You Better Bring an Umbrella, Vol. 2

Chapter 10: The Beauty Among the Chaos

I'm only putting one chapter out today, but it's a MAJOR one, so I hope it'll suffice :) I publish chapters based on how well I think the flow of the story will go, and I think this chapter works best published on its own.

Also, there's some suggestiveness at the end of the chapter, just as a heads up. Idk how old y'all are, so I just wanted to put that out there.

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The foul, bitter stench of sweat shoved itself into my nostrils as Five, Vanya, and I entered the barn, greeted immediately with jeers and cries of praise. I kept close to my sister, but I couldn't draw my eyes away from the lumbering figures in the center of the ring. I'd never been the sort of person to enjoy fights— a fact completely ironic, and I was aware of that—but there was something compelling about this one in particular. Luther, one of the two fighters, almost looked as though he was pulling his punches in a few places, like he was letting the other man win.

Five tugged on my arm and pointed toward the rippling crowd, waiting for me to go through before he shut the door behind him. The three of us had to crouch down in order to get close enough, and we were pressed right up against the bars. Sweat splattered down on our heads in perfect time with the shouts and jumps of the overwhelmingly male spectators. Drinks spilled out from bottles and onto the floor, the droplets getting soaked up by hay not but a few seconds later. The screams felt as though they were pressing down on my head, forcing themselves into my ears and threatening to make my head explode.

None of that mattered, though. Another one of my brothers was right within arm's reach—something I didn't realize I needed until this moment. Luther and I hadn't exactly left things on the best terms, so I hoped he'd be willing to acknowledge what happened and move on. Just because we often fought didn't mean I didn't love him, just like the rest of my family. I wondered, sometimes, if Luther thought I genuinely hated him, and that's why he tended to avoid me. I wasn't an idiot, I had noticed.

Being separated from everyone again, unsure if they were in Dallas, or alive, brought down an internal barrier I'd clung to for so long. I'd despised Luther in our youth, and I certainly wasn't shy about demonstrating it, even when we all got back together as adults. Our mindsets and approaches to problems just never lined up, and there definitely was some of that familial stubbornness thrown in there. I still didn't agree with some of the things he'd done, or the decisions he made, but for God's sake, he was my brother. When push came to shove, I'd drop everything if he needed me.

Right now, I hoped that went both ways. Otherwise, it'd take a lot more convincing to get him back with us. He'd already told Five he didn't give a shit, but maybe Vanya or I would be able to get through to him.

The feel of the fight shifted suddenly after Luther delivered a brutal blow, knocking his opponent back. He almost gave off the illusion this thing was about to be over, when all of a sudden, he stopped dead in his tracks and began to sway slightly, as though his mind had suddenly left him. That gave his opponent enough time to recover, and when he swung his fist out and landed a hit on Luther, the latter just stood there, allowing the beating to happen. I hissed through my teeth, my shoulders tensing, but it was like a car crash—I felt so compelled to watch this whole thing go up in flames.

"Look, he's pummeling him," Vanya observed, bringing Five's attention to the fact Luther wasn't making an effort to fight.

The boos around us overlapped any cheers that may have come out of mouths. Luther's opponent grabbed onto his head and dragged him down before throwing him against the wall we were leaning on, causing me to flinch and move back slightly.