I take a deep breath and walk toward the kitchen. Just a few hours of this and it will all be over. Everyone will be gone and I will be able to breathe again.
* * *
“Brianna, have you seen your cousins?” Aunt Helen asks. “I want to get a picture of the three of you. It’s been so long since you’ve all been together.
"No, it wasn't my turn to watch them," I quickly tack a smile on at the end of my answer so I can try to cover up the fact that I'm acting like a sarcastic bitch.
Chelsea is twenty. Sebastian, or Bash as we've grown to call him, is twenty-three, why would I know where they are? I
don't even know why they came. I'm sure there are much more exciting things that they could be doing today.
“Brianna, maybe you can stop being a brat and help look for them,” Mom says, startling me. I didn’t know she was standing right behind me.
"Sure, I'll go check outside," I answer with enthusiasm. All I want is to get the fuck out of here.
I have no idea where they are. We live on five acres and a lot of that is wooded. I don't actually think that they're out here, I'm using it as an excuse to get the fuck away from all of them. There is a tiny footpath that I've beaten into the ground from the countless walks I've taken back here. That is the path that I follow now. It leads me far enough away that I don't see my house anymore. I don't see anything but trees. When I am out here, I can drop the cynical, sarcastic exterior that I've built and let the pain and sadness seep in. It's the place that I always come to when I need to get away; my secret hiding spot.
Which is why, as I get closer, I’m confused when I hear the sound of a girl’s laughter coming from behind the giant downed-tree back here. I stop and pick up a large stick from the ground.
“Hello?”
The laughter stops as I hear someone gasp.
“Who’s there?”
Sounds of leaves rustling float my way just before my cousin Chelsea pops up from behind the tree.
“Jesus! What the fuck, Chelsea?! You scared the shit out of me. What the hell are you doing out here?”
"Oh," she scrunches her face as she tries to hide her surprise and pretend like nothing is going on. "I just needed some air."
“So you walked a mile through the woods and decided to roll around on the ground?” I cock my eye at her.
“No, I--”
I roll my eyes and march over to the tree.
"No! Wait!" she holds her hands out, thinking that's going to make me stop.
When I get to the tree and look on the other side of it, my eyes go wide with shock.
“Bash?! What the fuck!” I scream as he pops up from the ground and stands next to Chelsea.
No. There is no way that this is what it looks like. But if it wasn't, why are Chelsea's cheeks so flushed? Why does she have a leaf in her hair? Why are Bash's buttons crooked? Why are his hands folded over his fucking crotch the way they are?
"You guys are fucking sick," I turn and try to run away from them, but Bash catches me around my waist.
I scream out and his hand covers my mouth. Fear holds me hostage, more than his arms do. Oh, God. Bash is just like him; just like Uncle Jack.
“Shh, Brianna. Stop, okay. It’s not what you think.”
I try yelling something, but my words are garbled against his hand.
“I--I mean it is what you think, but there’s more to it. Please, I need you to listen to me.”
I relax enough, so he will let me go. He removes his hand from my mouth, but now he has one arm hung loosely around my neck, and one sits more tightly around my waist. Then, he turns around so we're facing Chelsea.
“There is no easy way to explain this, but part of it I know you’ll believe,” he speaks softly into my ear. “It has to do with Uncle Jack.”