Bare Yourself (Consumed: Book Two)

by Alex Grayson

  Her expression turns hard when she scolds, “That’s bullshit, Willow Bennett. Get that shit out of your head right this minute.”

  “It’s true, though,” I tell her, not backing down.

  Her hand in mine squeezes so tight I cringe from the pain.

  “Are you trying to make me angry? You’re not supposed to make a person that’s hurt angry. What you’re saying is stupid and you know it. Yes, he may be here because he wants something you have, but he made that decision. And he made the decision to change into what he is now. The fault is his and no one else’s.”

  I know what she’s saying is true, but I still feel like it’s my fault he’s here. Maybe I should have tried harder to reach him once our dad died. Maybe there was something else I could have done.

  Instead of acknowledging her words, I ask, “How are you?”

  She smiles. “I’m better. The doctors gave me some pain meds for my headache. Other than that, I’m good. I’m more bored than anything else. I’ve only been in bed for barely an hour, and I already want out of it. I can see Logan’s going to be a pain in the ass the next few days. He’s threatened me already if I leave the bed.”

  I laugh. I can totally imagine how bad Logan is going to be, but I’m glad she has him. Other than the bandage on her forehead and looking tired, she seems fine, which appeases my worry some.

  “Is there anything you need?” I ask.

  “Nope. Just you sitting with me is enough.”

  “You know I’m here for you whenever you need me.”

  “I know you are.”

  She turns thoughtful for a minute, her eyes drifting to the side.

  “I don’t think he meant to hurt me,” she says softly, bringing her eyes back to mine. They look sad. “When I walked into the kitchen, I startled him. I don’t know.” She shakes her head and frowns. “I think he thought no one was home. He went to run past me and bumped into me. I was dizzy from the fall and hitting my head, but he turned back when he heard my cry of pain. I could have sworn I saw pain in his eyes when they met mine.”

  Her words bring fresh tears to my eyes, because I want to believe them so badly. I don’t want to believe Bryan is capable of hurting someone he once loved with all his heart. I hate knowing I may have lost my brother forever. He’s my twin, but he was so much more than that.

  “I hate that he hurt you,” I tell her. “But I hope you’re right. It hurts so much knowing he’s capable of something like that, when he used to be one of the sweetest people we knew.”

  “Yeah.” She smiles sadly.

  Neither of us speak for several minutes, both remembering the good times with Bryan. Things were always so good between us. I miss those days so much, it makes my heart ache. And what makes it worse is the knowledge that even if he were to ever get the help he needs, things will never be the same again. What he’s done to both Minnie and me are things he can never take back. Some actions are unforgivable.

  “How are things with Tegan?” she asks, nudging my hip with her hand. She has a cheesy grin on her face when I look at her, and I can’t help the big grin that overcomes mine.

  “Things are really good.” I lean toward her and lower my voice. “I love him, Minnie.”

  Her eyes widen, but then her grin turns into a full-fledged smile. She sits up and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so happy for you, Willow!” she says in my ear.

  I pull back. “Thank you. He makes me so unbelievably happy.”

  She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Have you been back to Blackie’s?”

  I laugh at her. “A couple different times.”

  “Has Nathan joined again?”

  I wrinkle my nose. “No, and I’m kind of glad. It’d be very awkward working with him. It was bad enough the first few days, but I got past it. I’m not sure if I could again.”

  “That’s true,” she remarks with a nod.

  “But we have done other things.” I wink and shoot her a sly look.

  “Ooh, do tell!” She sits up with her hands in her lap, smiling like a little kid being told an exciting story.

  “Well…”

  I tell her about the restaurant and the park, and how I used Tegan’s hand to get off for the truck driver, her eyes getting wider and wider with each word. I laugh when her mouth drops open when I tell her about almost getting caught in the alley. Each incident I tell her about sends memories flooding me, which has tingles forming in my stomach. The things Tegan does to me in public is exciting and crazy and feels so damn good. I want to experience more and more with him. I thought the threat of being arrested would have scared off the need to do more, but it hasn’t. If anything, it makes me want to try other things. To push the limit.

