The Illusion

Ten

I could hear him still snoring quietly on the sofa. The quiet footsteps of whoever was awake. I have no idea what time it was when I'd slowly woken up in a room that wasn't mine, a little disorientated. It came back to me quickly though. As soon as I got back into my room to pee before going downstairs.

It felt a little silly now, replaying the dream in my head, it was obvious it was a dream. Nothing lined up. I was asleep on the sofa but he'd laid me down on a mattress. I haven't worn tights in about 4 months, yet he ripped them from my skin. The room we were in felt like my room, familiar in a way I've been there hundreds of times before but it wasn't mine or any room that I recognized.

Even after scaring the living daylights out of myself, that sleep in his bed was the best I've slept since the week before this all started. I don't know what we were going to do about that. Trading rooms wasn't an option. All my stuff would never fit in his room and I wasn't going to highjack a space that belonged to him now.

I could feel the difference in my body from just a few hours of comfortable sleep. I felt like a whole other person. Reborn almost. I was noticing things again, listening to footsteps as they approached the dining room. Light, no shoes. Just the padding of bare feet on the tiles. The door creaked and I lifted my head from my book, slowly putting my spoon back into the bowl.

"I thought I heard someone down here." Lili. Her usual chilled out smile settled on her face as she pushed the door to with her foot and sat down opposite me. Her plate filled with avocado toast and an assortment of fruits. I don't know how someone can have the care to put so much effort into their food first thing in a morning. Toast alone is too much hassle. Never mind poached eggs and crushing the avocado, cutting the fruit. "You look chipper this morning."

"Good night's sleep I guess."

"Mhm. Nothing to do with nearly pissing yourself laughing at 2am in your bodyguards room huh?" I turned the page in my book, trying not to react. "I don't think you two sharing a room is part of his job description."

"No, keeping me safe is." I looked up at her as she pushed a strawberry slice into her mouth, smiling like she was proud of herself. Lili had been with Isaac since they were in high school. No one really knows a terrible amount about who Lili was before she met Isaac. What we do know, was she needed a place to stay and within 2 days, Isaac had forced dad to kit out an entire room for her and she was here. 4 months later, I caught him sneaking out of her room in the middle of the night and was bribed into keeping my mouth shut. 9 year old Freya lasted a grand total of 3 days before Isaac pissed me off in front of our parents and I spilled what I'd seen at family dinner.

"People are always sneaking in and out of bedrooms in this house."

"You started it." Lili chuckled. "He was just doing his job. He's passed out on his sofa."

"The sofa?" I nodded. "Why?"

"Because I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep in my own bed so he put me in his and took his sofa. Stop being dirty minded." Another snicker and I threw a cheerio at her, turning it into a laugh.

"I mean, no one would blame you."

"Oh my god. Stop it."

"What are we talking about?" Oh wonderful, yes Isla, come on in, make it a gossiping session. I'm just trying to eat my cereal for god's sake.

"Freya laughing in Leo's bed last night."

"LILI!"

"Oooooohhh!" Isla slid in beside her and I groaned, laying my head down on my book. Goodbye peaceful breakfast. "He's hot. I mean, not James hot-"

"Can we not? That's my brother you're talking about."

"Oh no, he's not as hot as Isaac." I gagged, making them both laugh.

"You know, when I was a kid I used to beg my parents for a sister. I take it back. I don't want you both." I sat up in my chair, grumpily taking another spoon of cereal.

"You know, it starts with him comforting you over a nightmare, then you need a hug-"

"Then you really like him being close and before you know it-"

"You're stripping his clothes off-"

"I'm going to be sick." The girls laughed. "It's not like that. He's literally only here to keep me alive and not in Zane's cellar with broken bones covered in blood."

"Mhm. That's how I ended up moving in here. Isaac keeping me safe."

"Same with James."

"Freya, there's nothing wrong with it babe." I looked up at them. "I know Zane fucked you up but there is not a single thing wrong with being attracted to a guy."

"Your Dad did the biggest deep dive on him before he started. A month before you went missing, John and the boys put him through the biggest trial even we weren't allowed to know what was going on."

"He's a safe option." My eyes bounced between the 2 girls. "We've both been through what happened to you down there Freya. Everything."

"Wait what?"

"We heard Leo telling your dad a few weeks ago. In all fairness we were spying."

"Don't worry. We're not going to tell anyone." My face was burning. "We know you might not want to talk about it or want people to know and I swear we didn't go hunting it out, we were just trying out some new stuff James bought and tuned in at the wrong time I guess."

"But we've been there Freya. Believe it or not your brothers helped us through that crap like Leo's helping you." I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to say.

"There is life and love-"

"And sex."

"After what happened." I stared.

"Are you both done now because I actually think I'm gonna throw up at the thought of you and my brothers even touching each other."