Older Brothers

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Coming Clean

"Something came up." Jake shrugged.

I watched Charlie cautiously, but he didn't turn around. He just sat looking out of the kitchen window in silence with his head down. Tommy, however, looked right at me and straight to me cheek. Then he leaned and whispered something to Charlie. It sounded like he had called him a bastard or something, but I couldn't be sure.

"What's wrong with Khloe?" Dean asked, looking me up and down.

I suppose I probably looked a bit of a mess. My hair was still damp. There was a cut on my cheek. I was wearing on old, overized football t-shirt, a thin jumper and then Chase's football jacket over the top. I hardly looked like I had just returned from school.

"We need to talk." Chase said.

"It seems like we all need to talk." Elliott sighed, looking back at Tommy and Charlie. "Something is going on here and I want to know what it is."

Chase sighed. "We'll tell you everything."

"Good." Elliott approved and me and Chase went and sat down on one of the sofa's in the kitchen.

"Hang on, before you say anything - why has Khloe got a cut on her cheek?" Dean asked.

"We'll get to that. But first, I think we should give Charlie and Tommy the chance to explain themselves." Jake said. I got the sense he knew exactly why they were fighting.

Elliott nodded and turned to Tommy and Charlie. "Well, are you going to give us an explanation?"

"Ask Khloe." Tommy mumbled.

Chase looked down at me and pulled me closer to his chest as I grimaced at the attention that had suddenly come back around to me. "No, we'll get to her. Charlie and Tommy can go first. That's the least they can do ."

I saw Charlie sigh and burry is head in his hands. With much hesitation, he turned around to look at us as we had now all gathered the other side of the island. His eyes were watery and he even looked like he had been crying. It broke my heart to see him like that.

"I just can't take her anymore." Charlie said. "She keeps dragging me into her games and making me apart of it. She's making It so hard for me to protect her. But every time, she just ends up hurting herself and I'm sick of watching it. I just don't understand..."

"Is that why you did it?" Chase seethed.

"Chase, don't." I whispered.

"No, Khloe. He can't hide behind that bullshit excuse."  Jake argued.

"Woah, guys, what's going on? You lot are kind of de-throning me as the aggressive sibling." Dean said, looking at us all with confusion.

"Nope." Chase said. "It's only Charlie and Tommy that seem to be competing with you, Dean."

"What you on about?" Elliott asked, confused.

"I know! I know!" Tommy enthused, with anger seeming into his kid like tone.

I looked to Tommy in fear for a minute. Had Tommy given Charlie a black eye because of what Charlie did to me?

"Spit it out, duff-us." Dean said.

"Charlie gave Khloe that mark on her cheek." Tommy replied and sat back in his chair like he was waiting for a movie to unfold.

Fuck.

"What?" Dean growled, taking a step towards Charlie, but Elliott stood infront of him.

"I think we've had enough cuts and black eyes for one day, don't you?" Elliott asked.

Dean shook his head and glared at Charlie. "How the fuck could you do that to our little sister?"

Charlie looked down and I saw a tear roll down his cheek. "I just can't take it anymore. I don't understand her."

"That's no excuse." Elliott told him and Charlie nodded. Then Elliott turned to Tommy. "Is that why you punched Charlie?"

"Yeah..." Tommy sighed.

"Right." Elliott nodded, I felt sorry for him. He looked like he didn't know what to do with us all. "Is there anything else?" Elliott asked.

I bit my lip. As I watched in horror as Jake and Chase shared the same look.

"You guys look like somebodies died. What is it?" Tommy asked.

Chase sighed. "Khloe's been struggling a lot."

"And, what's new? We've all got problems." Tommy said.

"Shut up, Tommy." Dean growled.

"She been feeling quite shut out from everything - including us. And under a lot of pressure. She's also struggled with food." Jake explained.

Charlie looked over at me in horror and I saw guilt wash over his face. He had called me a fat bitch at school today - and in front of his friends. Seemed like he regrets his choice in words now. I think he had put the puzzle together and finally figured me out.

"Khloe, I'm - " Charlie began, but was cut off by Jake.

"Shut the fuck up, Charlie. You've done enough."

Elliott's eyes looked over me with worry. "How long has this been going on for?" He asked.

Chase looked down at me and urged me to open open.

"I-it's not going on now." I replied. "Not really. But, it did in the past. I have been starting to get worried that I'd slip back into it as everything was just starting to get a bit much again."

Elliott sighed and raised his eyebrows at me. "Is that why you didn't eat breakfast this morning?"

I nodded.

"Did you eat lunch today?" Chase asked me, raising his eyebrows and I shook my head.

"Then I'm not convinced this is all behind you." Elliott told me, walking over to me and Chase and sitting across from us. "What you are doing is dangerous."

I sighed and felt a tear roll down my cheek. "I know."

"Why didn't you come to me or any of us before?" Elliott asked.

I shrugged. "I thought I could handle it. I usually do. And I thought you wouldn't really care."

"of course we care. You do my head in and can be really annoying, but that's what little sister's do. I can't believe you've been punishing yourself for so long!" Tommy said, shaking his head with regret.

"Well, we can't have this continuing." Elliott said.

"Yeah, this can't continue." Jake nodded.

"Can you answer me one question, Khlo?" Dean asked me and I nodded slightly. "Is this why you've done all the stuff you have? Is it why you've drunk so much?"

I nodded. "Sort of, yes. I just wanted to forget, you know? Have fun. Feel free and alive instead of caged by my busy mind. Catch a break from being the girl whose head is fucked up for once."

"Khloe, you're heads not fucked up." Tommy told me and I gave him a small smile.

I turned to them all and asked them a question I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to. "What now?" I asked.

I watched as all the boys looked to each other. I could tell they didn't really know what to do.

"Things will change from now on." Elliott told me. "I'll make sure of it, don't you worry."

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Okay, so do you guys like this chapter?

I wasn't too sure about it!

What do you think Elliott's gonna do to make sure things change?

Hope you liked. Next update will probably be next week - I'm very busy with essays right now. When they are done hopefully I'll write more, but I'm still trying to keep frequent updates so bare with me please!

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Thanks for reading.