23. Chapter Twenty-Three
Nate, Callum, and Connor walk back into the kitchen and sit down at the table with us again. It’s been at least ten minutes since I’d finished talking about our home life and everything to do with Fraser. We’re all sitting in a comfortable silence, individually thinking about every revelation that I spoke about.
“Our parents are probably going to be home within the next hour or so,” Nate says, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, we’ll head out soon anyway,” Callum tells him, earning a nod of agreement from Connor.
“You got any paper?” Every set of eyes moves in Connor’s direction. He looks between us all and rolls his eyes. “I’d like to write a letter before I leave so that it’s here for when your dad gets home,” he adds.
“Oh, yeah, sure. Let me go get you some!”
As Kat leaves the room, Nate walks over to the counter and reaches for a couple pens before handing them over to Callum and Connor. When he holds the last one out for me, I shake my head.
“I’ll write mine another time and give it to Colin before he leaves. I don’t want to do it now.” He nods and takes the pen back.
“Does anybody want a drink or something to eat?” he asks softly, padding over to the fridge. We all decline his offer, and he sighs, closing the fridge and coming to sit back down. He starts to tap his fingers rhythmically against the wood of the table until Brad nudges his arm and tells him to stop.
“I’m sorry, I’m just feeling a little awkward now. I don’t know what to do or what to say.”
“There’s nothing for you to say or do, Nate,” I tell him. “If you want us to leave, then that’s fine, and we completely understand.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that!” He rushes out, his eyes wide as he looks at me and then the twins. “I want you to stay. I just don’t think I can handle talking about anything else bad again.”
“Why don’t we go watch a movie? That way, these guys can have some privacy while they write their letters as well,” Brad suggests. Nate jumps up from the table and nods his head vigorously.
“Yes! Great idea. I’ll choose one.” He speeds out of the kitchen, bypassing Kat as she walks in with a bunch of blank paper in her hands. Her eyes follow her brother, and then she turns to us with a look of confusion.
“He’s such a nerd,” Connor grumbles. We all glance at each other and chuckle at his statement.
“We’re gonna watch a movie, Kat. Come help me get some blankets,” Brad says. Kat nods and places the paper on the table before following Brad out of the room.
Connor reaches across the table and grabs the pack of paper. He takes two sheets and places them in front of himself, then hands the rest of the paper to Callum. I stand from the table and walk over to them both, standing between their chairs. I rest a hand on each of their shoulders and wait for them both to turn their steely-grey eyes my way.
“Are you both okay in here doing this?” I ask. Callum smiles and places his hand atop mine.
“We’re all good, Little C. Go watch a movie with your friends. We’ll come get you when we’re finished, and we can go home.”
For some reason, Nate has chosen to watch Top Gun: Maverick. So we’re all currently sprawled across the sofas in the living room as the opening credits play. Kat is over on the loveseat snuggled underneath a fluffy pink blanket. She’s comfortably stretched herself out so that her small frame takes up the whole seat.
Meanwhile, I’m on the left side of the couch under a dark blue blanket with Brad beside me and Nate on his other side. My knees are uncomfortably digging into my chest and Brad’s muscular thigh is squashing my foot. I’m not complaining though because the warmth radiating off of him is keeping me nice and toasty warm.
“Hey, Callie,” Kat whispers, looking at me from over her shoulder. “How do you tell the twins apart? Apart from the obvious different moods that they both have.” I giggle at her and subtly shift my body to try and find a more comfortable position.
“Well, I can easily tell them apart, but that’s because I know them and have grown up with them. Connor’s voice is a little deeper than Callum’s and he’s also probably an inch taller than him too.”
“Okay, so how can we tell them apart easily?”
“Well, Callum has a missing finger for one. Oh, and Connor has a very faint scar that runs down the left side of his face from my father’s ring,” I tell her, pausing to think of any other features they don’t share. “Apart from that, they’re identical. Unless you see them topless, which I doubt you ever will, but Connor has a large birthmark on his back.”
“So, when they were born and before the finger and scar incidents, did your mum have to look at their backs to tell which one was which?” Nate asks. I can’t contain the laughter that pours out of me at his question.
“I’m not sure, but-” Kat shushes me as I begin to talk.
“It’s starting. No more talking!” I hold my hands up in a surrender motion, and she turns back towards the TV as ‘Highway To The Danger Zone’ starts playing through the connected speakers.
“They take Tom Cruise films very seriously in this house. It’s best to be quiet, otherwise, you’ll get sent out of the room,” Brad whispers in my ear.
“Thanks for the advice.” He smiles at me as his eyes scan the length of my face, they pause for a brief moment on my lips before they snap back up to connect with mine.
“You’re welcome, cutie.”
Twenty minutes into the movie and I can’t take it any longer. My foot is now numb, and I’m starting to get a cramp in my leg from being curled up in this position for so long. Kat’s eyes have been glued to the screen since the start, and Nate’s have, too, apart from the two times I’ve caught him glancing over at me.
