Running Towards the Light

Chapter 41 - Bloodline

My hands turned sweaty as I eagerly anticipated Chris dropping of the 'big family secret.' I still wasn't sure what that was, or if it'll be bigger than expected or less but I was nervous.

When Chris said we'd talk as a family that was our cue to move to the living room where all of our family meetings were officially held. It was actually quite often we had these but sometimes it was just something small like clearing up schedules and sometimes it was big like today. They are things we could probably talk about at the dinner table, but Chris likes calling an official family meeting as we have a lot of teenage boys in the house and therefore, anything that involves food is crazy and very difficult to get people to stay focused and not fight.

As the best spot on the couch was the corner spot and both West and I always fought about that ... today it was only reasonable that that is where we ended up. West being more to the left and me being more to the right. Ben sat down right next to me with Spencer flanking West's left. Sam sat on the sofa arm — something Chris always told us not to do but ignored today — to the left of Sam. Cam was more separated from the rest of us, standing just past Sam in the walkway with his arms crossed and his brows furrowed. Sitting on the fireplace directly in front of the couch was Chris with Dylan to his left in the fancy armchair we have but never use. However, Dyl wasn't really sitting in it as every second he would sit, stand, pace, sit, stand, all while continuing to run his hands non-stop along his hair. It was clear he was nervous.

Chris exhaled, rubbing his hands together before resting them on the knees of his jeans. He sat forward, elbows braced on his thighs, his fingers interlacing tightly like they were the only things holding him together. His interwoven fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against his leg, showcasing his fear. No one spoke, but the silence in the room was heavy, thick with expectation.

He looked at me for a second — just a second — before shifting his gaze to the rest of our brothers.

Chris cleared his throat. "Alright," he started, but then stopped, shaking his head slightly before running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I— I don't really know where to start." He admitted, his voice quiet but carrying enough weight to make the room feel even smaller than it already was.

"That's a first," West muttered, his arms resting against the couch as he leaned back. His tone was light, but his eyes weren't. They were sharp, studying Chris like he was trying to read the answer before it was spoken.

I sucked in a sharp breath, forcing myself to release some of the tension in my body and laying back. It's a hard thing to see our elder brother, the one who is always calm and always in control. It's hard to see him at a loss for words. Chris has something for every situation. Somehow he knows exactly how you're feeling and knows just the thing to make it better. I won't speak for my brothers, but their body language tells me they're feeling the same as me — confused on how our eldest brother doesn't have the answer this time.

Chris shot him a look but didn't take the bait. Instead, he glanced at me. His gaze softened, but it didn't make me feel any less like my chest was about to cave in.

"Yesterday," he began again, steadier this time, "Beatrice followed Dylan down to Newark."

That was enough to set off a ripple of reactions.

Cam's arms tightened across his chest, his brows knitting closer together. His weight shifted slightly, his jaw tensing. Spencer, next to West, straightened up a little, exchanging a glance with Sam, who finally stopped picking at a loose thread on his sleeve.

Sam let out a low whistle from his spot on the armrest. Spencer's brows shot up, and he turned slightly toward me, instead of his twin, like he needed confirmation. Ben, beside me, stiffened just slightly, but I felt his arm shift against my back, as if debating whether or not to hold me in place.