Page 4 of Fall

"Forget it, I’m tired. I’ll just go to bed early," I say a little too harshly, and I know it’s not really much to do with him but more of my hate for being in this situation. Harley picks up on my tone straight away and smiles.

"See you tonight, Tilly." With that, he walks out of the room and we hear the front door shut not long after. Did he not just listen to me?

"You'll like Luke, he has a thing for tattoos, like you," Izzy says around eating her eggs. I remember Izzy telling me Luke is her younger brother and that the twins, Elliot and Sebastian, are only a little older than her.

"I don't have a massive thing for tattoos," I protest.

"You have four, and one is all the way from the top of your back to your bum," she points out, and she is right. That’s my biggest tattoo, and it’s a mixture of small vines and flowers of different colours. It took over a month for them to do, as it’s so detailed. My other tattoos are much smaller, like the one in the middle of my wrist, which is a fox, like my last name, Fox. All my siblings have one in the same place, and it only fills me with regret that I couldn’t speak to them before I left. That I couldn’t explain why I need to hide from my ex, their best friend.

"Well, you have one, too," I whisper, knowing some of her brothers don’t know Luke tattooed her thigh a while ago.

“What’s your real name? As I’m guessing Tilly is a nickname?” Blake asks as we all finish eating.

“I don’t tell people my name, it’s horrible, so it’s Tilly,” I tell him.

“What happens when you get married? Everyone will hear it then,” he replies, picking up the empty plates and taking them over to the side.

“It’s not that bad anyway,” Izzy says, laughing when I glare at her.

“It’s horrible, and I’m not getting married anytime soon ... so no one will know,” I say, making them both laugh.

"Anyway, let me show you to your room," she says.

I stand up and take my empty plate to Blake as he turns the water on.

"Okay," I reply as I smile at my oldest friend. I didn’t realise how much I missed her because she has always been more like a sister to me than a friend. I love my brothers, all three of them, and I’ve felt the same kind of love for Izzy.

Izzy leads me up the giant, wooden stairs and to a long corridor. There are quite a few doors and a little personality, as it’s all filled with paintings of flowers and beaches by the looks of it. I can see another staircase at the end of the corridor, and I wonder what’s on the next floor. Izzy leads me straight to the right and opens a door. The bed is the first thing I see as it’s huge and takes up most of the room with its big, wooden frame, and there is a large wardrobe in the one corner as well. There's a matching wooden box at the end of the bed and a chest of drawers under the window.

"This one has its own bathroom, so that’s why he gave it to you rather than a spare room." Izzy opens the door to show me a small en-suite shower room with a toilet.

"I have to pay rent now, this room is incredible," I say, looking around and seeing the cardboard boxes in the corner with a bed store’s company name on them. The bed must be pretty new.

"Harley is the most stubborn man I've ever met, but what did you think of him?" Izzy asks me, a slightly calculating look running over her face.

“Handsome, smart, and, well, kind to invite me here, but he clearly isn't aware of how stubborn I can be," I say as I cross my arms, and Izzy chuckles.

"I guess not." Izzy laughs, coming over and turning serious for a second. "You sure you’re okay?" she asks as she pulls me into a tight hug.

"I am now, that's all that matters," I whisper, and I feel her tense, pulling back to look at me.

"Right. Well, I have to get back to my apartment to study, so I’ll see you tomorrow?" she asks.

"Tomorrow." I nod.

With another hug, she lets me go and shuts the door behind her. Finally, I let the tears fall; not because I'm upset, but because I know I'm safe, for now.

Chapter Three

Harley

"Elliot, leave," I say as I hold the door to the basement open, and my dad looks over at me while my loud voice echoes around the room.

Elliot is twelve, fucking, years old, and Dad is beating the shit out of him. Elliot raises his head off the mat as Dad’s fist stops mid-air at my comment, and I know I'm about to get fucking hell for stopping this.

They pull apart as Dad stands up, as does Elliot, but far more scarily. His dark hair is matted to his head with sweat, and blood is pouring out of his nose onto the blue mat on the floor. Elliot's arms hold his chest, and I know I will have to make sure nothing is broken later. I'm sure Dad’s 'training' could have been worse if I hadn’t come back sooner. I only went out on a bloody date for one night. I should have known Dad would take the chance to teach them without me here to stop him. He always does this because he knows I will stop him, and then he will have to punish me instead, which I think he is getting bored of doing since I’ve gotten older. And stronger.

"Go on, little boy," Dad taunts, walking away as Elliot rushes past me out the door, not making any eye contact.

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