Stronger with You (With You Trilogy) (14 page)

I stepped into the shower, nodding my head. He waited for me to shut the screen before leaving me alone in the bathroom. He left the door open as usual so that he could hear me from the kitchen if I called out.

When I was done, I turned off the water and waited in the shower for Ian to come. I shivered a little without the water to keep me warm but I wasn’t sure how long I’d been in the shower and I didn’t want to be in there longer than Ian had given me.

“You cold, Jelly?” Ian asked as he came into the bathroom, still smiling and holding his mug of coffee.

I kept my arms wrapped around me and nodded, my jaw clamped shut to stop my teeth from chattering.

“Daft git,” he chuckled, motioning for me to come out of the shower. He put his coffee on the side and wrapped me in a big fluffy towel. Using another, smaller towel, he dried my hair as best he could and then left it hanging over my hair. He gave me a hug and I gladly accepted.
Ian-hugs are the best because I know I’m safe
. The added bonus of his body heat was nice too. He let me go and helped me brush my teeth, making sure I brushed for the compulsory two minutes

“Let’s get you dressed,” he said gently, taking my hand and walking me back up to my room. He searched through my drawers and picked out some clothes, which he put onto my bed.

I looked them over: jogging bottoms and one of Jake’s old t-shirts. That meant I probably wasn’t going out anywhere today. I pulled my clothes on quickly and put my damp hair up in a ponytail, smiling when Ian nodded in approval. He helped me make my bed before taking me back down to the kitchen to refill his coffee.

The rest of my brothers soon began filtering into the kitchen and Matt had set up breakfast on the island. Ian lifted me up onto the stool and poured me a bowl of bran flakes and a glass of juice.

“Thank you,” I smiled up at him and he ruffled my hair.

“You’re welcome. Don’t make a mess.”

I watched Jake getting his own cereal, keeping an eye on him because he’d been mean to me all weekend. He made to climb up onto the stool next to me but Ian spoke up.

“Not there, Jacob. You’re not sitting next to Jelly,” he said, motioning to the third stool at the other end of the island.

Jake didn’t answer but he looked a little annoyed, which made me think he had been intending to do something mean, probably spit in my cereal or something. I glanced up at Ian, grateful for his forethought.

Matt stood with Ian and Craig on the other side of the island whilst the twins took the stools either side of Jake and me.

“I want the garage done first,” Ian instructed us. “The bathrooms all want doing as well. One of you needs to dissemble, clean, and reassemble the pipes under the sink in the big bathroom.”

“Okay,” Matt nodded. “We’ll get it done.”

With Ian off to work, Matt went into bossy mode. He had me help Craig with the dishwasher and ordered the twins upstairs to start on the plumbing.

After we were done, Craig was told to go and start cleaning the bathrooms and Matt took Jake and me into the garage. Ian kept his pride and joy in there: an old car that he’d been restoring for years. It was Daddy’s first, they used to work on it together.

The garage was a double that my Daddy built when I was a baby. I sat quietly on the concrete floor by the door with Jake while Matt paced around and decided what needed doing. I admired the handprints that had been left in the concrete all those years ago.

Before the concrete had set, everyone in the family had made a handprint. Daddy’s was biggest on the far left side. Ian’s thirteen-year-old handprint had been immortalised next to it. Everyone had used their right hands except the twins. They’d made a matching pair of handprints, one left and one right. Our initials were under each handprint. My handprint was tiny. I traced it with my fingers, marvelling at the way people could change size so vastly.

It was strange to see handprints from my brothers that weren’t much bigger than my hand was. In my head, they were big, they’d always been big. I wondered if I was little in their heads.
Will I always be little to them, just like they’ll always be big to me?

We spent the rest of the morning giving the garage a thorough clean. I ignored Jake every time he dropped more rubbish on the floor or kicked my dirt pile so that I had to start again. I didn’t want to get in trouble for arguing with him so I just grit my teeth and got back to it.

Matt left me and Jake to finish up whilst he went to check on the others. I was nervous to be left alone with Jake. He was clearly out for blood.

“Take this bag out to the bins,” Jake ordered, thrusting a heavy black bag in my direction.

