind us a couple of nights later. I'd had her stay the night and wait until the boys fell asleep before we snuck out. JT was still out finding a girl to screw, but that just made it easier. "I'm going to get a boy before I turn twenty, and the only way to do this is if they aren't around to step in." 

She laughed with me, keyed up on the exhilaration of sneaking out like a little high school kid again. "We still going to Jared's house party?" She started up her car on the side of the road and quickly pulled away. I nodded and she laughed again. "Your brothers are going to kill whatever poor boy you find." 

"Nah because they'll never find out. Well, until my party when I kiss him in public, but by that time it won't matter." I smiled as we pulled into the big house about a mile away and got out. 

"Amy! Holly! I haven't seen you two sexy ladies in a while," a deep voice said and two dark, well defined arms fell around our shoulders. I looked up at him and could smell the alcohol on his breath. 

"Hard to get away from the prison wardens sometimes. Any new people show up?" 

"Of course! A pretty little redhead I've had my eye on all night," he nodded towards the girl laughing with her friends and smiled. "Other than that, you're on your own. Steven's upstairs playing pool." Amy and Steven had gone out on a few dates, nothing serious, but they flirted like two people who really cared about each other. 

Amy tugged on my arm as we reached the stairs and Jared dropped his arms from us. "Thanks, Jared. Go talk to her!" I prayed as we climbed the stairs that there'd be some poor new guy who had no idea of my psychotic brothers. 

"Amy!" Steven called as we walked through the door of the game room. Several people looked up from the three pool tables and I spotted a nice-looking, tall, tanned, and dark-haired boy lining up a shot. I nudged Amy as we walked over to the table the hot guy and Steven were at. 

Steven kissed my friend and took the stick from the guy. "Girls, this is Michael. Michael, Amy and Holly." 

He'd passed Amy over as Steven's and he smiled at me. "Play any pool?" 

"I was made to play this game." 

"Then I'll take you on my team and Steven can have your friend. We just started. You and I are stripes." He took the offered stick from Steven and handed it to me. I carefully leaned over the table, hyper aware of my short skirt, and knocked a ball in. I handed it back to Michael for the second shot and he gave me that smile of his again, showing perfect white teeth. "Steven, you guys are in trouble." 

"Like I wasn't already before," he said absentmindedly as he talked to Amy. 

He missed the shot and Amy took the stick. "So, Miss Holly, are you from here?" 

"Sure am, but you must not be. Transfer into the university here?" 

He nodded. "Political science." 

"Interesting. I'm going for pre-law in the fall actually. Maybe we'll have some classes together." 

"We could always get to know each other before then." This was totally playing into my hand. We talked through the game and beat the other two who wandered off to do God only knows what. We abandoned the pool table and took up the vacant foosball table. 

"First one to five gets a kiss?" I challenged and received a grin. 

"You're on." He dropped the ball and five seconds later it was in his goal. "Good at this game, too, I take it?" 

"I was taught well." Three competitive brothers tended to do that, but I wasn't giving up that information. Five minutes later, we were tied and I knocked the ball in again. Michael came around, lifted my head, and covered my lips with his. It wasn't a sloppy kiss, I couldn't taste any liquor on his tongue, and when his hands wrapped around my waist, I pulled mine up to his neck. 

Somehow we'd ended up against the wall and I felt his fingers on my skin along my lower back. He pulled away and latched onto my neck. The room was filled with the sounds of pool and I didn't hear the footsteps ending right behind me. The hands left me and I pulled away to ask what was wrong when an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. My eyes widened, wondering which brother it would be this time. 

"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?" were Michael's words. 

"She doesn't. She has brothers who will kick your ass if you touch her again." I dug my nails into his hand and he let go of me. 

"Go away, JT." My eyes caught on the scantily clad blond beside him. "Go fuck your plaything and leave me alone." The girl gasped, taking a hold of JT's arm. His eyes narrowed at me. 

"Go home or I'm calling Alex." 

"You're an asshole." I turned back towards Michael. "I'm sorry. I'll see you in class maybe." I pushed around JT to go find Amy and he followed. 

"Amy is with Steven in the room down the hall, which is why I knew you were here." I kept going towards the stairs. "I'll take you home." There was a whine from the slut. 

"Don't worry about it. I'll walk." 

"You are not walking around at night alone, Holly." JT ignored the girl who whined again. 

"I don't want to take you from Miss STD, JT, so go on up and find yourself a room." Another shocked gasp from the blond interrupted her whining as I hit the ground floor and turned towards the front door. 

JT caught my wrist and turned me around. The blond had stopped on the stairs and was shooting daggers at me. "I'm driving you home." 

I ripped my wrist from him. "Leave me alone." 

He wrapped an arm around my middle and I knew what was coming so I pushed on his chest. It didn't work and I found myself over JT's shoulder. I looked up to see the blonde's eyes widen in surprise before I was carried out the door. I hit his back several times. "JT, you are flashing people!" We hadn't gone past any people so far, but I didn't know if there were others on the lawn as he walked down to the street. 

"You should've thought of that before you wore that skirt." 

"I'm not wearing panties you fucker, let me down!" 

He tightened his hold on my legs, forcing them closer together. "Then I guess it's a good thing there's no one out here. Did you plan on getting laid, Holly?" 

"No!" I smacked his back again. "This skirt just looks bad with panty lines." 

"It's called a thong; most girls wear them." 

"I'll pass on the butt floss, thank you." 

He unlocked his truck and dropped me into the seat. "It's a heck of a lot better than walking around without anything like a common whore." He slammed my door and walked around the front. "And thank you for interrupting my good night." 

"I interrupted you getting an STD, so you should be thanking me," I said to the window. 

"It's called a condom, Holly." 

"It's called those only have a small percentage of protection from a few types of STDs." 

"How would you know?" 

"Because if I have sex, I will be 100% ready. Knowledge is power, not that you would know that." I gritted my teeth as we pulled up the driveway. Oh fun. 


A Broken Family Ch. 02



I heard a beeping and opened my eyes to a bright flash. "Oh my God, I'm blind!" I buried my face into my pillow and the arm around me tightened. 

"Aw look at you two," I heard JT say and Eli sat up. I turned my head and watched as Eli tried to grab the camera from JT. It was amusing to see them wrestle around and I looked to the doorway as Alex leaned in. JT quickly pinned Eli down to the ground and held out the camera to Alex before letting Eli up. Alex looked at the picture and smiled. 

"You guys almost look like twins." 

I held my hand out and he gave me the camera. Eli sat down beside me to look. "We kinda do." 

"You caught me. I told you to stay in an extra year so I could make sure you wouldn't be born into a family of crazies." 

"So much for that." 

"I know right? There was just nothing I could do; I'm sorry." 

"Well I feel positively loved right now," JT said and rolled his eyes, taking his camera back. "Now to put this on the internet." 

"Dude, that will guarantee me no dates this year," Eli said seriously. 

"Nah, girls like that adorable stuff. Trust me; if I see a guy treat his sister well, I automatically know he's trustworthy." 

"You think so?" 

"Of course. Plus it will weed out all the slutty girls since they'll know I'm watching out for my little brother." I patted his cheek and he pushed me sideways before getting up and moving to his room. Alex and JT looked at each other before looking at me. "What?" 

"You're good with him," Alex said. 

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I am; he's my little brother." 

"You never fight with him, either," JT pointed out. 

"He doesn't try to tell me what to do." I got up from my bed and brushed past them. I popped my head into Eli's room. "Want any eggs?" 

"Yup." He didn't look away from the screen and I walked towards the stairs, Alex and JT following me. 

"Look, I don't want sex right now because I kinda want to be loved first, you know, so you can chill out." I opened the fridge door and pulled out the carton of eggs, milk, and cheese. 

"House parties are not where you find love, Holly," Alex told me, him and JT sitting at the bar. 

I tried to keep an open mind, determined to not fight with them since apparently Eli always heard us. "I get that. I only went there because it was my one chance to try and scope out any newcomers in the area. Guys who haven't met you guys yet and aren't terrified of being around me." 

"You need to keep all areas of your body clothed at all times." 

"Okay. I'll not do it again." Except with that one skirt, I added silently. But I wouldn't wear it anywhere I'd get caught again, so I had nothing to worry about. "You guys want eggs?" I had already cracked three for Eli and two for me. 

"Can you fry me two instead of scrambling them?" Alex asked me. 

"Sure. JT, you want your four?" He nodded and I went back to cracking eggs and mixing the milk and cheese in. I got the margarine out of the refrigerator and turned the stove on, letting it some melt and coat the pan. I made Alex's first. "Runny or not?" 

"Runny." I let it cook until the white was fully solid and the orange/yellow wasn't shiny from being raw anymore. I moved them over onto a plate and sat it in front of him. "Thanks." He got up to pour himself some milk. 

"Mhm." I poured our eggs into the pan and leaned a hip against the counter as I moved the spatula around the bottom of the pan to make sure it didn't burn. I turned the stove off about ten minutes later and walked towards the stairs and yelled, "Eli, come eat!" I walked back in and distributed the eggs onto three plates, setting JT's in front of him. I pulled my favorite cup down from the cabinet, pouring milk in it and adding the strawberry syrup. 

"Smells good," Eli commented, walking in and giving me a kiss on the cheek, taking the plate with more eggs on it. "Thanks, Sis." 

I smiled and turned to the other counter to face the boys as they ate. "We should go to the park since the rain is gone. We can eat..." I looked at the clock that read eleven. "We can eat dinner there and feed ducks." 

JT and Alex looked at each other. "We're over 21, I'm pretty sure we've outgrown feeding ducks," JT told me. 

"Well then Eli and I will feed ducks and you guys can watch." 

Alex turned to our little brother. "Eli?" 

"Sounds good. What're we eating for dinner?" he asked me. 

"I don't know. I could make like, chicken salad sandwiches or something." 

"Hmmm. I like you when you're like this," JT said, taking his last bite and taking his plate to the sink. "Maybe we can get her to cook for us the rest of the week and get some variety." 

"Hey, Alex isn't a bad cook." I really didn't want to be volunteered into cooking every meal. 

"Of course not. He cooks the normal stuff fine, but maybe I can talk you into cooking something new." 

"Uhh... Let's just be happy with Alex's cooking. I'm not going to fall into that 'woman's work' thing you're spinning in your head." 

"I would never." He hugged me from the side. "I only objectify and stereotype other women." 

"Well that's... good?" I looked at Alex and he lifted his eyebrows as if to say "I always told you he was the perfect example of bad guys." JT kissed my cheek and I felt the cold metal of his snakebites. "Alex, what would you do if I got snakebites, too?" 

All three boys paused. "Why would you want them?" 

"You say that like they're a bad thing," JT accused. 

Alex leveled him with a look. "If you came in asking me for a job I would turn you down, JT. You look totally unprofessional." 

"I'm twenty-one, not thirty. I don't care if I look unprofessional." 

Eli and I shared a smile as we heard our two brothers argue for the first time in years. Alex caught my smile. "You shouldn't get them. Your nose piercing looks fine, but I'd advise against any more piercings." 

"Hmm." I looked down at my plate as I kept smiling. "I'm getting my bellybutton pierced." 

"No you're not," JT and Alex said and I bit my lip to not laugh, looking back up. 

"Well darn, looks like I'll have to get pierced somewhere unseen so I won't be lectured over it." All three set of eyes looked down from my face and I blushed, crossing my arms over my chest to get them to look away. JT moved his arm away from me and Alex pushed back his barstool to stand up. Eli just looked back up to my face, unashamed. 

"We can leave around four," Alex said as he turned to go into the office that had once been our father's but now functioned as the place he kept all contact info in files for his valet service. "If you need any help, just ask." JT had already moved outside towards the pool and that left me with Eli. 

"I sure know how to clear out a room." 

"Were you serious?" 

"Of course not. That would hurt way too much." His eyes glanced down again. "There's something wrong with you," I told him. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You just look down and aren't even ashamed." 

"Well, no. If women are going to wear clothes that show them, it's only natural for guys to look. JT and Alex just freak out because they don't want to consider themselves the same as the guys they beat off of you." 

"What about you?" I uncrossed my arms and leaned against the counter. 

He shrugged. "You have breasts, Holly. Wouldn't you be insulted if I didn't look?" 

I considered that. "Alright, don't look at other women's breasts or they might slap you. That's all I'm gonna say. Now, I have to go to the store and pick up some chicken; you want to go take a shower and go with me?" 

"Sure." He drank the last of his milk, sat everything in the sink, and walked upstairs. I ran water over our dishes before going upstairs to the bathroom Alex and I shared. JT and Eli shared the other one, and we left our parents' room and bathroom alone downstairs. 

Halfway into my shower there came a knock on the door. "What?" 

The door opened a little. "Eli locked the door and I have to use the bathroom," JT told me. "Can I come in?" 

I turned my back to the clear shower curtain. "Sure." The door opened more and I heard it close behind him. A minute later he flushed the stool and the water went hot, making me scream and jump out of the water. 

"Are you okay?" he turned towards the shower. 

I quickly turned around again. "Yeah, the water just went like scalding hot for a second. Alex never came in here while I was in the shower, so I didn't know it would do that." 

The water turned on in the sink for a minute and I made sure to stay out of the water. Once I heard the door open and close again I finished showering. I had just turned the water off when there came a knock again. "What?" I stepped out of the shower, wrapping my towel around me. 

"Did I leave my phone in there?" 

I rolled my eyes and picked up the phone, opening the door. "Here." 

He looked down like he had in the kitchen before taking his phone. "Thanks." 

"Mhm. Now move so I can get to my room." He stepped aside and I walked past him. "Eli and I are going to the store, do you need anything?" I paused at my door and turned to look at him. 

"Alex has a list on the fridge." 

"Okay." I closed the door and quickly got dressed in a sundress and flats. I was just brushing my hair when a knock came at my door. "Come in." 

Eli walked into my room and sat down on my bed, watching me tug the brush through the knots in my hair. "You know, it would be a lot simpler if you cut it off." 

I widened my eyes and looked up at him. "If you even come near me with scissors I will take them away and cut off something much more precious to you." 

He held up his hands. "Hey, it was just a suggestion. Don't go ruining your chance at nieces and nephews." 

"I always have two other brothers to provide me with those." 

"Be serious. If you get any from JT they'll be bastard children. And Alex... I'm pretty sure taking care of us ruined his want of children." 

I finished brushing my hair and grabbed my keys and phone. "True. I guess I'll just stab your game system or something instead. Come on." 

He followed me downstairs where I grabbed the list off the fridge and looked into Alex's office. "Eli and I are going to the store. Do you need anything other than what's on the list?" 

He jumped and looked away from his computer. "I'm good. Drive carefully." 

"I always do." 

- 

"What are you doing?" I asked my little brother as he walked down the aisle of contraceptives. I paused and watched as he grabbed a package of condoms before walking back to me and putting them in the basket. I just stared at the box. "You did not just get condoms with your sister present. What the hell is wrong with you, Eli?" 

"They're just-in-case-condoms. Half are for you, half are for me. I don't want you pregnant or end up with STDs if you continue trying to find someone." He tugged on the basket to get me moving again. 

"And what about your half? I know you aren't sleeping around like JT. I will personally beat your ass if you start that shit." I eyed him as he grabbed soap off the shelf and I marked it off the list. 

"I'm not. I told you that they're just in case. They're mostly for you anyways." 

I didn't say anything else as we finished off the list and felt like dying when the cashier looked at us both as she rang up the condoms. As we walked back towards the car, a familiar voice yelled my name and I turned to see Michael jogging towards me. He slowed and eyed Eli who'd started putting the bags in the trunk. 

"Is he your brother?" 

"Yeah, my little brother actually." I looked back and smiled as Eli looked up at us. 

"How many do you have?" 

"Other than the man whore you met at the party, I have one other older brother. He's more of a guardian to us three though." I could see the wary expression as he continued to glance at Eli. "Eli won't hurt you. He's not as over protective as JT." 

"Good. So, ah, would you like to go out some time?" He raised a hand to the back of his neck, and I smiled at his nervous tick. 

"I'd love to, Michael. We'd have to meet somewhere though because I live with my brothers." 

"Right." He seemed to debate something in his mind. "How about tonight?" 

"I can't tonight; I have plans with them already. But tomorrow?" 

"Tomorrow is good, too. Caroline's at seven?" 

My eyes widened at the mention of the town's nicest sit-down restaurant. "Sounds great. I'll see you then." 

"Alright, well, I have to go; I'll see you tomorrow, Holly." He smiled at me before backing away and turning to go towards the store. 

"I've met him before," Eli told me as I turned back to the car and he started pushing the shopping cart to the corral. "That's Allan's cousin." 

"Allan—your dorky friend who helped you with that English project last year?" 

"Yup. He and Allan never got along because he'd tease Allan for being a virgin." 

We both got in the car and I looked over at him as I started it. "Are you seriously trying to be like JT right now?" 

"What? I'm letting you draw your own conclusions. I'm just telling you he's been around a bit and likes to brag." 

I rolled my eyes and backed out. "He doesn't seem like the bragging type." 

"I know. I almost didn't recognize him because of the way he was talking to you actually." 

I sat in silence for a moment. "I'm not going to have sex with him. If there's anything off about him when we have dinner tomorrow, I'll not go out with him again." 

"Okay. It's your choice, sis. Just humor me and take a couple condoms with you tomorrow." 

- 

"Run! It's a demon duck!" I hurried and jumped up onto the cement picnic table as a tall white goose ran at me, honking and hissing. Eli stepped up beside me and pelted the offending animal with bread. I heard JT and Alex laughing from the blanket we'd laid out a little while away and stuck out my tongue at them. 

Alex pushed himself up and came towards us, ignoring the flock surrounding the table as they scattered away from him. "Come on, come eat. JT is getting grumpy from hunger." He held out a hand to me and I took it, eyeing the demonic animal that was now hissing at the surrounding ducks. Alex helped me off the table, and Eli jumped down as he led me back to the blanket. 

"You're such a little kid," was the greeting I received from JT. I kicked his leg as he looked up at me from behind aviators before sitting down beside him. 

"It's not my fault you're getting old and losing your ability to have fun." 

"I don't think he has a problem with fun, Holly," Eli put in as he sat on my other side and I nudged him. 

"You're not much of a help, Eli. Cross that—you're kinda worthless in being on my side. I evict you from my team." I stuck my tongue out again as JT grinned at me. 

Eli shrugged and grabbed a wrapped chicken salad sandwich. "Once I'm off the team, I'm not coming back." 

I watched him take a bite of the sandwich I'd made. "Okay, I take it back. You're not evicted. I don't want to be a single-person team." 

"I'll be on your team, especially if you make dinner more." JT bit down on his own sandwich and I grabbed one from the stack before they ate all ten that I'd made. 

"I don't want you on my team. You're even worse than Eli. You'd try to overthrow me as ruler." 

"You could just assimilate into ours and then there'd be no problem." Alex smiled at me from across the circle we'd made around the picnic basket. 

"Psh. I will never give in. As long as I have Eli by my side, I will eventually prevail over you two." 

"I thought you said I was worthless." 

I looked at my little brother and ruffled his hair. "I have to keep you oppressed so you don't overthrow me." He caught my wrist and pushed it away. 

"It's a nice day," Alex said as the only other family who'd been in the park left. 

I finished off my sandwich and pushed out my legs behind Eli to lie down, putting my head on JT's thigh. "We should go camping this summer." 

"You hate the outdoors," JT said as he grabbed seconds. 

"But I've always wanted to stay in a tent. I'd rough it a couple days to be able to say I have." 

"When are you wanting to do this?" Alex asked me and I turned my head to face him. 

"How about next week?" 

He pondered this for a couple seconds. "I have to help with work on Monday, but we could go Tuesday through Friday. Patrick can take care of the minor jobs while we're gone." 

"I'm excited now." I closed my eyes and smiled at the sky. 

- 

I was happy that JT had left early for the evening and Alex was working when six-thirty rolled around the next day. I was putting the finishing touches on my eye shadow when Eli plopped himself down on my bed. 

"So where do they think you are?" 

"Not sure. I suppose they'll think I'm at Amy's." I turned around in the mirror, checking myself from all angles in my dress. It was little and black, the loose hem cutting off mid-thigh, and covered every inch of cleavage despite being strapless. It was pretty in a non-slutty way, I thought, and hopefully encouraging to a second date. 

"You're not going to tell them you're going somewhere?" 

I stopped turning to face him and put my hands on my hips. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. Besides, you know where I am. If I don't come home tonight, I was raped, kidnapped, or murdered. I have no intention on losing it on a first date, so expect me home." 

He considered this and motioned me forward. I stepped up beside him and his hand slid around to my back, my skin tingling as he touched my bare skin at the top. "You had some of your hair stuck in your dress," he explained and dropped his hand. "You look beautiful. Have fun, Holly." 

I backed up a little as he stood up and dropped a kiss to my forehead. "If you were a girl, you'd look like me. You have to say I'm beautiful." 

He laughed and hugged me. "So I'm conceited, screw me." 

I smiled and pulled away to grab my keys, phone, ID, and check card—everything I need to go anywhere. "Thanks, Eli. I'll come see you when I get home." 

"Holly," was what Michael said when I walked into the restaurant. His eyes took every part of me in as he took my hand and kissed it like in silly movies. "You look amazing," he told me as the hostess led us to a table in the corner. 

"You look pretty amazing yourself." I smiled at him as we sat down and someone came by to take our drink orders. It was easy to make conversation with him about where he was from, the classes we both would be taking, likes and dislikes... 

That was, until right after we got our food and he said, "Hey that guy keeps watching at us. Do you know him?" 

I glanced where he was looking and was happy I hadn't turned my head as Alex didn't seem to have fully decided if it was me or not yet. "Yup. That would be my brother Alex. Let's not act like we see him." 

"Does he not know you're out with me?" 

I bit my lip and gave him an apologetic smile. "My little brother does. He knows you though, and he doesn't think you're an axe murderer." 

"He knows me?" 

"Mhm. Eli? He said your cousin and him were friends." 

"Oh." He studied my face, and I decided Eli was telling the truth and Michael was probably trying to decide what exactly I knew. 

"Don't worry. I draw my own conclusions." 

He seemed eased by that and when we finished eating and paid, he asked if I'd like to go and take a walk along the beach. As we stood to go, I saw Alex watching us again and made the mistake of looking over. Right as we walked out the door he stood up and an "excuse me" was mouthed. 

"Michael, I'll get my car later." I opened the passenger door of the car he'd unlocked and got in as he nodded. Just as we were backing out I saw Alex walk out the door. He had a tie on, meaning it was a business deal, and he looked determined. Too bad he wouldn't see me until later. 




A Broken Family Ch. 02



- 

"So three brothers. That had to be crazy growing up." 

"It was." The wind blew my hair and I smiled up at the stars, one hand holding my shoes, the other in Michael's. "My parents aren't alive anymore and Alex stepped up as our parent. JT I think has kinda tried to be a second parent to me, but I don't listen too well. Eli and I are close though. He still feels like my normal little brother." 

"What happened to your parents?" He looked over at me, his gaze gentle, as if afraid he wasn't supposed to ask. 

"They were murdered." He squeezed my hand and I squeezed back. "I was fourteen. They still don't know who it was. But I know they're watching over me right now, and I'm okay. My brothers are all I need as family for now." 

"For now?" 

"Well, I mean, maybe someday I could have a family of my own. That would be nice." 

"You seem like you have your life figured out, Holly." It was his turn to look up at the stars as he pulled us to a stop, pulling me in front of him. 

"Not really. Wishful thinking is all I've ever had." I looked up with him. 

"You're beautiful." I looked back at him at the lowly voiced words to see him watching me. He placed his hands on my hips, checking my reaction before leaning forward and kissing me. It was sweet and he pulled away after a couple seconds, wrapping his arms around me. I stepped forward and laid my head against his chest and watched the waves coming in. 

"I like how comfortable I am with you." 

"Maybe it's because we're a lot alike." It was true. I'd pointed it out earlier as we learned we liked the same music, TV, and just general topics of discussion. 

"Maybe." He pulled me back and kissed me again, this time a little firmer. He was a good kisser and I had no complaints until after a few minutes his hands slipped down closer to my ass, and I pulled away. "I'm not having sex with you." 

His hands returned to my waist. "I'm not asking you to. What happened to drawing your own conclusions?" 

"I just want you to know. I'm not ready for that." 

