Me+You Do the Math✔️

Ch.34 *Revelations and Epiphanies*

Mindlessly flipping through channels on the Tv was how I pretty much spend my night. There was nothing worthwhile on and all I could think about was drowning the voice out with the sounds of Keeping up with The Kardashians.

There was a bouncing down the stairs and I turned to look. My older's brother's dark eyes met with mine. He mumbled a greeting which I couldn't make out and turned away, walking into the kitchen.

That was odd.

"Taylor!" I called over to my brother. He turned to me and smiled slightly without showing his teeth. I speed walked over to him, and as I got closer I could see the dark purple bruise that spread from his cheek bone halfway across his face.

I gasped and jumped back. Where the hell did he get that?

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking me up and down for any signs of hurt. Not physically my brother, not physically.

"Are you okay?" I repeated going up to touch his face. He jerked his face away from my touch and shielded away from me. "Where did you get this?"

T sucked on his teeth like he was debating telling me something. He shook his head. "Nothing. I got into a fight at school."

He wasn't telling. My breath picked up in pace as my eyes darted across his face searching for some kind of answer.

I nodded and sucked in a shaky breath. Yeah right. Mr. I play football, Golden Boy, does not get into fights at school.

He started to move past the refrigerator, and back to the hallways but I caught his arm. His eyes shifted down to where my small hands clutched his forearm. His expression darkened as he ripped his arm away. "Stay out of it."

No...

T walked up the stairs and presumably into his room and left me sitting alone in defeat. I just wanted to help and he was treating me like a child.

A few minutes later, after I grabbed a cookie out of the jar, Mason came out of the living room.

"It wasn't at school." He paused and opened the door to the pantry, "And you weren't sick were you?"

Always observant but never showed it. "Don't get involved." I waved a hand to him as if a sign to let it go.

After a moment of silence, I groaned and placed my head in my hands. I had just done exactly what my other brother had done to me. And that crushed me on the inside a bit.

He held up his hands. "No- no I get it. Don't tell the little brother anything. I get it..."

Taking a deep breath to prepare myself for what I might say. "Mason it's not like that. I just can't afford to wrap in more people into my problems."

It was true. I wouldn't tell them about my problems because honestly, it looked like they had it worse while I was gone.

He sighed and placed both elbows on the counter. "What about our problems? What about dad?"

I knew it. I knew it!

I'll have to admit the 'dad' part threw me off the slightest bit, but I knew they were dealing with shit and not telling me.

My head perked up. He leaned there and looked at me desperately with this bright eyes. What did he mean?

"What? Dad?" Mason winced at even the sound of his name. "What are you not telling me?" I demanded, slamming my fist into the counter.

His head dropped in defeat, letting his floppy hair fall slightly. "He's back at it again."

"At what?"