Bombshells ~ Complete

Chapter Twenty-Three: Library Talks Part One

"Now, listen, it's only for three weeks. If you need anything, call." Lila told me with a bright smile. She and my father were headed to Lila's private island in the Bahamas, and they were taking her private plane.

I often wondered if the Steels ever actually ran out of money.

Then I wondered if that meant I had limitless money. If that was the case, I needed some more books. Lila was more concerned about me needing anything than the boys. Probably because she knew I would never ask for anything that wasn't necessary to live.

"I know, I know. I just want you two to have some fun and be happy. But don't have too much fun." I laughed, trying to fake real joy. It was easier than it sounded. Lila was fooled, pet my hair, kissed my cheek, and then ran to the car where my father was waiting. She looked so happy.

I closed the door behind her and sighed. Three weeks without a beating. Three weeks without worrying about death. Three weeks of peace. And in a week was Winter Break, so I would have two weeks off of school to lounge around and do a whole lot of nothing. I was so looking forward to it.

The one thing I was not looking forward to was having to avoid Xavier anymore.

Kas and I had avoided him like the Plague, trying not to face any questions that would lead to unpleasant answers no one wanted to talk about. And then the question of 'How did Ariel know the right thing to say in that situation since she's never been in that situation before?' question would arise. And that was not a question I wanted to answer.

Not in this century, at least.

I sprinted to the library, where I had camped out for the last few nights. I curled up in my bed of blankets and pillows, pulling out a book I had set in my To Read pile over a month ago. My To Read pile was so much larger than my Already Read pile, and it was slightly depressing.

Why I was sleeping in the library? Well, ever since the wedding, memories of my mom's death had started coming back to me more and more. I felt safe around books and around my brothers. That being said, I wasn't really one for sleeping with another person, so I chose books. I got some odd looks the first morning of being found asleep with only a blanket wrapped around my legs, but other than that no questions were asked.

The boys simply made sure I had plenty of blankets and more pillows than I could ever need. But there was no such thing as too many pillows, so I gladly took what they offered.

I was just starting the second chapter, and intense fight scene had just taken place and my heart was pounding, when the door burst open. In walked Xavier. A frighteningly angry look was written on his face. And this time there was no doubt who it was pointed at. It was pointed at me.

Ah, shit.

"Call Kas now. I want answers. And you're not leaving this room till I get them." He said harshly. I couldn't help but flinch at his tone of voice. He noticed, but thankfully didn't say anything. At that point, I wasn't sure he cared.

I picked up my phone, dialed her number, and waited. She finally picked up, out of breath and pained sounding.

"What's up?" She asked. I hesitated, bit my lip, and answered.

"Xavier wants to talk. You good to come over now?" I asked. Kas and I, the day after the wedding, decided it would be best to come up with more coded ways to talk about the abuse so that no one else found out. I also told her about Jaydon, and she was surprised he knew this whole time and didn't say anything.

Anyways, I had kind of asked her if she was in the middle or ending stages of getting a beating. She took too long to answer. I knew what she was going to say.

"I'm gonna let my father," She spat the word like it was poison. "Finish kicking the crap out of me, then I'm there. Still in the library?" She asked. I nodded, forgetting she couldn't see me.

"Yep. See ya in a half hour or so." I told her. She hummed, groaned, and then hung up. I put my phone away and pulled out my book. Xavier took my book away from me, making me jump up and grab it back. He looked shocked.

"I don't think I've ever seen you move so fast." He said with a slight smile. I guessed he was somewhat sorry for being so harsh earlier. I also guessed that he was justifying how harsh he was to himself.

"Don't touch my books." I mumbled, still not quite ready to forgive him for being so cold. He wasn't being unreasonably harsh but that didn't mean that he had the right to speak to me like that. Even though the boys cared about me, they still didn't realize what they did and said affected me greatly. But, then again, how were they supposed to know that every harsh tone had me flinching because the last time I heard it, I was getting kicked in the gut?

Exactly my point. They didn't know. And I wasn't fixing to tell any of them.

A good hour or so later, Kas walked into the library. She had a fake smile planted on her lips, hastily put on makeup, sweats, a sweatshirt, and her hair unbrushed and down. She looked like crap.

Not that I could say anything. I looked like crap and I hadn't just gone through a beating.

Gabriel walked into the room after Kas, who looked at both boys like they were the spawn of Satan. I understood her point of view. I would be angry at them, too. They should have kept their noses out of it.

"Start explaining. Now." Gabriel said, sitting on a chair next to Xavier. Kas sat next to me on my makeshift bed. She grunted softly at the pain. I analyzed how she was moving, what she was avoiding touching. She had either gotten stabbed in the left side, or severely kicked. Maybe even a couple broken ribs.

"What do you want me to say?" Kas asked. Xavier slammed his hand down on the table. Both Kas and I flinched away from the echoing sound. Gabriel touched Xavier's shoulder, warning him to calm down.

"I just want the truth." Xavier said, calmer than before but still angry. I huffed out a breath, before looking at Kas. She nodded.

She was actually going to tell them the truth?

She was actually going to tell them the truth!

Maybe she could find a way out, and then I could join her.

"Alright. But there are some rules." Kas stated calmly. I didn't know how she was acting so calm. I was freaking out and I wasn't telling my abuse story. She was, and it was to two guys who had anger problems and she didn't know all that well.

"Okay." Gabriel said warily.

"Rule one, none of this goes out of this room. Ari already knows all of this, but has kept it to herself. Which is why I'm still alive. Rule two, no trying to step in and save me. Rule three, no getting mad at Ari for keeping this to herself. She has enough to worry about without having you two furious with her." Kas said.

Both boys looked at each other curiously, before nodding. They turned to Kas expectantly.

"It all started the night my little brother was found dead. My uncle had killed him."