"I understand." He kissed my forehead and pulled me to walk again. 

- 

When we finally got back in his car and he took me back to the restaurant to get my car, the parking lot was thinner and my car was gone. "Where do you think it is?" 

"Alex probably took it home to make sure I knew we're talking about me going out without his permission." 

"You are over eighteen, right?" His expression made me smile as it showed his fear that he'd tried to seduce an underage girl. 

"I am. But I live under his roof. It's hard to explain. He's kinda worse than a father." 

"Ah." His face relaxed. "So would you like me to take you home?" 

"That would be nice, thanks." 

I told him where I lived and as we pulled up, the entire house was dark, but every car was home. Well this wasn't intimidating at all. Why wasn't JT out at least? 

Michael started to unbuckle and I touched his hand. "It's probably best if you don't walk me to my door. I want to keep you out of the line of fire. But thank you for tonight. I enjoyed it." I leaned in and gave him one last kiss before getting out and walking quickly to the door, fear of scary things in the open night still entered my thoughts at eighteen. 

I tried to silently unlock the door and close it behind me, and I felt that I had succeeded as I heard nothing and stepped up onto the stairs. I relaxed and continued another step when a hand caught my ankle and I screamed. 

"How nice of you to return at a decent hour, Holly," Alex said from down below and flicked the entranceway light on. I looked down at JT who had a hold of my ankle and wondered where Eli was. 

"I didn't have sex." I sounded guilty, automatically putting up a defense, but I wanted to talk myself out of things as quickly as possible. 

"You're awfully quick to say that," JT pointed out and I kept my gaze even on his as he let go of my ankle. 

"Even if I was lying, you wouldn't know for sure." His eyes dipped down to the hem of my dress, and I snapped my fingers in his face. "My eyes are up here. Or are you too drunk to tell your sister from a conquest right now?" 

"He's sober, Holly. Don't talk to JT like that." Alex took a hold of my wrist, and I closed my eyes as he pulled me towards the living room. 

"So what will the lecture be this time? I'm fully dressed, my ass is covered if I lean over, my cleavage isn't showing, and I made the choice to not have sex. What on earth did I do wrong now?" Alex pushed me down onto the couch and I looked up at him and JT. 

"You are supposed to let me know where you are so I don't worry." 

"I planned to be home before twelve, which is what Eli's curfew is so I didn't feel it would be a problem. Besides, Eli knew where I was." They both looked at each other. "Ah. My bad. I figured you would have beaten it out of the poor boy." 

"I have never laid a hand on Eli." Alex's voice was ice, but I smiled. 

"All the same. I did nothing, I promised Eli I would be home, and here I am. You're welcome to come and smell me for signs of sex, but I promise nothing happened." I wanted to laugh as JT actually stepped forward, but Alex put an arm out in front of him. 

"Go upstairs. Next time you need to tell me when you're going out." I stood up and he held our even gazes together. "Tomorrow we're going to pack if you're still wanting to camp on Tuesday." 

"I do." I looked over at JT who wasn't showing his signs of anger like usual. Actually, neither was really angry; it was a little unsettling. "Well, I'll see you guys in the morning." I quickly left and took off my shoes before taking the stairs this time. 

I knocked on Eli's door as hushed voices started downstairs and he pulled me in before shutting it again. "Way to sell me out, Holly." 

"Way to eavesdrop, Eli." I ruffled his hair and he stepped away from me. 

"Hard not to whenever I hear a scream. What the hell happened?" 

"JT grabbed my ankle when I tried to sneak up the stairs. Scared the shit out of me." I sat down on his bed beside him and leaned into him. "Now I'm tired from my nerves jumping." 

"It's a good thing you didn't have sex then. You might have died when the rest of your energy was zapped." 

"Thanks for visualizing me dying. You're not supposed to know what sex is like. If I can't, you can't." 

"I already did." 

"Even more reason for why I should hate you three." 

"They're going to come up here and get on to me for lying to them earlier when they asked if I knew you were going out. I should hate you." 

"Then I'll sleep in here and keep the evil men away." I poked his side and he pushed me away from him. "But for real, Eli. I've got your back. I'll stay in here with you, and they can talk to me if they've got a problem." 

"Thanks." He pulled back the sheets and patted the bed. "Go ahead and get in." 

"I have to go change and wash the beach off my feet. I'll be back in like two minutes." I hopped up and did as I said, returning a few minutes later as Alex walked up the stairs. He looked at me as I walked into Eli's room, and a minute after I'd closed the door there was a knock on it. 

"Come in," Eli called as he lay down on top of the covers beside me, flicking on the lamp. 

"You are not to follow your sister's example, no matter how much she sweet talks you." 

"Is that what you call sweet talk? Man, I thought sweet talk would actually be nice." He grinned at Alex, but Alex didn't smile back as he flicked on the light. 

"I'm not joking. Holly, get back to your own bed. You two are too old to be sleeping together." 

"We're brother and sister, Alex. Get over it and stop being a pain. I'm comfortable and not getting up." I rolled over and put my back to them. 

"Holly. I'm not kidding." 

"If I ever slept with you and made you feel less lonely would you stop being a pain?" 

I heard him walk around the bed and he crouched down right before my face. "Get your ass out of this bed, or I will carry you to your room and spank you." 

"You don't intimidate me, Alex. You annoy me." He flipped back the covers and put his arms under my knees and shoulders, picking me up. "Sorry, Eli. If JT bothers you, tell him to fuck off. Goodnight," I called as Alex walked us into my room. 

He dropped me onto my bed and rolled me over, quickly landing four smacks onto me. "Fuck, Alex, get a hold on your temper why don't you." I rubbed my ass and sat up to glare at him. 

"You need to start acting your age." His brown eyes were darker because of his frustration. 

"I try to act my age, but I'm not allowed. Tell me, do most girls wait until they're eighty to date and have sex?" 

"Stop acting like a smart ass." 

"I'm not. I'm smart-minded and red-assed right now. But not smart-assed. That would make no sense." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Seriously, there's nothing wrong with me sleeping in Eli's bed." 

"It looks bad." 

"Well no one sees us, so I don't see the problem." 

"It can cause dependency and you need to be able to lead separate lives." 

I looked at him with this 'are you shitting me' look. "Stop reading parenting magazines, please." 

"It doesn't matter where the words come from, Holly. You need to stop." 

"You're like a broken record in my life, always saying stop and don't do this or that. I want an I love you and you're a good sister. I get that from Eli and try to protect him from you two ripping him to shreds," I nodded at JT as he came to stand in my doorway. "I did nothing wrong tonight and he let me make a choice for myself without involving you two, which I appreciate greatly. He's grown up and not being a tattle tale. Be proud. I'm able to go on dates and not fuck everything in sight like JT. Be even more proud." I held up a hand as JT started to protest, his anger coming out now, too. "I don't want to hear it. Get out of my fucking room." 

JT turned and walked away, but Alex stood there a second longer. "You are a good sister and I love you, but I want you safe even more." 

"Please stop trying to be a father. I don't need that anymore, Alex." I pulled back my sheet and pulled it down over me, putting my back to Alex. A moment later the light went out and he shut my door. 

- 

A sharp coldness registered on my cheek and I jerked to alertness, finding a hand holding an ice cube to my cheek. I knocked it away and sat up, rubbing my eyes before looking at JT who was sitting on the edge of my bed. "Why the hell did you wake me up at...?" I looked at the clock, "Nine AM?" 

"Alex decided we'd go camping early. So get up, pack clothes, come down and help us pack everything else, and we'll head out to the store to pick up everything else." 

"What happened to him needing to be at work tomorrow?" 

"He said he'd just call and check in on Patrick. I don't know." He got up and walked towards the door and turned around. "But really, get up." 

"I am." I rubbed my eyes one more time and stretched before standing up out of bed. JT nodded; satisfied his job was done, he walked towards his room. 

I hurried and shoved my two swim suits, five changes of clothes, and a couple pairs of PJs in my bag. Satisfied I was packed, I hurried across to the bathroom, finding Alex shaving inside. I paused in the doorway and he leaned away from his razor. "What?" 

"I want to shower." I tilted my head. "Don't look at the curtain." I proceeded to step into the shower and strip down, throwing my clothes out before starting the shower. 

"I would have been done in a couple minutes." 

"I'm not one for waiting." I stood under the water, wetting my hair and waking up. The water in the sink started running as he washed the excess shaving cream off his face. 

"Well, come down and help once you're done." 

"I will." As soon as the door was shut I moved around and started washing my hair and body. Ten minutes later I was awake, clean, and wrapping a towel around me. I hurried across to my room and dressed in a tank top, shorts, and chucks, pulling my hair into a pony tail so it was out of my way. I grabbed my makeup and travel shower kit and stuffed those into my bag, too, before picking it up and dragging it down the stairs with me. 

"Eli, Alex, JT," I called into the seemingly empty house. 

"I'm in here," Eli's voice came from the kitchen and I saw him packing food into an ice chest, marking things off a list as he did. 

"Where's the other two?" 

"Alex is hunting down the two tents in the garage. JT might still be upstairs." 

"Oh okay. Need help?" 

"Sure." He ripped off the bottom half of the list and I set to work on it. Five minutes later, we had our part done as Alex walked in from the garage. 

"Find the tents?" I asked. 

"Sure did." He dropped two boxes onto the table. "Do you mind sharing a tent with me?" I looked at Eli. "Or you could share with Eli." 

"I don't care." I closed the lid to the ice chest and snapped the latch. "Ask JT who he wants to share with." 

"I want to share with the girl to be the less gay." 

"You're not sharing with her." Alex looked his brother up and down, and I wondered at the exchange as JT ignored him. 

"I'll share with the little one then." He flicked Eli's ear, and Eli slapped at his hand, real irritation showing at the gesture. 

"Maybe we should put him with himself," Eli muttered, picking up the ice chest and walking out the door with it. 

- 

"I don't know how to put this thing up." I sat on the ground with instructions in my hand and the tent pieces splayed out in front of me. Alex sat down the ice chest he was carrying and walked over, lowering himself down onto the ground beside me. 

He took the paper from me and started putting things together as I just watched on. After a few minutes he handed it back to me and pointed at the rope and spades. "Stick those into the ground and tie the tent down." 

He went back over and pulled other ice chests from the back end of his truck, while JT and Eli both messed around with their tent. Apparently Alex was the only one old enough to remember putting tents up when Mom and Dad were around. 

I quickly secured the tent and went and found our sleeping blankets and pillows, putting them in the tent along with our bags. By this time, Alex had wandered over and was helping the other two put their tent up. I just watched and plucked at the grass as I sat in front of Alex's and my tent. 

"I'm hungry." Eli plopped down beside me as the other two secured the other tent. 

"Go make a sandwich. We packed the stuff." 

"I'm a little too lazy for that." We sat and watched them finish with the tent. "He's going to do something terrible to me tonight." 

I laughed. "He will not. I'll threaten him to make him behave though if you'd like." 

He looked down at me. "What could you threaten him with, Holly? You're this little thing compared to him. I'm kinda small compared to him." 

"Good point. Ask Alex to say something." 

"Ask Alex to say what?" Alex came over and tugged on the ropes I'd tied to check them. 

"Make sure JT doesn't do anything to Eli during the night." I watched him pull on each one before coming to stand in front of us. 

"Come on, JT's not that childish anymore." Eli and I looked at each other. "Okay, I'll say something." 

- 

I poked the fire again as the guys told scary stories and roasted marshmallows, having had my fill already. "JT, your story doesn't make sense." 

"Your face doesn't make sense, Holly. Shut up." 

I raised an eyebrow at him before returning my eyes to the fire. "I'm tired. I'm going to go lay down." I tossed my stick aside and got up. "Night, Eli," I hugged him and kissed his head. "Night, JT, leave my little brother alone," I hugged him, too, and walked towards the tent. 

I tugged down my jean shorts and pulled on some pajama shorts instead before crawling in my sleeping bag and listening to the dull murmur of their voices. It was a chilly night and I was starting to wish I'd stayed outside with the fire when I heard shuffling and the light that used to be coming from the fire went out. A minute later there was a zipper sound and Alex crawled into the tent. 

"You still awake?" 

I rolled over to look at his shadow and he sat down right beside me on his sleeping bag. "Mhm. Thanks for taking us camping." 

I saw the outline of his smile as he unbuttoned his shorts. "No problem, Holls." He shoved them down, tugged off his shoes, and then lifted up to get into his sleeping bag. "Goodnight." 

We lay in silence for what had to of been ten minutes. "Alex?" 

"Yes?" 

"I can't sleep." 

"I thought you were tired." 

"I am. I'm not used to you being beside me." 

"Eli sleeps beside you and you have no problem." 

"Eli's like a teddy bear. He's different." 

I heard him roll over and I turned to face him, too. "Then think of me like a teddy bear, too." 

"You're not like a teddy bear." 

"How is Eli then?" 

"Well, he cuddles you know? And he's so very un-intimidating." 

"I'm intimidating?" There was a smile in his voice. 

"Just a little bit." 

"I'm sorry. I don't try to be." 

"Sure you don't." I yawned. 

"So cuddle up to me and go to sleep." A hand came up and pushed on my back, so I scooted closer to him and laid my head on his shoulder. "Better?" 

"Kind of." He wrapped an arm around me and I curled mine in between us. It was different. His heart beat sounded different and his arm was bigger. I tried to not focus on the differences though, tried to think it was just Eli, and eventually fell asleep. 

- 

I woke up to a bird chirping right outside our tent. It was bad enough when they did that outside your window, but in a tent, there was absolutely nothing holding back the noise. I frowned and willed the stupid thing to go away, not willing to open my eyes to the light just yet. Alex shifted and pulled me back into his body more. I opened my eyes finally when I felt his breath on my neck giving me chills. 

It wasn't very bright, probably only eight or so in the morning, putting me at about six hours of sleep, and I sighed. The arm wrapped around me had a watch on its wrist and I twisted it so I could read the time. 7:58. He twisted his arm out of my grip and pulled me against him tighter, nuzzling his head into my neck. 

"Alex," I whispered. He didn't move, so I gently picked up his hand to put it behind me so I could get up. I jumped as it pulled from me and came to lay not even a centimeter from my breast. I just stared at it and wondered if I should just wake him up. I heard a zipper sound and looked up to see JT's face peeking in. 

"Damn it." 

"What are you doing, JT?" 

"You wouldn't let me mess with the kid, so I figured I'd mess with you two." His eyes were zeroed in on where mine had been seconds before. 

Alex started stirring behind me as JT had made no move to keep his voice low. The hand removed itself from me and soon Alex's warmth disappeared from my back. "What the fuck are you doing, JT?" 

I sat up and looked at him as the two stared at each other. I didn't get to hear Alex swear too frequently. "Like I just got done telling Holly, you wouldn't let me mess with the kid, so I figured I'd mess with you two." 

Alex checked his watch and ran a hand down his face. "Well go away. I want another hour or two of sleep." He dropped back and put an arm over his face. 

JT looked over at me, running his eyes over me before meeting my eyes and rezipping the tent. I fell back and Alex moved his arm off his face. "Sorry about that. I'm not used to anyone sleeping beside me." He put his arm back. 

I just looked at him and realized how lonely he must really be since taking over caring for us. Because of course no woman would want that kind of baggage since she wouldn't get to be a carefree newlywed. I bit my lip and reached over and hugged him. "It's okay. You should go out and date, Alex. We're all grown up now; you don't have to sacrifice anything anymore." 




A Broken Family Ch. 02



"I don't need to date, Holly. I'm happy. It's just a different type of happiness. I don't want to go out and get married and have kids because I feel like I've already done that. And I didn't sacrifice anything for you okay? I don't want you feeling guilty for anything. I wanted to have you guys because I didn't want us split up." He put his arms around me and squeezed. 

I pressed my face into his chest and mumbled, "Promise that if you find a girl you like you'll consider dating her?" 

He laughed and I looked up at him. "Sure. I'll consider it, Holly." 

I didn't like his sarcasm—I wasn't used to him using it. "I mean it." 

"I know." He smiled at me, but his eyes didn't hold the light of it. "I'm going back to sleep, okay?" He let his arms slip from me, but I stayed where I was and lay my head on his chest. 

- 

"Let's go swimming," I announced after we'd eaten our breakfast. 

Alex looked over the cliff at the waves and nodded. "Okay. Let's go to the other side though where it'll be calmer." He headed back towards the tent and said over his shoulder, "I'm going to change, then you can." 

So Eli and I waited as JT and Alex changed in the tents. "JT snores." 

I laughed at Eli's depressed tone and looked at him. "I'm sorry?" 

"I want to trade Alex." His mouth was set in a frown which made me laugh more. 

"You can ask." 

"Don't you want to share a tent with me?" 

I thought about it a moment. "I'd love to, but Alex doesn't bother me or anything. Just ask him if he'll switch." I looked over at the tent as Alex crawled out. He looked over at us and nodded toward the tent to tell me it was all mine. 

"He's not going to." I glanced over at Eli who was looking at our older brother as I got up. 

"What do you mean?" 

He shook his head and smiled up at me. "You saw how he was the other night." 

"He was just mad. Ask him if you want." I started walking towards the tent. Once in, I quickly changed into my two-piece despite knowing there'd probably be other guys down there and Alex would get mad. I was in a good place with him right now, so I might as well test my boundaries. I put my sunscreen on my stomach and chest before exiting and taking the bottle with me to get the rest. 

"Holly, go change into your other swim suit," JT told me as I exited and Alex turned to look at me. His face set into a grim line. 

"I didn't bring my other one," I lied. "Besides, it's just you guys. I'll be in the water down there if we see anyone else. Now, get my back for me?" I turned around in front of them and held the bottle out to the side. It was taken from me a second later. "Thanks." 

I jumped as the cold lotion touched my skin. "I'm not happy with you right now." Alex's statement was punctuated with a firmer touch as he rubbed the sunscreen into my back. 

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking?" 

"You were too. We're not idiots," JT commented from behind me as Eli walked over towards us. Eli himself tried to hide the small smile on his face as he saw mine. He knew I'd schemed my way into Alex letting me where my two piece without hearing the conversation. 

Alex handed me back the bottle and I put some on my arms before pouring some into my hand for my legs and offering it to Eli. "I'll make fun of you if you turn out red as a lobster." 

I finished with my legs as Eli handed it back to me and told me to get his back. I flicked his ear before stepping away and asking if the other two wanted any sunscreen on their backs before I washed my hands off. They both looked at Eli's back before pulling their shirts up and off. I got JT's first and then Alex's, wondering in how their muscles got more defined in age difference. 

"Alright, I'll be right back. Get the rest of yourselves." I pressed the bottle into JT's hand before walking towards the camp-site bathrooms. They weren't dirty with excretions, but spiders and their webs clung to 50% of the place and I quickly scrubbed the lotion off my hand before exiting quickly. 

"You know what you forgot," Eli said as I walked up. He started to put some sunscreen on his face and it dawned on me. 

"Get it for me? I don't want to have to go back in there. It has spiders all over." 

"Sure. Come here." He held my chin in his hand and rubbed it into my forehead, cheeks, and nose. "You should be good now." 

"Thanks," I hugged him without thinking and made a disgusted noise as I pulled away. "You're sticky." 

"That's generally what happens once you put this crap on. You're not so smooth and dry yourself." 

"Come on, you two," Alex called as he and JT started walking downhill towards the trail that led to the beach. JT carried an ice chest and Alex had four towels. 

"It sure is nice being the babies of the bunch. I bask in never having to carry or do anything," I mused to my little brother as we followed about twelve feet behind. 

"Because you're a girl. You have no idea how damaging it is to my ego to be called the baby of the family." 

I shrugged. "So become a girl? Or better yet, get a girl who inflates your ego with compliments all the time. I want a guy like that. I want to feel beautiful and amazing every day I'm with him." I smiled up at the sky at the thought. 

"I'm pretty sure I've never met a guy who doesn't ogle you. If that doesn't make you feel beautiful, I don't know what will." 

"Ah, thanks." I bumped his shoulder. "But for real, that's the kind of girl you need." 

"Nice theory. You're the only girl I've met who pays out compliments like they're water." 

"What can I say? I'm pretty freaking amazing." 

"I don't think you need a guy for that ego." 

"Shut up, Eli." 

"You two doing okay?" Alex called out as we started a rockier and steeper part. 

"Stay quiet and see if he freaks out," I whispered and giggled. Sure enough, Alex stopped and turned around, a frantic expression on his face. 

He met my eyes and narrowed his eyes. "That's not remotely funny." 

"I thought it was. You should have seen your face." I patted him on the cheek as we got even with him. He fell into step beside me and Eli sped up a little to get in front of us as there wasn't enough space for three people to walk side by side. 

I stumbled and Alex's hand came to hold onto my upper arm. He didn't let go until we reached the bottom. It was empty, which was probably because it was a Sunday morning and everyone was at church. JT set down the ice chest and Alex set the towels down on top. Eli and I headed towards the water after slipping off our shoes and the other two were right behind us. 

The water was warm, thank god, and I quickly went in until the water was to my shoulders. "I've missed this." I spun around in the water and brought my feet up, wading in the water. 

"We have a pool at home." JT swam in a circle around me. 

"Not the same. The lake isn't chemically enhanced. It's natural and just... I don't know. It's different. I like it." I splashed him. "Stop doing that. You're making me dizzy." 

He splashed me back and I swam towards him with the intention of dunking him. He stopped and stood up, grabbing me and throwing me across the water before I could even try to push him down. I managed a scream right before I went under, and came up sputtering a couple seconds later. 

"JT, you're a jerk!" I glared at him from ten feet away and Eli came up beside me. 

"Wanna get him back?" 

"How?" 

Eli's grin made me smile. "I say we swim under him and pull him under. I'll take one leg; you can have the other." I nodded and we turned to look at JT who was now standing and talking to Alex. 

"I'll get his right leg." I dived under and headed towards JT. I grabbed his leg and pulled hard, pride flowing through me when I felt him give in under Eli's and my hands. I came up quickly, my air supply having left and jumped when I opened my eyes to see Alex standing inches away from me. 

"You know he's going to get you two." He wasn't looking at me and I looked to the side to see Eli, JT coming up right behind him. He shook his head to get his hair off his face and narrowed his eyes at us. I quickly ducked behind Alex. "You can't use me as a body shield." 

I slapped at the hand that grabbed my arm to pull me from behind his back. "Please, Alex?" 

"But then Eli will take it all." 

"So?" I scrambled back behind him as he let go and JT came closer. 

"Chill out. I'm not going to get you now. I'll wait until you're unsuspecting." 

"Alex, make him play nice. Eli was helping me get him back for throwing me." 

"Sorry. As older brother, I'm supposed to help gang up on the younger siblings." 

I slapped his back. "You aren't the favorite anymore." 

- 

"I want to take a shower, but I'm afraid of the spiders." I sat looking at the bathrooms, having just got back from swimming. 

"You're turning twenty and you can't kill a couple spiders?" JT raised an eyebrow at me. 

"You want to come kill them for me? They're freaking huge." 

"I'm not going into the girl's bathroom." 

"Then kill the ones in the men's and I'll shower in there. But you have to keep watch for any guys coming in." 

"Like we'd really let any male within fifty feet of you showering." Alex sat down in the chair beside me and popped open his beer. I also never saw him drink except on holidays... 

"Want to come kill the spiders so I can shower?" I waited for him to answer as he took a long drink of his beer. 

"Sure. Go get your clothes and towel." 

A couple minutes later I walked into the guy's bathroom after Alex said he'd killed all the closest spiders. It looked like there were more spider webs in there than the girls', and I chalked it up to the fact that most men used the bathroom outdoors. 

"Stay inside the door in case one comes after me while I'm showering?" I turned and looked at him to get his answer. 

"Sure. Make it quick though. It's hot in here." I turned back around and was looking at the stall with the flimsy curtain rod, wondering where I should lay my clothes. "Here, I'll hold them until you need them." 

"Thanks, Alex." I hugged him as I put my clothes and towel in his hands. "I'll hurry." I pulled the pony tail out of my hair and shut the curtain before stripping down quickly. I started the water and wet my hair before rubbing shampoo in my hair and washing my body as fast as possible. I washed off and put conditioner in my hair as I watched a spider crawl dangerously close to my shower. It hit the edge of the tiled shower as soon as I shut off the water. 

"Alright, towel please." I stuck my hand out and was relieved when the fluffy thing was pressed into it. 

