Surrender

Two

I force myself to tear my gaze away from Nick’s hated glare to the man who gestured me here. He looks back at me and smiles weakly and reaches for the door handle.

“Do you want to go in?” He asks. I could pick out the cautiousness behind his tone that he was trying to hide, but I chose to completely ignore it. Nick is my brother, not a murderer.

“Yeah, if that’s okay,” I reply a little quieter than I had wanted to. He frowned sympathetically but let it slide and pushed the door open for me.

Walking in, Nick still kept his glare on my every move as I reached to the metal chair slowly and sat down. I glanced behind me to see the officer close the door. I began feeling nauseous and my palms became clammy. Don’t be ridiculous Kels, he’s your brother!

Taking a deep breath, I took the courage to look directly into Nick’s scolding gaze which forced bumps to creep up the no longer smooth skin on my legs. Why am I so suddenly terrified of my brother? I felt ridiculous, just like my inner voice said.

“What are you doing here Kelsey?” I jumped at his sudden vulgar anger in his tone. This wasn’t like Nick, not the Nick I know.

“Nick, the question is what are you doing here?” I wasn’t going to bite back at him, but the words did come out a little harsher than suspected, even though I choked.

“None of your fucking business; go home Kelsey.” He growled, and my eyes widened instantly. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“And neither should you Nick! You’re better than that!” I spat back.

“Shut up! You don’t know shit about what happened so don’t stand there and say ‘you’re better than that’” I kept my mouth shut; I couldn’t force myself to talk no matter how hard I tried.  “Damn it Kelsey. Just leave!”

“No,” I swallowed back the tears of anger that were forcing out of the corners of my eyes, I hate how that happens to me, “not until you tell me why you’re here. I – I want you to say it.” He seemed to have been more aggravated by my words.

“Kelsey you can’t be here.” He tells me, quietly, but equally harsh.

“You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Nick.” I said quietly. “What happened to you?” My eyes softened and I reached for his hand. He yanked it out of my reach and looked away, but I wasn’t giving up. I had to know what happened to my brother.

“You have to go Kelsey; it’s for your own good.” He said more calmly.

“But why… why is it for ‘my own good’?”  Nick raised his head to look at me, his jaw clenched and his knuckles turned white under the bloody scabs. I winced at the sight of them, and the thought of them spreading open by the amount of tension he’s putting on them.

“You don’t need to be involved.” I felt slightly taken aback. Nick and I had always been there for each other. Since I could remember Nick was more like the father I never exactly had, he’d look after me, tell me everything… he was different to this person sitting in front of me with a busted lip and bruising. He sighed and rubbed his face over with both of his hands. “I’m doing this because I love you and Logan.”

“How is brutally bashing some random guy showing that you love us?”

“He wasn’t some random guy, Kels. He deserved what hit him – no pun intended.” He laughed at himself, but in contrast I showed no emotion. I don’t even know who I am talking to anymore.

“This isn’t funny. Nick, what’s gotten into you? This –” I gestured my hand up and down in front of me, “this isn’t you.” A tear slipped down my cheek from all the frustration I was mentally experiencing while attempting to act like the bigger person in front of Nick. I just wanted to get out of here. I want to go home, go to sleep and wake up and none of this would have ever happened.

Nick stayed quiet. I wasn’t going to save him by yelling at him anymore, I wanted this answer. I looked up at him to see if he was preparing to say anything at all, but all that was in front of me were the eyes of pain and pity. And that was enough to answer my question.

“Okay,” I said as I stood up. I gracefully pushed the chair back under the table and walked out the door, only to bump into a towering figure with a sleeve of tattoos that were probably meaningful to the person. I looked up to see a pair of green eyes glaring down at me with annoyance.

“Nick, who is this?” He snarled thickly still keeping eye contact at me. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted.

“No one. Kelsey, leave.” Nick muttered. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding in and faked a smile at the figure in front of me.

“Excuse me,” I said as I took another step to stride out the door, but I was halted by his bare arm that gripped the other side of the door frame. I instantly considered ducking under it and running for my life, but I stayed put and pulled my lips inward.

“Kelsey is it?” I nodded, not bothering to look back up to his face. “It’s rude to not look at people when they talk to you.”

“Sorry.” He genuinely smiled, which made me uncomfortable. Not that I wasn’t already uncomfortable as it could possibly get.

“Why the fuck is she here Nick? Who is she?” he snapped. I felt like yelling that I was right here in the room and that he should stop talking about me in third person, but I decide strongly against it.

“She’s my sister, Harry.” Nick gripped at the table. I could tell that there was something going on between the two that was not my business to know. Harry glanced at me and back to Nick.

“Why is she here?”

“I don’t know. But she has to go home. Kelsey…” Nick’s eyes pleaded for me to go as Harry walked further into the small room.

I nodded and left the room as quickly as I could. My feet startled as I spotted a whole group of five with tattoos and piercings like Harry and Nick. Each one of them looked up at me in confusion, only one, who looked the like the ‘alpha’ of the group, appeared shocked, as if I were a ghost. He was bigger than the others, and looked older by the defined jaw line and lightly shaven face. He didn’t own any piercings, but he had one tattoo visible under his forearm that appeared to be a meaningful quote.

“Kelsey?” he said. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat, how did he know who I was? I stood up from his seat and strode closer towards me; I reluctantly took a step backwards, frightened by his over towering height.

“Do I know you?” My cheeks burnt to crimson after realizing how rude I may have sounded. He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a door swinging open behind me. I turned to see Harry giving the guy that approached me a warning glare as if he were a telepath of some sort.

“Kelsey, you should go.” He growled.

“I’m leaving,” I said as I took a couple of steps forward, turning back around on my heel with a questioning look in my eyes, “Why is everyone so eager on me leaving?”

“Nick doesn’t want you to know about this. Yet alone get involved.”

“Involved in what?” I practically yelled. I was tired of this secret that they were all probably behind. I’ve never met or seen these guys before tonight; Nick has never mentioned any of them before.

“It’s not our business to tell.” Harry says.

“He’s my brother. I deserve to know!”

“Do as you’re told and fuck off!” My eyes widen at his sudden outburst at me, who the hell does he think he is to even speak to me like that? To be honest, I had no energy to send the fire back at him, so with that I simply flipped him off and stormed out of the room.

“Real mature, Kelsey” He calls out after me. I just shake my head, and exit the building. I don’t know what Nick has got himself into, but I am definitely not going to stand for it.