Past Transgressions - Mature 18+

Chapter 6

After the Detective left despite being exhausted, Brace was still too keyed up to sleep. She paced back and forth in front of the sofa, moving from window to window just looking out.

"I'm going to make some tea, I think mom still has some chamomile or some of her other fancy tea to help with sleeping " she said "anyone else want some?"

"None for me" said Lex "I'm going to do some damage to what is left of that bottle of whiskey instead."

"Well I'll come help you, did you want me to get the milk or honey out?" Topaz said "Jake did you want some tea?"

"Naw, I'm going to help Lex out with that bottle." was his reply

Brace leaned against the counter after getting the mugs and tea down waiting for the water to boil. Topaz added the milk and honey to the group as they waited for the water to boil to add to the tea leaves.

"Brace," Topaz started "I'm sorry for everything that happened to you! I wish I had known what was going on, that I could have helped you."

"It is really fine, no one knew outside of the family and that is how I wanted it. I don't want to be a victim, I don't want to be seen as a victim"

"What upset you so much to make you run in the first place?" Topaz asked.

"What?"

"When I saw you before you disappeared you were so happy. You were bubbly with excitement you were even humming under your breath if I remember correctly. Yet less than 8 hours later you had done a complete 180 degrees and in less than 48 hours later you were gone."

"You didn't even say good-bye" Topaz said looking hurt.

Brace moved in an hugged Topaz "I am so sorry sweetie, I really am."

"You know Brace I don't think I know why you left for the city so fast either, I don't think it was ever brought up."

Brace's head snapped up as the guys came back into the kitchen realizing that their entire conversation had been overhead. She quickly looked away not making eye contact with any of them.

"I honestly can't remember, it was so long ago. I was young, still really a kid. I am sure it was something foolish."

"I'm going to go grab the spare bedding for the beds while I wait for the tea" Brace said as she headed down the hall to the linen room, "Topaz, we can borrow some of Jake's shirts to use as jammies for tonight."

Brace made up her old bed, she hadn't needed to take the bedding from home because the bed in the dorm was smaller than her queen bed here at her parents. She couldn't resist lightly stroking the quilt on her bed, the one her grandmother made for her birthday when she was 3. Sleeping under it brought back so many feelings of comfort and love and safety, and right now she really needed that feeling of safety. She then remade her brother's bed with clean sheets, not sure if it needed it or not but she wasn't going to take any chances with her best friend sleeping in a skeezy bed, unknowing of how many girls he had had in it.

She picked up a few things off floor and dropped them into hamper. Grabbing a couple of t-shirts from his dresser drawer she threw one on his bed for Topaz to use and took the other back into her room. Glancing around her room she almost felt like she was in a time warp, her parents hadn't changed anything since she left.

Topaz came up behind her, handing her over a cup of tea. Brace accepted it gratefully, sipping it and throwing a smile at Topaz. Topaz sipped her own cup and looked around the room, her eyes touching on familiar objects from their childhood and teen years.