"That was fast." 

"You said to be quick. Plus there's a spider like three feet from me. Clothes?" I stuck out my towel and he took it before handing me my clothes. I quickly put on my bra, panties, and shirt, pulling on my shorts last and stepping out before fully buttoning them. I grabbed my clothes from the ground and faced him as I started walking towards the door and fastening my shorts. "Let's get out of here. There's a spider chasing me.



A Broken Family Ch. 03



"Why are you opposed to me sleeping in the same bed as Eli?" I asked Alex that night as we lay in silence again. I was curled into his side and listening to his heartbeat. 

"You're old enough that you two shouldn't need each other for comfort in a physical sense. It's just not right. Maybe if you'd just undergone some traumatic situation it'd be okay, but you haven't." 

"You're letting me use you as a teddy bear to sleep. How is this any different?" 

"I'm not Eli." 

"That doesn't make sense." 

"I'm older and I know what I'm doing. I also don't have to make sense." 

"Wait... You actually think Eli would try something on me?" I lifted up my head to look at his face even though I couldn't see anything but an outline. 

"I didn't say that, Holly. I just want to be careful is all." 

"Eli doesn't think of me like that. We talk about other girls for Christ's sake." 

"Okay." His voice told me he wasn't convinced. 

"You're way too overprotective; you know that? There aren't enough people asking for a death wish from you guys around here that you've started in on family." 

"That's not what I said." 

"You know what?" I sat up and searched blindly for the small flashlight I brought. "I'm sleeping in the other tent." 

"You're seriously overreacting. Lie back down and go to sleep." 

"No. I won't have you insinuating the one sane brother I have is interested in fucking me." 

He pulled me back down and I pushed at him. "I didn't say that, Holly Elizabeth. Stop being a brat, okay? Those two are probably already asleep." 

"Let me go, Alex. I'll sleep outside then." 

"No. If you're dead set on not sleeping beside me, I will sleep outside. I won't have you getting kidnapped." 

The fight went out of me at the thought of him getting kidnapped. "Let go." He did and I rolled over away from him. "Just go to sleep." 

"Are you mad at me?" I didn't say anything and he touched my arm. "Holly?" 

"Leave me alone." 

"If a pretty girl is in a guy's arms when they wake up with morning wood, everything's not always so black and white. That's all I meant by it. On normal circumstances, no, I do not think Eli would ever think of you that way. I'm just being realistic." I pushed his hand off my arm, but he took my hand in his before I could pull it away. "Holly, come here." 

"No. I won't have you thinking in gray when you wake up." 

"I won't have you going to sleep angry to wake up angrier." He tugged on my hand, and I rolled over to face him, knowing he'd keep being insistent. "One sane brother? How come he gets to be the sane one? I think I'm pretty damn sane." 

"Don't cuss. It sounds weird coming from you. It's like seeing a teacher at a bar." 

"Now you know how I feel about the thought of you with a man." 

"That's not something you get to be a part of the decision making for. I'm going to have sex sometime in the next two years. You're not stopping me." 

He was quiet a long time and I rolled back away from him. "Does this mean you're not angry anymore?" One of his arms went around my hips and pulled me back to him. 

"On one condition: you make the same promise and mean it tonight." 

"What promise?" 

"That if you meet a girl you like, you'll try for her." He nuzzled into the back of my neck and I poked his arm. "Alex." 

"I promise I will." He wrapped both arms around me and held me to him as he pressed a kiss to my neck that made my stomach flutter. I wondered if it was because of the darkness that made it feel differently and un-brotherly, and if he felt the same. "Goodnight." 

I hesitantly let my arm fall over his and closed my eyes. He squeezed me and I bit my lip. We both needed someone terribly. "Night, Alex." 

- 

"Oh my God, she's going to kill you, JT. You obviously don't know why she grew her hair out, do you?" 

"Because she wanted to look like all the skinny, long-haired sluts in our town?" 

"Mom always wanted her to." 

"Oh shit." There was scrambling around beside me and I finally pulled my head out of the dream that wasn't making sense anymore. JT held my shoulders down as I went to sit up and I frowned at him. 

"What's going on? What are you doing?" 

"I am so sorry, Holly. I didn't know. It's not much. Just like five inches on the right." 

"What are you talking about? Let me sit up, this ground isn't so amazing on your back." As soon as I sat up and noticed the lack of hair brushing against my elbow on the right, I knew. "You didn't. No. No." I felt tears well up and I shut my eyes, forcing my hands to stay by my sides. 

"It's only five inches. They'll grow back. Really. You can hardly tell." 

"I can tell, JT. I can't... I can't believe..." I trailed off in a whisper and heard more scrambling come into the tent. 

"Come here," Alex said and pulled me to him. He pushed my head to his shoulder and petted my recently cut hair. "JT, go help Eli get the marker off his face." 

"What did he do to Eli?" I asked once he was gone. 

"He drew a penis on his cheek and wrote penis lover on his forehead." 

"JT's a jerk." 

"I know." 

"Fix him." 

"You think I haven't tried?" 

I pressed my face to his chest and sighed. "I'm okay. It's just hair. I just... I can't believe he did that. You smell good, Alex." 

He hugged me closer to him. "You smell good, too. You always smell like apples and strawberries." 

"You are what you eat and wash with I guess. You know, at least he didn't write pussy lover on my face." I shivered. "Gross thought. I personally understand the beauty of women, but the idea of another woman's vagina is not for me." 

"Well, I guess you're okay." He removed his arms from me. "Get up and go eat breakfast." 

"Fine. Kick me out of your arms why don't you." I crawled off him and out of the tent. Eli was glaring at JT over the picnic table when I walked up. His face was red, but there was still a light gray outline of where the black marker had been. "I have astringent that will take that off." 

He looked over at me and scanned me, eyes alighting on the right side of my hair. "So he got you, too." 

"Yeah. Come on, I'll get this off your face." I tugged at his arm and he threw another dirty look at JT before following me back to the tent. "What did Alex say?" 

"Alex laughed his ass off along with JT." 

"Awh." I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged his side. "I won't laugh at you." I crouched down and went to unzip the tent, but Alex caught it on the other side. 

"Give me a minute, and you can have the tent." His voice sounded strange and I looked at Eli who had an equally strange look on his face. We sat there for a minute before Alex unzipped it and I leaned out of the way so he could crawl out. He was wearing different clothes, and I figured he had been changing. "All yours." 

I crawled in first and rummaged through my bag as Eli sat down beside me. "You're a liar. You have your other swim suit." 

"Hush. They don't need to know these things." I pulled out a cotton ball and the astringent. "Alright, close your eyes so the fumes don't hurt them." I had to rub it over the gray lines several times before they went away. 

"I heard your conversation with Alex last night." 

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be so loud. He just made me mad." 

"I could tell. Were you talking about me or JT?" 

"You of course. Would I ever call JT sane?" 

"Good point." He paused as I held his chin and scrubbed harder at a darker place. "I'm sorry if I ever make you uncomfortable." 

"You don't, Eli, shut up. Alex was just being stupid." I looked over his face, checking to make sure I got it all and he opened his eyes. "I think I got it all." 

"Thanks." He watched me put my things back how they were. "He had a point." 

"Who did?" 

"Alex. About how sometimes in the morning judgment can get clouded." 

"Don't tell me, you really do want to jump my bones." I rolled my eyes and looked at him when he didn't say anything, about to crawl out of the tent. "Eli, seriously." 

"You're beautiful, Holly." He brushed my hair behind my ear and I pulled away from his hand. 

"Thanks... Come on, I'm hungry." I crawled out first and Eli was right behind me. 

- 

We were playing poker and using pebbles as our chips when the sun started going down. Alex and I held the most and Eli was about to go out. "Since when were you good at this game," JT asked me. 

I smiled at him. "Amy showed me." I winked at Alex and Eli before looking back at him. "She wanted to make sure that if she chose me as her partner in strip poker we wouldn't lose." 

"She what?" JT's eyes seemed to pop out of his head. "Please tell me that's never happened." 

"Of course not—we win every time, which is why you and Alex don't stand a chance." 

"Holly Elizabeth Sparks, you had better be joking. If you've been playing strip poker, I will make your ass so red." 

"Promises, promises." I tossed two more rocks in and monitored how quiet it had gotten. Once Eli had tossed in his last two pebbles, I called. 

"Damn it to hell, Holly." JT glared at my cards. 

"Told you, we never lose." 

"Get up." He pushed himself off the ground and my eyes widened as he pulled up on my arm, forcing me up, too. He pulled me about five feet away before laying a hard swat onto my bottom. I yelped and he did it again, holding me in place with his arm across my stomach. 

"JT I was kidding!" I yelled as he laid the third and fourth on me. They stung, but it wasn't just that that was making my mind fuzzy. It felt kind of good, in a way I knew I shouldn't be feeling. He gave me another to make five and let me go. I stumbled and fell, rolling onto my back and putting an arm over my eyes in embarrassment. 

"Now you know what will happen if you ever do it for real then." 

"That wasn't necessary, JT." Eli dropped down beside me and pulled on my arm. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, contrary to what you'd think, JT kinda hits like a girl." I smiled up at my little brother. 

"You sure you're okay?" 

"Mhm." I sat up and smiled at the other two. "So who's going to lose next? Am I going to knock you out in order of increasing age?" 

Sure enough JT went out next, leaving Alex and I about even in chips. "So where did you learn to play?" Eli and JT had wandered off to take showers and we were alone. 

"Dad taught me a long time ago all the basics, but Drew and I used to play for extra cash." He tossed in about five pebbles and leveled his gaze with mine. It was dark and we had the lamp out which cast shadows on his face. 

"I don't like playing in the dark. I can't see if you're bluffing." 

"Please, I have a fantastic poker face." He cracked a grin. 

"No you don't. How do you think I've won so many times? I can read all three of you like looking at myself in a mirror." I decided to chance it and tossed in five to match him before calling. He had four of a kind and I had three. 

He started dealing out the next hand. "You are aware that if you ever do play the strip version of this game, it won't be JT's girl swings that paddle your ass. In fact, I'd be even inclined to buy a sturdy wooden board to get the point across." 

I smiled despite the threat. "I'm not going to do that, but thanks for the heads up." 

"I'm serious." 

"I know you are. I'm just not scared of you. Plus, I don't intend to play strip poker. I don't like the idea of so many people seeing me naked." 

"I don't like the idea of anyone seeing you naked. Not even yourself." 

I laughed at his serious expression. "Now you're just being ridiculous." 

"I'm not. You're my baby sister. I want you to stay under that status. Not mother of someone else's baby sister. Or some man's girlfriend who gives him sex." 

I wrinkled my nose. "Those statuses don't seem so very glamorous. I'll be the loving girlfriend who waits or the loving wife who's open to suggestion." I laughed at my add on. 

"That's not funny." He just stared at me, waiting for me to place a bet. 

"I think it's funny. And true." 

"Way too much information, Holly. Play already." 

- 

It was hot during the night. Normally it was kind of cool during the night, but not this night. I sighed and sat up to unzip my sleeping bag. "What are you doing?" I jumped at Alex's voice. I thought he had fallen asleep already. 

"It's hot. I'm not sleeping in this thing." I finally got out from the thing and Alex sat up beside me to do the same. 

"It is unusually hot. I was just too lazy to ask you to move so I could get out." He lay back down and I curled back into his side, the lack of padding in between us a little odd at first. "That's a whole lot better." 

I wasn't for sure if he meant the cooler air or lack of sleeping bags between us, so I didn't say anything. I let my eyes stare into the darkness, trying to make out where the side of the tent was. Alex's thumb rubbed on my hip and I scooted closer to him, moving a leg over his. The melancholy part of my brain told me this is what I'd always wanted with a guy—just someone to hold me and make me feel loved and cherished. 

"Eli heard what you said last night." Alex's hand paused a second. 

"What did he say?" 

"That he was sorry if he ever made me feel uncomfortable, which I told him he didn't. And then he said something about how you were right about things not being so clear in the mornings." 

"I see." He let his hand drop to lay on my sleeping bag behind me. It was nice to feel cool air where his warm arm had been, but it soon irked me at the difference—a side-effect of my strange OCD. 

I pulled his arm back and held it there. "Alex, I want someone to love me." 

"We all three love you, Holly." 

"That's not what I mean. I need someone to love me in a different way and not make all these stupid rules for me." I felt a tear roll down my face and hope he wouldn't feel it through his shirt. 

He didn't say anything for a long time and I thought maybe he'd fallen asleep. "Sex won't give you love. I promise. I know." 

I let go of his arm and pulled away to lay with my back to him. "I didn't say anything about sex." 

He pulled me back against him like he'd done the previous night. "I just want to make sure you know that. Giving out your virginity to a guy will seem special to you, but to him you'll most likely just be a conquest." 

"I don't want to talk anymore." 

"I love you." He hugged me closer but I didn't respond and closed my eyes to try to sleep. 

- 

"He's lonely," I observed to Eli the next day as we sat on a wooden dock and let our feet graze the water. JT and Alex had gone down to pay for the days we'd already stayed, so it was just him and me. 

"I think we're all lonely. At least, I tell myself that's why JT sleeps around like a common whore." He picked up my hand and turned the ring around that I'd had since I was little. I'd gotten it when I was seven and now it only fit my pinky. "I picked this out." 

"I didn't know that." 

"I was five and Mom took us all out to pick you out something for your birthday. She seemed surprised when I picked it. But it has dolphins on it and you'd told me it was your favorite animal." 

I smiled at the thought as he curled my hand in his and looked out over the water. "You're so sweet, Eli." 

"I used to like being called that. You know, until every girl used that line when turning me down." 

"Well, you're nice on the eyes, too. And smart. Would you like me to say those more instead?" 

A small smile went across his face. "Yes and that will help calm Alex so much." 

"Even more reason to. I live to get under his and JT's skin. Otherwise life would be too boring." 

"Man I'm happy I'm the nice brother. I don't think I could handle putting up with you bothering me purposely all the time." 

"Eh. I think they secretly enjoy it. They feel needed when they're punishing and lecturing me." I pulled his hand over into my lap and pressed mine to his, seeing the difference in size. "I don't want to be with Michael." 

"Did he try something?" 

"No. He was the perfect gentleman. I just... I don't know. I have this idea of the guy I want, and he's just not it." 

"What's your idea of the guy you want?" 

"Just... Smart in a way, strong for that whole protector thing, loving and willing to just hold me when I need it, and..." I blushed. "Never mind. There are some things I really just shouldn't tell you." Never mind the fact that I just described any of the three men in my life. 

"Eli! Holly! Come on!" Alex yelled out the window of the truck. They said they would give us a ride back, so Eli and I scrambled up and climbed into the back of the truck. 

- 

"Oh my God," I backed out of the shower as the two inch spider lowered itself from the ceiling. I still had conditioner in my hair, but I didn't care. "Alex!" My voice hitched up in panic as it touched the ground and started running for me. I screamed and pushed out of the curtained stall, grabbing the towel out of his arms and hurriedly wrapping it around me. "Kill it. Kill it right now!" I stared at the creature on the floor and felt relief rush through me at the crunch it made when Alex stepped on it. "Thank you." I stepped around it and back into the stall, handing out the towel again. "Just another second, I have to wash the conditioner out." 

I shut the water off and proceeded like always and we left the shower without another incident a couple minutes later. "Maybe it came out because it's night," I pondered aloud as we walked back to the fire. It was late and Eli looked like he was about to doze off. JT blew on the marshmallow he'd just caught on fire and looked over at Eli. "Don't you dare do anything to him." 

JT jerked his head around to us and he grinned at me. "I wouldn't dream of it." 

"I think I'm going to go to sleep," Eli mumbled and got up, walking over to me and giving me a hug before going to the tent. 

"What was that scream for?" JT asked after I'd hung up my towel to dry. 

"Holly was being chased by a spider." 

"It was giant and squishy. It literally made noise when he stomped on it." 

JT looked at his brother. "She actually made you go in and kill it?" 

"More like it followed her out." Alex kept his gaze on the fire and I watched JT as he slid his gaze back to me. 

"I should have put a spider on you instead of cutting your hair." 

"Don't make her paranoid, JT. You know that would require you to actually touch it, and you don't like them either." 

I smiled as Alex scolded JT. "Shut up, Holly." He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to sleep, too. And yes, I'll be nice to the kid. Goodnight." He patted me on the head as he passed me. 

"Want to put out the fire and go to sleep, too?" I asked Alex as I picked up my brush and started pulling the tangles out. 

"Are you tired?" He watched the brush move down my hair. 

"Kinda. After I brush my hair and sit still for a while, I'm sure I'll fall asleep." 

"Then I'll put the fire out after you get done." He picked up the metal stick JT had set down and stabbed a marshmallow on it. He turned it over and over, letting the fire barely lick it. When he was finally satisfied with it, he pulled it out of the fire and it was a golden brown and sliding down the stick slowly. I sat my brush down and watched him as he ate the sticky mess. 

"You have..." I tried my best not to laugh and got up to stand in front of him. I wiped at the skin above his lip that his tongue apparently couldn't reach. "There. Now, clean your sticky fingers so we can go to sleep." I squeezed my eyes shut at my words and turned to fill dirt in the bucket we had to put out the fire. 

- 

"I know how to solve our problems." I jerked down on Alex's shirt collar so that we were face to face. "I can fuck you and then you don't have to worry about me getting hurt and we'll both stop being lonely." I pressed my mouth to his and felt one of his hands move down to maul my breast while the other held my neck. 




A Broken Family Ch. 04



"I thought you said you didn't like Michael," Eli told me as I closed the door after kissing Michael goodnight. JT sat on the stairs behind him and Alex was just coming around the corner.

"He's nice to be around. It's not like he's my boyfriend."

"You shouldn't lead him on," he continued, giving me a serious look and crossing his arms. 

"Oh hush. I'm not. If he's a player like you say, then he'll go away when he realizes I'm serious about waiting." I pulled his arms from his chest and wrapped my own around him. "It's a shame since Alex was starting to warm up to him though. I only had to work on JT." 

"Don't make such hasty observations. His hand went astray and I was planning to sick JT on him," Alex said as he took a seat beside the mentioned brother. Eli and I pulled away, letting an arm wrap around each other to face them. "Want your present now or in the morning?"

"I think we should make her wait until morning with that stunt she tried to pull," JT commented.

"I think we should be nice and let her have it now," Eli put in and I kissed his cheek. "See, JT, if you were nice to her, she might not put up such a fuss."

"Grow some balls, Eli, and shut up." He glared at his younger brother, obviously still in his angry stage. 

"You're just jealous that after having ejaculated everything they held into a billion different women his aren't small like yours," I came to his defense and was greeted by a surprised look from Alex and a squeeze from Eli. 

"I'm pretty sure that's not the case, little girl," JT leaned back on his elbows. "You're welcome to compare sometime though."

"JT, go drink some water and sober up before you go to sleep," Alex said as soon as JT had closed his mouth. JT hauled himself up like he was asked and walked to the kitchen. 

"He doesn't seem drunk." I looked after him. 

"He is. He's just good at holding his beer." Alex stood up and looked at us both. "So the morning then?" 

I smiled. "Sure. I'm a little too tired to show excitement right now anyways."

---

I knocked on Alex's door about seven hours later and was greeted with silence so I opened it and walked to his bed. He was sprawled out with his cheek resting against the arm curled up around his head. I poked his side and he mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"Don't talk back," he mumbled, turning his head to the other side and shifting his legs. I giggled, realizing he was sleep-talking.

"I want my present, Alex. Where is it?"

"In my pants," he mumbled and my eyes widened. 

"What is it?" I sat down beside him on the bed, bringing my legs up and resting my head on my bent knees.

"Get on your knees and find out." I giggled more at his answers. 

"That sounds more like a present for you, not me." 

"You'll have no complaints."

"I'm sure I wouldn't." I briefly glanced down at the tent in the sheets and bit my lip not to laugh too loud. Just about then he shifted and rolled towards me, one of his arms threading through the triangle made by my bent knees. I tried to pull my legs away to leave since it didn't seem like he'd be waking up and his eyes opened suddenly. 

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" He removed his arm and looked up at me. 

"I wanted my present."

His gaze dropped to my thighs that were completely uncovered since I'd only slept in an old shirt during the night. He rubbed a hand over his face and rolled to face the other direction. "Holly, go away and wait until I wake up in..." he lifted his head and looked at the clock that read 7:30, "two hours."

"Fine. I'll wait in here." I turned around and lay down on my back beside him. I only lasted laying there for about five minutes before I got restless and cold. I lifted up and went to pull back the covers, but he rolled over and stopped me. "I'm cold." 

He didn't open his eyes, but sat up enough to reach to the end of the bed and pull a blanket up over me. I caught site of his naked hip and giggled. "If you're staying in here, you're going to sleep, Holly." He rolled back away from me and I shifted to face him, studying the skin uncovered by the sheet that was around his waist. "I'm serious, Holly. Go to sleep."

"I'm trying. Shut up." 

He rolled back over and looked at me. "You have to close your eyes to sleep."

"I was getting there."

"Sure you were." He closed his own eyes and I watched his face. "Holly," he warned and I closed my eyes quickly as his opened again. "I will kick you out of my room."

"Can't you just wake up for a couple hours and give me my present and make me breakfast? Then you can come back to bed and I'll even rub your back until you fall back asleep." 

"Get out."

"No. Make me."

He growled and I opened my eyes to see him glaring at me. "Go to sleep or get out."

"Is this how you treat all women that try to stay with you in bed? Eli's not nearly so grumpy."

"I love you, but if you don't shut up—"

"You'll what? Throw me over your shoulder and march me back to my room?" I grinned at him. "Doesn't that require clothing?"

He shut his eyes in defeat. "Please just close your eyes and pretend to sleep."

I lifted his arm and pulled it over my hip; his eyes opened in question as I snuggled closer to him. "I'll sleep, you just gotta be my teddy bear, remember?" His eyes shut again and he tightened his arm around me as I fit my head under his chin. 

I didn't go to sleep for an hour as my mind faded in and out of consciousness with dreams that didn't make sense at all. I finally fell asleep though and wished I hadn't as soon as my more vivid dream started. 

"Wake up, birthday girl, I have something for you." Alex's voice entered my ears and I opened my eyes to see him leaning over me.

"What is it?" I felt him press against me and my eyes widened at his lazy grin. 

"Up for it, Sweetheart?" I nodded and he stroked himself up and down me before lining himself up. "Happy birthday, Sis."

A moan not part of my dream entered my fragile sleeping state and I opened my eyes. They instantly widened as I realized I had pushed a leg in between his and his sheet-covered morning wood was in between my thighs and rubbing slightly against my panty-covered pussy. I shifted in an attempt to move before he woke up, and he moaned again, his arm around me tightening.

"What are you dreaming of?"

"Fucking," he mumbled and I let out a breath as I was sure he was asleep.

"You should move away from her and make her beg." 

"Good idea." His grip loosened and he rolled onto his back, his arm sliding down onto my leg that was now over his crotch. I could feel his erection pressing against it and squeezed my eyes shut in panic. I tried to move my leg away and he pressed it against him instead. "Fuck."

I gave up; afraid he'd climax against my leg. "Alex. Alex, wake up damn it."

"What," he voice was sharp, alerting me to him being awake.

"It's been two hours."

"Holly, seriously, I was having a good dream. Go away."

"I bet you were," I muttered, pulling my leg away now that he wasn't pressing it against himself. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" I looked up at him and his eyes were open now.

"You talk in your sleep like JT said." His face gave nothing away, probably having learned earlier in life to let the other person tell you what they thought you'd been dreaming. "Does your girl beg nicely?"

"I'm not sure. You woke me up," he said carefully.

"Who was she?" He didn't answer me. "Oh." I smiled awkwardly and sat up. "So can I have my present now?"

"No. You can still go away." He closed his eyes, dismissing me, and I climbed up over him, sitting down on his stomach to get him to pay attention to me. "Holly, get off me." 

I smiled. "You don't want that really." 

His eyes snapped open. "Holly. Get off me. I'm not kidding." 

"Or what? I kinda like you when you're all growly and aggravated." His hands came up to move me and I grabbed them and pinned them down above his head. "Seriously, learn to be a little fun, Alex." 

"Holly." His eyes were weary now so I let go of him even though he was strong enough to overpower me anyways. 

