A Broen Family

It wasn't long until Saturday came. We'd spent the whole week going through my box of condoms and never even went swimming. As we loaded up the truck panic started to set in. "Alex, did your hickies go away?" He'd only marked me the first two days, but I couldn't chance pink marks being found. I'd dug my hole too deep.

I saw his mouth quirk up from the side as he loaded up the tent. "Yeah. I was careful not to leave any bad ones."

Thank God

. "Come on, I've got to go pay for the last couple days and we will head home." He took my hand and pulled me to him, kissing me. When he released me, my head was dizzy.

-

"Where's Alex?" Eli asked as I unpacked my bag. He flopped on his back on my bed, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"He dropped everything off and had to go to pick up a check from a client."

"Ah." I picked up my swimsuits, and Eli looked at me. "Fall for the 'I only brought this one'?"

"Nope." I threw my clean one piece into the dirty clothes to save face and put my two-piece in the drawer.

"How come it was just you two this time?"

"I don't know, Eli. He just wanted time with me since I'm growing up. Maybe he's afraid I'm going to move away after my first year of college." I glanced at him. "Now there's a thought. Get away from psychotic brothers for a while so I can find a man. Think you'll give up then?"

He turned his head. "Someone's feisty today. Did you and Alex have a fight?" I blinked. We hadn't fought all week.

"No. We mostly talked about college. I tried to avoid the boys talk. I'm just trying to get you to leave me alone." I felt bad for lying to my best friend and being mean, but I couldn't handle him too. I still had to figure out a way around JT.

He sat up. "Are you going to stop hanging around JT and Alex more than me?"

I stared at him. "What?"

"If I can't have you, then they can't either. You didn't even like them up until a month ago." He met my exasperation with resolve at we stared at each other.

"Eli, I think that you need to talk to someone because I can't handle this anymore. What we did was wrong and it's not going to happen again. Are we clear?"

He stood up and I took a step away from the bed. "No we aren't. I know you better than anyone else. Whatever you have going on with JT needs to stop. He's only going to hurt you." My eyes flicked to the door as I saw movement.

"What's going on here?" JT's eyes were on his little brother.

"Go away, JT." My younger level-headed brother seemed to bristle with annoyance. JT clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, man. I think you and I need to have a talk. Quit bothering Holly." There was a split second before Eli launched himself at JT. My eyes widened as Eli kept trying to throw punches and JT attempted to restrain him. They ended up on the floor with Eli's arms behind his back, but not before he got in a couple of swipes at JT. I could see a red mark blooming on JT's cheek.

"Are you okay?" They both looked up at me, but I was looking at JT.

"I'm fine. We're fine. Right, Eli? You're going to calm down so I can let you up?"

"Get off me," came his calm-toned voice. Eli's face was turning pink as his frustration increased. His face held more betrayal than the night I'd called Alex at the party.

JT let him go and stood up. Eli quickly pushed himself up and left. I jumped as his door slammed shut a second later. I shut my eyes and felt guilt wash over me. I would be the one to ruin this family, not our parents' murderer.

"I've got to go get something to ice this with."

"Yeah." I opened my eyes and he was assessing me with his. "I'll help you." I followed him downstairs and pulled out our gel pack from the fridge. He sat down on a bar stool as I handed it to him.

"What is going on with him?" JT put the pack against his cheek. I'd seen him do it numerous times in high school after fights, but this time it was my fault.

I looked away and leaned against the counter. "I can't tell you that without betraying him."

"If he's bothering you—"

"He's just confused. I can't exactly hide things from him because he knows me too well."

"Well he was wrong. I'm not going to hurt you." I closed my eyes. I really couldn't deal with this right now.

"I think I'm going to make meatloaf tonight to calm him down. Are you staying for dinner?" I turned and grabbed the list off the fridge.

"Yeah. I'll help keep an eye on him. Did you have a fun week?"

"I guess. Not so many spiders in the bathroom this time. I think someone sprayed for them." I added what I needed for meatloaf to the list.

"Probably someone else with a little sister."

"Yeah maybe." I looked up at him. "Think I should take him with me like I usually do?"

He shrugged. "If you want to. Serves him right if you don't, that kid did a number with that hit." He pulled the ice pack away and I could see some purple coming up.