Brad shifts beside me, reaching forward to grab his glass of water from the coffee table and I take my chance, yanking my foot out from underneath him and sighing in relief when I feel the blood start circulating properly again.
As Brad sits back down beside me, he glances over with an amused smirk on his face.
“I’m guessing you weren’t using my leg as a foot warmer?” I roll my lip inwards and shake my head.
“You sat on it, and I didn’t want to ask you to move. You were doing a good job at keeping it warm though, until it went dead,” I whisper back. Nate looks in our direction with a slight glare on his face. I bite into my bottom lip to keep myself from laughing when he turns his attention back to the television. Brad lifts my blanket from my lap and uses his hand to search for my legs underneath.
When his hand connects with the underside of both of my thighs, my muscles tense, and my eyes squeeze shut.
Relax. It’s just Brad. It’s okay.
When I open my eyes again, I see Brad staring at me and realise that his hand is no longer touching me. I slowly nod at him, telling him I’m okay and then his hand is back on my legs. He applies a little pressure and lifts them, pulling my legs across his lap.
He drops the blanket back down, covering my legs again and trapping one of his hands underneath whilst his other one rests over the soft cotton just above my ankle.
“Better?” he asks, resting his hand under the blanket on the top of my knees. I nod in answer to his question and wait for him to turn away from me before I close my eyes again.
Not only does it feel good to stretch my legs out, but the heat from his thighs beneath mine and his hand that is resting above is sending butterflies swarming through my stomach.
I look around, watching all three of them as they watch the movie. You wouldn’t think that half an hour ago we were discussing the abuse that the twins and I have been through. I smile as I sit here and think about how differently they could have reacted. I’m glad that they don’t appear to be any different around me.
I just hope that they don’t start to treat me differently or act like I’m fragile because I’m not. I’m strong. I have some weaknesses, as everybody does, but with everything I have been put through in life and everything I continue to endure, I know that I’m strong.
The screech of a chair moving across the floor and the sound of heavy footsteps draw my attention to the doorway that leads to the kitchen.
“We need to go,” Callum says as he comes into view, quickly shoving his arms into his jacket. I observe the worried expression on his face and then see Connor pushing past him, his phone lit up in his hand.
I quickly jump up from the sofa and rush over to the entry hall to grab my trainers.
“What’s going on?” Brad asks, his eyes curiously slashing back and forth between the twins as they stand behind the sofa. As I’m sliding my trainers on, I realise that Nate has now paused the movie. He, Kat, and Brad are standing in the centre of the living room looking a little panicked at my rushed movements.
“My dad just texted, so we need to leave,” Connor grumbles. “Letters are folded on the table.”
Kat walks over to me and grabs onto my hand as I stand up. “Are you going to be okay?”
I nod, even though I have no idea if it’s the truth.
“Yeah, of course we will. He probably just wants to talk or something. We’ll see you on Monday!”
I grab my jacket and hurriedly give them all a brief hug before I follow the twins out of the door and over to Callum’s jeep.
When we pull up in the driveway, the house is dark and I feel an eerie shiver run through my body. Apart from the two lights that light up the doorway, none of the lights are on, which is extremely rare in our house.
As I open the back door and clamber out of Callum’s car, I”m met with complete and utter silence. Connor opens the passenger side door and steps out, his head swivelling as he observes his surroundings. There’s no movement, no sound, nothing. The moonlight seems to shine down on our house, illuminating the white exterior and making it look like a haunted house from a horror movie.
“You think we’re in trouble for something?” I ask, whispering as if someone might hear me. Connor slings a heavy arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side as we wait for Callum to walk around the car and stand beside us.
“Not sure. He just texted saying to come home immediately, didn’t reply when I asked why,” Connor mumbles, eyes now searching the dark windows.
“He’s been working a lot and I know that Paul’s been watching us whilst he’s gone, but it’s not like there’s been anything to report back to him,” Callum whispers.
“It looks like no one’s home. I don’t like it. It’s making me feel weird.”
Callum grabs onto my hand and squeezes it three times. We gradually walk towards the front door, each step causing my stomach to turn, and my hold on Callum’s hand becomes tighter.
Connor squeezes me again and then releases his hold on me, reaching forward to unlock the door.
When he turns the key and pulls the handle down, my stomach drops and I hold my breath, watching it swing open. No one’s there waiting for us like I expected. I strain my ears, trying to find any evidence that someone may be inside, but I hear nothing. Connor glances at me and then warily takes a step through the threshold.
“I’m confused,” I say, following Connor into the empty, dark foyer. “Maybe he’s not home yet.”
“So then, why tell us to come home?” Callum asks, closing the door behind us.
“Cal, I can’t fucking see!” Connor shouts. Rolling my eyes, I blindly walk over towards the wall that houses the light switch, brushing my hand along the smooth paint until my fingertips bump over the plastic square.
