© Jojo B 2016

All rights including those in copyright in the content of this story are owned by Jojo B. It's Illegal to steal and/or copy.

______________________________________________________________________

*N.E.V* The Seven Deadly Simpson Brothers

13

(Picture is Phoenix)

I woke up when I heard the door creak open. I didn't know when I had fallen asleep but I could tell it was late, or should I say early?

"Anyone awake?" I heard Landon whisper.

For some reason, I hesitated from answering and I dimly saw Landon's silhouette walk further into the room and sit down in one of the armchairs. It was silent for a while and I thought I would fall asleep again, until Walter groaned and I was instantly wide awake.

"Walter, you okay?" his brother asked.

Walter grunted. It could have been a yes or a no.

"Coral came to see you," Landon said.

"When?" Walter asked in a husky voice.

"She's still here."

"What?"

"She's asleep in one of the sofas."

"What happened?" Walter questioned after a pause.

    "She was chased on her way home from work and came here for help," Landon explained.

    Walter's tone immediately hardened, "Santiagos?

    "Not that I know of," Landon answered. "They had stopped following her by the time she got here so I don't think so."

    Walter seemed to accept that reply and there was a silence, in which I felt myself slipping back into sleep.

"So tell me about the girl," Landon demanded.

"What about her?" Walter asked.

"What's she like?" Landon wanted to know.

    Walter didn't answer for some time and I began to grow uneasy, wishing I knew what he was thinking about me.

    "She's been through some shit," Walter finally answered. "I can tell."

    "Has she told you about it?" Landon questioned.

    "A little," Walter said. "But I know there's more that she hasn't said and I want to be the person she can confide in. You know? Sometimes that can help, and I care about her."

    "Care? " I could picture Landon giving Walter a smirk.

    "What?" Walter snapped back at him defensively.

    "Nothing, I just haven't heard you say that about anyone before, let alone a girl," Landon commented. "You must like her."

    "Shut up Landon," Walter muttered darkly, maybe embarrassed.

    "No," Landon laughed. "I don't think I will. You don't even say that you care about us, even though I know it's true. But you never say it."

    "And?"

"So I have come to the conclusion that my baby brother might possibly be falling in love for the first time," Landon said, I could literally hear the grin in his voice.

"Landon if you ever say something like that ever again, I will kill you," Walter growled. 

Landon laughed silently, and I felt a smile split across my own face.

"I'll bear that in mind," Landon said contently.

"Night," Walter mumbled.

"You're going to sleep?" 

"Yeah, my head hurts."

"Do you want some painkillers?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Sure?"

"Okay, get me some."

"Where's the please?"

"Landon!" Walter exclaimed. "You're the one who asked me."

Landon chuckled as he left the room, only teasing his brother, and I let myself fall asleep, knowing I wouldn't have any bad dreams tonight at all.

***

    "You feeling okay Walter?" Phoenix grunted at him.

    "Headache," Walter mumbled back.

    I sat up, blinking my sleep away to see Phoenix, Landon and Gomez standing over Walter who was still lying in the sofa. It was morning, a Monday morning.

    "Rise and shine," Gomez turned around and wiggled his eyebrows when he heard me sit up.

    "Hey," I croaked, making him wince.

    "Man, you sound like a troll," he started to laugh.

    "Thanks," I said sarcastically, but smiled.

    "Can you two be quiet?" Phoenix turned and gave us a look.

    "Chill, Phoenix," Landon touched his arm with the back of his hand.

    "Don't talk to Coral like that," Walter snarled, struggling to sit up.

    Landon gently pushed him down again, "Relax."

    But Phoenix didn't seem like his wanted to do any relaxing, "I'll talk to anyone in my house how I like."

    "Not while I'm around," Walter gave him a fierce glare, despite the pallor in his face.

    Landon and Gomez looked like they didn't want to go down that route, and neither did I.

    "Guys, both of you, relax," Landon tried to cool the situation.

    "He thinks he can treat anyone how he likes," Walter snapped. "And I'm not having that, not with Coral."

    "Then she can get the hell out of my house," Phoenix glared at him and then gave me a similar deadly look.

    "Thanks for having me," I squeaked and hurried to my feet, looking for my things I'd brought with me last night.

    "Coral, sit," Walter looked at me. "Don't listen to him."

    "No," I said quickly, all too aware of Phoenix's deep look. "I'm fine with leaving, I'll be late for school anyway."

    "You're already late," Gomez checked his phone. "School started ten minutes ago."

    Damn.

    "All the more reason to leave," I gave Walter and Phoenix a tight smile.

    I gathered my things and headed towards the door when Walter called my name again.

    "Coral, don't leave."

    I looked around to see him sitting up and gazing at me with determination in his face. He didn't want me to leave, just to piss Phoenix off. Nothing more. And there I was, foolishly hoping that he really did like me enough for me to stay just for the sake of having me around.

    "I have to go," I said sternly, turning my back on him.

    I opened the door and heard Phoenix mutter something under his breath. Walter got really mad then and he forced himself up, despite Landon and Gomez trying to keep him sitting.

    "You wanna say that to my face?" Walter thrust his chest right up against Phoenix's.

    Phoenix managed to look down on Walter even though Walter was only a couple of inches shorter. Phoenix pulled out a sharp switchblade from his pocket and held it up to Walter's bruised face.

    "Get that bitch. Out my house," Phoenix spat each word loud and clear.

    I was shaking, I wasn't supposed to be here, at all. Phoenix's words really hurt, not that he hadn't been saying things like that from the moment I'd woken up, but now I was near tears.

    I left before anything else could happen, closing the living room door firmly behind me. I tried not to let the tears in my eyes fall and I marched to the front door and let myself out swiftly, not listening to my name being called behind me. I didn't belong there, I was out of depth and in danger. I didn't know why it took me so long to see it. Walter and his brothers were unsafe and I was a girl who needed to just get on by in life. The last thing I needed to do was affiliate myself with a bloody gang.

    I was a couple paces down the street when Walter caught up with me.

    "Coral," he stopped me, panting and out of breath. "Please wait, I'm sorry about - "

    "Walter, I can't do this," I said to him, turning around and looking him straight in the eye.

    "You can't do what?" he frowned in confusion, his chest rising and falling quickly.

    "I can't see you anymore," I dropped my gaze, unable to hold it any longer.

    "Coral, what?" I could hear the shock in his voice. "Forget Phoenix, he's a – "

    "I don't want any trouble," I cut him off. "And he clearly hates me, although I don't know why. But that doesn't matter, I have to keep my distance. So we have to stop the tutoring...and just all of it."

    "What are you saying?" Walter just stared at me, a look of dread on his face.

    "Let's just go back to our old lives," I said, looking away and over his shoulder. "We're two different people and I don't want to be involved in what you and your family do."

    Walter narrowed his eyes, "So this isn't just about Phoenix? It's about our lifestyle? My lifestyle?"

    I nodded, swallowing nervously, "I just want to pass my exams and finish school – "

    "And I'm not gonna stop that!" Walter cried. "I want the best for you too."

    "Walter please," I tried to block the tears that I felt rising. "Don't make this any more difficult. I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into and I'm not sure if it's for me. If you're for me."

    Nothing could erase the look of pain Walter had in his eyes after I'd said that.

    "We were just friends, but you don't want that anymore? I'm too 'bad' for you? Not clean enough, is that it?" his voice grew hard and cold.

    "I'm sorry," I whispered, turning and walking away.

    He didn't try and stop me again and I didn't look back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Short I know, but the chapters will hopefully come faster (for a while anyway)

Also bet you didn't really see that coming? What did you think?

J

X