The Illusion

Twenty Two

"So." I looked over at Leo, his hand gently on my thigh as he drove the longest route home he possibly could. I'm guessing he wanted to give me a chance to calm down. I didn't need it. I was completely calm. Like I'd been meditating for the past month. "You shot someone."

"Twice."

"Yeah. Twice."

"Stabbed him twice too." Leo almost laughed, shaking his head. "Is it weird that I enjoyed it?"

"If you were some normal girl from a normal family, yes. But knowing your brothers and your dad. No. It's not weird at all. Also shows me there's a lot going on in your head that you don't seem to be telling anyone."

"Like what?"

"Him setting you up with Zane, knowing about it all. You didn't tell me that walking into it. You also didn't tell me you two dated."

"Would it have made any difference if I had told you?"

"No." I nodded. "Anything else you want to tell me about?"

"Not that I can think of."

"What about the whole Alara being the reason you're alive thing."

"Oh. When I was 6 I fell in a pool at a school party and I couldn't swim, she pulled me out." He nodded. "It's how we met."

"You guys have been friends for 17 years?"

"Yeah. Crazy. I've spent more of my life with her than without her. I need her to be okay. I need her and you and me and the boys and Lili and Isla and mum and dad. I need us all to be okay because I'm trying not to freak out about this mental version of myself that's come out of nowhere and I think I can do that a lot better if everything just goes smoothly. It's a huge change and don't get me wrong this psycho version of me is beyond chaotic and I am here for it. It's weird. Because I was so quiet and I just shot a guy and smiled at him. I grabbed my dad by the damn neck and threatened to kill him last night." Leo sighed, tugging my legs towards him.

"We do crazy thing when the people we love are threatened Rey. You haven't experienced it before. You've had this happen to you but you've never been the one that's being tormented by someone else's pain. It was your pain before and your focus was survive. You didn't know what was going on. This time around, you know how to protect yourself and you're using that to help look after Alara. It's not that you're going mad it's that you've got the means to do it now. 2 months ago, you didn't know you'd ever need to know how to shoot a gun, you only fired that, you only shot Vance to make sure Zane knew you were not joking anymore. So, he knew that he was playing the wrong game with the wrong person and I don't doubt for a second that it would have made him second guess himself. You have this thing about you Rey. An aura or an energy a vibe or whatever you want to call it. It's so naturally soft and calming it relaxes people. So, for that energy now to also have a 'don't fuck with me' tinge of black, it's scary. Especially when you're not expecting it to have changed."

The car fell into a relaxed silence, the quiet hum of the engine and tires spinning on the tarmac. It stayed like that for the rest of the drive home, only being broken when we pulled into our usual drive.

"You second guess yourself a lot Freya. Everything you do from what book to read to what to bake to if you should punch me or not and if you should kiss me. There has been 2 times when I have seen you not second guess yourself. Today, from the moment you walked into that room you knew what you wanted to get out of it and you were ready for it."

"What was the other time?"

"Yesterday in your closet before we left. When I called you mine and had my lips on your neck." He brushed the knuckles on his fingers up the side of my neck. "When I told you I'd have you on the table. The only thing you thought then was that you wanted it." I turned my head to him slowly. I did want it. I wanted him. I don't think that's going to stop. "Right?" I nodded. "You need to shower that blood off beautiful."

"I don't know. Kind of think it makes my outfit no?"

"No."

"Really? With the white dress? I think it's great."

"Come on. I have no doubt people are wanting to see the mess you've made." Leo pushed his door open and grabbed my hand the second we were out of the car, walking back up the drive. "Just an FYI, I'm taking that dress off so when you go upstairs to shower, don't you dare take it off yourself."

"What if I do?" I smirked up at him.

"Try it." He squeezed my hand. "That dress better be on your body."

"I was going to change into something less bloody."

"Uh. No. This dress. Exactly as it is, I want to take it off nice and slow." Leo pushed down the door handle, took a deep breath and ushered me in. "Quicker your upstairs, quicker my heads between your legs." OH SHIT.

"Hmm. You know I have been meaning to find out the story about how each of my brothers were born. A minute by minute play sounds exactly like what I need." He raised an eyebrow as I tried to pull my hand out of his. "But come to think of it," I giggled, trying again. "I haven't heard my mum and dad's story on how they got together in a while." I pulled my hand out of his as someone shouted us from the hall. "Maybe I won't get around to the shower."

"Keep playing and I'll throw you over my shoulder Freya."

"Try it." I smirked, walking away with my heels clicking on the tiled floor. I'm not a tease, I just love the idea of him dying with the need to touch me and it not being at his beck and call. I'm not his to just take.