When the lights flicker on, relief fills my body, and the panic begins to dull. However, that feeling is cut short as the lights turn back off.
As I go to berate the twins for messing with the light, something cold and hard whacks into the side of my head, and my body goes crumpling onto the floor. I groan in pain and hear Connor call out my name.
“Someone’s in here!” I screech, voice laced with panic as I feel hands grab at my arms. I swing my legs around, kicking and trying to break free from their hold. I miss them multiple times due to the fact of not being able to see, but after wildly kicking my legs back and forth, my foot finally collides with something. A pained grunt sounds from beside me, and the hands that were holding me slip away.
I scramble backward until my back hits the wall, holding one hand up to my throbbing head.
What the fuck is going on?
“Callie, run!”
My eyes go wide at Connor’s shout and although I can’t see, I frantically look around, hoping to pinpoint where he is.
I force myself to my feet and take a deep, calming breath despite the sounds of fighting going on around me. I try not to focus on the fact that I haven’t heard Callum talk since the lights went out again as I cautiously walk through the dark in what I think is the direction of the stairs.
I hear a loud thump not too far from me and then a quiet curse from Connor. I halt my steps, trying to figure out where I am in relation to the stairs, but the darkness is too disorientating.
Someone bumps into me, and I go crashing to the floor, the impact sending pain shooting up my left leg. I try to push the person’s hulking weight off of my bottom half, but they’re dead weight, likely knocked out. I brush my hands over their body until I reach their face, all whilst hoping that it’s not Connor or Callum that’s landed on me. As my fingers collide with a shaved head, I realise it’s not one of the twins. It’s Paul. Thank God.
I quickly push my hands underneath him and use my legs to try and dislodge myself from beneath him, managing to lift him the slightest bit by using all of my strength. I quickly pull my legs out from under him and then let his body flop back down against the marble flooring.
I lift myself back to my feet and hobble forward, keeping as much pressure off my left leg as possible. I have no idea where I am now; for all I know, I could be limping towards the front door or the dining room. I continue moving, though, trying to get away from this weird sneak attack that my father has lured us into.
As my hands latch onto the curve of a wooden door frame, the light flickers on, and maniacal laughter fills the room. I squint my eyes against the onslaught of the bright light and whip my head around until I’m facing Cameron.
He’s standing in the centre of the entry hall, laughing so hard that he’s holding his stomach. I ignore his deranged actions and take time to scan the room. Paul is bruised and unconscious, a few feet in front of me, near the entrance to the dining room. Connor”s standing by the bottom of the stairs, glaring at our eldest brother whilst blood trickles down his chin from his split lip. Callum”s knocked out, over by the front door, and Hudson, one of my father’s lackeys, is standing beside Cameron with an amused smile on his bloodied face.
“Oh my, that was priceless.” He smacks his palm against his leg as his laughing finally starts to ease. I watch as Connor charges towards him, fury engraved on his face.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He grabs Cameron by his shirt and slams him against the wall.
Cameron’s eyes light up with amusement, and a malicious smile spreads across his face. He pushes at Connor’s shoulders, trying to create some space between them. When his attempt fails, he arches a brow.
“Was just having some fun with you kids. Dad was busy, so he left me in charge of coming up with a form of punishment for you all.” I scowl at him, even though his attention is fixed on Connor.
“What are we being punished for?” Connor asks. Cameron looks over at me, and his eyes narrow, his face screwing up in disgust.
“You’ve all been gone an awful long time today. Who gave you permission for that?”
“Are you serious?” Connor roars, pushing Cameron against the wall again. “You decided to jump us in our own fucking home because we’ve been out all day?” Hudson rushes over towards them and pulls Connor away, wrestling him backward until Cameron’s able to move away from the wall.
“Like I said, I wanted to have some fun with you all. Maybe next time you’ll be sure to inform us of your whereabouts.” He stares directly at me when he says that, and it causes my heart to pump a little faster.
Does he know where we were today? Do they know about Kat, Brad and Nate?
“My fun’s over now. I’ll see you all bright and early for breakfast.” He heads over to the front door and steps on Callum’s hand, digging his foot into it before pulling open the door and strolling out, Hudson following behind.
I limp over to Callum and roll him over so that he’s lying on his back. I check his pulse and watch his chest, making sure he’s still breathing.
“You okay, Little C?” I turn to look over my shoulder and nod my head, assuring Connor I’m fine.
“Let’s get him upstairs. I’ll get us all some ice packs, hopefully, we’ll look okay by Monday before going to college,” I mutter. Connor crouches, sliding his arms underneath Callum, and easily hefts his body up from the floor. I huff and then lift myself from the floor as well, hobbling into the kitchen to grab a few ice packs for us all.
Before heading upstairs, I pull my phone from my pocket and check my messages. Disappointment washes over me when I don’t see a reply from Ryker.
What could he possibly be doing that’s keeping him so busy?