by R. J. Sable
“After you,” Jason grinned at me as he held the door to the flat open.
“Such a gentleman,” I teased, pushing up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss before I entered.
I went straight to the kitchen to make a cup of tea because I needed a cup, and a big cup at that, if I was going to survive a night with Shana.
“She doesn’t give up easily, does she?” Craig sighed, following me into the kitchen.
“Who?” I asked, feigning innocence but having a pretty good idea who he was referring to.
Craig gave me a look that told me he knew exactly what I was doing. “What was it Karl said?” He grinned. “There’s only so many polite ways you can tell a girl where to shove it.”
I giggled and slipped past him to the fridge to get the milk. “Don’t you like her? She’s pretty,” I shrugged, handing him a cup of fruit tea because I knew he’d like it.
“She’s okay I guess,” he shrugged. “Seems like kind of a bitch though.”
I did a pathetic job of hiding my smile at his assessment of Shana and tried to cover it up by sipping my too warm tea.
“I didn’t think you cared about that stuff,” I said, raising my eyebrow at him. “In fact, I’m pretty sure you said so when I said I didn’t like that girl Matt brought home once.”
“Oh God, she was horrifying. Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard,” Craig grimaced.
“Yeah, that’s my point,” I smirked. “You said it didn’t matter because her mouth would be around a certain bodily appendage.”
“Jelly!” Craig scowled. “Jesus, I don’t wanna hear my sister talking like that!”
“You guys talk like that all the time!” I accused.
“We’re older,” he shrugged, as if that made it okay. “Besides, it wasn’t me that said that, it was one of the twins.” He turned away and walked back into the lounge and I followed, shaking my head at him behind his back.
Jason grinned as I entered the room and motioned for me to come sit with him on the floor next to the sofa. Craig sat on the sofa behind us and Shana slid in next to him with Josh on her other side. Grayson and Lottie were making good use of the chair by sharing it.
Despite Shana’s presence, I was having a pretty good time. The general mood was happy and the air was filled with laughter and playful taunting. I loved seeing Craig so relaxed and happy, he was different around Jason and his friends from how he was when we were at home.
Shana kept giggling at everything he said and edging closer and closer to him on the sofa, finding any excuse to touch him. Craig brushed her off tactfully for the most part. She was being mostly ignored but carried on regardless.
“You okay, little squirrel?” Jason whispered in my ear.
He had his arms wrapped around my waist as I sat between his legs and enjoyed his warmth against my back.
“I am,” I grinned, leaning my head back against his shoulder so I could kiss his faintly stubbled jawline appreciatively.
“I like this,” I smiled, shuffling a little between his legs. “I feel all safe and protected.”
“You’ll always be safe and protected with me, Jamie. I promise,” he said seriously.
I smiled happily and left my head on his shoulder as he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.
“I gotta piss,” Craig announced, pushing up from the sofa and making for the bathroom.
I glanced over at Grayson and Lottie, their faces were locked together in an enthusiastic saliva exchange. Jason followed my gaze and smirked at the two of them before exchanging a look with Josh, which I was all too familiar with thanks to my brothers. It was the universal “somebody’s getting laid” look. I shook my head at the two of them and returned to pretending to watch the television whilst I enjoyed Jason’s strength around me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Craig yelled from the bathroom.
All heads turned in the direction of the disturbance, even Grayson and Lottie. I noticed Shana had disappeared and process of elimination meant that Craig’s yelling was aimed at her.
“Jesus Christ! Take a fucking hint!” He yelled again, right before we heard a loud slapping noise and a blur of sobbing colour ran past us towards the front door.
“Shana!” Jason yelled, pushing up from the floor. “Shana, wait!” Jason sighed and shot Craig a look of frustration as he ran out after Shana.
“What happened?” I asked, looking at Craig and noticing his glowing red cheek.
“That bitch slapped me,” he grumbled.
“Why?” I asked, anger rising in my chest. How dare she slap my brother?
Lottie looked a little affronted and gave Craig an angry glare.
“What did she do?” Josh asked, looking over at Craig.
“I was taking a piss and the next thing I know she’s in the fucking bathroom with me making a grab for my dick,” he said, looking pissed off but smirking slightly.
“Eww, Craig!” I frowned, scrunching up my face in disgust.
“My point exactly,” Craig laughed, flopping back down on the sofa behind me and scratching his stomach absently.
“You’re an ass,” Lottie frowned, storming out of the room after Shana and Jason.
Grayson gave Jason an apologetic shrug that said, “women, right?” and then followed her out of the flat.
“You turned her down I take it?” Josh grinned.
“Of course,” Craig shrugged. “Not my type.”
I could have argued with that: a perfect face and body was definitely my brother’s type, but I was too concerned with where Jason was. I sat quietly, whilst Craig and Josh talked, and waited for Jason to come back through the door. I felt my stomach growing heavier and heavier until I finally saw him come back in alone.
“Jamie,” he said, pulling me up from the floor. “I’m just gonna walk Shana home, she’s really drunk and upset.”
