5 Overprotective Brothers

Chapter 8

About fifteen minutes later I saw Taylor pull into his driveway. He looked over at our house and saw me. I was soaking wet and shivering but I was to stubborn to go into Mark's house.

Taylor ran across the road then came up to me.

"What are you doing?" He asked sternly.

"I'm locked out and I'm too stubborn to go back to your house because Mark's mad." He sighed then told me to get up. When I wouldn't listen he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I didn't fight him because I was too cold.

He unlocked the door to his house and carried me inside. He carried me into the bathroom then got me a towel to dry off on. He went back downstairs as I tried to stop shivering by drying myself off but it wasn't working.

When Taylor came back Mark was with him. Taylor had clothes in one hand and the collar of Mark's shirt in the other.

"What's your problem?" Mark asked. Taylor glared at him and pointed to me. Mark glanced at me then looked back at Taylor.

"What about her?" Mark asked.

"She was sitting outside in the pouring ran for God knows how long, and I find her shivering and soaking wet. She was locked out of the house and according to her she wasn't in our house because you were mad."

"How is this my fault? She's the one that was too stubborn to come back."

"The only reason I didn't come back was because you looked like dad when he got angry," I yelled. It was silent after that.

"I'm sorry, I'm just gonna go." I pushed past them and went downstairs. I heard Mark calling my name but I ignored it.

"I hope you and my brother work out great," I said to Josie before I slammed the front door shut. Cody's car was back so I ran back across the road.

I repeatedly rang the doorbell until Cody opened the door.

"What do you wa-oh, it's just you. Why are you wet?" Cody said when he opened the door.

"I don't want to talk about. Tell Mark and Taylor I don't want to talk to them right now if they come over here," I said.

"What, wh-?" I gave him a look and, for once, he shut up. He nodded then let me in. I ran up to my room, grabbed some clothes, and took a warm shower.

No one else had come home when I went back downstairs. Cody was watching TV. I went to go sit on another couch but Cody pulled me on his lap. I tried fighting his iron grip but he's too strong.

"What?" I asked. I just wanted to go upstairs and forget about what happened with Mark. I also don't want to talk to anyone.

"What happened with Mark?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, you're not leaving until you tell me." I sighed and told him everything that had happened since supper.

"Mark sounded like dad. It scared me, he never used to talk to me that way," I said. He pulled me closer to him and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Marks been acting up since he's moved here. You got so mad when we would take the phone from you. We only took it because we didn't know how he would react. He was hard on Blake all the time and the rest of us had arguments with him. We talked to Taylor but he didn't know what was going on. You were excited to see Mark but the rest of us were nervous because we didn't know how he would act," Cody said. This is the first time Cody has had a good talk with me. Usually we're arguing or wrestling. It's nice to know that we can act normal around each other.

"Do you think it's because of mom?" I asked quietly. He sighed.

"That's what we think. It became worse when she died." We were silent after that. I heard the front door open but we ignored it.

"This is new," Blake said chuckling. Blake sat on the couch next to us and put his hand on my arm.

"I heard what happened with Mark," Blake said quietly.

"He probably wants to talk to me," I said.

"Yeah, I do," Mark said from the doorway of the kitchen. He sat down on the other couch and stared at me.

"I meant what I said about dad," I said. He sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I know I need to watch my temper better than I am." I nodded, not wanting to talk about it. Again he sighed. After a few minutes of silence he got up, kissed my forehead, and said goodbye.

Blake turned on the TV but that was only because he hates silence. None of us were watching it, we were all too busy thinking.

"I love you Lily," Cody said. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead.

"I love you too," I said back. I was still sitting on Cody's lap. My head was still on his shoulder. I fell asleep, letting all thoughts drift away.

***

I woke up around seven the next morning. I was laying on Cody and Blake was asleep next to me. I guess Alex and Jake decided to join us when they saw us all in the living room. Jake was asleep on the other couch and Alex was asleep on the floor.

I got up quietly and went to my room. I took a quick shower, then started making breakfast. I decided not to make bacon this time because I don't want to hear them argue about it.

"Morning Lily," Cody said. He wiped sleep from his eyes and stretched.

"Morning," I said back. I flicked his nose when I walked by him to make some coffee for Blake.

"Did we all fall asleep in the living room?" He asked.

"Yep." He nodded then sat down on one of the island chairs. I slid him a stack of pancakes then started making my own.

I sat next to him and started eating.

"Do you feel any better?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah. Thanks for last night," I said. He nodded.

"See, I can be caring sometimes," he said. I smiled.

"Yeah, I also like it when you annoy me. But at least I know you have a serious side." He nodded. We ate in silence until I heard a crash in the living room and a groan.

"Dimwit," Alex said in a groggy voice.

"Sorry," Jake mumbled. Jake must've fell off the couch and onto Alex. I placed my plate in the sink then went downstairs. I started playing Call of Duty when Blake came down.

"Morning sis," he said. He had a mug of coffee in his hands.

"Morning Blake." He sat down and started playing the game with me.

All was going well until I heard a scream and all the lights went out.