“Matt told you to do that,” I muttered, putting the broom back in its place.

“And I’m telling you to do it,” he thrust it towards me again, taking two steps closer.

“I won’t be able to lift it into the bin,” I shook my head. “Matt told you to do it.”

Jake scowled and I could see his brain working, no doubt thinking up a million different ways to force me to do it. He dropped the bag quickly and made a grab for me. I almost got away but he caught my ponytail and pulled me back to him.

“Do as you’re told, Jelly,” he sneered, spitting out my new nickname with obvious contempt.

“No!” I argued, struggling to pull my hair free.

He released my hair and grabbed my forearm instead. He began twisting his hands around my arm in opposite directions. Jake was a master of Chinese burns. I screamed out, hoping that Matt was on his way back and would hear me. I’d rather be told off for arguing than get a Chinese burn.

Nobody came and I couldn’t pull my arm free no matter how hard I tried. The burning sensation was becoming too much to handle and I was already crying and hating myself for it.

“Jake, please,” I begged, knowing it was hopeless. “I’ll take it, I’ll take it!”

He continued the burn a little longer just to make a point before grinning smugly and waiting for me to do as he said.

I looked down at my arm, unsurprised to see it was bright, burning red. Blinking away a few tears and pointedly avoiding eye contact with Jake, I took the bag and tried to lift it up. It was heavy. I had to hold my hands straight above my head and carry it on my back so that it wouldn’t drag on the floor and rip.

I thought of some pretty colourful nicknames I’d like to give Jake if I’d been brave enough.
Matt told him to do it, not me. Why couldn’t he just do it himself?
We’re meant to do as we’re told
.
Those are the rules
. I inwardly cursed Jake some more whilst hauling the massive bag into the dustbin.

It occurred to me that I might not be the only one who’d be mad at Jake. I wished I’d thought of that
before
carrying the rubbish over. Matt had told Jake to do something and he hadn’t done it. Matt would be furious if he found out.

I grinned to myself as I entered the house, seeing that Jake was alone in the kitchen.

“You took too long,” he sneered, taking a step closer to me.

I didn’t take a step back, even though I wanted to.

“How’s your arm?” He grinned wickedly, looking way too smug. That was the last straw.

“I’m going to tell Matt,” I said stubbornly, more than pleased with myself that I was finally going to get one over on him.

“You what?” His face twisted in confusion. “Why would he care?”

“Because you didn’t do as you were told,” I sang happily.

I could see Jake thinking. His eyes always moved rapidly when he thought hard. He knew I was right and he was probably trying to think of a way out of it. I was ready to bolt if he tried to give me another Chinese burn. Instead, he surprised me by disappearing from the room and running up the stairs.

I ignored it and went in search of Matt. I didn’t get far. Jake found me before I got half way up the stairs to the first floor.

“I’m still telling him,” I scowled, taking a few steps up the stairs.

“You don’t want to do that,” he smirked.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” I glared at him, desperate to punch him in the face. Just once. He more than deserved it.

“Only if you don’t care what happens to Nelly,” Jake shrugged, stepping past me and walking away.

What does he mean?
I wouldn’t let him anywhere near Nelly. I’d had her since I was a baby. Daddy had told me that Mummy had bought her for me even before I was born because she knew she was having a daughter.
Mummy loved elephants
. Nelly was the only thing I had left of the women I’d never know. The woman who’d lost her life because of me. I would never let anything happen to Nelly.

I scoffed at Jake but then I stopped in my tracks. He looked too smug. I ran past him and into my bedroom, my eyes scanning the small room.
Where is she?
I knew I’d left her sitting on my pillow like I did every morning after I made my bed. I span around, searching every inch of the room in the hope she was there somewhere.

“Where is she, Jake?” I span around to confront him.

“Somewhere you’ll never find her,” he shrugged.

“Give her back!” I demanded, anger burning in my tummy.

Jake grinned and shook his head. “You can’t say a single word. If you tell on me, you’ll get Nelly back in bits. You have to keep quiet.”

I stood staring at him, horrified.
He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. Not Nelly
. I opened my mouth to argue but Jake interrupted me.

“Not one word, Jelly,” he smiled a smarmy smile and my jaw immediately clamped shut.