"I get off of you if you'll get up and let me have my present." Or, you know, I can stay and have my dream self's present. My smile slipped at the thought. 

"I want to stay in bed. I'll just ignore you." He closed his eyes again and I frowned.

"I'm in your bed and you're ignoring me. Do you treat all women this way, Alex? Maybe this is why you haven't been laid in a while."

"My sex life isn't your business." 

"Well I'm making it my business." He opened his eyes and I smiled again. "Not like that."

"Holly, please just get off me."

I don't know why I was pushing him, but my dreams kept coming to me and gave me the power to push him more. "Why?"

"I don't need my little sister sitting on top of me and tormenting me while I have a hard on. Okay?"

"I already knew that. Why else?" He groaned and shut his eyes. "Alex?" He ignored me and I paused a second to think of some way to bother him. I slowly leaned forward and licked up the side of his face. 

I was immediately knocked off him and I laughed as he pinned me down. "I'm awake. Happy now?" He leaned forward and licked up the side of my face, too. "And now we're even. Get out of my room so I can change." He sat up and released my shoulders, but I didn't move besides wiping my face off.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Seriously? You bug me to get up; now I'm up and you don't believe me." 

"I'll close my eyes and you can get dressed. If I peek it just serves you right for undressing me yesterday." 

"No. It doesn't work that way. Get out of my bed and room, Holly." 

"Next time I'm going to ask things not about your dream and you'll be sorry." 

"I want to get rid of this damn thing before I get dressed if you don't mind, so get out." I started laughing and he turned his head to face me. "You'd better not be laughing at this situation; it's your damn fault for wearing skimpy clothing and letting it invade my dreams." 

"Well I'm flattered. I bet me not having pants on right now bothers you, huh?" He dropped his head into his hands and I saw his jaw clench. "Hey, Alex, it's okay. Really."

"It's not funny."

"I know. I'm sorry." I touched his shoulder. "I can't do anything for that, but if you ever need a hug or... a kiss, I'm here for you." 

He tensed up and I let my hand drop. "It's not nice to lead people on. Eli told you that last night."

"Sorry." I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade before slipping off the bed and making my way to the door.

"Holly?" I turned back around to face him. "You can stay in here if you want." He held a hopeful look on his face that struck me of how lonely he was again, and how it was the three of us who helped make him that way. 

"Are you going to get up?"

"Not for another few minutes. My legs don't feel like supporting me just yet." 

"Will you tell me what my present is?"

He seemed torn before he patted the side I'd just vacated. "Sure." 

I walked back to the bed and he pulled me back with him. "I understand how it happens, but isn't it heavy? How does it stick up like that?"

He turned and put a hand over my eyes. "Please stop ogling me." 

"I enjoy ogling you though. Just be a nice man and let me." 

"You shouldn't be looking at me like that." 

"You look at me like that." 

"But I'm not just looking at you like you're a piece of meat." 

"That technically is a piece of meat, so I don't see the problem here." 

He dropped his hand and pressed his head into my shoulder. "You're infuriating."

"I know. I love you, too, brother dearest." I turned my head and kissed his forehead. He slid an arm over me and I felt comfortable if a little out of my element.

"Concert tickets, certificate for the spa, and lots of strawberry flavored candy and bubble bath." 

"Hmm. You guys do love me." I felt him press a kiss to my shoulder and shivered lightly.

"Get under the covers if you're cold."

"I'm allowed to now?" He didn't respond so I lifted up again and pulled them over me. "I want someone like you."

"What?"

"You know how people always say girls go for men like their fathers or guys go for women like their mothers? Well, you were my guardian for a lot of my maturing and I think you're a decent man. I want someone like you who will love me and care for me."

"You have me. Why do you need someone like me?"

It was a good point since he didn't have any qualms about being both, so I didn't answer him. "I don't want you to be lonely anymore, Alex." 

"You've said that before."

"But I mean it. It makes me sad to think of you that way. I don't feel like I could ever move on and move out just to leave you here without a beautiful wife and children."

"I don't want children. We've discussed this."

I put my hand on his arm and started drawing pictures on his skin. "It's the basic idea."

"Don't worry about me."

"Is that the only way you'll not be lonely?" 

"It doesn't matter. I don't want pity love."

"It wouldn't be pity. I want you to be happy." 

"I'm happy right now."

"So if I just sleep in your bed from now on you'll be okay?"

"Sure."

"Will you always sleep naked?"

"Does it bother you?" 

"Not really I guess." 

"Then yes I will." 

I pondered it a moment and shifted closer to him so I could feel more of his arm around me. "If you promise to hold me every night I will." 

He nuzzled into my neck and murmured, "Of course. A woman in my bed will always feel cherished."

---

"Where are you going?" I had exited the bathroom where I'd just showered and was on my way to Alex's room. I turned, tugging on the bottom of the too-big shirt I was wearing for PJs, to face Eli who was leaning out his door. 

"I was going to talk to Alex. Did you need me for something?"

"Not really. Just going to go bother you mostly." 

"Oh." I smiled and stepped towards him. "Settle for a hug instead?"

"Sure." He let go of the door frame and wrapped me into his arms. "Know what makes this better?" I waited for him to tell me. "You smell good and you're not wearing a bra."

I pushed away from him and messed up his hair. "Pervert. Goodnight." 

He grinned at me. "Night, Sis." He closed his door back and I shut mine before going back across the hall and entering Alex's.

"What are you doing?" 

"You said I could sleep in here and you'd stay happy." I carefully walked across his floor and held out a hand for the bed.

"I didn't mean it literally."

"Tough luck. I did. Scoot over." I pulled back the covers and lay down beside him, rolling over to lay my head on his chest like we did in the tent. I shifted my body closer to his and felt the skin of his leg against mine. "You're naked."

"I meant that literally."

"I get that now." I shut my eyes and listened to his heartbeat. "You're a good kisser."

"You don't help my brain at all; you know that?"

"Sorry. I just thought you should know. In case you ever have any worries later in life." 

"I'm sure I won't. I'm pretty sure I've honed my skills quite nicely." 

"Have you ever tied a girl to the bed?"

"What?"

"Just wondering." 

He was quiet a long time and I was starting to fall asleep. "No. Not many girls are open to it."

"You were just into the wrong girls," I mumbled as I dropped off to sleep. 

"Probably."

---

"Do you know where the fuck our sister—Oh." JT barged into Alex's room in the morning and I burrowed into Alex's neck more to block him out. "Why is she in here?"

I felt Alex hold my leg in place right by his crotch and noticed he had his daily morning problem he was trying to hide from JT. "She had a bad dream and I told her she had to stop sleeping with Eli so he'd grow up without attachment issues."

"I see. What was the dream about, Holly?"

I turned my mouth into open air. "You. Now get the fuck out." I resumed my position snuggled up to Alex and heard the door shut.

"Be nice to your brother." He let go of my leg and I unconsciously slid it closer to what I knew was there. 

"Make him be nice to us and I'll gladly be nice to him." I lay still a little while. "I think I like this arrangement. You're all warm and safe."

"You can't sleep in here again or JT will find out you're not having bad dreams."

"I'm not fucking you, so what's it matter?" He didn't reply and I pulled back to look at his face. "I'm not even kissing you." My eyes were drawn to his mouth with that comment and he caught me as he opened his eyes and I was too slow to move mine to his. "I mean... All I'm doing is sleeping."

"I'm naked."

"And warm." I kissed the shoulder I'd been laying on before replacing my head there.

"What happened to you being bothered by how I felt?"

"I'm taking it as a compliment that my stud of a brother chooses me over any other college girl around here." I traced circles on his chest. "And you're warm and nice to me when I'm nice to you."

"You're driving me insane right now." 

"I'll take that to mean the good kind." I shifted my leg again and his hand came down to grip it. "Plus, I'm not all that convinced you're sure about how you feel since you ward off any advancement from me."

"I'm not going to let you lead me on because I wouldn't be able to control myself. I'm protecting you and myself from yourself." 

"See, that's the thing. You're too careful, Alex. If I suddenly decided I wanted to make out with you right now, you should just go with it, not question it."

"I wouldn't question that."

"Really." I sat up and looked him in the eye. "Kiss me." He lifted up and took my face in his, pressing our lips together and pulling me back into a laying position. I let it go on for a second before pulling back. "Alright then, my point's been shot down." His eyes held need and I swallowed, pulling my body from him. "Maybe we shouldn't do that again."

"Why?"

I bit my lip under his calm scrutiny. "You confuse me."

His mouth split into a grin. "Your mouth is amazing, too." I shut my eyes as I thought of how those words were spoken in porn. "You don't have to feel awkward."

"I don't." I tilted my head and opened my eyes again. "I should, but I don't."

"Should?" He tugged on my wrist to get me to lie back down, but I sat fully up and faced him.

"You're my brother, right? So I shouldn't have dirty thoughts about you."

He sat up and brought his face even with mine, looking at my lips. "Dirty thoughts, huh? Care to share?"

I laughed nervously and pushed on his shoulder until he lay back down. "I'll just stick to looking at you."

"Now who's being careful?"

"I'd make out with you if you initiated it. I'm not overly careful. Hell, I didn't freak out yesterday when—" I cut myself off and cleared my throat.

"When what?"

"Nothing. Things are gray in the mornings." I smiled at him and moved to get off the bed. He caught my ankle as my other foot touched the floor and I looked back at him.

"Come back. I'll sway you with my kissing skills I'm told I have." My eyes stayed on his hand on my foot and swallowed. He tightened his hand and tugged a little. "What if I say please?"

"You have to catch me," I said simply and tried pulling my foot away.

"I've caught you."

"But I'm not on your bed, now am I? You don't capture very well." I didn't look at him as I focused on the grip on my ankle that was slowly turning me on. He let go and I hurriedly pulled it off the bed and tried to walk away as arms went around me and lifted me back on the bed.

"Now you'll stay?" He murmured into my neck, pressing a kiss there as he held me firmly against him. I shivered and he pulled the covers back over us, which alerted me to how shy he was not being anymore. I nodded slightly and he let his arms relax and pull me flush against his front. His lips just kissed their way along my neck and shoulder and I held onto his arms to make sure they didn't stray. "It'd be easier if you weren't wearing a shirt." 




A Broken Family Ch. 05



Author's Note: I understand the story is slow going, but I would like this to be a longer series. I'm sorry to say that Holly will not be marrying them since it is illegal, spankfunfor. But not all couples get married, right? For those of you wondering about Eli: I want to preserve their friendship, which is not a problem with Alex and JT and why you have not seen anything with him... yet. Thanks for commenting, everyone! It's nice to know what you are all thinking.  

***** 

"When do you have practice?" I asked Eli as I laid down beside him while he finished playing his level in his game. 

"They called it off today because it's supposed to get over 100. I don't know why they didn't call it off all last week for that, but hey. No one ever said the coaches had the biggest brains." 

"Hmm." I stared up at the ceiling and let my mind wander. 

"What's up?" 

"Nothing. The marathon I was watching on TV the past three hours is over. Have you been playing videogames all day?" 

"If I say yes are you going to make me stop?" 

"If you'll play cards with me." 

"Only if it's strip poker." 

I elbowed his thigh since he was sitting up and I couldn't reach his side. "Stop being a pervert, Eli." 

"Should have never let me see anything, then I wouldn't think about it." His voice held the detachment he got from playing a videogame, and I wondered if he was really paying attention to what his mouth was saying. 

"You weren't supposed to see anything. I didn't expect you to open that curtain." 

"You screamed. Duh I was going to open the curtain." 

"Preying on my body while I'm in terror. Good job, Eli. We sure taught you morals." 

He smiled but didn't reply. He finished up his level and stretched out beside me. "I met a girl at practice. She's the new coach's daughter and is a junior." 

"What's she like?" 

"She's blond and about your height. She's smart and makes me laugh. She kind of seems straight-laced though, which makes me hesitate on making any moves. But then again, maybe that means she's got morals not to cheat on me." 

"Also means you won't get sex, which is good. So I say go for it." 

"You're really jealous about that, aren't you?" 

"No. I would just like to have sex before I'm thirty." 

"Count your blessings you've even gotten to make out. I don't think you'll ever get more than that with Alex and JT around." 

I smiled and shut my eyes at his choice of words. "I'm not so worried about it. If it comes to the worst, I'll just move out. Get an apartment and you can come stay the night with me sometime and I'll play cards with you until you're regretting staying up on a school night." 

"You're not moving out." My eyes opened back up as the bed sunk under Alex. 

"I agree. I'll carry back in any box you carry out," Eli added. 

"So I'm a prisoner in my own house." Alex took a hold of my ankle to help out with my description. "Fantastic." 

"Do you feel like a prisoner?" He let go of my ankle. 

"Nah. This is home. You and JT haven't been so loony lately either." 

"If you say so," Eli mumbled and I laughed as Alex smacked the back of his head. "Hey!" 

"He's still your older brother," I reminded Eli and earned a glare. 

"Come on, Holly, I need to talk to you for a minute." Alex stood up and pulled my legs with him, dropping them over the side of the bed. 

"Well then," I sat up and turned to Eli, "Rain check on the cards." 

"Sure." He eyed us as Alex walked out the door and I followed him. He went into his own room, and a part of me hoped his reasoning was because no one walked into his room. 

"Sit," I was told as Alex pulled his desk chair over to face me on the bed. Yes, he had a desk even though he only ever used the one downstairs. We all had desks in our rooms because our parents had always encouraged studious habits. 

"Look," I started, "don't make it awkward or a bad thing, okay? If that's all you're going to say, just don't say anything." 

He smiled at me and slid his hands to my thighs. "I wasn't going to, Holly." 

"Oh. Well, yeah, good." I looked down at his hands and moved mine to hold his wrists. 

"You're not going to threaten me with other boys touching you anymore." 

"I'm not?" 

"No. You're not. Look at me." I raised my eyes to his. "I want you to say it and mean it." 

"But I don't mean it. If you go back to treating me like I'm a child, then I'm going to." 

"Holly." His face was stern and I smiled at him. "I want a promise." 

"That's gonna cost you." 

He rolled his eyes, but played along. "What is it?" 

"Fuck me." 

"Try again." His fingers tightened on my skin. 

"Nope. That's what it costs. Otherwise, I will torture you with thoughts of other hands on my body until you give in." 

"It's not nice." His face wasn't joking anymore. 

"I never said I was nice. In fact, I'd love to not be as pure as a darling angel anymore. Come on, Alex, get growly and possessive. I'm sure we can keep it down enough to stop Eli from investigating." 

He took his hands from me and I sighed and dropped back on his bed. "I really don't feel that you get the meaning of sex." 

"Animalistic pleasure. Sure, I get it plenty." 

"No. In human life, it is supposed to mean loving someone enough to go that far." 

"Really, so is that why you slept with Rachel, Alex? Out of love?" 

I heard him stand up, and smiled when his face popped into view over mine as he crawled on top of me. "You want to know why I slept with Rachel, Holly?" 

"Sure. As long as you don't start praising her big boobs. Probably couldn't take that blow to the ego right now." 

"I slept with Rachel because she's nothing like you." He kissed my ribcage to punctuate it. 

I frowned. "Thanks. Even better than her having bigger jugs." 

He smiled at that and I wanted to smack him. "And you say I'm the jealous type." 

"Well, she kind of already had something you won't give me, so yeah. I think I have a little cause for jealousy, thank you. You're just bothered by a hypothetical situation that will never happen since it's failed to happen the past five years I've been trying to get laid." 

"Five years?" His eyebrow rose. "Holly Elizabeth, if you had been successful at fifteen, I would have made your ass so purple you wouldn't sit for a week." 

"Hmm. So, if I say I'm only a theoretical virgin because I was so drunk I don't remember my first time... will you believe me? Or would you like to test and see if I still have that precious hymen?" 

"Nice try." 

"Can't blame me for it; just look at you." He raised his eyebrow again and I blushed. "Don't look at me like that. You know you're beautiful. I bet girls flirt shamelessly with you all the time." 

"I've learned that if you agree to those kinds of accusations, girls tend to get annoyed." He bent his head and pressed a kiss to my cheek. 

"No because I'll take pride in knowing my stud of a brother wants me instead of those girls. Or so he says. I haven't seen this shown so much." 

"Just because I'm not screwing your brains out," I shut my eyes at the visual, "doesn't mean I don't want you. I just want you in a different way." 

"Yeah, love and tender touches." I rubbed my cheek in exasperation. "I get that you love me. I love you, too. And sure, we can cuddle after. I just would really like some rough loving right now." 

"No because you don't get it. You say you do, but if you did you wouldn't act the way you do. Be patient, Holly. Once you give up your virginity, you can't take it back." He sat up straight on top of me and looked down at me. "I probably shouldn't have encouraged you today." 

"If it counts for anything, I'm happy you did." I smiled at him and ran my hands up his thighs until he took them in his hands. 

"I don't doubt that at all. Now, if you'll go put on a shirt, you should come downstairs and cook with me." He rolled off me and the bed. I didn't move, just watched his ass as he walked towards the door. "Holly," his voice warned me. "Get up and keep your mind from getting you in trouble." 

"Maybe you'll spank me if I let it get me into trouble." I winked at him as he turned to face me at the door. 

"I'll let JT spank you." 

"That works too. I'm sure I could persuade him, if he needs persuasion at all." 

He frowned. "Leave your brothers alone, Holly." 

"Nah. I'll trade you and just go put a shirt on." I slid off the bed, and wrapped my arms around him as I came to stand in front of him. "Are you jealous of them, too?" 

"That would mean I view them as threats, and I don't think they'd sway their morals for you." 

"Ouch. Way to insult mine." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. "Adam and Eve's children supposedly populated the earth. I don't see any problem since we don't even intend to go that far." I turned the knob on the door and opened it. "I'll be down in a minute." 

True to word, I was down stairs just as he started pulling hamburger out of the fridge. "That is not what I meant by put on a shirt." He sat the meat on the counter and faced me. 

I smiled at him. "It's a shirt. I'm 100% covered." I'd taken off my bra and put on a white fitted tank top. 

"And breaking the always wear undergarments rule." 

"Actually, you never said that. You only said I had to wear panties, and I am. Would you like to see those again?" I actually reached for my button as he dropped his head back and sighed at the ceiling. 

"Holly, really." The door slammed and footsteps came towards the kitchen. 

"Hey, what are you guys making?" JT stepped up beside me to survey the kitchen. "Spaghetti? Hamburgers?" 

"Hamburger helper," I supplied, knowing we had a couple boxes in the cabinet. He turned his head to acknowledge my answer and I smiled at him as his eyes dropped. 

"What the hell." 

"I was just trying to explain to our sister that I didn't count this as putting a shirt on." 

"No kidding." He returned his eyes to mine. "Come on, you're going up and changing." He took my arm in his hand for good measure. 

"But I was going to help Alex cook." I looked to my older brother. 

"After you change." He nodded towards the doorway and I let JT lead me away. 

"I'm not changing," I told JT as I walked up the stairs in front of him. 

"I'll change you myself." 

"Is that a promise?" I stopped at the top of the stairs and received a nudge from behind as JT's hands slipped around my waist. 

"Move it, Holly. Go change in case Eli or Drew wanders in there." 

"Eli's seen me naked." 

"I know that." He pushed on me more firmly. 

"Jealous?" 

"I've seen you naked and I invade your dreams. I'm not too worried about it." 

"Hmm." I placed my hands over his as he pushed me a couple steps forward. "Doing anything tonight?" 

"Holly," his voice warned and he gave me a pretty good shove forward. "Move." 

"What? I'm just wondering." He suddenly lifted me up. "This isn't comfortable, even remotely." 

"Good. I'll make sure to carry you this way from now on. Maybe it'll actually help reinforce rules since nothing else does." He dropped me onto my bed and opened my drawer, pulling out a bra and walking back to me. "Put it on." He took my hand and closed my fingers over it before walking to the door. 

"I'm good." I yawned and lay back on my bed. JT kicked the door closed and pulled me up roughly, his hands jerking my shirt up and over my head. "I sure hope you're this rough in bed." 

It was comical as he put my bra on, and I shivered slightly as he had to adjust my breasts in it. "I don't know why you have to be so damn stubborn. Teasing me like you actually," he muttered to himself and jerked my shirt down over my head. "There. Go help Alex now." 

"Teasing you like I actually what?" I tilted my head sideways. 

He met my eyes as he straightened. "You're sexually bipolar. That's the best way I can put it." 

"Not really. I still have the same goal." 

"You're not going to get it either." 

I lay back with a content sigh. "I think I have." The mattress went down by my hips and I smiled at him as he held my chin, as if I'd try to avoid his questioning. 

"What did you say?" 

"I think I have." I smiled at him and his eyes narrowed. 

"Holly, I am not kidding right now." 

"I'm not either." 

"Is that guy coming over here?" 

"I don't see how that's any of your business." His eyes looked molten, for lack of a better word, and I had to try hard to keep my smile normal. 

"Did you fuck him," JT demanded. 

"No, he's a little too straight-laced for me. But I suppose if you get immense amounts of normal sex, you get used to it." He didn't reply. "What?" 

"Have you had sex?" 

"That's not really your business." 

"I think it is, Holly. You had better tell me right now, convincingly, that you are a virgin, or I will check for myself and I will bruise your backside if you lie." 

"Hmm." I closed my eyes. "So I still get the punishment if I say I'm not?" He made a warning sound that was almost a growl. "Yup. I'm sticking with I'm not." 

He lifted off of me and I opened my eyes, thinking he'd gotten sick of my game, but jumped as his hands made quick work of my shorts and panties. I felt a blush heat up my cheeks as he looked up at me. "Changing your plea, little girl?" I took a deep breath and lay back on the bed. He pushed my legs apart and I squirmed as he shoved a finger up into me. I inhaled sharply as he pushed one more in and moved them around. "This isn't looking good for you." He curled his fingers and I arched my back. 

"I haven't had sex. I broke it a long time ago myself," I spoke quickly as he started to pull away. 

"Why should I believe you?" 

"Because it's the truth. Your fingers are the biggest things I've ever had in me." Except, you know, Alex's, whose might or might not be slightly bigger. 

"Hearing you say that, I almost feel bad for holding you hostage from boys. Only almost, though." He pulled my pants back up my legs and stood up as he buttoned them back. I stared at the ceiling, frustrated more because he touched me, when it should have been the opposite. 

"JT?" His hands slid to my hips and the weight came back on the bed. 

"What?" In the back of my mind I briefly wondered on how he could act like touching me was normal brother behavior. Our family was more than a little messed up by societal standards. 

"You should just fuck me." The weight shifted on the bed and the mattress sunk down beside my head and I opened my eyes to his breath on my cheek. 

"I'm the kind of man you shouldn't let touch you. You know this. We've taught you this." His eyes stared into mine and I shifted my gaze to his temple. 

"But you're my brother. It's different. You wouldn't hurt me like you do everyone else." 

"That is exactly why we shouldn't, Holly. You know that as well." He smiled at me like I was a silly child. 

"Then why did you just touch me." I pushed on his chest and he rolled to beside me as I sat up. I reached across him to my side table to grab my phone and check the text I'd heard come in an hour before. "If you're not going to commit to treating me fully like your conquests, don't touch me at all." 

I read over the standard text from Amy as he slid his hand over my stomach to pull me back. I stood up and pulled his hand away from me. "I'm serious, JT. Don't touch me." 

"You just asked me to fuck you and now I can't even try to comfort you?" 

"No, you can't." I started texting Amy back and JT stood up and took my phone from me. 

"You know why we can't, Holly Elizabeth." I reached for my phone and he put it in his pocket. "Take a seat. Let's get this all out right now." I looked at his pocket before turning towards the door. "Where are you going?" 

"To help Alex cook." I opened the door and JT pushed it back over the top of my head. I tried once more to open it, but he kept his weight leaning on it. "Damn it, JT, let me out of my room." I hit at his arm and he let go only to pull me back towards the bed. 

"You need to chill out, little girl." 

"JT..." My voice was weary as he pulled me to sit in front of him and hugged me from behind, resting his head on my shoulder. 

"How can you excuse my being your brother?" 

"I don't excuse it; I just don't care at this point. I don't want to have your babies, so there's nothing scientifically wrong with it. Also, morally? What about Adam and Eve's children? They bred each other. Aren't morals connected to spiritual beliefs usually?" 

"Usually. But it's also illegal." JT's right thumb rubbed the small patch of skin that had come uncovered on my left hip. 

