she's mine.

11

"Are you sure you don't want to go lay down?" Jonny asked for the fifth time tonight. It was almost one in the morning now. "You look like crap." He is so sweet to me. Ugh.

"Thanks," I mutter. "I told you, I want to hear about your trip." He had helped me inside to the kitchen and catered to my Tylenol and water needs, then pestered me about my cut and how he can never leave me alone again. And even though he was acting like a total annoying big brother, I smiled the whole time. I missed him.

"Oh no," he wiggled his index finger at me as he leaned against the counter while he watched down the medicine he gave me. "You aren't getting out of it that easy. Tell me everything," he demanded. "And I mean it. Everything." I laughed softly.

"Where to start," I laughed again at his concerned face and wiggled uncomfortably on the bar stool i'm sitting on.

"How about with that chump you have hanging around outside at all hours of the night," he joked, but I could tell he was still upset. He had a small bruise forming around his eye and a cut around his jawline, but he had already cleaned everything else up. "I don't like him."

"He actually isn't all that bad," I continue to explain to him about Eli and his family. I tell him about how kind Lea and Jake are, I defend Eli (still unsure why I always feel the need to defend him) by telling Jonny he pretty much has to take care of all three of them while going to school. I tell him about the others, too. I still don't know much about Eli's home situation, so I keep his story vague.

I tell him about Kaitlyn bullying Lea, about what Kaitlyn said to her. Then, I give him the run down of the diner, and how I was stitched up, leaving out the part of the fact that Eli had some secret garage where he worked on cars. I was still unsure what he meant by 'his shop'.

Jonny let me run through the week without any interruptions, only giving me a look of respect when I tell him how I defended Lea. He nodded and listens carefully, the only sign of worry was when he'd run his fingers through his almost shoulder length messy hair. The messy hair was a family thing, he and i always seemed to look like we had just walked away from a tornado. I got all the way down to how tomorrow is Lea's birthday and I plan to take her out for the day. Jonny knows he isn't my father, and he doesn't try to be. He kept his position firm on the brotherly level of advising me, but never pushing it.

At least not since our fight a month after my father died. He had dropped some classes and was working to pay the bills so I didn't have to. Things had begun to be stressful as we were always on the lookout for anyone trying to hunt us down while trying to make ends meet. I was only fifteen and both my mother and Jonny refused to let me work. I came home later than usual one night because I had been reading at the library. Reading had always been my escape. When I got home Jonny met me at the door.

He didn't even wait for me to get into the house before he started to rip me apart about being out late, accusing me of sneaking around and lying. There is nothing I hate more than being called a liar. At the time, I didn't know that he had just been in fear of my safety. My mother told me later about how someone had left a note on his car threatening my life. Neither she nor Jonny would tell me what it said, but I knew it was serious if it scared Jonny.

"You are lying! I know it. You stupid, stupid child! Don't you think about anyone besides yourself!? We have rules in this house now! And you are going to start following them whether you like it or not," He yelled as he paced the living room. "Come straight home after school, don't you dare talk to anyone about what we are going through, and-" I'll never know what the last rule was because I snapped.

"You are NOT my father, so stop acting like it!" tears rushed down my cheeks as I threw my father's death in his face. "Dad died okay!? I get it! But that doesn't give you any right to act like you can replace him! He will never be replaced. Never." I watched as Jonny shattered like glass in front of me. "No one will fill his shoes, not you or anyone else!" I pushed on. Apparently when you are fifteen and lose a father you don't care about anyone's pain but your own. To this day I still feel the ache in my chest as I regret every last word.

"Rai," his voice was hardly a whisper. He didn't push back like I had expected, and that made it all the worse. I was awful to put him through that, but it seemed to help us come to an understanding now. He never pushed it again.

As he stood before me now, watching me thoughtfully as he thought over his response, I again, felt a guilty pang knowing he was remembering that night.

"So," he said slowly. "You are going to this party tomorrow?" I could tell by the sound of it he didn't approve.

"Yes," I said even slower than he. I watched him process it. Then, as if deciding as he always does, that he wanted to be the best big brother possible, he continued.

"Okay," he smiled. "I still don't like that Edward guy though." I knew he's purposely forgetting his name.

"His name is Eli!!" We both laugh.

"Whatever," he smiled. "But seriously," he looked at me with knowing eyes. "Be careful. I don't wanna have to knock that kid out because just you couldn't keep your heart under lock and key," he glared at me and I laughed hoping he didnt have to either.

I laid my head in my hand and closed my eyes. "So," I mumbled. "Tell me about your trip."

I heard him laugh softly as he pulled me up off the chair, "it was great, everyone loved me. I won them all over with my good looks and wit." I mumbled some mmhmm's as he pulled me up the stairs. "I fought off a lion," more mmhms. "I even met a girl."

"What!?" my eyes opened to slits.

"Seriously!? Of all that? That is the most shocking?" he shook his head pulling me into my room. "You have got to be kidding me." He said under his breathe. He walked me to my bed and I fell into it.

"You know it's true," I said as I curled into a ball.

"Ugh. Go to sleep!" He threw a pillow in my face and I laughed to myself as I drifted off.

I had just walked out of the building we had all been in, but for some reason I walked out alone. I walked straight into a dark alley. I knew there was someone at the end of it, I could make out a figure, but I couldn't actually see them. There was a chill that trickled down my spine as I tried to unsee- or unfeel his presence really.

I moved toward the street, I knew what he wanted. I knew I had to get out of here, but as I moved he moved. I felt him behind me. I tried to stay calm, but my breathe was already becoming more rapid. It took everything in me not to scream or run, but I knew if I did that would only make him angry. I felt his presence almost on top of me when I was only feet away from the light of the street lamp. As his long hand neared my arm-

"Rai! Rai!" I sat up thrashing and panting. I felt sweat dripping down my hairline. "Rai," Jonny said. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, his arms on my shoulders, looking at me with concern in his eyes. "It's okay, it's just a dream. It's just a dream." My shoulders dropped as I let out a heavy breathe, trying to calm my breathing. He wiped the sweat from my head, pushing my hair back roughly. "I was hoping those had stopped." He said quietly.

"They did, don't worry," I lied. They never stopped, he just wasn't home for most of them. "I'm sorry I woke you," I added.

"You didn't wake me."

I fell back on my bed. I was even more tired than before. "Do you want me to stay? Will you have more tonight?" he asked about my night terrors.

"No, usually it's one and done." This was partly true. It would depend on the night, but I thought I was finally so exhausted that this would be it. I rolled over to look at my phone. It was four in the morning. Tomorrow- or today now, would be long. I was so exhausted I wasn't sure how I was going to make this work. I quickly flipped open my phone to set an alarm. Jonny watched.

"What time do you have to pick up that girl?"

"At eleven," i'm not sure why he cares, but i'm too tired to question it.

"Don't set an alarm. You always set it for too early, I'll wake you up at 9:30."

I laughed at how well my brother knew me. I was scrolling up to set it for 6:30 or 7 and i'm still not sure why.

"Alright, but don't forget," I mumbled as I rolled over and closed my eyes. I hope this time the nightmares stay away.