  “Shit, girl, you better be careful,” she warns, but there’s a teasing smile on her face.

  “We will,” I promise. Being arrested for indecent exposure is not something I want, but the thought of almost getting caught or knowing someone is watching is one of the biggest turn-ons.

  I realize I’ve been up here for hours when Minnie yawns and leans her head back against the pillow, her eyes drooping.

  “I’m going to let you rest. Do you need anything before I leave?”

  Her eyes follow me when I get up from the bed. “Could you grab me some crackers? I’d get them, but Logan would have my ass.” We both laugh. “I’m supposed to eat when I take my meds and the pain is creeping back in.”

  I lean over and kiss her cheek, then stand back up. “Sure thing. Anything else?”

  “Ask Logan to bring Luna up here to me. I want her with me when I sleep.”

  I nod and smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  When I walk downstairs, the guys are in the living room watching soccer on the big, flat-screen TV. I chuckle when I hear Tegan mumble a few curses at one of the players. I grab a pack of saltines out of the pantry and decide to get Minnie a bottled water as well.

  I’m at the fridge when I see something flash out the corner of my eye. Frowning, I walk to the window above the sink and peer outside. The light flashes again over by the shed, and I’m just getting ready to call for Tegan when a second later a familiar head of brown hair appears around the side. My jaw clenches when Bryan turns his head and I see his face clearly.

  I’m so fucking stupid. I know I am. I’m like one of those idiot girls in movies that ignores the threat and their instincts and walks out into the night when they hear a noise and they end up hurt, or worse, dead. This is my brother, and I still don’t want to believe he would hurt me, even if he has in the past. I keep telling myself to turn around and get Tegan, but my feet carry me to the back door instead.

  I look behind me, part of me hoping Tegan walks in, part hoping he doesn’t, and open it slowly so it doesn’t make a noise. The sun is going down, but there’s still plenty of light for me to see the bright white shirt Bryan is wearing before he disappears around the corner.

  Anger, worry, and sadness war inside me as I slowly walk over to the shed. When I make it to the spot I last saw him, he’s not there. I walk around to the other side and still don’t find him.

  “Bryan,” I whisper, and get nothing in return. I look across the backyard, but again see nothing.

  I’m just about to go back inside and tell Tegan Bryan was here, when a hand clamps over my mouth and an arm around my middle, and I’m being dragged backwards behind the shed. Startled, I start screaming, but his palm muffles it too much for anyone to hear. Fear slithers down my spine, and I start to shake and claw at his arm.

  “Shh…” he whispers in my ear.

  I dig my nails into his forearm.

  “Fuck!” he whisper shouts, then hisses, “Calm the fuck down.”

  I stop struggling and fall limp, hoping he’ll drop his arm. He doesn’t and instead drops his forehead against the back of my neck. His heavy breathing meets my ears.

  “Is she okay?” His question is so low and hoarse, I barely hear him.

  I hesitate, then give a reluctant nod. My
eyes dart back and forth, trying to figure a way out of this. He hasn’t hurt me yet, but that doesn’t mean he won’t.

  “I swear to fucking Christ, I never meant to hurt her, Lo.”

  Suddenly pissed, and not really caring about his intentions, I yank on his arm. The move shocks him enough that I get free. I spin around and pin him with my glare.

  “Then you shouldn’t have fucking come here,” I snarl. “You’ve done nothing but hurt her over and over again. Me and her both. You’re a selfish bastard.”

  His face drops, and it’s then I take in his appearance. He looks worse than the last time I saw him. His hair is so greasy it looks like it hasn’t been washed in months. His eyes have black rings around them and are sunken. His skin is pasty looking and his cheeks are hollow. His clothes hang off his frame because he’s lost so much weight. He looks like a skeleton walking. So much pain hits my chest at the look of him.

  When he lifts his eyes to me, they are bloodshot. “I’m sorry, Lo. I’m so fucking sorry.” He takes a step closer to me, and I move back one. His eyes harden slightly. “Just give me the fucking watches, and I’ll leave.”