"So don't ever tell a cop? I mean, come on, duh." 

"Your first time shouldn't be with a guy who makes you just another notch in the headboard." 

"I'm your sister. I know you wouldn't treat me that way. I'm not asking for a relationship; I'm just asking for a nice first time." 

"I'm not the right person, Holly. I'd hate myself for taking that from you." 

"Fine. Can I go now?" 

He hugged me tighter and laid back, pulling me back too so my head rested on his stomach. "No. I think I'll hold you hostage until I'm sure you're okay." 

"Can I at least have my phone?" 

"Sure." He didn't move to retrieve it so I lifted a hand and tried to find his pocket. "That's not your phone." 

"I know." I moved my hand into his pocket finally and retrieved what I wanted. I pulled up the text I'd started and finished it. 

"Holly, Alex wants to know what you're doing." Eli walked into the room and I looked at him, propping myself up on my elbows. He didn't look at JT and acted as if he expected an answer only to relay. As if it was normal to find JT and me together. 

"Don't you knock?" 

"JT was talking to me. Tell him to go ahead and finish making dinner without me." I smiled at my little brother, hoping he'd just ignore our older brother. 

"Holly doesn't make me knock because I don't terrorize her," was all he said before he left, closing the door behind him. 

"You should make him knock." JT pulled me back down against him. 

"Why?" 

"He could walk in on you changing." His hand stroked my left shoulder. 

"So?" 

"He could see things he's not supposed to be seeing." 

"Things you don't want him seeing you mean. I don't care if he does." I drew circles on the thighs framing my body. "He would if I asked." 

"If I find out you two did anything, your ass would cease to exist." 

"Kinky. Can I get a promise on that?" I smiled, knowing I was annoying him. "If you just fuck me, we wouldn't have to worry about it." JT's hand left me and the TV flashed on a second later. "TV over a willing girl. What has my older brother come to?" He ignored me and turned it to one of his favorite shows. 

- 

I didn't knock as I entered JT's room that night and witnessed him dropping his shorts and boxers to the floor. He was facing away from me, but as he bent down to pull his boxers back up, I caught a view in between his legs. "You need to knock next time, Holly." 

"You're home again. Why are you home again?" I walked towards the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers. 

His condescending look made me smile as he climbed in beside me. "Another headache." 

"You sure do keep getting those a lot." 

"Why are you in here?" He reached over and turned out his lamp. 

"Are you objecting?" I turned my back to him and found his arm to pull over me. 

"No." 

"Then it doesn't matter." He pulled me close again like before and I shut my eyes. "You can sleep naked if you want." 

"Your allowing me is exactly why I won't." 

"Maybe I should then." 

"Maybe you shouldn't." His voice wasn't kidding with me, but I lifted up anyways, pulling my shirt over my head. "Holly, put your shirt back on." 

"No." I lay back down and made sure his chest pressed against my bare back. 




A Broken Family Ch. 06



Author's Note: I've been receiving emails asking about updates. I'm a college student and have to keep up with that above all else. I assure you I will not abandon the story though since writing is my escape from the world. Thanks for all the feedback!

----------------------------------------------

I woke up to a door closing. I opened my eyes and sat up in the empty bed. My ass felt like I'd pulled a muscle, even as the rest of me felt completely rested. I sat there for a minute, assuming JT had gotten up to use the bathroom, and was right as he returned not long after.

"Morning, Sleepyhead." He wore boxers again, putting me underdressed, but I just lay back and let him stare if he wanted. "Feeling okay?"

"Just a little sore I guess." The bed shifted beside me and his arms went around me, a kiss being pressed to my jaw. 

"Go take a shower and you'll feel a little better." 

I rolled over onto my stomach and rubbed my cheek against the bed. "I don't want to get up." His fingers stroked down my side where he knew I was ticklish and I pushed his hand away. He did it again and I rolled over to look at him. "Stop being annoying."

He smiled at me and pushed my hair back from my face. "Get up, Holly. Go shower."

"If I get out of this bed, I'm just going to move to mine." I closed my eyes, but snapped them back open again when his fingers trailed over my inner thigh, causing goose bumps and a shiver.

"You should get up." His eyes held mine a few seconds before sliding down my body and looking at where he'd rested his hand on my exposed hip. My hand slowly tugged the sheet up and he returned his gaze to my face. "Are you doing anything today?"

"No why?"

"Get in the shower and I'll take you to the park to feed ducks." 

I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, holding the sheet to my chest with the other. "Why?"

"Because I want to. Now will you please get up and go shower." His voice was back to his normal irritation with me, and a part of me was happy for the normalcy. 

"You don't like feeding ducks." But I slid out of the bed anyways. I pulled my shirt over my head, the only article of clothing I'd worn into his room before turning back to look at him. 

"Fine. I won't take you." 

I tilted my head at the anger in his eyes. "What's wrong?" I crawled onto the bed again and sat on my knees beside him where he was propped up on his elbow. 

"Nothing's wrong, Holly." He lay back and rested an arm over his eyes. I let mine roam down his body before I rose up again and moved to straddle him. He didn't move and I lay my head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. After a minute, he removed his arm to trail his fingers through my hair and down my back. 

"I want to do this again." He said nothing and I lifted my head up to look at his face. He stared blankly back at me. "I'm not kidding."

"I know you're not. I'm just not sure if I'm inclined to let you."

"Why not? I'm not worn out like all those girls you screw. I have more in my brain than a sexual appetite and an urge to shop all the time." He closed his eyes and I leaned up and licked his cheek. 

"What the fuck, Holly?" He quickly swiped his hand across his face. 

"Don't ignore me." I lay back down again on his chest. 

He was silent another minute before replying with, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask." I rolled off of him and stretched before walking to the door.

---

I stood looking into the cabinet, trying to decide what I wanted to eat, when a voice said, "What are you looking for?" I had jumped at Alex's voice and jumped again as his right hand slid around to my left hip and he pressed me back against him. 

"Nothing in particular. I was just hungry."

His lips pressed against my neck and my head swam at wondering if he'd know. If he could smell JT on me even though I'd showered. After all, I'd lain beside him at the park, picking out shapes in the clouds, only half an hour before.

"What's wrong?"

I relaxed and closed the cabinet. I turned to face him and smiled at him, putting my own arms around his neck. "Nothing. What have you been up to today?"

Alex picked me up and sat me on the counter, reopened the cabinet, and pulled a box of macaroni out. "Just a little paperwork. What were you and JT doing today?" He turned away from me to grab a pan and I watched the muscles in legs strain as he bent down.

"We just went to the park to feed ducks. Don't ask me why. I asked him and he didn't give me an answer." I tried to keep my face clear of any apprehension or secrecy as he turned back to me and the stove beside me. 

"It's nice that you're getting along." He turned back away to measure out water. 

"One day doesn't necessitate getting along, Alex. I'm sure JT will be back to being an ass to me before long. And I'll be back to harassing him happily." I smiled at him as he salted the water and turned the stove on. "Where's Eli?"

"He's at practice or football camp or something. I forget which days he has which." His hands rested on my thighs like they had the last time we'd been in the kitchen together.

"So we're home alone."

"Where'd JT go?" His face still monitored mine.

"I have no idea. He came up stairs once we got back and then left like twenty minutes later." I lifted a hand to run through Alex's soft hair. "What?" I asked when he didn't say anything.

"Nothing." He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to mine. I followed him as he tried pulling away until I was in danger of falling off the counter. "You're still red."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. But I don't hurt much anymore."

"Want to go camping again before you start college? Just you and me." His tone and face were as if he were asking me the weather forecast.

"When?" 

"You start in two weeks, so probably sometime this week."

I looked past him to the window. I pondered if maybe I should tell him, but he wasn't in any sort of relationship with me and didn't want to. I focused on his thumb that was brushing on my leg. "Sure."

He stepped away then and poured the noodles in the boiling water. "You seem different today."

"I'm tired. I can resume seducing you if you'd like though." I ran my hand down his arm and he smiled. "Someday it's going to work you know."

"When you're ready, I'll be happy to have it work."

I dropped my hand and leaned my head back against the cabinet. "How many girls have you slept with?"

"That's not just something you ask a person, Holly."

"How many?" I tried to count the girlfriends he'd had and came up with eleven I was sure of. 

"Does it matter?"

"I don't guess so, but I'd like to know."

"You're more than just a number. If you became a number, you'd be the last one."

"What number would that be?" I stayed silent with him, closing my eyes and waiting.

"Seven." My confusion must have showed on my face. "I didn't sleep with Callie, Gina, Jen, or Erica." His fingers brushed my jaw as they came to rest on the side of my neck, and I opened my eyes.

"Jen surprises me. I always thought maybe you two had an open relationship with how promiscuous she seemed."

"Well." He searched my eyes, but found nothing as I'd been sure to keep my mind blank so as not to stress over being a letdown in comparison to other girls. "She did cheat on me. I figured she was and that's why I never slept with her."

"Oh." My eyes cast towards the pan and I hoped he wouldn't read into my guilty mindset. 

"That's not why I'm making you wait, if that's what you're thinking." His thumb brushed my bottom lip and my tongue peeked out to wet my lips now that I'd become aware of their dryness. He didn't move his thumb and I felt his eyes on me. 

"Okay." I looked back at him. "Can we at least kiss and watch movies together?"

His face softened and he brushed my hair from my shoulder. "Of course, Holly; I want you to feel cherished."

I smiled. "I do feel cherished, Alex. You've been a little psychotic at times, but I think we've gotten past that."

"Are you sure?" His touch was firm as he took hold of my hips. "I was under the impression you wanted that trait in bed."

My eyes widened before he pressed his mouth against mine. His hands slid under my shirt to my ribs and I shivered at the goose bumps his warm hands gave me. He moved and kissed along my jaw, and my eyes flitted around the room as I concentrated on his lips. He pulled back suddenly and my eyes snapped to him in fear; the idea of him smelling JT on me back to the front of my mind.

"Why is there a bite mark on your shoulder?" His eyes showed no emotion.

"I was tickling Eli and so he started tickling me. I bit him to make him stop, and he returned the gesture. No big deal. It'll fade in a couple days. He didn't bite hard or anything." I lifted a hand to my shoulder. "Where's it at?"

He moved my hand to the back of my shoulder and I figured that's why I hadn't seen it in the mirror. "I'm glad we got his shots."

I cracked a smile at that and Alex followed with his. "So is this mac and cheese for me?"

"It is. I feel like a housewife some days you know?"

"Awh. Maybe I should buy you a kiss the chef apron. Then you can wear only that when we're home alone." I winked at him and he shook his head at me. 

"I think I'll leave you to the scandalous wardrobe. You keep me on edge enough." He stirred the noodles and I watched, trancelike, as the water moved like a cyclone. 

"I've never seen you naked."

"I'm aware."

"I don't think it's fair."

"You've touched."

"So have you." I looked up at him and willed him to challenge me. He finally looked back at me and I felt a blush color my cheeks at my next words, "I think you should let me see. Right now. Strip."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You think so? What do I get out of this?"

"Anything."

His forehead wrinkled. "You should never say that as an answer to a man."

"But I'm okay with all implications concerning you."

"Doesn't matter." He turned away to pour some of the water off the noodles so it would thicken quickly. 

"How about I not threaten you about other men touching me? That's what you wanted before, so how about now?"

He set the pan down and leaned against the counter across from me. "What does it matter? I'm not shy, but knowing you're analyzing me and not just desiring me while we're having sex doesn't exactly appeal to me."

"I check you out with your clothes on all the time and you don't seem to mind. What's removing a few protective layers going to hurt?" I slipped off the counter and took a hold of his belt loops as I stepped towards him. I watched his face as I slipped my fingers around his waistband to the front by the buttons. 

"What are you doing?" We both jumped at Eli's voice and my hands snapped to my sides as I turned to look at him. He was only wearing his football pants and was carrying everything else. The door to the garage was open behind him. 

"How come you came through the garage? You never come through the garage." I smiled at his deliberately blank face and moved to take three bowls down from the cabinet. "There's mac and cheese once you get done showering."

Alex moved to finish putting the food together and Eli walked up the stairs a few seconds later. We both turned and looked at each other as we heard a door close. "And you wanted me to strip."

I grinned. "That would have been fun to explain." 

He looked at me sharply. "You have a sick sense of humor sometimes."

I stepped forward and stretched to peck his lips. "I'll deal with Eli later."

"You can't tell him anything." His gaze was accusative and I picked up his arms and wrapped them around me.

"I'm not an idiot, Alex. Like I'd really tell him anything?"

"I'm just saying. I know you two tell each other everything."

"Not everything." I thought back to JT as I lay my head on Alex's chest. "Every girl has their secrets even their best friends would never guess."

"He's your brother though. He sees more than a best friend."

"And less in some cases." I pulled back and picked up a bowl and spoon. "Take you for example. There are things you don't know and you love me. Sometimes I'm a very good secret keeper."

"You worry me. You should tell me these things."

"I'll consider it." Not.

---

I'd walked into my room that night in my towel since I'd forgotten to grab a shirt, and had the full intention of going to talk to JT since he hadn't said a word to anyone since he'd been home right after dinner. I navigated my dark room to my dresser and turned on the lamp as I dropped my towel. I went to pull open a drawer full of large t-shirts I slept in when I heard, "Well, I'm not sure if this view was meant for me, but I'm not going to complain." 

"Eli, what the hell?" I jerked a t-shirt out the drawer and over my head quickly before turning to face him. He was laying in my bed, eyes closed and arms behind his neck like always, but I knew from his words he'd been looking. 

"Not like I haven't seen it before." 

"Not like you should be seeing it again either." He opened his eyes and I glared at him. "I understand what I said before about taking it as a compliment, but I meant with my clothes on."

"Just like you only want Alex looking at you with clothes on."

"Yes. Just like that." I knew he was expecting a 'that's different' or something, but I wasn't going to give him any indication. 

He looked me up and down. "Come sleep with me tonight?"

"Are you going to drop the accusations?"

"Sure." It was a noncommittal answer, but I took it and turned back to grab some panties. I slipped them on and led the way to his room. I crawled into his bed first and snuggled down on my back. He joined me, turned off his lamp, and pulled me over to cuddle up to me like always. It felt odd though to have his less bulky and becoming less familiar arms around me.

He didn't talk to me and so I lay and waited for his breathing to even out before I snuck down to check on JT. A few minutes later, his pulse felt even where my ear pressed against his collar bone and I carefully tried to move out of his arms. "What's going on, Holly?"

I had only moved an inch, but stopped and resumed where I'd been. "What do you mean?"

"Did I do something, or is it just that they've stopped being overbearing lately?"

I pulled back to look at his face in the shadows. "I don't know what you're talking about Eli, but you haven't done anything I promise." 

"Then why are you spending time with JT all of a sudden? Last summer you came and watched a few of my practices."

"Last year I was in high school. I can come see you tomorrow if you want." I sat up more and brushed his cheek with my thumb. "Don't worry about that stuff. You know you'll always be my favorite little brother. I don't want anything interfering with the awesomeness of your senior year." 

"I asked that girl out."

"That's great, Eli. What did she say?"

"She's not in to football boys. You know, because football takes her father from her."

I frowned at the girl's shallowness at allowing football to be the deciding factor. "You don't need her then. You're better than girls with ridiculous daddy issues and standards." 

The glint of his teeth notified me of his smile. "I've missed you the past week." He pulled me back to him and I slid my arm around his waist. I briefly mused that he was the only brother who slept with shorts on. 

"I've missed you too." I felt his lips on my hair and shut my eyes. "I'll be there tomorrow."

---

"You're up early today," Alex said as he walked into the bathroom as I was showering the next day. JT must have left the house since he hadn't knocked. 

"I told Eli I'd come see one of his practices." I scrubbed at the conditioner in my hair, annoyed like always that it took forever to wash soap out of my hair. 

"You need to keep your distance with him, Holly."

"Thanks for the reminder, Alex. He's my little brother. I'm not going to go there. But he does seem to be jealous right now, which is why I'm going today."

"You'd be surprised where you'll go as time passes." 

I shut off the water. "Are you referencing me being your little sister?" I pulled the curtain aside and Alex looked up at me in the mirror. I wrung my hair out as he turned to face me. He had shaving cream on his face and only two strips had been removed since he'd entered.

"I am, but that's not the point. Keep your distance for his sake, too." 

"I kept my distance from you and we see how well that worked." His eyes lost all façade of staying on my face and I felt my face heat up as I quickly wrapped a towel around me. It didn't make much sense for me to be embarrassed, but I was and a smirk came to his face as he read my mind. 

"You'll have sex with me, but won't let me look at you naked."

I stepped out of the shower and grabbed the clothes I'd set on the counter. "I could say the same of you."

"I don't have any embarrassment on the issue; I'm just trying to keep you from jumping me." He braced his hands on the counter behind him, taking on a haughty air. 

"Really?" I faced him and sat my clothes back down. He lifted an eyebrow, so I stepped closer and slipped a finger inside the waistband of his boxers. His eyes were intense and made me want to walk away at the challenge I saw there, but my stubbornness wouldn't allow me to back down. I pulled them down slowly and looked down as I heard them hit the floor. 

He was longer than JT and only slightly smaller in width. I reached out a hand to trail down the angry vein I saw and Alex caught my hand. I looked up at him in question and he replied, "Seeing or touching. Not both, remember?"

"I think we've passed that line." 

He shook his head. "Get dressed and go see Eli."

I sighed, frustrated and turned from him. "Everyone is always ordering me to get dressed and I never..." I muttered as I grabbed my clothes and walked towards the door. 

"What was that?" I glanced back at him. He had his eyebrow raised, a sign I was close to getting in trouble, but his nakedness kind of ruined the threat. 

"Get dressed, Alex. Wouldn't want your little sister getting the wrong impression."

He made his way towards me and my eyes widened before I ran from the room. I was pushing open my door when he grabbed me and I screamed. "Put me down!" 

"I'm just making sure my little sister isn't getting any wrong impressions about her attitude. I'm still in charge of this house." He sat me on my bed and climbed on top of me. 

"Of course you are. And you can climb on top of me without clothes any time." I smiled up at him and he rolled his eyes. "You're super playful this morning."

He sat back on my hips and my eyes scanned down his body. At that moment I wished I hadn't wrapped my towel around me. "What did Eli say about last night?"

"He didn't say anything really. He didn't see anything really." I propped myself up on my elbows.

"You had your fingers in my pants."

"Good point." I sighed. "I don't know. Eli doesn't tend to think the way most people do."

He started to get off of me and I grabbed his arm. "Let go. You need to get dressed."

"I need to get rid of this towel and then spend time with you in this position. That is what I need to do." His eyebrow was back raised, and I let go of him. "You are a tease. That's what you are. Stop it."

"Me? Really?" I nodded and he shook his head. "You've pranced around here in skimpy clothing since you grew breasts and I'm the tease. Wow."

"You've walked around without a shirt since you were in high school."

"That's different."

"Not when I have a thing for arms like yours." He took on a haughty grin and I rolled over. "Alright, go away so I can get dressed."

"Arms like mine?"

"Shut up, Alex. Go away."

He crawled over me and kissed my shoulders. "No, no, no. Do elaborate."




A Broken Family Ch. 07



I woke up to the feel of kisses being pressed along my rib cage and stomach and wiggled a little. "Morning, Sleepyhead." Arms crossed and rested on my stomach. 

"What time is it," I mumbled and peeked an eye open to see Alex's head propped up on his arms and looking at me. 

"Eleven." It was then that I noticed he was dressed, his face was lacking stubble, and his hair was wet from a shower. "I was about to go make lunch." 

I closed my eyes and smiled. "I could get used to waking up like this." 

"I could get used to waking you up like this." A gentle poke to the side made me jump. "Get up and come help me. I have to decide on what to do with Eli when he gets home, too." 

I sighed and leaned up on my elbows, considering telling him about Eli. He waited, seeing the conflict in my eyes, but I finally decided I couldn't betray Eli like that. I'd never told anyone of our private conversations before and I wasn't about to start now. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, just worried about him is all. Did you get a hold of JT?" 

"No. He left his phone in his room." He didn't look happy with his younger brother and I raised a hand to his cheek to get him to relax. "I'm fine. It's just odd to have the one I was always punishing following rules and the other two avoiding me or disobeying me." 

I smiled. "But I'm the most important, so it's okay." 

He pressed a last kiss to my abdomen and rolled off the bed. "I'm obligated to say you are all equal." The absence of his warmth had me tugging my shirt back down before crawling out of bed. I was happy I'd taken off my bandage and that my boy shorts covered the small heart. That or Alex wasn't paying attention. "You taking a shower first?" 

I rubbed my cheek sleepily and looked up at him. "Nah. I'm hungry. I'll shower after." 

He wrapped me in his arms and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "You're adorable when you first wake up." 

"Shut up," I mumbled and pulled away. I felt his presence behind me as I walked out of his room and paused as I hit the stairs. Just as I expected, his arms came up to my waist at the sudden stop. 

"Go." 

"I'm too tired for stairs." I dropped down a step and stopped again. Arms went under my knees and back and I smiled, lolling my head back before looking at him as he descended the stairs carrying me. 

"You're spoiled." He had a smile on his face as he said it right before he sat me down on the ground floor. 

"You're the one who made me this way." I pulled my shirt down as I straightened and he looked down at the movement. "Oh, I suppose I should have put shorts on." 

His gaze lingered a moment before he turned toward the kitchen. "Drew is busy today anyway." 

"Is he really or are you just using that as an excuse to let your eyes prey on me?" 

"Both actually." He headed straight for the fridge and I leaned against a counter. "How do you feel about chicken and mashed potatoes?" 

"Sounds great." He shut the fridge after taking out chicken and butter, and raised an eyebrow at my scrutiny. "I still think I should buy that apron and make you only wear that." 

He smiled and pulled out the pot and pan he needed followed by two knives. He handed me one and headed to the pantry to grab the sack of potatoes. "I don't think the other two inhabitants of this house would appreciate that." 

"Maybe if you had raised us as nudists they would be more accepting. I blame you." 

"Because you walking around here naked would have produced so many pure thoughts in your brothers." He gave me a joking condescending look. 

"Maybe you would have gotten used to the sight and stopped being affected by it." I grabbed a potato and started peeling it. "Or maybe I wouldn't be a virgin." I paused as I said it, not completely sure if I could claim that anymore. Technically, I was still vaginally a virgin. 

"I think I like how things turned out." 

I scrunched up my nose. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But the point is you'll hear no complaints from me if you start walking around without clothes." I smiled as he glanced at me and started on another potato. "I like it when it's just us." 

I must have jinxed it because the door slammed and leisurely steps headed towards the kitchen. I tugged on my shirt even though it covered everything, and fidgeted as the steps ended at the kitchen doorway. "What're you cooking?" 

Alex turned to look at JT, but I stayed facing away. "Chicken. Would you mind staying until Eli gets home?" 

"Why what happened?" He walked into the room more and entered my peripheral vision. I concentrated on finishing peeling the potatoes. 

"He decided to sneak out to a party. He mentioned something to Holly about following your example. I figured it might help if you sit down and talk with him. I still haven't decided what to do with him." 

"What did he say, Holly?" He moved closer again and I glanced at him. 

"Just that he didn't see why it was okay for you to act that way when he couldn't. I made it clear I wasn't going to let him fall into that, but maybe if you said something it would sink in more." I finished peeling potatoes and started washing them off, handing them to Alex to set on the counter next to the pot so we could cut them into squares. 

"I'll talk to him. I'll let you know what he says. Maybe we can do this without grounding him very long since his senior year starts soon." He paused and the only sound was the water running before I shut it off. "Why aren't you wearing pants, Holly?" 

"I just woke up and Alex said Drew wasn't coming over today." I glanced at him and tugged at the end of my shirt again where it hit just past my panties. "I'll go put some on. I'll be back in a minute, Alex." 

JT followed me up the stairs and into my room where he closed the door. I went to my dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts, quickly pulling them on. "Is there something wrong?" 

"Nothing's wrong." I adjusted things on top of my dresser to keep from looking at him. 

"Why won't you look at me?" I turned and looked him in the face with a blank look. His forehead crinkled and his tongue peeked out to wet his lips in between the two rings he had in. "I told you we shouldn't have." I started to walk past him and he caught me around the waist. "Wait a minute." 

"No. It wasn't a mistake. You going back to normal is. You going back to staying out and fucking girls all hours of the day is." 

