Cole's POV:
Just as I'm setting dinner down in the table, Jaxon and Lijah look up from their phones and stare the the entryway. I look over and notice Tessa. She looks nervous; Hesitant to come over.
Jaxon speaks up, "Tessa you can sit between me and Leo".
I watch her cross the kitchen towards the table. She's limping. Favoring her left side but both sides look equally in pain. She sits in the chair slowly and winces. Something is not right. I can see she is in visible pain. I'll wait till after dinner to confront Leo and her about it.
Leo comes down and we all take a seat at the table. We pass the food around that I made. I made chicken Alfredo. Leo scoops a heaping amount onto Tessa's plate. Her eyes go wide. She looks shocked.
The boys start being rowdy and talking about school and sports and stuffing their faces. Leo sits quietly taking it all in.
After about five minutes I notice Tessa hasn't touched her food. She's just staring at it. Leo notices it too and speaks up.
Leo's POV:
"Tessa, why aren't you eating?"
Tessa looks up from her plate but keeps her eyes cast downwards. She goes to open her mouth as if she wants to say something but quickly closes it.
"Tessa, what is it you'd like to say bambina".
Tessa took a sip of water and spoke for the first time she's been here.
"...I'm allowed to eat this".
She stated as a question rather then a statement
My eyes are about to bulge out of their sockets. Why the hell would my sweet sister be asking permission to eat. Of course she can.
"Yes, Tessa. You may eat. Please enjoy it!"
Between the limping, light bruising on her check and now this, I know something happened to her.
"Tessa, I want you to feel comfortable here. This is your home now. We are your brothers and we will do our very best to take care of you and help you with whatever you need. With that, there are some rules I need to go over with you".
Tessa's POV:
RULES! Oh no. Not more rules. I finally memorized my other rules and now I'm going to have more. I did what I do best and nodded my head in understanding.
Rules means punishments. I don't think I can handle a punishment right now or anytime soon. I'm still in so much pain from yesterday's.
Leo starts speaking again.
"The rules are simple Tessa.
1) work hard in school, I expect only A's and B's.
2) curfew on the weeknights is 8pm and on weekends it is 10pm with exceptions when given permission to be out later.
3) dress modest and appropriately please.
4) respect all of tour brothers and listen to us, please do something if we ask you to do it. There's always a reason for it.
5) no lying
6) please give us verbal responses so we know that you understand what we are saying when we say it to you.
And last but not least, last rule. Please no boyfriends for the time being Tessa. Do you understand these rules bambina?"
I went to nod my head when I remembered rule #6.
"Yes, sir"
We all finished eating. Cole started washing the plates from dinner. I got up to help him. Leo went to his office to finish some paperwork while Jaxon and Lijah day at the table on their phones.
CRASH!
Next thing I know there a shattered plate on the kitchen floor. It slipped out of my hands as Cole was handing it to me to dry.
My stomach dropped. I broke something of theirs
I start to panic. I get on the floor and start picking up the broken pieces of glass. I'm shaking and tears are pooling up in my eyes.
"I'm s-s-so s-sorry. I'm so s-sorry" I keep stuttering.
I accidentally slice my right hand open on the glass and try to hide it so I don't get blood everywhere.
Cole rushes to me and pulls me away from the mess. He's trying to say something but I can't focus. I'm in trouble. I'm going to be punished.
I panicked. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could upstairs to my room. As I make it to my room I feel wetness one my back. I opened up one of the wounds. My hands also bleeding.
But I can't worry about that I broke something that wasn't mine. I made a mess. I spoke without permission I going to be punished. I went next to my bed and kneeled by it waiting for them to come up and punish me.
Les then a few minutes had passed when a soft knock came from my door...
Cole and Leo entered my bedroom and they didn't look happy when they saw me...
YOU ARE READING
What They Don't Know
General Fiction⚠️TRIGGER WARNING: contains abuse, rape, self harm: almost EVERY CHAPTER ⚠️ I will post a trigger warning symbol in each chapter that has it. Tessa has been abused for the past two years by the hands of her stepfather. When he disappears and is a w...
