AMELIA
Inever thought I would see the day when my siblings and I would willingly be in the same room as Triple Threat.
Trinity’s running her fingers through her boyfriend’s hair after hearing the eventful day we’ve had. Tears gather in her eyes as they sit together on my love seat.
We placed Elijah down to lie on the couch with ice packs on his cheek, side, and stomach. From the look of his slow and even breaths, he’s finally fallen asleep. Thank God.
Axel and Rowan are here because not only were they my ride, but I also needed help carrying a weak Elijah. During the drive that seemed like it took hours to get to my place, I called Trinity and told her to pack everyone a bag and get out of there as fast as possible. The last thing we needed was Dad arriving home with just Trinity home.
God knows what he would do.
No one has heard a thing from Levi yet, which makes me feel like doubling over and crying in frustration. How do I know he’s okay if he’s not answering?
We all sit here in the painful silence that’s so loud.
“I should’ve helped him,” Leonidas’s raw voice rasps, making everyone’s heads shoot in his direction. “I’m his big fucking brother, and all I did was sit there in shock while he got beaten to a pulp by our dad.”
“Leo—” Trinity tries to reason with him, but he shakes his head in denial.
“I couldn’t move my body. That felt so fucking scary. And I had to sit there and watch all of that, feeling exactly what my dad called me. I did nothing.” He runs a hand down his face, beating himself up.
“You see Elijah?” I whisper to Leonidas, nodding my chin at him.
“Of course I do. I can’t unsee him on the ground for the life of me.”
“Dad did the same thing to you, but with his words. None of this is your fault. You couldn’t have done anything even if you tried.”
He looks down at his feet as Trinity wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes. “This can never happen again because what if it’s one of you next?” His voice breaks as he looks at me and his girlfriend.
“He wouldn’t touch us.” Trinity smooths a hand through his hair softly.
He already has.
Swallowing tightly at the vivid memory that will always haunt me, I shake my head at Leonidas. I never want to share that day anymore. The more I talk about it, the more powerful my thoughts become.
“This is never going to happen again because everyone is moving out of the house. We have plenty of room here,” I whisper over to my brother, trying to hold on to any strength I have remaining.
Axel captures my attention when he whispers over to Rowan, looking as stressed as I feel, “Where the fuck is he? It’s almost been two hours.”
“I’m afraid to find out,” Rowan says just as softly, giving Axel a worried look.
The two just sit quietly in the corner of my living room, where we all wait, but they tap their feet impatiently on the ground while Elijah sleeps.
“We have to figure out our shit.” Leonidas talks out loud, sounding like a corpse with no emotion.
“We’ll worry about that tomorrow. Right now, let’s just make sure the man who helped us out gets here safely.” I run a hand down my face, checking the time on my phone.
Twelve a.m. Where is he?
Texting him once more, I drop my phone onto the pillow below me and think of every bad situation that could possibly ever happen.
Why did I get him involved?
Because I needed help and he always knows what to do …
It’s thirty minutes later when weall become aware of the purring engine that roars outside, sounding like it’s pulling into my driveway. Getting up and feeling everyone’s eyes on my back, I make my way to the front window, and I peek through the blinds to make sure it’s him.
Spotting his Mercedes, I feel my shoulders relax.
