Needless to say, when I saw him light one up, I had to fight the urge to repeat the past in reverse.
But we were home now and that’s all that mattered. I couldn’t wait to shower and then climb into bed. I felt sticky, sweaty, and gross from both the show and the damn menu diner.
“That’s a small couch,” Knox doubtfully pointed out. “I don’t know how comfortable I’d be on that, kid.”
“Then you can have the bed. I’ll sleep out here. I’ve done it loads of times,” I replied with a shrug.
His eyes lingered on me for a moment—long enough for me to wonder what it was he was thinking, but his next suggestion is what floored me.
“Hey, remember when we were kids and Dad used to get drunk and shit?” I no
dded and waited. “Well, remember how we used to sleep in the same bed after one of us got the belt to make the other one feel better?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, how big is your bed?”
“Knox, no one is going to belt you,” I replied with an eye roll. “I’ll take the couch; it’s fine. I promise.”
He shrugged and walked out of the living room. I assumed he was going to look for my bedroom, but since I was renting a small two room house, he wouldn’t have to go very far.
With a loud sigh, I walked the three steps toward my couch and laid down. A shower could wait for a few hours—I was beat from driving for so damn long and all I really wanted was some damn sleep.
The moment I got comfortable and closed my eyes, I heard the shower turn on and I groaned inwardly. The knobs were hard to turn and sometimes they made loud, creaking noises—far from the finer things in life that my brother was used to.
It’s only for one night, I reminded myself as the sudden realization of how low in the food chain I was started to creep over me.
I was one foot into the world of dreams when I suddenly felt like I was being watched. It unnerved me enough to open an eye and I jumped when I saw my brother sitting on my old coffee table, watching me with a curious smile on his face.
“Um, can you not sit on that please?” I began groggily, “It might break.”
Without a word, Knox moved from the coffee table to sit on the floor next to me. He raked a hand back through his hair before he let his eyes wander toward the small table, then back to me.
I didn’t understand the meaningful look he was giving me until I relented and glanced over.
And there it sat.
The way most of our games started as children.
A black leather belt, with a silver buckle.
Just like the kind Dad would use to punish us with as kids when he felt we needed to be disciplined.
“Wanna play?” he asked me softly as he got to his feet.
* * *
Knox pulled me to my feet and wrapped an arm around my waist, his breath hot on my neck. My body began to tremble. I never in a million years imagined that he’d remember the games like I did or that he would want to relive those moments if given the opportunity.
“Wait,” I protested as I put my hands on his chest and gave him a gentle shove. But he didn’t loosen his grip and gave no space between us.
“I missed you, Jules. I never forgot about you—about us. How we used to take care of each other when that bastard would have one too many, or how Mom would leave us with him when she was afraid he might hurt her again.”
Knox leaned his head down and brushed his lips against my neck and I could feel my dick becoming hard. It was a strange feeling because no matter how many women I had tried to be with to forget about him, it was always a chore for any of them to get me erect.
Yet, all it took was a simple touch from my brother to start the blood flowing.
“None of those women meant anything to me, you know? Not like you—never like you. They only see what they think I am, but you’re the only person that’s ever known me for what’s on the inside. You suffered with me, you saw me at my lowest, and you never turned away from me. I … I’m sorry I ran away without you when I got the chance. I never should have abandoned you, little brother,” he murmured against my skin as he reached a hand down for the belt.