Melody
Chapter ten
Three Years Later
The blanket of my fort rustles, the pink sheets moving sharply as Kaden squats down in the entrance.
He’s gotten taller over the years, his legs skyrocketing until he towered over me.
His hair is thicker now, falling in curls past his eyes and framing his edged jaw.
As he loses more and more baby fat, he begins to grow into himself.
Handsome.
He’s very handsome.
“Did you bring your laptop?” I whisper from my blankets. My head is resting on a pillow, and only the dull light of my vanity guides my brother’s path as he folds his long limbs inward to crawl next to me.
He produces the black computer, his heavy-metal stickers crowded around its back. “Are you sure you want to watch this? It’s scary.”
I grab his wrist, pulling him the rest of the way in before he settles down beside me. “Of course! Everyone has seen it.”
He gives me a patient expression. “You don’t do well with horror movies, Sunny.”
I roll my eyes at the nickname he gave me years ago. It started out as a joke, and eventually evolved into something everyone called me. Including Kaden’s friends and mine.
I rest my chin on my hand, turning to face him as he lies down beside me. “What do I have to be scared of? My big brother is here to protect me.”
He mimics my pose, his dark brow lifting. “The fact you want to watch this the night before our parents get married is a complete mystery to me.”
The wedding is first thing tomorrow morning, but my mind couldn’t be further from rehearsals and fittings. Not even the twinkling sounds of golden bells can distract me from my goal.
Show my friend Kodi that I’m not a big chicken.
She refused to see this movie because she didn’t think I could handle it.
A group of our friends was planning to go last weekend, and she backed out at the last minute when she realized it was a horror movie.
I appreciate her looking out for me, but what’s the fun in being too scared to do anything involving the genre?
The best way to get over my fear is through exposure therapy. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself…
“Just put the movie on!” I shake Kaden roughly, making him snort.
“Okay, okay,” he relents. “But if it’s too scary, say something, I’ll put on a rom-com.”
My brother doesn’t care for my favorite genre of films, but he never complains when we watch them together. It’s one of the things that makes our connection so effortless.
He clicks onto the pirating website I’ve scolded him for multiple times, and I slap his arm. “You told me you owned the movie!”
He smirks. “Owned, borrowed, same thing.”
“No, it isn’t, Kaden.” I pout.
He clicks the play button, ignoring me as the opening credits roll across a dark scene in a bedroom.
I scoot closer to him, latching onto his arm tightly as the beginning narration gives some background on the family being hunted for sport by a crazed chainsaw-wielding maniac.
When the first gore scene shocks my system, I tuck my head into my brother’s chest, shielding my eyes.
Kaden shakes with silent laughter from below me, his hand running over my hair. “It’s barely started, Sunny.”
“Shut up!” My voice is muffled by his shirt as the smell of his cologne flutters through my senses.
“Jump scare is over,” he says.
I release my breath before unburying my head.
I rest my ear next to Kaden’s heartbeat, the sound calming me a fraction as I watch the family of actors slowly get picked apart.
I never release my brother from my iron-clad grip, and my fist stays curled into his black t-shirt.
His hand smoothes my hair, tickling me with every pass, but it’s a comfort I need right now.
My brother has never been good with physical affection, but when it comes to me, he fell into the role pretty easily despite his aversion to touch. Everything has just come naturally to us since we first met over three years ago. He’s the greatest big brother a girl could ask for.
As the movie draws to a close, and the final girl is still standing, covered in the blood of her lost family, the camera pans out into a wide frame above the corn maze she’s hidden in. The credits roll only a few seconds later, and soft music fills the makeshift fort.
My eyes droop with exhaustion, weighing me down as Kaden shifts his head to look at me. His hand is resting between my shoulders, his fingers drawing shapes across my night shirt.
“How was it?” He asks quietly, my cheek rumbling with the deep tone that shakes his chest.
“Not so bad…” I reply sleepily.
His chuckle is soft as he brushes my hair behind my ear. “I need to go back to my room.”
I ball his shirt into my fist, pleading with him through my lashes. “Please stay with me.”
My brother pauses, something passing behind his eyes before he relaxes and sinks into his pillow. “Okay…”
I snuggle into his chest before lifting my head and placing an affectionate kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
He swallows, his throat working. “You’re welcome. Go to bed, Sunny.”
As I close my eyes, his heart thumps loudly, almost erratically. It’s strange. I’ve never heard it do that before.