  I straighten my spine. “No,” I tell him, just like I’ve told him every other time he’s asked.

  He reaches out and grabs my wrist. “I want those watches. You know Dad wanted me to have them.”

  I yank my arm, but his hold is relentless and it only causes me pain. “Not if you’re going to sell them to buy your damn drugs. He’d be so ashamed of you right now, Bryan.”

  Pain flashes in his eyes, before they narrow and his hand around my wrist tightens. “What I do with them is none of your damn business.”

  “You’re hurting me, Bryan. Let go, or I’ll scream. My boyfriend and Logan are inside and they’ll hear. You don’t want them to find you here,” I warn.

  “You are a fucking bitch,” he growls, spit flying from his mouth and landing on our arms.

  “And you need fucking help,” I snarl back at him.

  We have a standoff, both glaring at the other. He finally lets my arm go by slinging it away from him. He turns, and at first I think he’s going to run off. He takes a few steps away, then drops his head and digs his hands into his hair, gripping the strands tightly. All I can do is stand there and watch him warily. I should take the opportunity to run back to the house and get Tegan, but my feet are stuck to the ground. My love for the broken man in front of me is still too strong. The pain of seeing him in this condition has me rooted in place.

  My heart breaks even more when he drops to a squat and wraps his arms over his head. His narrow shoulders shake. I stand there helplessly, unsure of how to help him. I’ve tried so hard in the past, but he never let me. I don’t know what else to do for him, but I can’t turn my back and walk away. I did that when I left Texas, and it nearly destroyed me. I can’t do it again.

  He falls to his butt, but keeps his legs bent and his head buried in his arms. What were silent sobs become louder, and I worry Tegan and Logan will hear. And if either of them hear, there’s no telling what they’ll do to him.

  I walk over to Bryan slowly. Seeing him so defeated and broken is one of the worst things I’ve ever witnessed. I get down on my knees behind him and reach out with shaky hands to place them on his back. My touch startles him and he jerks, but he doesn’t lift his head. Gently, I wrap my arms around his chest and rest my cheek on the top of his head. Tears slip down my cheeks and drop in his oily hair. He starts rocking back and forth, causing me to rock with him.

  My tears come faster and harder. This is the first time in years that I’ve touched my brother in a loving manner. I’ve missed his hugs. He used to be the stronger of the two of us. When we were little and I had nightmares, he’d let me crawl into bed with him so he could comfort me. I can’t count how many times he cheered me up when I hurt myself. When Mr. Aggy, my pet hamster, died, it was him that made me smile again. He was always there for me when I needed him. When our dad died, I tried being there for him, but he wouldn’t let me. It hurt that he wouldn’t let me return the love he’s always shown me.

  All of a sudden, Bryan turns sideways and wraps his arms around me. His sobs become louder when he lays his head in my lap.

  “I’m so sorry, Lo. I’m so sorry.” He repeats it over and over again, his voice becoming hoarse after the fifth time. “I miss him so fucking much.”

  My heart splinters into a million pieces. The sound of his voice, the way his body trembles in my arms, the way he looks like a little boy grieving is too much. I hunch my body over his and we both cry out our pain. My tears mix with his as they land on my thighs.

  Although I wanted my brother with me to help cope with the loss of our dad, I still had our mom and Minnie. Bryan made the choice to push us all away and go down the road he went down, and that choice left him all alone. He had no one to hold his hand and grieve with him. He’s kept it bottled up inside this whole time, and as much as it hurts me to see him like this, I know this is what he needs. I send up a silent prayer that this is the first step of him healing, and ultimately getting better.

  His cries quiet down, but he doesn’t stop. His body still quakes with sobs and his arms around my waist tighten. I run my fingers through his dirty hair, trying to give him any comfort he’ll allow me to give him.

  “Shh…” I whisper once my own cries diminish to low hiccups.

  “Please, Lo,” he says raggedly. “I can’t do this on my own. Please help me.”