"I haven't been with another girl since I was with you." I looked at him with a look that said I didn't believe a single word. "I've been going to the park and walking the paths. I haven't been with another girl." 

"Sure. Whatever. You can let me go now." He pulled me closer instead and bent his head down until I felt his breath on my neck. 

"What do you want, Holly?" He kissed my neck and rested his head on my shoulder as he held me. I slowly brought my hands up and pulled them through his soft dark hair. I didn't have an answer so I stayed silent until he pulled away a minute later. "Go back down and help Alex." I leaned up and pecked his lips before walking towards the door. "I'll be in my room tonight." I glanced back at him and smiled. 

- 

"What did Eli say," I asked as I slipped into JT's room that night. Upon Alex's request, I'd gone to Amy's so that he and JT could talk to Eli and deal with him without my intervention. I quickly pulled the covers back and slipped in; I'd just gotten out of the shower and the cold air conditioning made me shiver. 

His arms made me jump as they pulled me to him before I'd finished lying down. "Did you say anything to him?" 

"About what?" I shut my eyes and sighed as I felt his lips rest against the back of my neck. 

"I love the smell of your hair." I smiled in the darkness until he continued on, "About you and I." 

"No... Did he say something? He has this idea in his head that I'm screwing everyone but him because I haven't been as close to him lately." 

"But you are screwing me." He said it so bluntly as his fingers rubbed circles on my abdomen. 

"So?" 

"So are you screwing anyone else?" His fingers paused after a minute of no reply. "Holly?" 

"So are you done screwing multiple girls?" 

"This has to do with me being your brother and you better not be having sex with multiple partners, especially without telling all of them." His voice was sharp and I pulled his hand up to cradle in mine next to my chest. 

"No. I've only been with you. Now tell me what Eli said." 

"He just alluded to thinking you and I had something going on. Alex kept glancing at me when he said those things, but Eli made sure to nail him, too. Is there something going on with him lately?" 

"What makes you think he'd tell me if he was stressed over something?" 

"Holly. Really. You're his best friend." 

I sighed. "All I know is he liked a girl at school and she rejected him because he plays football. Something about the sport always taking her father away. He's just... fragile right now. Not thinking." 

"Hmm." His lips were back on my neck again and the hand by my chest pulled my back against his chest. "And how are you feeling?" 

My eyes scanned through the darkness as my mind whirred at my inexperience. "I'm not fragile if that's what you're asking." 

"There's something I've been wondering about." I waited as his hand traveled down and pushed under my shirt he'd already pushed around my ribs. "What all rough stuff are you in to?" 

"Name something and I'll tell you if I am." I held still as his fingers traced around my breasts without going near my nipples. 

"Spanking is a given. Bondage?" 

"Yes." I earned a nibble to the side of my neck. 

"Pain?" 

"To an extent." 

His fingers did go to my nipples then and I inhaled sharply at the hard pinch he gave them without working up to it. "You'll tell me if you want anything to stop." 

"Of course." 

His hands left me and his arms returned to holding me close. "Alright. Go to sleep." 

"What?" I tried turning around, but he squeezed me. "What the hell? No." 

"I'm tired. I'll pound your brains out in the morning." He nuzzled my neck and I groaned. He'd better not put me on the taking-it-slow thing. I couldn't do that with him and Alex both. 

"Fine." 

"Don't be upset. Am I not in charge?" 

A smile spread across my face. "Until I get fed up and dominate you. You've got muscle on your side, but I'm not afraid to play dirty." 

"Obviously I've experienced that." I blushed in the darkness. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Just right now we're going to sleep." 

- 

"Does Alex know about this, little girl?" were the rough words spoken into my ear in the morning. I groaned and tried turning over, but my hips and wrists were being held down. I slowly opened my eyes to see JT's serious face with eyebrows raised. 

"What?" He let go of my wrists and I propped myself up on my elbows as he straddled my hips. His hands slid down over my naked side, thumbs snaking down under the waist of my panties, and pushed them down. I looked where his eyes went and flopped back on my back. "You want to explain to him how you came to see it? Actually, care to explain that anyways?" 

He raised his eyebrows at me and I shut my eyes. "I don't think you'd have complained with how I came to find this." His thumbs rubbed where the bones of my pelvis were. "When'd you get it?" 

"When I got my piercing the other day. I make my own style, see. I don't just follow your example; you don't have any tattoos." 

I felt his weight shift and opened my eyes to see the curve of his neck to his shoulder. "You shouldn't mark your skin like that," he spoke into my ear before trailing kisses along my neck. 

"It's not like people will ever see it." I shivered as he found a sensitive place. 

"I will and I like your skin being unblemished by ink." He met my lips and I smiled as he pulled my hips up so he could take my panties off. "You think you're so cute because you get to me, huh?" He asked, pulling back to kiss down my neck again.  

"Just a little bit." I laughed as he tickled my side and sat up. "What're you doing?" I watched him get off the bed and go to his dresser. 

"Helping you save something special until marriage." He came back with a condom and a bottle of lube. To my confused look he said, "Anal only." 

"Oh." I swallowed and glanced away. "I don't want to get married." Not anymore at least. Not whenever I could find everything I needed at home with Alex and him. 

"You might change your mind." He lifted a hand to my cheek and turned my head to look at him. "Hey, we don't have to." 

I looked between his eyes and then slid my eyes down his body before closing them. "I want to. I just wish you'd consider us being able to do everything." 

"If you think about it, this is like doing everything to other people. I was almost sure I'd discourage you with it." He sat the two things on the bedside table and then took me into his arms. "I love you, you know that right?" He kissed my cheek and I smiled. "I'm not sleeping with anyone else." 

"How long does that last?" I mumbled, burying my face into his neck and splaying my hands over his chest. He hands tightened on my back at my comment. 

"I'm not going to put you at risk of anything." His voice was rough and tinted with anger. 

"You're always angry with me." 

"That doesn't mean I want you catching an STD from me." 

I pressed my lips to the skin under my cheek and trailed them over the parts of his neck in reach. His arms relaxed a little bit and he start rubbing circles on my lower back. "So until you get tired of me." 

"That won't happen," he said quietly after a few minutes. I acted like he hadn't said anything, knowing he wasn't one to discuss how he felt. 

- 

"You threw me to the sharks." I jumped and quickly shut the curtain back. 

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I reached out of the shower and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around me before sliding the curtain back again. 

"Was it really necessary to tell him what I said? It's bad enough you called Alex." Eli's blue eyes looked more betrayed than angry as he leaned against the counter right in front of the shower. 

"I was just looking out for you. I can't have you acting like that anymore and you don't listen to me." I stood with my hands holding my towel at the top to ensure it didn't fall. "Can we talk about this once I'm dressed?" 

His eyes glanced down to my hands. "I just don't get it. What does JT have that makes you like him so much, but you don't want me to replicate?" 

"Eli, come on. I told you that you're my favorite. For Christ's sake, you're my best friend right next to Amy. I don't want you acting like JT because his choices are going to have him ending up with an STD or alcohol poisoning someday." 

He didn't look up to my face and I shifted uncomfortably. "Something is going on between you two. You're going to slip up and I'm going to tell Alex." 

I picked up my clothes from beside him and turned to the door. "There's nothing going on. I wish you'd go back to normal. If you want me to be around you, you can't be making silly threats." 

I reached for the doorknob and felt a hand snake around my waist, sliding right between the edge in the front and pulling me back. "I just want a chance. If you really believed everything you said to Sarah, you would give me one." 

"Come on, Eli. Stop, please. You're my little brother and I would be taking advantage of that if I tried anything." I tried pulling his hand away, but he pulled me closer and trailed kisses down my dewy shoulder, his hand caressing my hip inside my towel. 

"Then let me try something. Just a chance, that's all I'm asking for." 

"No. You need to find a nice girl you can marry and take care of." 

"I can take care of you." He turned me around and took my face into his hands. "I can. I have always been there for you and nothing would have to change really." 

"Except for you touching me in ways you shouldn't." 

I closed my eyes as he leaned his face closer to mine so I could feel his lips brush mine as he talked. "Think real hard; do you really think it would bother you?" His pushed his lips to mine on the last word and I did my best to stand there and just take it. "I'll leave you alone to change." He pulled back and slipped around me and out the door. 

I just stood there blinking my eyes trying to figure out what the hell was going on in my house. 

- 

"We can pack tonight and leave tomorrow. It will give us an extra day," Alex told me as I walked into his office. He was staring at the computer this time and for that I was a little let down. Drew was sitting in a chair in front of his desk and I took the other, sinking back into it, crossing my legs, and leaning my head on the back. 

"We could. Start making a checklist and I'll get to it sometime tonight." I yawned and Drew stood up beside me. 

"I'll see you when you get back, man. Make sure he stays out of trouble, Holly." Drew patted my shoulder as he went by and I looked up at Alex and winked. 

"I thought Alex was the one who was supposed to keep me out of trouble?" 

"He'd like you to think that, wouldn't he? See ya later." We sat and looked at each other until we heard the front door shut. 

"Your shorts are too short," was the first thing he said to me as his eyes flicked down to my legs. I got up and closed and locked his office door. 

"I guess it's a good thing Drew was leaving then, huh?" I walked around his desk this time and he pushed away so that there was room for me to slide onto his lap. 

His hands slid up my thighs and held me firmly so I wouldn't fall off. "JT's home right now." 

My eyes flicked upward as if I could see him through the ceiling to the second floor. "So?" I tried my best not to think of him and half-failed. I reasoned with myself that he was used to sharing girls and he'd get over it. Alex had just as much claim as JT did. 

"So be good," he said firmly and I rolled my eyes. 

"I'm always good. You're the one who's corrupted me." I glanced to the computer. "Actually, I wouldn't mind being corrupted more." 

"You're unbelievable. Go upstairs and pack." He let go of me, but all I did was shift to face him with my knees on either side of him. "We're not doing this, Holly." 

"You're so beautiful." I ignored him and brushed my thumb along his cheekbone before leaning in and kissing him softly. He relaxed the slightest bit and rested his hands on my lower back. I started kissing down his neck and received a sigh. 

"Holly." It was a warning and I pulled back to look him in the face. "Not right now." 

I dropped my eyes between us as I wilted a little—I was getting tired of being rejected and considering going to bother JT instead—but a smile fluttered across my face as I took in the lump in his pants. "You have way too much control, you know that?" 

"Someone has to because it's not like you do." 

I lifted an eyebrow as I reached behind me and took hold of his wrists. "I'm completely capable of gaining control over this situation." I held his hands on the armrests and leaned into him, my mouth hovering over his. "You really don't think I'll let you always have the upper hand, do you?" 

"You're not ready," he murmured against my lips before leaning the inch to connect ours. I pulled away as one of his arms broke away to wrap around me. 

"I didn't say we had to have sex." I reached my free hand down and ran my fingers along the front of his shorts. "I still never got to get you back." 

"Don't," he told me as I moved off his chair and crouched down in front of him. 

I leaned my head against his thigh as his hand came to push my head away and sighed. "Just this once. Nothing more." 

"You don't have to do that. I'm fine. You can go upstairs and start packing." I reached my hands up and managed to get his button undone before he took my hands away and held them to the side. "Come on, Holly. Go upstairs." 




A Broken Family Ch. 08



Author's Note: Sorry it's short. I needed a chapter break before the next one, which is three times longer. Thank you for reading and commenting!
---------------------- 

"Eli," I whispered as I slipped into his room that night. I heard him shift in bed and saw the shadow of him sitting up. 

"Holly?"

"Hey, um..." I crawled onto the other side of the bed. "Alex and I are going camping tomorrow."

"I know." His arm draped over me and he moved closer. I put my hand on his bare chest to stop him, but he just pulled my hips closer. "Come on. I wasn't trying anything. Don't be like that."

"I needed to make sure that you'll be okay here with just JT this week, then I was going to go back to my room."

"Do I have a choice?" I didn't answer and he rolled onto his back. "Yeah. Whatever."

"Eli..." I struggled with what to do and finally scooted over and lay my head on his shoulder. I let my hand fall on his opposite arm and stroked the skin there. "You're my best friend."

"That's just great, Holly." He didn't even bother to put a sarcastic tone in his words and I wrapped my arms around his waist. 

"Please stop being mad at me. I love you."

"I'm not mad at you."

"You're upset with me."

"Yes." I went to lift up my head and he put his hand on it instead, smoothing my hair down my back. "You rejected me multiple times and have a double standard concerning me and JT."

"It's not like that and you know it." I rested my hand on his chest in front of my face and brushed my thumb back and forth.

"So tell me how it is, Holly."

"You're my little brother. It's immoral."

"Having sex before marriage is immoral. Every sin is equal."

"It's illegal."

"You don't tell the police." I squeezed my eyes shut. He was acting like me and I wanted to smack him for making me a hypocrite. "Come on, just a chance. Pretend I'm JT if it helps."

"You're not JT. I don't want another JT in my life."

"Then I'm Eli. But see me as more than your little brother who keeps all your secrets." I sighed and scanned down his body, trying to do as he said even as I internally rolled my eyes. 

"What the hell?" His hip was exposed and I jerked my lower body away from him. "Are you naked right now?" His only answer was to take hold of the hand on his chest and move it down. I tried to twist my grip away, but he held me so I couldn't use the aid of my other hand. 

"I might be." I curled my fingers in as he slid my hand over him, but he pulled my fingers out and wrapped them around him. 

"Eli, stop," I said even as I began to wonder at the organ underneath my touch. He wasn't as thick as JT and Alex. 

He shifted onto his side a little and leaned into my ear. "You're not fighting me anymore." He pressed a kiss behind my ear and trailed more down my neck. "What're you thinking?" He took his hand from mine but I didn't remove mine as he turned my face to his and pressed his mouth to mine. He smiled as I unconsciously kissed him back, tightening my hand around him. 

He wouldn't stretch me as much is what I had going through my mind and felt the flutter in my stomach again. Of course, I told myself, I should have expected him not to be as thick since in mass he wasn't as big either. But, as I slid my hand down more, I started to think he just might be a little longer.

I jerked away as his hand slid under my shirt and over the skin of my stomach. "Don't." I pulled his hand away and tried to move away, but he pulled me back and under him. "Eli..." I felt like Alex must in our relationship right then. 

"Chill out, Holly." He kissed over my collar bone, down between my breasts despite my squirming, and to my bared stomach as he pushed my shirt up. He continued his way down, though, and my squirming got fiercer. 

"D-Don't. You-you can't. Please stop." The fear in my voice must have stopped him because he looked up at me. I didn't want to be thinking of him, too, whenever Alex went down on me. Especially since with Eli it would be more than just sex, unlike JT. 

"What's wrong? I won't hurt you." He stroked my thighs and pressed another kiss to my stomach.

"I can't." 

"I know you're scared. It's your first time, but," I blanched at that, "you don't have to be scared." He pulled himself up a little to look at my face better in the glow of his alarm clock. "It is your first time, right?"

"Is that all I am? A girl to take the virginity of?" I tried the defensive, but he wasn't having it, narrowing his eyes. 

"Who did you screw, Holly?"

"No one. Get off me, Eli." I tried pushing him off me and he took my hands, pinning them beside my head. "I'm not kidding. I can't do this."

"I'm not going to take your virginity, if you even still have that."

"I know. I can't do that either." I squirmed under him, feeling his warm dick pressing against my thigh.

He dropped one of my hands and I tried to pull at his hand that reached down, moving underneath my panties. All I ended up doing was holding him there as he rubbed me just as I would to myself. The gasp that came out of my mouth had him smiling and I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see his gloating. "It seems that you can."

His hand shifted and I felt one of his fingers slide into me. "E-Eli..."

"Relax, Holly." I shuddered as he slipped another finger in me. There was no reason he should be able to play me better than Alex, I reasoned, but his touch seemed to know exactly how I wanted everything. "I love how wet you are," he murmured into my ear and I achingly tried to tug his hand away again. "Are you sure?"

He pressed something that made me go weak and I dropped his arm to grip the blankets. It was suddenly very clear to me that he would probably be a perfect first time since he seemed to know just exactly what I wanted—his ex must have taught him exactly what she wanted I reasoned, which was probably why it hurt him when she left him.

"Yes, I'm sure. Stop," I managed to get out and his hand pulled away. I felt like crying at the loss of his touch as the need to reach climax slammed against me with vigor. But the reason I didn't want him was jealousy, jealous that he'd had sex before me and already knew how to play me like a piano. 

I kept my eyes closed as I felt him hover above me, not wanting to see his muscles straining. "What's wrong?"

"Not wanting my little brother touching me doesn't necessitate something being wrong, Eli."

I heard him sigh and roll onto his back beside me. "You're infuriating."

"I'm infuriating?" I looked over at him. "You are the one who flaunts your knowledge of sex to me as if I wasn't already pissed you did it before me."

"That's why you stopped me?" He seemed incredulous and reached for me, pulling me on top of him despite my protests. "You are ridiculous, Holly."

"Stop it." I slapped his hands that slid up my thighs and tried to pull at my panties.

"I cannot believe that's why you're acting like this." He settled for holding my legs right above my knees and I glared at him. 

"I'm acting like this because you're my brother and we shouldn't be in this situation."

"I'm starting to feel that you're trying to convince yourself as much as me now. Am I getting to you?" He slid his hands back up my thighs and didn't stop when I smacked them again. 

"Just because you're able to work me over easily doesn't mean you're getting to me." I struggled against him as he started pulling me towards his face. "Don't you dare, Eli." 

I held myself up despite his hands trying to pull me down towards his face and jumped whenever he swiftly pushed my panties to the side and lifted his head to me instead. His tongue alternated between pushing up into me and flicking my clit as he sucked it into his mouth. My body trembled and I wasn't expecting it when he slid his two fingers in me. He pulled them out as quickly as they went in and his thumb replaced the spot as I felt a wetted finger press against my anus. He jostled them inside me, biting gently on my clit at the same time, and I gasped. Another finger started to wiggle its way up my ass and I trembled. 

"Eli..." I could feel all my muscles tightening up and his mouth left me a second. 

"Let go." His sucked hard on my clit and I gripped his headboard for support as I got so close the feelings felt like they were too much. He suddenly started flicking his tongue more and I came undone.

He picked me up and put me on my back, moving his fingers and thumb in and out quickly, sparking off a second peak before the first one was done. "Stop, stop. It's too much," I gasped out as I started coming down and he paused all his movements. 

"I'll be right back." He kissed my forehead and got off the bed; I heard the water turn on next door a few seconds later. Just as I was catching my breath he came back and pulled me under the covers and into his arms. His hand slid under my shirt and he rested it right under my breast.

"That can't happen again." He pressed a kiss to my neck and let a finger trace the underside of my breast. "I'm serious."

"I know you are."

"Maybe it's best I'll be gone this week. Maybe you'll stop entertaining these thoughts in your head."

"Not a chance. Your reactions are too adorable." He slid a leg between mine and pressed his thigh against my pussy. "And I know you won't let it stop after that."

"You're wrong. Your ability to do that fuels my anger more."

"My ability to make stars behind your eyes and drive you crazy in the best way?"

"Fuck you." I moved his hand down to my stomach. 

"That's an offer I'd love to take you up on." He let his hand continue down and underneath my panties, pressing his fingers against my clit. It was still sensitive and I shuddered, jerking my hips. 

"Stop that." I pulled his hand away and he finally rested it innocently on my hip. "I'm not staying in here anymore and I fully plan to leave once you're asleep."

"So you can go sleep with JT?"

My heart jumped into my throat. "No I miss my own bed. I want to sleep in there."

"Sure. You will fall asleep before me anyways."

---

"Wake up." Someone shook my shoulder and I blinked my eyes open with a yawn. Alex was standing beside my bed and I smiled. That slipped though as he glanced beside me, and I came to realize there was an arm across my stomach. 

"Eli," I groaned and pushed him off me. He snapped his eyes open and I glared at him. I'd woken up in the middle of the night and had snuck into my room without him. But now he was here again. "Get out of my bed right now."

"I'm not hurting you." He rolled over and I flicked his shoulder. "Just get packed and I'll go back to my room before you guys leave."

"Just let it go," Alex said and tugged on my hand to get me out of bed. "Get your clothes packed and I'll go get everything else ready. Don't forget your one piece this time," he told me sternly but added a wink. Something told me swim suits wouldn't matter this time. He left the door open and walked downstairs. 

"What are you doing in here?" I flicked Eli's shoulder again and he rolled back to face me. "Get out of here so I can get ready."

"Okay." He tossed the covers back and my eyes widened. "It's a good thing you didn't make me get up a minute ago, huh?" I took him in, now positive he was longer than Alex and JT.

I hurriedly jerked the covers back over him and got off the bed, pushing the door closed. "Are you crazy?" I picked up my partially-packed bag from beside my closet and sat it on the bed. I rushed around grabbing clothes from my dresser and closet. 

"I didn't think you'd mind."

I stopped and glared at him. "Not happening again." He grinned and I turned away so he couldn't see my blush. "Check the hallway before going back to your room."

"I think I'll stay while you change." He crossed his hands behind his head and kicked the covers off to cross his legs. I looked at him through the mirror on my wall and he caught my eyes. "I think you like looking at my body as much as I like to touch yours."

"I do not." I stepped to my closet and reached for a dress that was light and cut off mid-thigh.

"You're a terrible liar." I grabbed a bra from my drawer and ducked behind the closet door to change. "Feel free to look anytime you'd like, Holly."

"Zip this up," I told him, coming out from behind the door and stepping up beside the bed. I turned my back to him and felt his arms encircle my waist before kissing up the expanse of my back that was uncovered. "I said zip it up, Eli."

"You're so grouchy in the morning." He slowly zipped it like I'd asked, but grabbed me before I could step away. "I like you in this dress." He turned me around and took hold of my thighs, pulling me closer until my legs framed his where he sat. He widened his legs, making me move mine as well until I had to hold onto his shoulders to not fall. 

"Can we not play this game this morning?"

His hands slid higher and he pulled me down to sit awkwardly with my pelvis pressed against his naked one so I wouldn't fall in the space between his legs. "It would look great without a bra, but I don't want other guys knowing that." His hands held my ass and rubbed me against him. My dress had gathered at my waist and the only thing separating my pussy from his hard cock was the thin fabric of my panties. I unconsciously pressed harder against him as my clit began to swell from his hands being on me. His smile let me know he noticed. 

"Alex could walk in again."

"He won't because he thinks you're changing."

I wasn't at liberty to say that didn't matter so I tried to stand up again. All that did, since I had to stand so close with his legs still spread, was drag my crotch against his and level my cleavage with his face. He worked well with the change though and leaned forward to kiss along the V of my neckline. 

"How about we not do this?" I pushed his shoulders away and he looked up at me, his blue eyes slightly darker with his arousal. "I don't want my dress all rumpled," I added so he wouldn't continue simply because I was still opposed to it all. 

"That can be fixed." He lifted his hand to the zipper at my back, but I stepped forward and into him more. 

"No don't." I brushed my hand through his hair, trying to play nice. "Alex will want to leave soon, and it wouldn't be good to have him find you and me locked in something."

He let his hand drop back down to find its way up my dress. He was good though and just grasped my thighs and pulled me back with him onto the bed. I braced myself on his shoulders and he finally returned his hands to my waist outside my dress. "Lay here with me until he comes back. You're all packed, right?"

"I just need some things from the bathroom." I scooted forward so I wasn't brushing against his hardened member and let him pull my head to lie on his shoulder. I was thoughtful enough to pull the sheet up over his sleeping body a minute later, so that whenever Alex came back about five minutes after that he wouldn't see something I never should have saw.



A Broken Family Ch. 09



"How come you didn't pick the place we were at before?" I asked Alex as he set up the tent. I was as useless as the first time and watched as he assembled everything. He stood up and handed me the spades and walked back to the truck. He came back with material and rope in his hands. "What's that for?"

"It's a hammock and the reason I picked this spot." He walked over to where two trees stood together and started wrapping ropes around them. 

"Are you sure it will hold you? Do you even know how to set that up?"

He gave me a funny look and I started fastening the tent down. "I know what I'm doing, Holly. It will hold both of us." He walked back over and helped me finish with the tent before he took the hammer and put the finishing touches on the hammock that would supposedly support us both. 