"I'm sorry."

He smiled. "It's not your fault. It's been a while since he hit me. I probably had it coming."

It really is my fault

. "Well, I'll be back soon. Keep icing that." I walked up the stairs and grabbed my keys and wallet. As I went to leave my room, I took a deep breath and knocked on Eli's door. "Hey, it's me. Will you come with me to the store?"

He opened the door without a shirt and a mean look on his face. "Why don't you take JT?"

"Because I never go shopping with JT. Plus, I'm making meatloaf for you. Come pick out the bread crumbs you want." I tried to keep a positive attitude as he looked at me.

"Fine. Let me find a shirt." I stayed at his door as he grabbed a shirt from his closet and pulled it over his head. "Let's go." I backed up and he followed me to my car. He turned the radio on when we got in and faced the window the whole way to the store.

"I grabbed the list from the fridge, too," I told him after we had grabbed a basket. "We need milk first." He headed that way and I pushed the basket. "You can talk, you know."

"I wouldn't want you to sick JT on me again." He put the gallon of milk in the basket.

"You're the one that attacked him." I crossed milk off the list. "Eggs and yogurt." We continued on down the list, but he didn't talk to me anymore.

As we were loading the car, a car stopped behind us and rolled down the window. "Eli?" We both turned around to the guy. "Oh hey, you're Alex's girlfriend." It was Travis, the guy from the lake.

I glanced at Eli who was just staring at the guy and stepped up to the window. "Actually, I'm Holly, the little sister. Angela is who you're looking for." I pretended to check my watch. "Alex is at work right now. I can give you his number if you want to catch up with him and Angela. What did you say your name was?"

He seemed confused but continued on good naturedly. After all, who takes showers with their sister? "It's Travis. I've got his number. Thanks though. I've got to head back to the campsite. My family is probably harassing my girl. Tell JT I said hi. Bye, Eli!" He nodded to me and I stepped back as he rolled up his window and drove away.

"Save it until we get home, Eli," was all I said as I took the empty basket and drove it to the cart corral. He watched me the whole time, but I wouldn't look at him as we got into the car.

"Angela?" he muttered a few minutes later.

"I said wait until we get home. I can't deal with this while I'm driving." He made an amused noise as I turned into our neighborhood. All I could think about was how I wished we lived further away.

He waited semi-patiently as we brought in everything. JT had disappeared but Alex's car said he was home. I couldn't tell if these were good things or not. I was putting the last of the groceries in the fridge when I heard Alex say, "Thanks for going shopping you two."

I slowly closed the fridge door and met Eli's gaze that was quickly becoming hostile. "You're welcome. I'm making meatloaf tonight."

"Yeah, you should invite Angela over. I think JT and I would love to meet her. Especially since she looks like our sister according to Travis." I shut my eyes and leaned my forehead against the fridge door.

"Eli, please," I whispered.

"No, you keep telling me nothing is going on and I'm tired of it."

"Eli, can you give Holly and me a minute please?"

"No." I stood up and looked at Eli who was glaring at Alex. "I think I'll play buffer between you and our sister."

"Fine. The reason Travis thinks she is my girlfriend is because your sister was in a towel when he walked in a couple days ago. A spider had landed on her, but that was a difficult thing to explain. He didn't see her face, but I didn't want him thinking anything of it."

Eli didn't believe a word of it, and looked to me. "That your story, too?"

"Could've happened the day you were there, too. Should he think I'm

your

girlfriend?" I conjured up my sincerest look, but inside my stomach was dropping lower by the second. I was digging my hole of lies deeper, and I didn't know if Eli would pull me back up when he discovered it.

"Fine." He pushed away from the counter. "I'll be in my room." He left, and I followed Alex into his office.

"Well, that was the definition of worst scenario." He didn't look at me as he organized some papers on his desk. I leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah. I'm going to hear about it again later I'm sure."

"Perhaps we should keep some space. Hang out with Eli more."

I looked down at my shoes. "Yeah. Sure."

"Hey." I didn't look up and he came back around his desk, tilting my head up. "I love you, but we need to be careful. Just come see me when he's at practice or something." He kissed my forehead. "Go play video games with him. I've got some paperwork to catch up on." I nodded and left.