Can’t you put her in a taxi or let her go home on her own? I bit back my questions because I didn’t want to seem petty. Jason had said she was his friend and I didn’t need to question his faithfulness, I knew he was mine just like I was his.
“Okay,” I nodded solemnly.
“Let that other girl take her home,” Craig shrugged.
“I think she’s going home with Grayson,” Jason wrinkled his nose, his lips curling upwards slightly. “If you hadn’t upset her we wouldn’t have a problem,” he pointed out to Craig.
“She sexually assaulted me!” Craig said in mock protest, his grin disappearing as he glanced at me in case he’d accidentally offended me.
“Whatever,” Jason sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
With that, he kissed me tenderly and went after Shana. My good mood had disappeared out of the door with him. I knew he was just trying to do the right thing by taking her home but I hated the way it made me feeling knowing that the two of them were alone together. I trusted him entirely but I didn’t trust her at all.
Josh seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere and excused himself to bed, bumping fists with Craig and giving me a small, one-armed hug as he passed. I helped Craig make up the sofa that he’d be sleeping on and flopped down onto it when we were done.
“You wanna talk about it?” Craig asked, sitting down next to me on the pullout bed.
I shook my head glumly.
“Wanna put your PJs on and come watch crappy TV with your big brother?” He asked gently.
I nodded with a small smile. That sounded like just what I needed. I nipped into Jason’s room to pull on my jersey shorts and tank top, putting Craig’s hoody back on because I was enjoying wearing it.
“You look so young when you wear my clothes,” Craig smiled as I joined him on the sofa bed.
“That’s because you’re huge,” I teased.
“No, it’s because you’re tiny,” he retorted with a smile, lounging back against the back of the sofa with his legs out in front of him as he channel hopped.
He pulled the duvet up over us and let me
curl up against him with his arm as a cushion whilst we talked about everything and nothing.
I knew he was doing his best to distract me from being upset and I loved him for it. Despite everything, I was enjoying having alone time with my brother and appreciating him more than ever. He told me stories about things the others had done when I’d been too little to remember. I giggled uncontrollably when he told me that Karl and Matt had superglued the twins hands together once when they’d been about fourteen. Dad had made the two of them run laps of the garden for two hours as punishment but they’d apparently still thought it was worth it. Poor Rick and Danny had to stay stuck together while Dad nipped out to get some acetone.
When I’d finally finished giggling, caught my breath, and wiped away the tears of laughter, I looked over at Craig to see him smiling and relaxed.
“Why can’t we always be like this?” I asked him with a sad smile.
“What do you mean?” He frowned slightly.
“Just relaxed and having fun. You’re never like this with me at home, at least not when the others are around,” I said sadly, worried I would spoil the moment and regretting bringing it up.
“You know how it is, Jelly,” he sighed, pulling me closer to kiss the top of my head.
“I do,” I nodded glumly. “I just wish I understood why.”
“They do their best,” Craig shrugged.
“I know,” I sighed. “But sometimes they’re just so… tense. I wish we could all be like this. Like me and you are now.” I cringed because I felt guilty for voicing these thoughts. I knew it was my fault that my family wasn’t normal.
“Me too, Jellybean,” Craig frowned regretfully. “But we’re lucky they’re there for us.”
I nodded my agreement and pulled the duvet up higher over us, settling further into his side. I hoped in vain that the crappy television could draw my thoughts away from my absent boyfriend and the problems I caused my family. I felt my eyes getting heavier as I listened to Craig hum along with a music video and stopped fighting it, allowing myself to fall asleep against him.
Chapter 24
Sunday, 10th February 2013
Craig poked me in the ribs and I protested sleepily, swatting his arm away but he wouldn’t give up.
“Come on, sleepyhead,” he teased, pulling the duvet away from me.
“Sleepy,” I mumbled, pulling the pillow over my head.
“I can see that,” he laughed. “But I want to go for a run and you’re coming with me.”
“Fine,” I sighed, giving up my protests because I needed a bit of running therapy.
I hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the sofa with Craig, I’d wanted to wait until Jason got back and then cuddle up with him. That clearly hadn’t worked out so well.
“Sorry I fell asleep in your bed,” I pouted apologetically.
“It’s okay,” he grinned. “For someone so tiny, you take up a lot of space though.”
“Sorry,” I blushed. “You should have just woken me up.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” he shrugged. “You haven’t fallen asleep on me like that since you were a kid, it was cute.”
I mumbled protests and pushed myself off the bed, making for the kitchen to grab some orange juice before we left.
“When did you fall asleep?” I asked Craig as he followed me into the room.
“About an hour after you, maybe midnight,” he shrugged.
“Did you see Jason come back?” I asked.
“No,” he said apologetically. “Sorry, Jellybean.”
I felt dread wash over me. I didn’t know where Shana lived, but it shouldn’t have taken more than an hour for him to take her home and back. Did he even come back? I didn’t want to think about it. Why am I even having these thoughts? I trusted Jason and I needed to stop doubting him. No matter what his reasons for taking so long I knew he had been faithful to me.
“I’ll just grab my running gear,” I said to Craig, nipping past him into Jason’s room.
