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“Zack, no!” Nick said at the same time, and he rushed over to grab his son from me before he could reach for the next handful. “You already had breakfast you little monster,” Nick told him. “Sorry babe,” he said as he looked to me with a grimace. “I can make you some more in a sec.”
“It’s fine,” I laughed. “Zack and I can share.” I grabbed my plate and took a forkful, not caring that Zack had just had his little hand stuck in there.
“Lets clean you up and find a snack,” Nick sighed as he walked away, Zack squealing the whole way, no doubt for more eggs.
I was still laughing to myself as I sipped my coffee and ate my breakfast, when mom and dad came barreling through the door with a ton of groceries, Kyle following behind with even more bags.
“Morning honey,” mom greeted as she walked in and dumped the groceries on the counter. “What has you smiling?”
“Zack. He was trying to steal my breakfast,” I chuckled.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid with an appetite like that one,” dad laughed as he walked in. “He’s definitely going to be a quarterback.”
“How are you feeling this morning?” mom asked as she shrugged off her heavy coat and draped it over the seat beside me.
“Good. I slept well and Nick made me breakfast.” I pointed to the eggs I had almost finished.
“They’re good boys, Evie. You’ve chosen well there, sweetie,” she told me as she patted my arm.
“That nightmare last night, what was it about?” Kyle asked with his usual lack of tact, as he too walked in.
“Kyle!” mom cried.
“That’s enough, son,” dad said at the same time.
“No, I want to know. I want to know what made you scream like that. I want to know what that piece of shit did!” Kyle growled. His anger took me by surprise and caught me completely off guard. Tears filled my eyes as the nightmare from the night before ran through my mind on repeat.
“I can’t,” I squeaked as I pushed the last of my food away, no longer hungry. How could I tell any of them the hell I had been through? I wasn’t sure I could even find the words to talk about it, even if I could find the strength.
“You don’t have to say anything, Evie. Ignore your brother. He’s just being an idiot because he’s worried,” dad told me as he sent Kyle a pointed glare.
“I think we should know. We should have to hear everything that monster did while we failed to stop him or get Evie back,” Kyle snapped back.
“Kyle,” I whimpered. “Please…don’t p-push this. I…I can’t,” I pleaded tearfully.
“Ev?” I looked past Kyle to where Harris was walking into the kitchen, his focus solely on me as I got more and more upset. “What’s going on?” he asked as he continued towards me but looked between my family.
“I want to know what that nightmare was about last night,” Kyle told him flatly. “We have a right to know what he did.”
“Are you fucking crazy?” Harris snapped, then he was before me and I couldn’t stop myself from jumping up and into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist and clung to him as I sobbed hard into his brand new t-shirt. My body was shaking and the images playing in my head weren’t going away. “You don’t have a right to know anything, Kyle! What Evie survived is her business, and if she doesn’t want to discuss it, then you need to back the fuck off, right now!” Harris growled angrily as he held me tightly against him.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m her brother! You’re no one to her,” Kyle raged as he slammed down the groceries he held and seemed to inflate with anger.
“Kyle,” I squeaked. “Please don’t.”
“That’s enough, Kyle!” dad added.
“I love her, and I am not going to sit back and watch you bully her all because you feel guilt that you couldn’t save her. Deal with your own bullshit man. Do not turn it on Evie. You try this again and I will show you just who I fucking am!”
“You really think you can take me?” Kyle scoffed as he stepped forward like he was going to square up to Harris. I pulled back from the hug and looked to my dad pleadingly.
“This isn’t the time or place. I think you’ve upset Evie enough,” Harris said more calmly.
“That’s what I thought.” When I looked to Kyle he was smirking.
“Kyle! That is enough. Go and cool off, right now!” Dad roared as he grabbed my brothers arm and pulled him back, away from Harris and me.
“What’s going on?” I looked up and saw Kailan and Matt walking into the kitchen, both sweaty from their workouts. It was Kailan who had asked the question.
