Brothers

#7

"come sit down" Cillian demands, his arm
stretched out towards her and his fingers make a
forward motion.

She does as he asks, wedging herself between the
two men on the couch.
Cillians arm rest on the top of it, his hand enclosed on her arm.

"We want to get along with you, brooke, but we won't put up with these theatrics"
Cillian threatened.

"I am sorry". She wraps her arms around herself in
comfort and protection,

"I am so sorry" she cries but wasn't apologising to them.

Cillian arm tightens around her shoulders,
"Alright, it's alright. Take a breath, I'll get you a drink"

Cillian empty space is occupied by tom as quickly as its vacated.

The younger brother presses her face into his shoulder, as Cillian tosses around the kitchen, coming back with two items.

"Here, eat this and take a big drink of water" Cillian demands passing brooke the apple and a glass of cold water. Not what she wanted.
Nevertheless, she sat there and did as she was told.
She keeps the apple core in her hand once she was
done. Squeezing it tight, she felt the sticky juice
press into her hand.

"I'll take that, love" Tom offers. She did as she was
told.
Tom takes the apple core into the kitchen and
throws it in the bin, hidden under the sink. The
door dissolves into the kitchens stand, only a
handle poking out to indicate that it was there.

Before he returns to the Living room, he reaches
into the fridge and pulls out a coke bottle and a
short cold glass. Brooke watches him with keen eyes as he walks across the room to the built in
square that held various alcohols. He grabs the rum
and returns to the kitchen.

"Cill, wanna drink?" He asks.
"No" Cillian stayed close. Just over the arm of the chair.

Tom returns with his drink, sitting down back beside brooke.

"Here, this'll calm your nerves" Tom brings the glass up to brooke.
She shakes her head no,
"Just a little taste" he persists.

Finding no point in fighting him, She goes to take it but its pulled back, ice clicking as he does.

He slowly tries again and this time her hands
remain on her lap. He tilts the liquid forward into
her lips, taking it back to allow her to cough freely.
Brooke wasn't a drinker. The rum tasted bitter and
went down like acid. Tom laughs at her bad reaction.

"She obviously wasn't going to like that" Cillian
reprimand.

"If anybody needs a drink tonight, it's her. Drinking is less about the taste and more about taking the edge off"

Tom takes a sip of his drink, his other hand going to her knee. She jumps up from the touch.

"I am going to go to bed" Brooke had her fill for
the evening and just wanted to lay in bed and cry.

She goes to get up but is kept in her place by Cillian strong grip on her arm. He pulls her back to the couch.
"After dinner you can" Cillian reasoned.

"You're tired already, love?" Tom asked, his index
finger strokes her arm. Brooke nods her head.
"suppose it's been a big day"

She covers her face with her hand, ponding the what if's.
What if she didn't provoke them; Kate wouldn't be laying in a pool of her own blood.
What if she didn't turn up to the interviews. Never
ran into that old friend that let her know about two
great job opportunities. What if she Woke up ten
minutes late and avoided the whole ordeal.
Perhaps, the brothers where right and it was fate.