I once again found myself outside Eli's room, knocking and trying to get back in his good books. "Let me in." The knob turned but he didn't open the door fully. I took that as an opening and walked in. He was sitting by the open window lighting something.

"Close the door behind you." He inhaled and released a cloud of smoke a few seconds later.

"Is that pot?" I walked over to him and jerked his lighter and device out of his hand. "I thought we talked about this. It's illegal and you promised not to do it again."

His eyes were gentler now. "Yeah, I lied. You gonna tell Alex on me? Because I'll just let JT know about Angela."

"Stop that. I haven't done anything to you." He reached for his stuff and I pulled it back. "Give me your bag and we'll call it even."

"No." He stood up and I backed up to give him space. He grabbed me by my hips though and pulled me closer. "We'll call it even when you give me equal chance as our brothers are getting." I rolled my eyes. "I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll let Alex think I don't know, but I do."

"Eli, really. It was a misunderstanding. Now close the window, you're letting the cold air—" He interrupted me by pushing his mouth against mine. One of his hands came up and held the back of my head when I tried to pull away.

"Ouch," he said when I nipped his bottom lip.

"Stop it. Okay? I just want my best friend back." I pushed on his chest and he released me.

He sat back at the window. "I'll stop, but I'm going to win you over." He held out his hand and I handed him back his stuff. "We both know I can." He lit up the device again and puffed a few times.

"At least cool it on the weed. If they start drug testing the players at school like they threatened a couple years ago, you're going to be in for it. Alex might leave you in jail a couple days to teach you a lesson."

He smiled at me. "You're cute when you're worried. Want to play a video game?"

"Sure. Set it up and close that window."

-

"Fix things with Eli?" JT asked a couple days later as I snuck into his bedroom. Eli had fallen asleep early, tired from practice.

"Let's not talk about it, please." I was at my nerves end spending so much time with him. We'd always done everything together, but that was before he kept pushing me to be with him. His incessant dropping of hints and sexual looks was getting old fast. When we'd gotten home from his practice a few hours earlier, he'd undressed in front of me completely. So all I could think about the last few hours was that night before I'd left for camping.

He pulled me to him and pressed his lips to mine. "You two don't get to leave me with that kid anymore. I think he's got the ability to try me more than you used to."

"Yeah. I'm learning that more and more each day."

"He said anything more about us?"

Only every day—and don't forget Alex.

"No." JT pulled me on top of him before pulling my shirt over my head. His thumbs rubbed over my nipples and I closed my eyes. They snapped open a moment later as he pinched them tightly. A shock went through my body directly to my clit and I ground myself into him slightly.

I could see his blue eyes from the lamplight and they seemed to be darker than usual. "Get on your hands and knees." He pushed me off of him and I did as he said. He pulled my panties off of me before landing a smack on my ass. I moaned and he landed another, harder this time. I went to touch myself, and he leaned over and grabbed my wrists. "Keep them up here or I'll tie you to the bed."

"Promise?" I looked at him and he raised an eyebrow. I slowly moved my hand down and he got off the bed. He pulled a length of soft rope from the closet before coming back to the bed. I noticed he still had his shorts on and I suddenly felt very naked. He roughly grabbed my hands, tying one wrist and threading it through the head board before tying the other. I pulled, checking my restraints, before I looked at him.

His face held need and he swiftly landed a few slaps to my ass. "Beg for it."

"No." He locked eyes with me. I started to rethink my answer but he didn't give me a chance. He landed a few more slaps and I began to feel the air around my reddened ass. My clit was throbbing and aching to be touched. I moved my hips in small circles, tying to relieve my need. "Please, JT."

I sighed as he pulled my legs further apart, thinking he was going to touch me finally. I was wrong and I pressed my face into the pillow to not scream as he slapped my pussy several times. "I think you should try that again."

"Please, JT. Touch me. Fuck me. Something. Please." I sighed as I felt his finger circle my clit. I could feel how incredibly slippery I'd become and wished he would fuck me already.

"I bought something the other day after you said you liked pain." His hands left me and I blinked several times before watching as he pulled something out of the bedside drawer. It was clips, but my mind wasn't processing what they were for until he roughly gathered a breast in his hand. He pinched the nipple tightly before placing a clip there and tightening it until I moaned. He then did the same with the other. He flicked them and I moaned.

