Dirty Little Secret

thirty-one | mood rings

Lucas

I pace around the kitchen as Riley sleeps on the couch. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun, revealing the dark marks my brother left on her neck with his hands.

The phone rings once more before going to voicemail again. "Dammit," I mutter, hitting the red button. "Answer the phone, Dylan." I hit his contact again and bring my phone to my ear.

On the third ring, it picks up. "What?" He asks gruffly.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Sleeping." He groans.

I forgot how heavy of a sleeper he is--I always did envy him for it.

"Well wake the fuck up," I grit out.

"What's going on? You sound angry." He huffs. "It wasn't me. Blame Gabe."

"Oh trust me, I'm well aware that Gabe is the one to blame." I clench my teeth together, grinding my molars against each other.

"What'd he do this time?"

I lean my elbows on the counter. "Dylan..." I whisper, feeling the lump that's been lodged in my throat retake its place. "He hits her."

"What?"

"Gabe... He hits Riley." There's silence on the other end. "Dyl?" Silence. "Are you there?" I pull the phone away to make sure the call didn't disconnect. "Dylan, say something."

"What the fuck do you want me to say?" He sucks in a sharp breath. "Say it again?"

"What?"

"I want to make sure I heard you right. Say. It. Again."

I tug at the roots of my hair with a deep sigh. "Gabe hits Riley. And he has since August."

"One more time?"

"Dylan."

"I don't understand, Lucas."

I look at Riley on the couch. "Neither do I. How did he... Did we do something wrong?"

"Are you sure she's not lying?"

"I'm looking at the bruises on her skin, Dylan." I huff. "He injured her damn vocal cords. I just brought her home from the hospital."

"The hospital? What the fuck did he do to her?"

"Strangled her," I say softly. "I don't know what to do. The cops are waiting on a warrant for his arrest. Dylan, our brother is going to get arrested for domestic abuse. What the fuck did we do wrong?"

"What did you just say?"

I look up at the sound of my mom's voice. "Um, hey Dylan, I think I'm gonna need to call you back."

"No, you can't-" He begins to protest, but I've already hit the End Call button.

"Lucas..." Mom steps further into the room. "Please explain to me what you just said." She looks towards the couch. "And why Riley is here?" She leans forward. "What's on her neck?" She walks over and gasps softly. "Lucas..."

"Gabe.", Is all I say.

"Gabe... What?"

"Gabe did that."

Mom shakes her head. "Gabe wouldn't do that. She's lying."

"Mom." I round the counter and step towards my mom. "Gabe did it."

"No. No, he didn't. He wouldn't do that."

"Mom," I say more sternly. "I sat next to her in a hospital bed and helped her fill out a sheet saying what all he's done to her," I tell her. "It's been going on for months, and none of us knew a thing." I shove my hands in my pockets. "She didn't sleep with me because she's a bad person, Mom. She's been hurting."