Penny For Your Thoughts? [unedited]

c h a p t e r • t w e n t y o n e

*

I felt much better after getting out of my wet uniform. Not as great as I'd like to feel, but better. I hugged my stomach as I walked into the living room, where Benny sat on the couch with his arm thrown over the back of it, suddenly changed from his uniform as well. Now, instead, he was in gray sweatpants and a Wadlington Weavers football t-shirt that had seen better days.

I furrowed my brow and sat next to him, sinking us both further into the couch.
"What happened to your uniform? Aren't you going to class?"

He shrugged while flipping through channels on the TV in front of us.
"Nah. This seems more important."

He turned off the TV and set the remote down before turning to me. His face screamed concerned, it was a face I was all too familiar with.

"What does?" I asked.

He sighed. He leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees.
I watched as he rubbed his frustrated face with his hands before turning to me again.

"Look, P. I wasn't going to say anything. Maybe there's a reasonable explanation to it. But as your big brother, & as someone who cares about you, it's really pissing me off not knowing. So I'm going to ask you this one time, and don't you dare lie to me."

My heart began to beat faster as I locked eyes with him, wondering what he was talking about.

"What the hell happened to your cheek?" He murmured, trying not let the anger in his voice surface.
My eyes went wide as I realized:

Shit. My concealer.

My concealer must've washed off in the rain. That's what I get for buying shitty makeup. I quickly turn away from Benny, letting my hair fall over my face, thus blocking my view of him and his view of my cheek.
I fiddled with my fingernails nervously.

"It's nothing, B." I lied.

"Do not lie to me. Seriously, P."

I felt my eyes begin to sting with tears, but I couldn't cry. Not now. It'd let him know I was lying.
"I am being serious. It's nothing. I just wasn't watching where I was going this morning and I smacked into my door."

I could tell he was growing impatient with my constant fibs.

"Yeah. A door that's shaped like a hand?"

Now that was a question I could not answer.

"Who hit you?" He asked. I continued to avoid his gaze, worried that when if I looked into his concerned brotherly eyes I would not be able to lie anymore.

"No one hit me, Benny."

"Was it Seamus? Parker? Jax?" He listed off names, but I couldn't tell him who it really was. This jig was up. He knows. He knows someone hit me, but he doesn't know who.

He grabbed my hands in his larger one, causing me to involuntarily look up at him. It was a bad idea, because as soon as I looked into his identical eyes, I broke.
A voice in my head screamed, "Tell him! You don't have to face your battles on your own."
But another voice yelled, "Don't. Tobias'll hurt them. He'll hurt all of them if they find out."

He rubbed soothing circles onto the back of my hand, letting me know I was safe and protected.

"Was it Dad?" He whispered.

I tried.
I tried so hard to keep my emotions in tact but just hearing those words cut the thread.

My lip quivered as I tried to choke back tears that came anyways. Benny's expression changed as he realized that it was Dad who gave me this bruise.
Tears flowed down my face as a sob escaped my lips, causing Benny to instinctively pull me in for a hug. I cried into his shoulder, letting the weight of everything I've been carrying by myself wash away. I'm surprised I even have tears left at this point.