I was sitting there, bored and letting my mind linger, so whenever he dropped the hammer and turned my way, he caught me with my eyes where they'd rested on his ass. I slowly moved my eyes up to his and dropped back onto the grass at his amused expression. "It feels nice out." A gentle breeze went by, fluttering the skirt of my dress up, but I made no move to stop it as Alex made his way to me.

He dropped to his knees over me and I brought my hands up to rest on his knees. "You look beautiful today." I smiled and he picked up one of my hands, kissing the back of it. "Green's a good color on you. It brings out your eyes."

"How come I'm the only one with green eyes?"

He tilted his head. "Dad's parents both had green eyes."

"Why didn't he?"

"I'm not God; I have no idea. I'm happy you do, though. They're beautiful." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, letting his lips linger a moment.

"I like your brown eyes. They remind me of coffee and chocolate, two of my favorite things."

"You're silly." He rolled off of me and pulled me to lie on top of him, smoothing my dress down.

"I like it when you wear jeans, too. I don't know if you've noticed, but my eyes tend to stray when you do."

"Is that your excuse for eye-raping me all the time?"

I lifted my head and stuck my tongue out at him. "You like it. Don't pretend you don't."

He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear and I reached up to press my lips to his. "I do like it," he murmured between kisses and I smiled. I pushed my hands underneath his shirt and brushed my fingers over his abdomen. "You're not stripping me in plain daylight, Holly." 

"So when it's dark I can?"

"I'll think about it." I let his mouth occupy me a few more minutes before I pulled back again.

"What about in a tent during the day?"

He rolled us over, slipping his arms underneath my back and knees before getting up. I held onto his shoulders tightly as the ground moved farther away until he was steadily standing and striding towards the truck. "You act like you don't trust me."

I looked back at him and smiled. "I do. I just wasn't expecting that. Where are you going?"

"To get our pillows and sleeping bags." He sat me on the truck bed while he got into the back seat. He handed me mine and helped me off the tailgate, evidently noticing he couldn't carry me back with everything. I stuffed my pillow under my arm and wrapped my fingers through the elastic on my sleeping bag so that I could wrap my arm around his waist. 

"I love you." 

He shifted everything into his other hand, too, before wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I love you, too, Holly." He let go of me to duck into the tent first and I paused beside our bags I'd brought over. I felt ridiculous as I checked over my shoulder before pulling a condom out of the box Eli had made me buy those weeks ago and slipping it into my pillowcase. "You coming?" 

I jumped and turned to the tent opening. "Yeah, sorry." He took my sleeping bag from me and spread it out beside his and I sat my pillow beside his. He was turned from me, straightening the bottom of our sleeping bags, and my eyes snapped to his as he turned back. 

I covered my cheeks with my hands as I blushed from the loving smile he gave me. "You're adorable." He tugged on my arm and I let him pull me closer so he could kiss me. 

"Take this off," I told him, pushing his shirt up again. He quickly pulled it off and I splayed my hands over the expanse of skin. 

"I still look the same as yesterday." He tilted my chin up to kiss me. 

"Call it being grateful when you let me touch you freely."

His fingers found the zipper between my shoulder blades and slid it down. He didn't make any move to push my dress off, just slipped an arm under the fabric to curl around me and hold me to him. I slid my hands down and around his back, hesitantly sliding my hands over the pockets I'd been looking at moments before. 

He pulled one of my knees up to his waist and slowly leaned me back until I was lying down. He settled into me with his hips pressing against mine before he pulled away from my mouth. He watched my face as he ran his hands up my thighs, gathering my dress and pushing it around my waist. I leaned up and helped him pull it off, catching his eyes sliding over my skin once I'd tossed it aside. "I still look the same as yesterday."

His lips tilted up before he looked back at my face. "I'm inclined to say you don't."

"Why?" I kept my eyes steady on his even though my stomach quivered as he ran a hand up and down my side. 

"Because I'll always love looking at you and I intend for that to be my reason." 

A smile spread across my face as he started kissing my jaw. "You're so silly, Alex."

"Like you aren't?" He kissed me so I couldn't protest. I made a small sound as he rubbed my hip bones in small circles and pressed myself against him more. "Take it easy, Holly," were the words he murmured to me as he trailed his mouth over my neck and shoulders. 

I sighed, dropping my head back, my eyes fluttering closed, and satisfying myself with pulling my fingers through his hair. "I want you." I barely even heard my own voice I'd whispered it so softly, but he pulled my hips up so we pressed together more. 

"I just need you to be sure." I opened my eyes to meet his clouded brown ones that searched my face. 

"If I say I am, will you believe me this time?" I locked my legs around his thighs to make sure he didn't pull away like he had before and wrapped my fingers around his wrists where he held himself up. 

He pulled away from one of my hands to cup my cheek and run a thumb under my eye. "You can't take it back."

"I know." I closed my eyes again as he pressed a kiss to my forehead, but snapped them open as he pulled my legs away and I felt his body leave me. "What? Where are you going?"

He glanced back at me as he unzipped the door. "I have to grab a condom."

"I have one." I reached under my pillow as he paused at the door and grabbed the small square. He looked at it a moment and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I thought of how I'd judge a girl for having one and hoped he didn't. 

He zipped the tent back and resumed his place over me. "When did you get condoms?" He took it from my hand and sat it beside us. 

"Eli made me get them a couple weeks ago. He goes all protective on me some days, too." That seemed to satisfy him and I was happy he took over my mouth as a memory started to trickle in of last night. 

"And you're still on birth control." It wasn't a question, but I nodded and reached for his lips again. I was happy we were on the same page concerning children being the worst thing.

His hand slid under me to brace against my spine, lifting me up just enough that he could unclasp my bra. I quickly pulled it away as he settled my back against the ground again. I felt far more naked than ever before at the thought of the tent walls being our only cover and gently tugged on his back trying to offset his balance enough to press his chest against mine. He seemed to know what I wanted and settled over me, still holding off most of his weight. 

"You're not going to crush me," I said between kisses. It was such a small thing, but I didn't want him worrying about that while we were together, especially since I liked the reassuring feel of him pressed tight against me. 

He rolled us over, to probably prevent an argument I noted in my head. His hands tugged on the sides of my panties and I shifted so he could pull them off me. The need in my stomach rocketed as his fingers found their place on my clit immediately. I moaned and pulled his hands away. "You're over dressed," I said to the question in his eyes.

He quickly rolled us over again and moved his hands to his pants, but I slid my fingers under his and quickly unbuttoned them. He ran his hands up and down my thighs as I tugged them down. He'd worn boxer briefs that day and I swallowed at the large bulge evident. He let go of me to finish pulling his clothes off. I reached a hand out and trailed my fingers over his shaft as he took hold of my hips again. 

"You're sure?" I nodded and he applied pressure with his hands. 

"Yes I'm sure," I answered him and he reached for the condom he'd set aside. I moved my hands away and let him slide it over him. He lined himself up and asked again if I was ready. "Yes," I whispered and watched as he pushed into me. My muscles tensed more as I watched him slide more of him in and was happy I'd already broken my hymen. The stretching feeling combined with the thought that there was too much of him was enough. My breathing was shaky, and I bit down on my lip to stop it. 

"Hey," he tilted my face up to his and leaned close to hold me as soon as our hips were touching. "You're okay." He pulled my lip from between my teeth and replaced it with his own. 

As soon as my muscles had relaxed, he started moving his hips slowly. I moaned softly while he pressed his lips against my shoulder. As he started a slightly faster pace, reassured from my small noises, he bit down on my collarbone, marking me. I gasped and my hands came to hold onto his biceps. "Faster," I whispered and his hands moved up to my breasts, his thumbs rubbing against my nipples as he moved faster inside me. 

I could feel everything building inside me and wrapped my legs around his waist. His mouth replaced one of his hands, sucking my nipple into his mouth as he moved his free hand down between our bodies. "Alex," I gasped as he started rubbing my clit with fast circles. "Oh God." 

I tried to hold on longer as his thrusts lost some of their rhythm, and he kissed his way back up to my ear. "Let go, Holly." The first of the spasms hit and I moaned, burying my face in the curve of his neck. He kept up his thrusts even as they became jerky and his grip on my breast tightened. Just as I was coming down, he buried himself deep and pressed his head to my shoulder as I felt shakes through the muscles in his arms. 

I pulled down on his back as I tried to regain my breath and he let himself settle completely on top of me. I kissed his shoulder and neck until I felt both of our heart beats slow. He tried lifting himself up, but I wrapped my arms tight around him. He sighed and gave up and I loosened my hold on him, trailing my fingers down his back. 

"You should've told me you'd had sex before."

My heart dropped. "What?"

"I would've figured it out eventually; you should have just been honest with me." He lifted his head to look at me, his eyes tinged with hurt.

"I haven't though." His jaw clenched and I hurried on, "I haven't. I broke my own hymen. I swear to God I haven't. If I had I would have told you."

"You promise?" His voice was stern and his face was unreadable, but at least the hurt had cleared. 

"Yes." I took a deep breath as he rested his head on my shoulder again. I felt guilty now for everything I'd done with JT since Alex genuinely cared. I wasn't sure how Eli figured into everything and I really wished I didn't ever have to find out.

---

"Did Mom and Dad ever fight?" I asked as we lay together in the hammock, the fire a fair distance away casting shifting shadows on the skin of our entwined limbs. 

"Depends on your definition of fight." His fingers were tracing lazy circles over my stomach and I watched them as I lay against him.

"Did they ever go days without talking?"

"No. They sometimes went a few hours though. Usually because one said something that unintentionally wounded the other's ego. Like one time, Mom wanted to go get something done with the car that Dad had fixed in the past and said something like 'getting it done right so it doesn't happen again.' Apparently Dad had worked really hard to fix it and there really wasn't any other choice when it happened, since they hadn't had the money to repair it. They were savers, but most of that money was built up for us and they never touched it." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head as I moved a finger in the middle of one of the circles he was making. He took my hand in his and made the pattern there instead. "Why? What's bothering you, Holly?"

"We fight." 

He shifted and my nerves stood on end as the hammock rocked. He pulled me to sit up more and wrapped his arms around me. "I don't really consider what we do as fighting. I'm never angry with you, and I'd chalk most everything up to your sexual frustration. We've fixed that though, right?"

I threaded my fingers with his. "I want what they had."

"The picture?" He kissed the skin behind my ear and I nodded. "I'm sorry I'm so harsh on you about that stuff."

"I understand why now at least." I closed my eyes and turned my body slightly so I could lay my head on him.

"It was more than just me being in love with you. I've been protective of you long before that."

"Because I'm the only girl in the family?"

"And you're younger and always seemed to need protection. JT and I have never discussed it, but it was always a mutual understanding to never let anything happen to you and Eli. I remember JT left a few bruises and a broken nose on a boy who used to pick on Eli in grade school. He'd been asking for it though, being an older kid and picking on Eli."

"I never knew about that."

"Only Dad and I knew. There were a few things we kept from Mom not to worry her and you. It's almost as if Dad had always been raising us to take care of you if anything happened."

I stared across at the fire as he went silent and we could hear crickets and cicadas all around us. "You should talk about this stuff more."

"You've never asked about it before." He gave me a gentle squeeze.

I kept my eyes on the flames licking the wood as I spoke again, knowing if I wasn't half-zoned out I'd never admit to it. "I guess I never really cared how you guys fared with it all. I was in my own pit of pain and when I got that picture developed about six months after they'd died... I went through all of it being surreal again. How could they have been murdered if I'd seen them happy and laughing at church mere weeks before? And then I decided that if I couldn't have them in my life and they couldn't be happily alive together, I wanted that kind of love so that it wouldn't feel so claustrophobic in the world anymore. I tried my best to be there for Eli. He'd cry sometimes and I'd hug him, but I still... I could have been there for all three of you more if I wasn't so selfish."

"Oh, Holly..." He lifted a hand and wiped away the three tears that had fallen despite the fire preoccupation. "It wasn't your job to take care of us all. We all still understand how it gets to you."

"Eli was only thirteen. I should have at least taken better care of him." I blinked away a tear before it could fall.

"I think you did. That boy would probably be worse than JT or me if someone ever hurt you." He was stroking my arm now and I felt the calm he gave me just by that simple gesture.

I took a deep breath. "Alex, I think Eli..."

"Eli what?" His hand paused on my elbow.

"He's..." As I searched for the right words, I decided maybe I wasn't meant to tell him if my mouth couldn't even form the right words. "Never mind. I just worry about him." 

He stayed still another moment before pulling me closer and pressing a kiss to my temple. "We all do. I'm so lucky I've got you to help me take care of him. I have no idea how to relate to that kid half the time. He's not like any of us with our tempers, so I never know how he's feeling." 

You're able to relate more than you think. "He's got a temper. It's just more of a calm one, if that's possible. He gets angry with me sometimes." Like in the shower the other day. "Your temper is the one that's always so confusing."

I felt his lips curve into a smile where he'd kept them pressed to my temple. "Men do crazy things when there's a woman involved." I swallowed uneasily at that, the thought of the other two flitting across my mind. It wasn't as if I could pretend they never did anything; I was almost positive Eli would never let me.

"Can we go shower before we go to bed?"

I felt him take a deep breath before kissing my head again. "Sure we can. Go grab your clothes and a towel."

As I carefully got off the hammock I looked back at him. "You're coming, too, right?"

"Of course. I won't let those spiders get to you like Eli did." He grinned but I shook my head. 

"No, like..." I glanced toward the fire, not sure if my cheeks were warming from the closer proximity to it or if my face was turning red. 

"Ah." He got off the hammock, too. "Of course I can." He led the way back to the tent where we'd put our bags earlier. I went to grab night clothes from my bag and paused. "Something wrong?"

I glanced to Alex where he was holding a pair of shorts, his towel, and the bag containing his soap. "No." I pulled out underwear and a towel and grabbed my shower supplies. "I'm ready."

We reached the dilemma of where to set our things once we got in there, but Alex quickly shed his shirt and sat it on the ground outside the shower stall, setting our towels and clothes on top. I'd carefully wrapped my panties and bra inside my towel in case Alex wasn't keen on my idea.

I let Alex step into the shower and kill all the spiders as I shut the bathroom door before slipping my dress over my head. He turned around and saw my skin bared, immediately flicking his eyes to the door. His shoulders relaxed a little but he still pulled me into the stall and shut the curtain. He didn't say anything though as I stripped off the rest and he dropped his shorts down. I felt his hands slip over my hips as I adjusted the water in the shower and smiled, turning around in his arms as soon as I was happy with the temperature. 

He backed me into the stream of water until it was hitting us both and I pulled his head down for a kiss. My hands slowly drifted down to his chest, where he took my hands in his gently. "I didn't bring a condom in here, so hold off."

I sighed and pressed my cheek against his shoulder, feeling the water soak my hair and making it adhere to our skin. "I'm on birth control."

"I don't want to put you at any kind of risk, no matter how small." Despite what he'd said, he pulled our lower bodies together. One of his arms reached up to where he'd placed our soaps at the top of the shower, a small lip that only he could reach, and I heard a pop before his fingers tangled into my hair and started massaging my scalp. 

I shut my eyes, content as his fingers made sure to get every inch, trailing down my back to get the long strands. "You have so much hair."

"Four inches less thanks to JT." I pulled back as his hands left and tilted my head back into the spray. I could feel his eyes on me and rubbed at my hair to get all the soap out quickly. 

"It's still beautiful." His hands ran down my sides, making me jerk and start a fluttering in my tummy. His thumb rubbed at my left hip and I opened my eyes to see him looking down between us. 




A Broken Family Ch. 10



It wasn't long until Saturday came. We'd spent the whole week going through my box of condoms and never even went swimming. As we loaded up the truck panic started to set in. "Alex, did your hickies go away?" He'd only marked me the first two days, but I couldn't chance pink marks being found. I'd dug my hole too deep. 

I saw his mouth quirk up from the side as he loaded up the tent. "Yeah. I was careful not to leave any bad ones." Thank God. "Come on, I've got to go pay for the last couple days and we will head home." He took my hand and pulled me to him, kissing me. When he released me, my head was dizzy. 

- 

"Where's Alex?" Eli asked as I unpacked my bag. He flopped on his back on my bed, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. 

"He dropped everything off and had to go to pick up a check from a client." 

"Ah." I picked up my swimsuits, and Eli looked at me. "Fall for the 'I only brought this one'?" 

"Nope." I threw my clean one piece into the dirty clothes to save face and put my two-piece in the drawer. 

"How come it was just you two this time?" 

"I don't know, Eli. He just wanted time with me since I'm growing up. Maybe he's afraid I'm going to move away after my first year of college." I glanced at him. "Now there's a thought. Get away from psychotic brothers for a while so I can find a man. Think you'll give up then?" 

He turned his head. "Someone's feisty today. Did you and Alex have a fight?" I blinked. We hadn't fought all week. 

"No. We mostly talked about college. I tried to avoid the boys talk. I'm just trying to get you to leave me alone." I felt bad for lying to my best friend and being mean, but I couldn't handle him too. I still had to figure out a way around JT. 

He sat up. "Are you going to stop hanging around JT and Alex more than me?" 

I stared at him. "What?" 

"If I can't have you, then they can't either. You didn't even like them up until a month ago." He met my exasperation with resolve at we stared at each other. 

"Eli, I think that you need to talk to someone because I can't handle this anymore. What we did was wrong and it's not going to happen again. Are we clear?" 

He stood up and I took a step away from the bed. "No we aren't. I know you better than anyone else. Whatever you have going on with JT needs to stop. He's only going to hurt you." My eyes flicked to the door as I saw movement. 

"What's going on here?" JT's eyes were on his little brother. 

"Go away, JT." My younger level-headed brother seemed to bristle with annoyance. JT clapped him on the shoulder. 

"Come on, man. I think you and I need to have a talk. Quit bothering Holly." There was a split second before Eli launched himself at JT. My eyes widened as Eli kept trying to throw punches and JT attempted to restrain him. They ended up on the floor with Eli's arms behind his back, but not before he got in a couple of swipes at JT. I could see a red mark blooming on JT's cheek. 

"Are you okay?" They both looked up at me, but I was looking at JT. 

"I'm fine. We're fine. Right, Eli? You're going to calm down so I can let you up?" 

"Get off me," came his calm-toned voice. Eli's face was turning pink as his frustration increased. His face held more betrayal than the night I'd called Alex at the party. 

JT let him go and stood up. Eli quickly pushed himself up and left. I jumped as his door slammed shut a second later. I shut my eyes and felt guilt wash over me. I would be the one to ruin this family, not our parents' murderer. 

"I've got to go get something to ice this with." 

"Yeah." I opened my eyes and he was assessing me with his. "I'll help you." I followed him downstairs and pulled out our gel pack from the fridge. He sat down on a bar stool as I handed it to him. 

"What is going on with him?" JT put the pack against his cheek. I'd seen him do it numerous times in high school after fights, but this time it was my fault. 

I looked away and leaned against the counter. "I can't tell you that without betraying him." 

"If he's bothering you—" 

"He's just confused. I can't exactly hide things from him because he knows me too well." 

"Well he was wrong. I'm not going to hurt you." I closed my eyes. I really couldn't deal with this right now. 

"I think I'm going to make meatloaf tonight to calm him down. Are you staying for dinner?" I turned and grabbed the list off the fridge. 

"Yeah. I'll help keep an eye on him. Did you have a fun week?" 

"I guess. Not so many spiders in the bathroom this time. I think someone sprayed for them." I added what I needed for meatloaf to the list. 

"Probably someone else with a little sister." 

"Yeah maybe." I looked up at him. "Think I should take him with me like I usually do?" 

He shrugged. "If you want to. Serves him right if you don't, that kid did a number with that hit." He pulled the ice pack away and I could see some purple coming up. 

"I'm sorry." 

He smiled. "It's not your fault. It's been a while since he hit me. I probably had it coming." 

It really is my fault. "Well, I'll be back soon. Keep icing that." I walked up the stairs and grabbed my keys and wallet. As I went to leave my room, I took a deep breath and knocked on Eli's door. "Hey, it's me. Will you come with me to the store?" 

He opened the door without a shirt and a mean look on his face. "Why don't you take JT?" 

"Because I never go shopping with JT. Plus, I'm making meatloaf for you. Come pick out the bread crumbs you want." I tried to keep a positive attitude as he looked at me. 

"Fine. Let me find a shirt." I stayed at his door as he grabbed a shirt from his closet and pulled it over his head. "Let's go." I backed up and he followed me to my car. He turned the radio on when we got in and faced the window the whole way to the store. 

"I grabbed the list from the fridge, too," I told him after we had grabbed a basket. "We need milk first." He headed that way and I pushed the basket. "You can talk, you know." 

"I wouldn't want you to sick JT on me again." He put the gallon of milk in the basket. 

"You're the one that attacked him." I crossed milk off the list. "Eggs and yogurt." We continued on down the list, but he didn't talk to me anymore. 

As we were loading the car, a car stopped behind us and rolled down the window. "Eli?" We both turned around to the guy. "Oh hey, you're Alex's girlfriend." It was Travis, the guy from the lake. 

I glanced at Eli who was just staring at the guy and stepped up to the window. "Actually, I'm Holly, the little sister. Angela is who you're looking for." I pretended to check my watch. "Alex is at work right now. I can give you his number if you want to catch up with him and Angela. What did you say your name was?" 

He seemed confused but continued on good naturedly. After all, who takes showers with their sister? "It's Travis. I've got his number. Thanks though. I've got to head back to the campsite. My family is probably harassing my girl. Tell JT I said hi. Bye, Eli!" He nodded to me and I stepped back as he rolled up his window and drove away. 

"Save it until we get home, Eli," was all I said as I took the empty basket and drove it to the cart corral. He watched me the whole time, but I wouldn't look at him as we got into the car. 

"Angela?" he muttered a few minutes later. 

"I said wait until we get home. I can't deal with this while I'm driving." He made an amused noise as I turned into our neighborhood. All I could think about was how I wished we lived further away. 

He waited semi-patiently as we brought in everything. JT had disappeared but Alex's car said he was home. I couldn't tell if these were good things or not. I was putting the last of the groceries in the fridge when I heard Alex say, "Thanks for going shopping you two." 

I slowly closed the fridge door and met Eli's gaze that was quickly becoming hostile. "You're welcome. I'm making meatloaf tonight." 

"Yeah, you should invite Angela over. I think JT and I would love to meet her. Especially since she looks like our sister according to Travis." I shut my eyes and leaned my forehead against the fridge door. 

"Eli, please," I whispered. 

"No, you keep telling me nothing is going on and I'm tired of it." 

"Eli, can you give Holly and me a minute please?" 

"No." I stood up and looked at Eli who was glaring at Alex. "I think I'll play buffer between you and our sister." 

"Fine. The reason Travis thinks she is my girlfriend is because your sister was in a towel when he walked in a couple days ago. A spider had landed on her, but that was a difficult thing to explain. He didn't see her face, but I didn't want him thinking anything of it." 

Eli didn't believe a word of it, and looked to me. "That your story, too?" 

"Could've happened the day you were there, too. Should he think I'm your girlfriend?" I conjured up my sincerest look, but inside my stomach was dropping lower by the second. I was digging my hole of lies deeper, and I didn't know if Eli would pull me back up when he discovered it. 

"Fine." He pushed away from the counter. "I'll be in my room." He left, and I followed Alex into his office. 

"Well, that was the definition of worst scenario." He didn't look at me as he organized some papers on his desk. I leaned against the door frame. 

"Yeah. I'm going to hear about it again later I'm sure." 

"Perhaps we should keep some space. Hang out with Eli more." 

I looked down at my shoes. "Yeah. Sure." 

"Hey." I didn't look up and he came back around his desk, tilting my head up. "I love you, but we need to be careful. Just come see me when he's at practice or something." He kissed my forehead. "Go play video games with him. I've got some paperwork to catch up on." I nodded and left. 

I once again found myself outside Eli's room, knocking and trying to get back in his good books. "Let me in." The knob turned but he didn't open the door fully. I took that as an opening and walked in. He was sitting by the open window lighting something. 

"Close the door behind you." He inhaled and released a cloud of smoke a few seconds later. 

"Is that pot?" I walked over to him and jerked his lighter and device out of his hand. "I thought we talked about this. It's illegal and you promised not to do it again." 

His eyes were gentler now. "Yeah, I lied. You gonna tell Alex on me? Because I'll just let JT know about Angela." 

"Stop that. I haven't done anything to you." He reached for his stuff and I pulled it back. "Give me your bag and we'll call it even." 

