“My father was a cruel, abusive, domineering man. Nothinghappened or changed without his say so, and disobedience was met with his beltfor girls and fists for boys.”
She could feel both men on either side of her stiffen.
Zane spoke first. “God, I don’t want to know the answer tothis, but did he…” Zane didn’t finish, the intense awaiting anger in his wildblue eyes wouldn’t let him.
“My father took his belt to me exactly three times, and Imade it my mission never to let it happen a fourth time,” the memories tried topush their way forward in her mind, but she refused to let them in.
Both Zane and Reid let out a flurry of curses.
“I worked hard to become invisible to my father, going withthe theory of making no waves and drawing absolutely no attention to myself,least of all his.” Letting out a hollow laugh she continued. “And it worked,almost too well. I soon became lost amongst the army of my siblings. My motherwas too focused on obtaining my father’s attention, and my siblings had long sincegrouped up and formed bonds that had no room for someone as weird as me. Notsomeone who constantly dreamt of the outside world and who constantly snuck offto the library.”
“I’m so sorry Everly,” Reid whispered clutching her handbeneath the water, lacing his fingers with hers.
“But you know,” she looked at both of them, “as cruel as myfather was, he did do one nice thing for me.”
“What?” Zane asked.
“He let me go,” she said. “I think he knew I was taking highschool courses by mail. The day he came to tell me he wanted me to marryanother family’s son I risked the prospect of a beating. I told him that Igraduated high school and told him I got a scholarship to college, but hedidn’t so much as flinch. It was as if he was just waiting for me to tell himnews like that. He told me I could leave, but I could never come back, he wouldtell my mother the truth, but my siblings would believe I was married off tosomeone from another community like ours. Two days later my father dropped meoff at the bus station miles out of town and drove off without so much as agoodbye.”
Both brothers were silent.
Nervously Everly shifted in her seat, the last time she toldanyone any of this was Peter, and he didn’t take it so well. Peter had cut heroff midway shaking his head in disgust, claiming he didn’t want to hear anymoreand she should “deal with this” with a professional. Looking at the twohard-faced men next to her, her heart seized with doubt. Maybe she shouldn’thave said anything.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s all so dark and…” She began.
“No,” they both spoke at once.
“No, don’t even go down that route,” Reid’s tone was firm.
“No sweetheart, it’s not that, trust us,” Zane leaned in andnuzzled her neck. “We’re just processing it all. To be honest, I’m so angry I’mshaking. If I could kill your dad, I would. I’m positive it would make me feel better.”
Letting out a huge breath of relief, Everly leaned intoReid’s hard chest, she hadn’t realized she had been so nervous waiting fortheir reaction.
“Thank you for not finding it…” searching for the rightword, all she could think of was Peter’s disgusted face, “repulsive.”
Reid cradled either side of her face gently with both of hislarge callused hands, frowning he searched her gaze questioningly. “Why thehell would we be repulsed? We knew most of this already we just didn’t know thedetails.” Kissing her softly, Reid emphasized his words. “No matter how darkthose details are, we still want to hear them, if you want to tell them.”
Holding Reid’s face to her, she kissed him back gratefully.“Thank you for understanding and listening, thank you for not being toodisgusted and telling me to go talk to a professional about this.”
Zane’s hands around her waist tightened. Pulling herbackward slightly he turned her from Reid so he could look at her directly.
“Who told you that?”
The wild gleam in Zane’s eyes gave her pause, maybe bringingup Peter wasn’t the best right now.
Reid’s jaw tightened as he sat back giving her an analyzingstare, “Did that asshole art professor say that?”
Bowing her head slightly, Everly stared at the churningbubbles around her and nodded.
“I have fantasies of choking him—slowly,” Zane murmured.
Leaning forward, Reid grabbed her underneath her arms andhoisted her out of the water and onto the corner ledge like a child. With herknees now at Zane’s eye level, Reid stood in the water so that they wereface-to-face.
“Everything that insignificant prick ever said to you, throwit out Everly,” Reid growled, running his hands across her slick thighs. “Clearit from your mind because you won’t have room for him anymore. From now on youbelong to us. No other man whether it be that prick of a sperm donor, Peter oryour father matters. You, me, Zane and the baby are all that matter from hereon out.”
Nodding she wrapped her legs around his waist and held himclose enjoying his pleased groan as he hugged her back. Reid was right, if shelet go of her fears she would have nothing to worry about and everything tolook forward to.
±