He was curled up on the bed looking very adorable. He was still completely dressed and had wrapped himself around the duvet. He looked so innocent and relaxed in his sleep. I couldn’t resist pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead but did my best not to wake him as I grabbed my stuff. It was only 06:30 and if he didn’t get back until after midnight then he must have been tired.
I got changed in the bathroom so I wouldn’t disturb him and joined Craig for a run. We chatted away whilst we ran, I got the sense he wanted to talk to me about something but wasn’t sure how to broach the topic. I didn’t push him because having a hard time opening up was somewhat of a family trait.
He still hadn’t said anything when we got home but we had a nice natter anyway and I found that a lot of my tension about Shana had eased thanks to the run. I let Craig shower first, or rather he let me shower second, because we both knew he’d be quickest.
My shower was heavenly, although I seriously contemplated a bath because I knew how good it would feel on my muscles. In the end though, I opted for the shower because it would take less time and I wanted to spend as much as possible with Craig before he left. I also suspected that Jason would be up soon.
I made a pot of tea and coffee whilst still in my towel, handing a coffee to Craig and taking some tea in for Jason to wake him up with.
“Morning, Jason,” I whispered, perching on the edge of the bed as I placed his cup on the bedside table.
He opened his eyes groggily and looked up at me. An unfamiliar emotion flashed over his face when he looked up at me but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared and he replaced it with a happy smile.
“Morning, beautiful,” he grinned, placing his head on my lap and nuzzling against my stomach.
“What do you want for breakfast?” I grinned, stroking his hair contentedly.
“You?” He offered, pulling my towel away from me.
“Not on the menu this morning,” I shook my head, stroking his ear and musing at how soft his earlobes were.
Jason pouted up at me as though he was a child and I’d just denied him his favourite toy. I giggled to myself, I kind of was his favourite plaything and I was just fine with that.
“Period,” I reminded him.
“Oh yeah,” he scowled, wrinkling his nose. “I’m sure we can work around it,” he teased, pushing himself up and easing my towel away from me.
“Sorry, handsome boyfriend,” I shook my head. “I’m starving and Craig’s probably eaten everything in the kitchen by now.
“Have you two been up long?” He asked, drawing his eyes away from my naked body and frowning slightly.
“Almost two hours,” I nodded. “We went for a run.”
“Aw,” he pouted adorably. “You should have woken me. I could have come with.”
“I thought you might need the sleep, you had a late night,” I smiled, trying to let him know that I wasn’t annoyed or suspicious.
The unfamiliar look flashed across his face again and he looked up at me as I pulled my clothes on.
“I’m really sorry about that, Jamie,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “It just… She…”
“It’s fine, Jason,” I reassured him. “It was nice of you to take your friend home like that.
It had been nice of him. I wasn’t going to pretend I wasn’t happy that Craig had rejected her, but it was not a good idea for a girl to be walking home alone through Hyde Park, drunk and in the dark.
“I missed you in my bed,” he complained, patting the mattress where I usually slept.
“Me too,” I pouted, pulling my jumper on. “I’ll make it up to you tonight,” I grinned, blowing him a kiss as I went back into the kitchen to make him breakfast.
Craig was already waiting in the kitchen, eating cereal out of the box. I shook my head at him in exasperation but he just grinned back. I set about making food for the boys, double-checking with Craig what he was and wasn’t allowed to eat at the moment. I suspected the sugary cereal was probably on the ‘not allowed’ l
ist, but I wasn’t about to lecture him about it.
“So, I have to admit something,” Craig said nervously as we all sat around the table eating breakfast.
“Oh?” I asked curiously, wondering if he was about to reveal what he’d been chewing over on our run.
“Yeah,” he nodded uncomfortably. “I had a bit of a double agenda coming here this weekend.”
“You mean you didn’t just come here to see me?” I teased.
“That was the main reason,” he smiled, still looking a little uncomfortable. “But I actually wanted you to meet someone.” He shuffled awkwardly in his chair and I understood that this was something big for him.
“Someone as in … a girl?” I asked curiously. Craig never brought girls home. He used to, he brought a few home before he turned twenty. Whereas our big brothers were protective over me by trying not to let guys near me, they were protective over Craig and Jake in a whole different way.
Whenever either of them brought a girl home, the others all went out of their way to flirt with them. Even Karl, although he never laid it on quite as thick because he would never have done anything with any of them. The others, however, would have taken it as a personal victory if they could get the girl to sleep with them.
As moronic as it sounds, they honestly thought they were doing my brothers a favour. I guess in their minds, if the girls were good enough to keep around then they wouldn’t cheat in the first place. Needless to say, Craig had been burnt a few times, mostly at the hands of Matt. The man was relentless and I wasn’t sure his reasons were quite as brotherly as the others. I swear he just liked to make Craig miserable.
“Yeah,” he nodded, actually blushing.
“Craig Carter!” I exclaimed, ridiculously excited. “How could you not tell me?”
He shrugged, his ears turning pink as he focussed on his boiled eggs. He looked so embarrassed it was laughably cute.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I demanded again, slapping him playfully.
“I don’t want the others to know,” he shrugged, giving me a look that I completely understood.