He’d do it, I could see by the look in his eyes that he was one hundred percent serious.

“Good girl,” he grinned. “Keep your mouth shut for a while and I’ll think about letting you have her back. If you’re really good she might still be in once piece.”

I scowled up at him and contemplated going to look for Nelly but I doubted I’d find her. The house was too big and I’d probably get in trouble for rooting around and making a mess.

I heard Matt shouting for us to come down and followed Jake out of my room resignedly.
I can’t let him hurt Nelly
. I racked my brains trying to think of a way out of this but I couldn’t think of anything.

“Where’ve you two been?” Matt asked.

“Jelly was in her room playing, I was looking for her,” Jake answered.

I scowled at Jake, I hadn’t been playing and he knew it.
Why is he being so mean?
He was usually nasty but this was something else, he knew how much Nelly meant to me.

“You shouldn’t have been playing, Jelly. There’s work to be done,” Matt scowled.

I knew he was expecting an apology but I couldn’t speak because I didn’t want Jake to hurt Nelly. I nodded instead and hoped that was enough. He looked at me expectantly and I started panicking. Luckily, the twins chose that moment to walk into the kitchen with Craig, distracting Matt. Each of the twins had managed to stretch a rubber glove over the top of their heads and they were strutting around with ridiculous grins on their faces.

“Clowns,” Matt laughed, pulling the gloves off and whacking them both on the backs of their heads. “All done?”

The three of them nodded, all smiling.

“You hungry?” Matt asked to a round of enthusiastic affirmation.

“Jelly?” He looked at me expectantly.

I smiled and nodded again. He looked at me suspiciously but set about making lunch. I wanted to go upstairs and search Jake’s room for Nelly but he was watching me constantly. He probably expected me to do just that.

“Come on, Jelly,” Craig said. “Help me lay the table.”

I nodded and fetched the knives and forks whilst he fetched the plates.

“You okay, sis?” He whispered, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

I smiled up at him and nodded, hoping he wouldn’t press me.

“You sure?”

I nodded again, keeping my eyes on the cutlery and making sure it was straight. I could feel his eyes on me and knew he wasn’t buying it.

“Alright, come on then,” he sighed, tucking me under his arm and leading me to Matt. “Is it okay if we watch TV with the others, please?”

Craig kept his eyes on Matt’s feet and I could feel his arm tense around me.
These two really don’t get on
.

“Fine,” Matt grunted, turning back to the cooking.

I felt Craig’s body relax as he let out a slow breath and took me into the lounge. I sat quietly with the others, watching a cartoon. Nobody spoke to me again, at least not anything that I couldn’t just nod or shake my head to, for quite some time. I even got through lunch without a problem. It was after lunch, when we were sat in the lounge, that my brothers first stated noticing.

They questioned me continuously, making all sorts of threats to get me to talk. I kept shaking my head and crying. Jake watched the whole time, clearly loving it. Matt pinned me to the wall at one point and yelled at me but I didn’t talk. I couldn’t.

At half past three Matt had to leave for work and he gave up trying to get me to talk. I think he’d taken it as a personal insult that I’d not obeyed him. I could apologise once I got Nelly back. Hopefully he’d understand then.

When Ian came home, he didn’t even try and talk to me. I heard him tell the twins that Matt had text him. They didn’t give me any dinner; they told me I could have some if I asked for it, so I sat quietly, watching them eat whilst my stomach rumbled. Jake was grinning so much I thought his face might crack in two and it just made me hate him more. He was loving every second.

Chapter 12

Saturday, 26th January 2013

The sun hadn’t quite risen but the hint of the morning light tinted the sky and made the darkened windows glow shades of pink and gold. It was beautiful. There were very few cars out and those that were out seemed to be mostly taxis. We ran past a couple of students who still hadn’t made their way back home after a night on the town.

“How’s the pace?” Jason asked from my side.

“Works for me,” I grinned back at him.

We’d gotten up at six and were out the door straight after. I’d wanted to get in a good run before my brothers arrived. Running was stress busting for me and I figured I’d need to get rid of the stress I was carrying because my reserves were probably going to be refilled and then some with a weekend away with my brothers.