  “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” I tell him.

  I hold him tight to me, silently telling him I’ll help him through this. It’s going to be hard and difficult, and I’m sure there will be times he wants to quit, but I’ll be by his side, pushing him forward.

  “You fucking son of a bitch,” a low growl comes.

  I look up and see a pair of green eyes filled with pure hatred.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tegan

  Logan pauses the World Cup soccer game we were watching and stands from the couch. Grabbing his empty beer bottle off the table, he throws over his shoulder as he heads to the door, “I’m going to go check on the girls and grab another beer. You want?”

  “I’m good,” I answer, holding up my still half-full bottle in my hand.

  When we first got here and Willow all but pushed Logan out of the way to get to Minnie, he led me into the living room, where he told me in more detail what happened. According to Minnie, she had just laid Luna down in her bassinet when she heard a noise come from the kitchen. Thinking the soup she had cooking on the stove had boiled over, she went to go check on it. When she made it to the kitchen door, Bryan was just opening it. The shock of someone actually being home had him lashing out. He clipped her in the shoulder and she fell backward, hitting her head on the corner of the doorframe. It wasn’t enough to knock her out, but enough to stun her. Minnie thinks that once he realized what he had done, he panicked and left. Disoriented, Minnie made it to the living room where her phone was and called Logan. Luckily, he was only five minutes out from the house. He called the cops when he got home, and they filed a report. There’s now an APB out for Bryan.

  I felt the pain and anger radiating off Logan when he recalled what happened. I want to hunt down the bastard myself and plant my fist through his face. Not only because he hurt Willow and almost let her get raped, but also because he hurt someone close to Willow, which hurt her even more. The asshole needs to be taught a lesson. One he’ll never forget.

  Logan isn’t gone but for a minute before he’s storming back in the room. He heads straight for the windows, where he pulls the curtains closed. Next, he walks over to Luna and peeks in to check on her.

  “What’s going on?”

  I tense when he looks at me. His features are hard as granite, and I know something’s wrong. He does something to the underside of the bassinet, then picks up the bed portion, carrying it over to a table in the corner.

  “The back door in the kitchen was open.” H
e leans in, kisses Luna’s forehead, then sets the bed down and pushes it under the table. He looks at me, and even from across the room I can see the pupils in his eyes eating up the color. “There’s no reason for that door to be open,” he growls in a low voice.

  I’m already halfway across the room by the time he’s done talking. He meets me at the door.

  “I’m going up to check on Minnie and Willow. You go check out the situation in the kitchen.”

  I don’t acknowledge him with a response, I just head that way. I hear the soft snick of the lock on the living room door behind me. Logan’s smart. There’s no fucking way he’ll let Bryan, and we both know that’s who we’re dealing with, touch his family.

  My hands ball into fists as I stalk to the kitchen door. Pure rage floods through me. This bastard has the balls to come back here after what he did. But then again, he must have a fucking humongous pair to still fuck with Willow as well. Of course, he doesn’t realize the wrath he’s bringing on himself. He doesn’t know me. I may be a fun-loving guy most of the time, but if you fuck with someone I care about, you better fucking hope I don’t get a hold of you.

  I stand at the door for several seconds, just listening. When I don’t hear anything, I slowly open it. I don’t want the fucker running off this time. This shit needs to be taken care of.

  There’s no sound or movement in the kitchen. My eyes lock on the door that’s open a couple of feet. I keep my gaze trained there, but my senses are centered on my surroundings. When I walk out back, I once again encounter nothing. I look left, then right, taking in all four corners of the backyard. There’s a tall privacy fence on all three sides, and a red shed off to the left.

  I’ve taken a couple of steps toward the shed, when I hear something. I stop and cock my head to the side, listening closely. It sounds like sniffling, then a few quiet murmurs. Keeping my steps light as I can, I rush over to the shed.

  What I encounter when I round the corner has me seeing red, my blood pumping furiously in my veins, my temple throbbing double time, and my hands balling into fist, ready to do major damage.