33. Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Brynn
A fter dinner we are all sitting around in the living room reminiscing about growing up and all of dad's antics throughout the years. I am sitting on the couch between Colt and Whitney.
I feel Whitney poke me in my side as she mouths, 'it's time.' I nod and clear my throat and place my hands between my thighs to stop anyone from noticing the shake to them.
"I want to say something," I begin as I feel my heart rate accelerate and my brow starts to sweat. "I wish I had come to visit more. I never meant for you guys to think I wasn't visiting because of you or dad. I hate knowing he blamed himself for me not coming home."
Brooks looks at Whit with raised brows; she just shrugs and motions her hand in a circle for me to keep going.
"I didn't come back because I was scared. I was scared that what happened on my last day here would happen again and that I wouldn't be able to escape." I feel the warm tears rolling down my face when Colt hands me a box of tissues.
"Brynn, what are you talking about?" Blake asks, worry written all over his face.
"We thought you were happy here. You had just graduated; you and Steven were all hot and heavy," Brooks says as Whitney glares at him. "What?" He mouths in her direction.
"Well, Steven and I broke up the night before I packed and left."
"You left because of a case of heartbreak?" Blake snarls like he can't believe how dumb that is.
"I was heartbroken, just not in the way you think." I take a sip of water, trying to dislodge the cotton in my throat. "After graduation, Steven and I went to a grad party that one of his buddies was throwing. Parents were out of town, lots of alcohol and dumb kids." I take another drink, ready to just blurt the rest out. "That night, Steven decided he wanted to go all the way, if you know what I mean."
My brothers and Colt simultaneously let out a growl, and Whitney scoffs at them. "Grow up guys. We are all adults."
"Anyway, he was about five beers deep when he started to get a little handsy. We had messed around before, but never full-on penetration. "
"I don't think I want to hear anymore," Blake growls as he wipes his hands down his face and stands from the recliner he was seated in.
"Sit the fuck down. This is important and you are going to support your sister," Whitney snaps. "Go on, B."
"He said he wanted some privacy, so we went into one of the tents. When we got inside, he started to try to remove my shorts and tank. I stopped him and told him I wasn't ready and that I didn't want our first time to be when he was drunk. He responded that I had been teasing him for months, and I needed to put out."
Brooks stands and starts to pace behind the couch. "I'm going to fucking kill him."
"I repeatedly told him no, but he was still trying to undress me. He was getting angry every time I tried to get his hands away. He finally had enough and forced me down onto the tent floor and ripped my tank top."
The room is quiet. No one moves. Brooks has stopped pacing, Blake's fists are clenched on his thighs, Callie's jaw is slack, and Colt is staring at his boots.
"From there, he started to unbutton my jean shorts, he tore my underwear and started to pull my bra down as far as he could get it." I sniff as tears roll down my cheeks, Whitney takes my hand in hers and squeezes. Her support is loud and clear. "I tried to scream, kick, scratch. I tried everything. He had never been like that to me. He was always so sweet when we would fool around."
I feel Brooks start to pace behind me, muttering under his breath. Whitney gives him a stern look over her shoulder and he stops pacing and lays a hand on my shoulder. "B. Please tell me-"
I cut him off as a sob escapes my lips, "He assaulted me that night, and I wanted to get as far away from Cedar Creek as I could."
"Motherfucker!" Blake yells, ready to make Steven pay for what he did.
"I will fucking bury him. We have a lot of land. Way too much to all be searched," Brooks growls behind me.
"Calm down," Whitney snaps. "Acting this way will not help your sister," she says through clenched teeth.
"I ran away as soon as I could, found a ride back home and started packing as soon as I got here," I continue as the tears keep flowing. "I couldn't believe what had happened."
"Wait. Steven was here that night. I heard him slam his truck door," Brooks says as a memory passes his features. "I told him he was going to wake dad, and I wasn't getting in trouble for his stupidity. I was just getting home."
"He came to find me. He should have never gotten behind the wheel of his truck, but he did that night. He came inside without anyone knowing, just like he had countless times in the months we had been together."
Blake blows out a breath, and Brooks sits down on the coffee table directly in front of me. "Brynn, I am so sorry." There are tears in his eyes and I can't help but cry harder.
"Don't be sorry. You didn't know," I say as I lay my hand on his large forearm. "I made sure you guys and dad never knew what happened."
"Go ahead and finish," Whitney says, her eyes full of sympathy.
"He snuck upstairs and before I even knew what was happening, he had me pushed inside my closet. His breath smelled like cheap beer and something stronger. He closed the door and put us in complete darkness. I could feel him against me. I was struggling to reach for anything to hit him with, but it was pitch black and I couldn't see anything."
"In our own house?" Brooks whispers.
I nod my head, "He was berating me for being such a shitty girlfriend. That all his friends were fucking and that all he was getting was blue balls. He called me every name under the sun. Telling me no one would ever want me, that I was just a cock tease, and that it wasn't even good."
Colt has been silent this whole time until now. I can feel the anger radiating off him in waves. A quick glance shows his jaw is set and he is grinding his molars to dust .
"He kept telling me all the awful things I did as a girlfriend, how I was unworthy of him. It might have been dark in that closet, but I swear his eyes were glowing red. He was the devil incarnate. He put his hand over my mouth and proceeded to assault me again. He wasn't even fully hard. I am guessing because of everything he had to drink."
"Well, he won't ever be hard again, because I am going to cut it off," Blake growls.
"He kept berating me, telling me how hideous I was. Being sure to touch on every single one of my insecurities. He said the most awful things to me as he tried to push inside me. He eventually was getting turned on. He kept telling me how he liked it when I fought back, how the whimpers I was making just made it all better. I could feel his arousal and knew it was going to happen again. He kept going, never stopping, even when I was biting the shit out of his hand. He grabbed me by the throat and began to thrust harder and harder." I am sobbing now. I am not even sure anyone can understand my ramblings.
Colt basically tosses Whitney out of the way and pulls me onto his lap. He is rubbing his hand down my hair and holding me so tightly while I let out everything I have been holding in for years all over his soft cotton shirt. "It's okay baby, you are here with us. You are safe. You are safe. "
Colt keeps repeating it like a chant in my ear, my sobs finally starting to quiet. I am so exhausted. I lean up from his chest and look at my brothers. "I am so sorry I never came back."
"I am going to stop you right there," Blake says as he clears his throat. "You have nothing to apologize for. I wish we would've known. I feel awful, we were supposed to protect you."
"I can be damn sure that motherfucker never lays another hand on you," Brooks says as he stands.
"No!" I practically shout. "He's not worth it."
Colt runs his large palm along my back, and I snuggle back into his warmth. "Can we go back to your cottage now?"
"Anything you want, Firecracker," Colt whispers, before he places a gentle kiss on my forehead.
"I want to go to sleep now," I say as I rise from Colt's lap. My brothers immediately pull me into the strongest bear hug of my life. I can feel their worry, their love and their regret all wrapped up in the embrace.
"We love you. No matter what pulled us apart, we are all together now," Brooks says as he kisses the top of my head.
"I don't ever want you to feel like you can't come to us about something. Got it?" Blake asks as he pulls me to his side. "We are here, and we are all we've got."
"What the fuck am I?" Whitney quips as she pushes my brother away and squeezes me tight whispering, "I am so fucking proud of you."
I nod my head, and Colt is waiting for me by the door. "I am going to go get some sleep. See you guys in the morning," I say as I walk toward the front door and let Colt guide me to his truck.
"C'mon Firecracker, let's go home."