The Rise-Book II

Chapter 18: Layers and Letters

"Ethan?" I asked as I trotted down the stairs, the wood that would be cold under my toes but lucky for me I stole some of Ethan's socks along the way; which drove him crazy, part of the reason why I loved doing it.

He met me at the stairs with tired eyes and nodded to the front living room. "Jake's here."

"I need more coffee," I sighed.

"Are those my socks?" I bit back a smile as I walked to the coffee pot. Suddenly he was behind me, pulling me to the chest and nipping at my shoulder. "Baby, are those my socks?"

"They're comfier than mine," I whined.

He let out a tired breath against my shoulder before kissing it."Is Evan awake?"

I shook my head. "No, should we wake him."

"Ya, I'll do it," he grumbled before trotting past me up the stairs.

"Jake?" I called out. "You can come in here, Aaron's gone."

Aaron.

I had a sick feeling that he was experiencing his own kind of hell. A hell I knew well. A hell I wanted to cleanse this pack of. A hell that I could see haunting his eyes when he looked at me. Oh, I knew that hell well.

Jake walked in with eyes red and a beast that was pacing furiously in his mind. "Jake?"

He looked at me with wide eyes like he had seen a ghost. "Can I have some coffee?"

I gave him a soft smile and nodded while Evan trudged down the stairs with Lyanna and Ethan. "Are you ok?"

He let out a shaky breath and shook his head. "No, I don't know. It's all screwed up Char."

"Ok, it's ok," I replied back. I quickly poured him a cup of steamy brown liquid while Evan walked up to grab a cup of his own. "Cream or sugar?"

"Just cream," he replied, his voice far off as he slid onto a bar stool

Evan kissed my cheek. "Morning little sister."

"Morning Ev, you sleep alright?"

"Would have been better if you two could have kept it the hell down," he muttered.

My cheeks blushed while Ethan growled lowly to him. Sighing, I walked over the Ethan and slid up on a barstool. Lyanna came over and rubbed her cheek against mine before fetching some coffee for herself; she seemed calmer this morning, but still edgy.

We were all edgy these days.

"Alright Jake, let's hear it," Ethan said while I slid Jake his coffee.

He took a big sip then let out a shaky breath and looked back at us with eyes that kinda reminded me of Evan's when he caught Evangeline and Liam on his green couch.

"I slept with her–"

"What?!"

"You did what?"!

"Are you serious bro!?"

"No! God, let me finish!" Jake rushed out while we all watched him, horrified expressions painted our faces. "I like slept next to her, we didn't do it you, idiots!" Jake let out a hot breath and took another long sip of his coffee while Evan sat back on a stool and pulled Lyanna to him.

"Alright, just tell us, man. I mean, what the hell?" Evan said, his voice tired and irritated.

Jake nodded while Elliot trotted to us. He winked at me and moved to the coffee pot while Jake took a big gulp, like he was drinking liquid courage, before he flickered his eyes to Ethan.