"I think I'm going to go grab a glass of water. I'll be right back." My eyes shot open and I glared at him. He grinned. "Don't do anything without me."

"Don't you dare." My eyes narrowed at him.

He kissed my cheek and I watched him walk out the door and pull it closed behind me. I sat there for about thirty seconds, my fury escalating. I dropped my head down and the clips on my nipples rubbed against the bed, evoking a moan. A few seconds later I'd dropped my hips lower to the bed and began rubbing myself against the mattress.

He walked in just as I'd started to relieve some of my need. He quickly sat the glass down before jerking my hips up. "I don't think I told you that you could do that." He spanked me several times and I whined. "Beg for it this time."

"Please, JT. Please fuck me. Please touch me. Please."

"That a girl." I heard him drop his shorts down and grab the lube. A condom rapper ripped and I felt his dick rub up and down my slit for the first time. I moaned and pushed back, trying to get him to fuck me. I managed to get him to slip slightly in before he jerked away. "You know my rules, Holly. Don't do that." I groaned and tried again. He slapped me the hardest he'd ever done and I hissed. I felt him rub some lube around my hole before he positioned his penis. I relaxed as much as I could and he slid in.

I wanted to touch myself. More than anything I wanted something to fill my other hole. I'd gotten used to sex with Alex and it was hard for me to go back to this. "Fuck me," I whispered and it was all JT needed. He slammed in and out of me several times and I could feel the pressure rising in me. I moaned, pushing back against him, and he spanked me. I dropped my head down, trying to brush the clips on my highly sensitive nipples against the bed. One of his hands came around, pulling them off, and I cried out into the pillow from the sudden feeling of pain. He rubbed my throbbing bud as he rode me through my orgasm until I was begging for him to stop. Just as I was coming down, he pushed into me and I felt his dick jerk several times inside me.

I collapsed as he pulled out and tried to catch my breath. He left the room for a moment and when he returned he untied me. I curled into a ball and he stroked my back. "You okay?" I nodded. He pulled the blanket over me and held me. I fell asleep not that long after.

-

I woke up around five with an urge to pee. I pulled my clothes on and quickly used the bathroom. I looked at JT's door before peeking in to check on Eli. He was still asleep and I counted my blessings as I returned to my own bed. I tried to fall asleep but eventually gave up. I pulled my two-piece out of my drawer and got redressed.

I turned the pool lights on a few minutes later and grabbed a pair of goggles. I dove into the pool and fell into the rhythm of swimming laps. All during high school I had come out and swam laps before school, much like other girls went for jogs in the morning. It was refreshing to settle back into myself and pretend nothing had changed.

"I thought I heard something," Eli's voice said as I came up on the side of the pool. I paused before my summersault and stood up in the shallow end, pulling my goggles off.

"I couldn't sleep anymore." I eyed him, wondering what he planned to do this time. He'd changed into his swimming trunks and had a bottle of juice beside him. "Can I steal a drink?"

"Sure." He opened the bottle and handed it to me. I felt mildly self-conscious as he watched me take a gulp. I handed it back to him and he sat it down before slipping into the pool beside me.

"Please don't bother me this early, Eli." I stepped away from him and he smiled.

"I'm not. I just figured I'd join you. Maybe I can tire myself out so that I can nap a little before practice." I nodded and started my rhythm again, this time with more noise in the water beside me.

I paused about ten minutes later and pulled myself out of the water. I wiped my hands on my towel before checking the time.

7:30

stared back at me. I jumped as fingers slipped under the strings around my waist.

"Alex should be on his run. JT won't be up for another couple hours," Eli murmured right beside my ear. He pulled the end of the strings and my bottoms fell down. I jerked away from him and picked them up, trying my best to tie them back as I backed away from him.

"Stop it, Eli." I looked at my brother who could pass as my twin, hoping he'd get my point. I wanted to paint myself as the victim, but I felt hypocritical for doing so. Besides, he wasn't being mean to me and he gave me the same looks as he always had. Now I just knew what they meant. "I'm going to swim for another half hour." He didn't come towards me as I slipped back into the pool, but I stood up in the water a few minutes later as I heard someone crash into the water.