"No." He stood up and I backed up to give him space. He grabbed me by my hips though and pulled me closer. "We'll call it even when you give me equal chance as our brothers are getting." I rolled my eyes. "I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll let Alex think I don't know, but I do." 

"Eli, really. It was a misunderstanding. Now close the window, you're letting the cold air—" He interrupted me by pushing his mouth against mine. One of his hands came up and held the back of my head when I tried to pull away. 

"Ouch," he said when I nipped his bottom lip. 

"Stop it. Okay? I just want my best friend back." I pushed on his chest and he released me. 

He sat back at the window. "I'll stop, but I'm going to win you over." He held out his hand and I handed him back his stuff. "We both know I can." He lit up the device again and puffed a few times. 

"At least cool it on the weed. If they start drug testing the players at school like they threatened a couple years ago, you're going to be in for it. Alex might leave you in jail a couple days to teach you a lesson." 

He smiled at me. "You're cute when you're worried. Want to play a video game?" 

"Sure. Set it up and close that window." 

- 

"Fix things with Eli?" JT asked a couple days later as I snuck into his bedroom. Eli had fallen asleep early, tired from practice. 

"Let's not talk about it, please." I was at my nerves end spending so much time with him. We'd always done everything together, but that was before he kept pushing me to be with him. His incessant dropping of hints and sexual looks was getting old fast. When we'd gotten home from his practice a few hours earlier, he'd undressed in front of me completely. So all I could think about the last few hours was that night before I'd left for camping. 

He pulled me to him and pressed his lips to mine. "You two don't get to leave me with that kid anymore. I think he's got the ability to try me more than you used to." 

"Yeah. I'm learning that more and more each day." 

"He said anything more about us?" 

Only every day—and don't forget Alex. "No." JT pulled me on top of him before pulling my shirt over my head. His thumbs rubbed over my nipples and I closed my eyes. They snapped open a moment later as he pinched them tightly. A shock went through my body directly to my clit and I ground myself into him slightly. 

I could see his blue eyes from the lamplight and they seemed to be darker than usual. "Get on your hands and knees." He pushed me off of him and I did as he said. He pulled my panties off of me before landing a smack on my ass. I moaned and he landed another, harder this time. I went to touch myself, and he leaned over and grabbed my wrists. "Keep them up here or I'll tie you to the bed." 

"Promise?" I looked at him and he raised an eyebrow. I slowly moved my hand down and he got off the bed. He pulled a length of soft rope from the closet before coming back to the bed. I noticed he still had his shorts on and I suddenly felt very naked. He roughly grabbed my hands, tying one wrist and threading it through the head board before tying the other. I pulled, checking my restraints, before I looked at him. 

His face held need and he swiftly landed a few slaps to my ass. "Beg for it." 

"No." He locked eyes with me. I started to rethink my answer but he didn't give me a chance. He landed a few more slaps and I began to feel the air around my reddened ass. My clit was throbbing and aching to be touched. I moved my hips in small circles, tying to relieve my need. "Please, JT." 

I sighed as he pulled my legs further apart, thinking he was going to touch me finally. I was wrong and I pressed my face into the pillow to not scream as he slapped my pussy several times. "I think you should try that again." 

"Please, JT. Touch me. Fuck me. Something. Please." I sighed as I felt his finger circle my clit. I could feel how incredibly slippery I'd become and wished he would fuck me already. 

"I bought something the other day after you said you liked pain." His hands left me and I blinked several times before watching as he pulled something out of the bedside drawer. It was clips, but my mind wasn't processing what they were for until he roughly gathered a breast in his hand. He pinched the nipple tightly before placing a clip there and tightening it until I moaned. He then did the same with the other. He flicked them and I moaned. 

"I think I'm going to go grab a glass of water. I'll be right back." My eyes shot open and I glared at him. He grinned. "Don't do anything without me." 

"Don't you dare." My eyes narrowed at him. 

He kissed my cheek and I watched him walk out the door and pull it closed behind me. I sat there for about thirty seconds, my fury escalating. I dropped my head down and the clips on my nipples rubbed against the bed, evoking a moan. A few seconds later I'd dropped my hips lower to the bed and began rubbing myself against the mattress. 

He walked in just as I'd started to relieve some of my need. He quickly sat the glass down before jerking my hips up. "I don't think I told you that you could do that." He spanked me several times and I whined. "Beg for it this time." 

"Please, JT. Please fuck me. Please touch me. Please." 

"That a girl." I heard him drop his shorts down and grab the lube. A condom rapper ripped and I felt his dick rub up and down my slit for the first time. I moaned and pushed back, trying to get him to fuck me. I managed to get him to slip slightly in before he jerked away. "You know my rules, Holly. Don't do that." I groaned and tried again. He slapped me the hardest he'd ever done and I hissed. I felt him rub some lube around my hole before he positioned his penis. I relaxed as much as I could and he slid in. 

I wanted to touch myself. More than anything I wanted something to fill my other hole. I'd gotten used to sex with Alex and it was hard for me to go back to this. "Fuck me," I whispered and it was all JT needed. He slammed in and out of me several times and I could feel the pressure rising in me. I moaned, pushing back against him, and he spanked me. I dropped my head down, trying to brush the clips on my highly sensitive nipples against the bed. One of his hands came around, pulling them off, and I cried out into the pillow from the sudden feeling of pain. He rubbed my throbbing bud as he rode me through my orgasm until I was begging for him to stop. Just as I was coming down, he pushed into me and I felt his dick jerk several times inside me. 

I collapsed as he pulled out and tried to catch my breath. He left the room for a moment and when he returned he untied me. I curled into a ball and he stroked my back. "You okay?" I nodded. He pulled the blanket over me and held me. I fell asleep not that long after. 

- 

I woke up around five with an urge to pee. I pulled my clothes on and quickly used the bathroom. I looked at JT's door before peeking in to check on Eli. He was still asleep and I counted my blessings as I returned to my own bed. I tried to fall asleep but eventually gave up. I pulled my two-piece out of my drawer and got redressed. 

I turned the pool lights on a few minutes later and grabbed a pair of goggles. I dove into the pool and fell into the rhythm of swimming laps. All during high school I had come out and swam laps before school, much like other girls went for jogs in the morning. It was refreshing to settle back into myself and pretend nothing had changed. 

"I thought I heard something," Eli's voice said as I came up on the side of the pool. I paused before my summersault and stood up in the shallow end, pulling my goggles off. 

"I couldn't sleep anymore." I eyed him, wondering what he planned to do this time. He'd changed into his swimming trunks and had a bottle of juice beside him. "Can I steal a drink?" 

"Sure." He opened the bottle and handed it to me. I felt mildly self-conscious as he watched me take a gulp. I handed it back to him and he sat it down before slipping into the pool beside me. 

"Please don't bother me this early, Eli." I stepped away from him and he smiled. 

"I'm not. I just figured I'd join you. Maybe I can tire myself out so that I can nap a little before practice." I nodded and started my rhythm again, this time with more noise in the water beside me. 

I paused about ten minutes later and pulled myself out of the water. I wiped my hands on my towel before checking the time. 7:30 stared back at me. I jumped as fingers slipped under the strings around my waist. 

"Alex should be on his run. JT won't be up for another couple hours," Eli murmured right beside my ear. He pulled the end of the strings and my bottoms fell down. I jerked away from him and picked them up, trying my best to tie them back as I backed away from him. 

"Stop it, Eli." I looked at my brother who could pass as my twin, hoping he'd get my point. I wanted to paint myself as the victim, but I felt hypocritical for doing so. Besides, he wasn't being mean to me and he gave me the same looks as he always had. Now I just knew what they meant. "I'm going to swim for another half hour." He didn't come towards me as I slipped back into the pool, but I stood up in the water a few minutes later as I heard someone crash into the water. 




A Broken Family



"You're not going to have sex, so don't worry. I don't appreciate you calling me stupid, either, little girl. Get out." 

"Are you going to tell Alex?" 

"If I see you come back into that party I will." 

"You're going back?" 

"Holly, I'm going to use that slut like I had planned. Your little scandal isn't getting in my way." As he spoke, a light went on in Eli's room right beside mine. "Well look at that. I don't have to tell Alex after all. I'm sure our little brother will for me." 

"I can get him to stay quiet, man-whore. He and I keep many things from you guys." I opened the door, but he caught my wrist. 

"You and I are not done talking about this." 

"I think I am." I ripped my hand away and shut his door. 

I silently slipped into the house and up the stairs. Eli was leaning against my doorframe as I got to the top of the stairs. "Where ya been?" 

"Shh!" I walked closer and pulled him into my room. "Don't wake Alex up, you idiot." 

"JT's going to tell him anyways." 

"No he's not, and you're not going to either." I sat down on my bed and pulled off my heels. 

"What do I get out of it?" 

"I won't tell Alex you snuck off to experiment with weed the last week of school." 

"I kept your last secret because of that!" 

"Well, I guess you shouldn't have done it, huh, little brother?" 

"If you keep lording it over me, I'll tell them myself." He had his arms crossed and stood in the center of my room. 

"They know I'm desperate to get a guy, I just don't like to hear their lectures. You are the one who will get grounded." 

He narrowed his eyes. "Guys don't like manipulative girls, Holly." 

"I guess it's a good thing I'm only manipulative towards you, huh?" I smiled at him and patted the bed beside me. He sat down and I brushed his blond hair to lay flat since sleep had messed it up. 

"Thank you, I wanted to be groomed," he said sarcastically, slapping my hand away. "You shouldn't go out looking like that, Holly, or guys will think the wrong thing." 

"I'm getting lectured by the little one in the family now, great," I rolled my eyes and pushed his shoulder. 

"You're actually the littlest one." 

"Thanks for pointing it out." 

"No problem." 

"Go away." 

"You going to stay in the house or do I need to shackle you to the bed?" 

"Do the shackles come with a cute guy?" 

"Me." 

"Then I'll pass." I dropped back on my bed, pulling a blanket over my lower half. He got off the bed and turned my light out before exiting the room with a "good night." 

- 

I was lying on a pool chair, trying for a tan—which was unlikely for my light skin, when a body plopped down on the side of my chair. I opened an eye to see JT. "What do you want?" 

"I better not catch you without underwear again." 

"I sure hope you don't. That's kind of awkward." 

"Drop the sarcasm." 

"Don't say stupid things. It's my body; I'll clothe it the way I please." 

"Holly Elizabeth, if you don't promise me right now that you'll wear panties with your skirts, I will walk in that house and tell Alex and make him deal with it." 

"I'll just tell him the same thing." I felt him stand up from the chair and my eyes popped open, reaching for JT's hand. "No wait, don't. I promise." 

"I just don't seem to believe you. Give me a minute and I'm sure Alex will come out here and get a real promise from you." 

The door opened and Alex and Drew spilled out. "A real promise for what?" 

"Holly here—" I jumped up and covered his mouth. 

"Nothing at all. Don't worry about it. JT, shut up." He licked my hand and I pulled it away. 

"Go change," Alex said as he looked between JT and me. 

I reached over and picked up my tank top off my chair. "I've got it covered." I pulled the shirt over my head and sat back down on the chair. 

"Unlike last night." I kicked a leg out at JT immediately. 

"You jerk!" 

"Where were you last night?" Alex asked sitting down in the chair beside me. His brown eyes were calm, but I knew I was about to get a talking to. 

"In Jared's game room with a boy's tongue down her throat." 

"You left that part out of the story." Eli walked out and I shot a glare at him as he took the seat on my other side. 

"So I'm the only one who didn't know you went out last night?" 

"Drew didn't," Eli added unhelpfully and I glared at him again. 

Alex just looked at me. "Can I talk to you in the house?" 

"You know, I kinda like the sun today. Plus, you'll be nicer to me in front of Drew." I closed my eyes and tilted my head towards the sun. 

"Drew will you take Eli inside with you, please?" I snapped my head back up to Alex. His expression hadn't changed. Drew and Eli got up as asked and went inside. "So what happened?" 

"Nothing happened. Nothing was going to happen. JT is just being a hypocritical jerk right now." 

"She was wearing a short skirt without panties." I glared at JT and he just gave me a challenging look. 

"Holly Elizabeth, why were you not wearing anything beneath your skirt?" 

I looked back at Alex and rolled my eyes. "Like I told JT last night, I didn't want panty lines. And yes, he did tell me I could just wear a thong like normal girls. But like I also said, I will pass on the butt floss." 

Alex lifted an eyebrow. "I guess you just shouldn't wear that skirt anymore." 

"You know what?" I stood up, suddenly realizing how completely awkward this conversation should be. "I'm going to wear whatever I want. I'm 18. You can't ground me; I'll just move out." 

I went to walk away, but Alex stood up and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me back. "You're right, little girl, we can't ground you. However, do you want to try and see what happens when JT sees that you do it again?" 

"You know, you've never once tried to punish me yourself, so your words don't really bother me." I didn't look at him as I said it, too busy glaring at JT. A crack went through the air and I jerked forward. "What in the hell? That hurt!" I spun around to face him, angling my backside away from them both. Alex's brown eyes were still calm, his brown hair lightly lifting in the breeze. 

"I don't deal with your punishments because they will hurt. I don't mess around with forcing you into following the rules like JT. Don't talk to me in that tone again, Holly Elizabeth." 

"I cannot wait to get away from this house and you three psychotic assholes." I turned back towards the house and walked straight to my room, right past the two boys who'd been spying from the kitchen window. 

- 

A knock came at my door a few hours later around dinner time. "Go away." 

"I brought you strawberries and spaghetti," Drew spoke through the door. Sighing, I rolled off my bed and opened the door. He smiled at me and held out the plate and glass of tea. 

"Thanks, Drew." I leaned up and kissed his cheek as I took the food from him. 

"No problem. They were fighting over who had to face your wrath, so I figured I'd intervene for all of you guys." 

"Probably a good decision," I told him, setting my cup down on my nightstand and sitting down on my bed with my food. I looked up at him in the doorway as I twirled some noodles around my fork. He was kind of cute, and I'd had a crush on him when I was younger and he still thought of me as a little kid. He'd grown a little and now topped off at 6'2" like Alex, shared the same shaggy brown hair, but differed in that he had blue eyes to Alex's brown and was slightly less bulky. "Hey, wanna go see a movie later? I want out of the house." 

He looked startled and looked down the hallway. "Um... I don't think that would be a wise thing to do, Holly..." 

"It's not a date, Drew. I just want to go do something." 

He looked back at me and seemed torn. "Still. Alex told me not to—" 

"Alex doesn't run my life. As long as you understand we're going as friends, it's not a problem." 

"I can't overstep, Holly. He's my friend and I'll still need to ask him." 

I just looked at him for a couple of seconds and he looked like he was ready to change his answer. "Fine. Never mind then. Thank you for the food." I reached back and grabbed my remote to turn my TV on. He stood there a moment longer before reaching in to pull my door closed and walking away. 

I'd just finished eating when there was another knock on my door. I replied with my "go away", but the door was already opening to admit Eli. He walked over and lay down beside me on the bed. 

"Did you suddenly lose your English skills? I said go away." 

"Stop being all angry, you're prettier when you're happy." He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head. I flicked him in the chest. 

"Go away." 

"I didn't do anything. I don't think I should be in the doghouse, too." He didn't open his eyes and stayed where he was. I pushed him, trying to roll him off the bed. He was only ten pounds heavier than me, the smallest of my brothers, and I had almost gotten him rolled all the way over before he smiled and rolled himself more towards the center of my bed. 

"I don't like you." 

"You don't have to like me to love me." 

"That doesn't even make sense." 

"I never claimed to make any sense." 

"You're annoying. Go away." 

"I'm doing my job as little brother then, so I think I'll stay." 

I pushed at him again but he leaned back towards me so I couldn't move him. "You're like a beached whale. Get off my bed." 

"Not until you forgive me and promise to come play a video game with me." 

"I thought you didn't do anything for me to forgive?" 

"I didn't. But since you're female, I'm obviously at fault for something, so I might as well ask for forgiveness." 

"It's a good thing you've learned that early in life." 

"If I didn't have such a princess of a sister, I might not have." 

"She sounds like a lovely person." 

"Not exactly. She called me a psychotic asshole earlier." 

I frowned. "I mostly meant the other two. I'm sorry." 

He opened his eyes and smiled at me. "It's fine, Holl. Come play with me now?" 

I sighed. "Fine." He quickly rolled off my bed and held out a hand to pull me off too. We walked into the room beside mine and I grabbed a controller from under his TV before lying down on my stomach on his bed. "Alright, what am I kicking your ass at today?" 

"You'll be losing at this new game I picked up. I think you'll like it." He lay down beside me and started flipping through the menus to start our game. Ten minutes later we were talking back at the screen and pressing buttons to avoid strange creatures trying to kill us. 

"Who's winning?" 

"We're about even right now," Eli answered JT who stood beside my side of the bed. He sat down after a moment and I scooted closer to Eli. It took another few minutes before the game ended. 

"Ha! I win!" I turned my head to stick my tongue out at my little brother. "The older sibling always wins." 

"Not true. I beat Alex." 

I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair. "Alex lets you win because he likes to see you happy." 

"He does not," he pushed my hand away and shook his hair back into place. 

"Yes he does." I pushed myself up onto my knees and slid off the bed behind JT. "I'll be in my room if you need me, Eli." 

I heard JT get up behind me and follow me into my room. "Go away," I said as I sat down on my bed and pulled my Cosmo magazine over to finish reading where I'd stopped when Drew brought my food. 

"How come the little one always gets your sympathy?" He lay down in front of me and I pulled my magazine up so I wouldn't have to look at him. 

"I actually like Eli. He's a good brother." 

"Because he lies for you." 

"No because he trusts me and is there for me." 

"You could've gotten raped at that party, and taking you home wasn't being there for you?" 

"JT, please go away. I don't want to talk to you." 

He pulled my magazine away from me. "You reading sexual magazines isn't helping you any." I ignored him and slid off my bed, slipping on my flip-flops and grabbing my keys. "Where do you think you're going?" 

"I'm going to stay at Amy's tonight." I walked out of my room as he got off my bed and stepped over to Eli's room. "Hey, I have my phone if you need anything. I'll be at Amy's tonight, okay?" 

"Sure; have fun," he nodded his head, his gaze intent on the game he was playing. 

I turned back around and JT fell into step beside me. "You have to talk to me at some point." 

"I don't have to right now." I quickly took the stairs, but he kept pace with me as I reached the front door. 

"It's not my fault you get yourself into these situations." 

"Exactly, so don't involve yourself." He caught the door as I tried to pull it closed behind me, and followed me to my car, opening the passenger side door and sliding in before I could lock the other doors back. "Get out of my car, JT." 

"Not until you talk to me." 

"I don't want to talk to you." 

"Then I guess I'll be joining you at Amy's." 

I glared at him and slammed my door, walking back towards the house. I opened the door and yelled, "Alex! Make JT leave me alone!" 

A few seconds later Alex walked out of the kitchen and towards me, looking outside to my car. "What's he doing?" 

"He won't let me go to Amy's." 

Alex seemed amused by this. "Why not?" He waved at JT and the latter grinned and waved back. 

"Are you going to make him get out, or not?" I asked, frustrated. 

"You're a big girl." He turned to walk away. 

I slammed the door and started walking up the stairs. "I hate you both." 

"When are you going to outgrow temper tantrums, Holly?" 

"When you both stop being dicks all the time! I wish Mom and Dad were here to control you both so I wouldn't have to deal with this shit!" I heard him start on the stairs behind me and quickly took the last few steps and hurried into my room, closing the door behind me. I took my picture frame off my bedside table and curled up facing away from the door. It opened a moment later at the same time as the front door shut. 

"You need to start acting your age, Holly Elizabeth. Bringing our parents up every time you're upset isn't helping anyone around here." I didn't say anything as a tear slipped down my face and my fingers pressed against the glass covering my parent's faces. I'd taken the picture outside of church one day while they were laughing at something and the sunlight made Mom's blond hair and Dad's brown hair shine and their faces glow. It was taken only a month before they'd died. 

The bed sank down behind me and Alex pulled on my shoulder to make me look at him. I jerked it away from him and kept my position as I heard JT walk in. "I want to be left alone." My voice was thick and I felt JT sit down on the bed, too. 

"Is she okay?" JT asked Alex. 

"She'll be fine; she's just upset Mom and Dad aren't here to spoil her and take her side every time something goes wrong." 

"I'm right here; don't talk about me like I'm invisible!" A few more tears flowed now as I realized they would never allow me to feel that happiness that Mom and Dad showed in their picture. "Is it so bad to actually want someone to take my side on trying to find happiness?" 

"I have some news for you, Holly. Having sex doesn't make all your troubles go away. If you're unhappy before, you'll still be so after." 

"I don't want just sex! I want this!" I sat up and shoved the picture in his face, the tears falling more frequently. "I want my family back and I want someone to make me that happy." JT tried to take the picture from me to see it, but I ripped it back and curled back onto my side. "Go away." 

"Feeling sorry for yourself won't make things better." 

"Go away!" I screamed and I felt them lift themselves off my bed. 

- 

It was raining when I woke up the next morning. I quickly slipped out of bed and down the stairs, my head hurting from crying myself to sleep. I stopped outside the door to check if anyone was awake, but there was no sound and the clock read seven AM so I opened the door and slipped outside. I slipped off my t-shirt, leaving me in my tank and stepped out into the rain. It was cold at first and I gasped at the contrast from the 80 degree air. I quickly got used to it though and starting turning in a circle slowly, my arms held out from my sides. I'd always loved the rain and made sure to take advantage of the soft pelting of raindrops. 

I got dizzy after a few minutes and sat down on the bottom step of the porch so that I was still in the rain. I held my hands palm-up on my knees and watched the water splash there. I jumped as legs appeared beside me and Alex lowered himself beside me, his jeans already darkening from the raindrops. "Mom used to take pictures of you dancing in the rain when you were little. Dad would smile and watch you both as he sat and rocked in the swing on the porch." 

I kept my eyes on my hands and felt a warm drop slide down my face. I didn't remember the same things he did, and it scared me that maybe I was forgetting all the little things. "Why are you awake?" 

"I fell asleep on the couch and heard the door close." 

I stood up and turned towards the door. I picked up my shirt from the ground and walked inside, Alex right behind me. JT was sitting on the stairs with two towels and got up to hand them to us. I quickly wrapped it around me, hyperaware that my tank-top was white and I'd taken my bra off in the middle of the night. "Thanks," I said quietly and walked around him to go back to my room. He took a hold of my arm and pulled me into a tight hug before letting me go up the stairs. 

I'd unwrapped the towel and was rubbing it at my hair as I walked into my room. "Why do you always go out in the rain?" I jumped at the voice coming from beside my window where Eli had been looking out. I quickly rewrapped my towel around me, but not before he'd glanced down at my visible nipples. 

"I just like the smell and feel of it." I slipped off my shorts from under my towel and walked to my dresser to pick out new ones. I heard him sit down on my bed as I slipped on new shorts. I dropped my towel, facing away from him and pulled my tank-top over my head before pulling on my t-shirt again. He was lying on my bed with his eyes closed, and I smiled, walking quietly over before jumping on top of him and tickling his sides. 

"Holly, stop!" He smacked at my hands as his body squirmed and he laughed. He quickly flipped over and started tickling me instead. 

"Okay, you win!" I said after only a few seconds. I was weak in tickle fights, my stomach telling me it couldn't handle the fuzzy feelings I got from it. He stopped and rolled back beside me. "Why are you awake?" 

"JT came in about an hour ago and it woke me up." 

My muscles tightened in annoyance. "He's such a hypocrite." 

Eli didn't agree or disagree, always being the good brother. "I want our family back, too. But we're all we have now, Holly, so we've got to be nice to each other and stick together." 

I sighed. "You're not supposed to be smarter about life things." 

"You'll find a guy someday, too. Just like you told me a couple months ago when Christine broke my heart." 

"But you actually have a chance. I'm not even allowed close to anyone." 

"They let Drew near you. Pick out a guy you like and tell them to buddy up with me; I've got your back." 

I smiled. "I don't think it'd work, but thanks, Eli." 

He turned towards me and pulled me against him. "Now go back to sleep. I'm too lazy to walk back to my room." He buried his face in my neck and soon the breath I felt there slowed. I could hear soft voices down the stairs, but couldn't make out any words, and fell asleep soon after Eli.