Page 8 of Beautiful Revenge

Age Fourteen (Briar is Twelve)…

I don’t knowwhere she’s been, but I’m glad she’s here now. I think I can guess the reason she wants the light off, too. She doesn’t want us to see the bruises we saw earlier when we went to her place. My guess is we haven’t seen her for that same reason. It’s a little hard to hide bruises like that on a daily basis.

“I missed you, Brie,” I whisper against her neck before kissing her there.

She stiffens up for a moment before relaxing in my arms. “I missed you too, Dyl. I missed both of you,” she whispers back, and I hear the pain in her voice.

“Something really bad happened tonight, didn’t it?” I ask, squeezing her tighter in my arms.

I don’t really know what I’m doing, or why I feel like this for her. It’s not really appropriate, either. I don’t think, anyway, but it’s more than just how my body is feeling. It’s my heart.

There’s this feeling inside of me that has me wanting to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. To love her and protect her no matter what, and it’s weird.

“Yes.” Her voice wavers, and I don’t like it.

“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” Dev whispers, moving closer to her.

I know he feels the same things for her that I do. I’ve heard him whispering her name in his sleep sometimes. Neither of us really knows what to do with these feelings, though.

Unlike the other kids our age, we can’t kiss Briar. We can’t hold her hand in public or do other things I am certain are stupid for fourteen-year-olds to do. We may love Brie, but she’s too young. Even we know that.

“Why did you call me that?” she whimpers, and I feel her body shaking against me.

“Because we love you,” I answer, kissing her neck, trying to comfort her.

“Love isn’t real,” she whispers, and it breaks my fucking heart.

Devon hisses a breath before moving his hand to cup her chin. She winces in pain, so he loosens his hold. “Princess, I know that you’re hurt, and you have a hard time trusting people, but loveisreal.” He leans his forehead against hers while I squeeze her tight.

“How do you know love is real? I’ve never felt it,” she whispers through tears.

“That’s easy, Brie. We know we love you because we’d do anything for you. You’re our best friend,” I explain, and she sighs.

“Is that all I am to you?” she asks, and I’m taken aback.

“What? Why would you ask that?” I question, wondering if she knows more than we’re giving her credit for.

“I know a lot more about the world than you guys realize,” she whispers, admitting something I don’t fully understand.

“You mean everything to us, Briar,” Devon tells her in a firm voice.

“Everything,” I rasp, and she cries.

“You guys are the only good thing in my life.” She sobs into Dev’s chest, and I feel my own tears spilling over.

“Do you trust us?” I whisper through the tears, and she nods.

“I think you’re the only people I will ever trust. But I don’t think you’re going to want me in your life for long,” she says, shaking with emotions.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” I ask, the swear word coming out of nowhere, and she actually giggles.

I fucking love that sound coming from her. Even if she’s crying right now, the fact that she laughed for us is everything. We don’t hear it often enough.

BRIAR

Dylan swore.It’s so unlike him it actually has me feeling a little lighter, but I wasn’t kidding when I said they probably wouldn’t want to be my friend for much longer.

“Why would you say that?” Dev asks, repeating Dylan’s question and pulling me closer.

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