she's mine.

92

Jonny's POV

"What just happened!?" Eli growled at me. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.

"She had a panic attack," I told him. It wasn't the first. Flash backs to her not being able to breathe as the pain of my father's death took everything from her.

"What do you mean? Why? Did something happen? If Lea said something again-"

"No one said anything.. I'm not sure what triggered it," I sighed as I looked out the window in the kitchen watching the sunset. She had been in bed, sleeping since we got back, or at least she said she was going to sleep. I don't know with her. "Probably doesn't help that she hasn't eaten or slept in however many days." Eli grumbled through the other side of the phone.

"Well what's she doing now?"

"She's sleeping," I tried to be patient with the kid who was in love with my sister, but my patient was going to wear thinner than imaginable with everything going on.

"Well can I come over? Bring food?" I knew it was out of the norm for Eli to ask permission, but that's what love does to you.

"I don't think that's a good idea man," I told him. "She needs to rest, and you do too."

"I need to see her! That's what I need!"

I nodded even though he couldn't see me, and paused before responding. "Maybe another day. You should be with your brother.. and Lea," I added her name in there with the image of her green eyes flooding with water as I told her her brother was shot. "Get them some food, I don't want any more panic attacks today."

"Don't tell me what to do! And stay the heck away from my sister!" He snapped before the phone went blank.

I stared down at my phone before it went black. I sighed again and turned to lean against the counter.

"Are you okay?" My mother's voice was soft as she entered the kitchen. She was still in her sweats and baggy shirt. She had done some cleaning, but other than that she had been in and out of her room. I could tell with the flush in her cheeks and the puffiness under her eyes that she had been crying. I looked away.

"Yeah, I am," I told her.

I could feel her watching me carefully.

"You don't have to be you know? You don't always have to be okay," she said in a soft tone. I knew she meant well, but I couldn't help the bitterness in me at her words. Somebody had to be.

I pushed the thoughts away knowing they were wrong.

"I know," was all I said before I grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

"Rai told me what happened," she said. I nodded. I figured she had when they talked out in the car. I hoped she hadn't, but I knew Rai needed to talk.

"You knew?" She asked, and again I avoided the blue eyes that resembled my own. "You knew that boy was apart of it?" She wasn't accusing me, her tone was merely curious.

I nodded.

"Why did he do it? Why are you willing to help him now?" These were good questions rolling off my mother's tongue. I felt relieved for someone to finally ask me. Maybe she would understand?

I leaned against the counter again and took a breathe.

"There's this guy, Rock, who was the one hired to take dad out," I ignored her face as she looked away in pain at my words. She needed to hear- to understand, and for her to get it she needed the whole picture. "He needed some cash to get his chop shop started. He was a nobody, just some guy desperate enough to do anything to satisfy his craving for power.