Trials Of A Heart | ✔️

38

~Brielle's POV~

After Phoenix and I finished taking a shower together, I headed with him out of the bedroom, smiling as he playfully bumped me out of the doorway. "Move it, slow poke." He teased playfully, making me giggle to myself.

"Do you think anyone else is awake?" I asked him softly as he led me down the hallway, hoping that he and I were the only ones up, though admittedly only because I was nervous that someone had somehow heard what he and I had gotten up to in the shower. He slung a long arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side, nuzzling his face into my hair as he hummed at my question. When I got a response, it wasn't from Phoenix.

"It'd be impossible to not be awake, you guys were being so loud." Clay's voice suddenly snipped from in the living room as Phoenix and I entered, causing my face to burn in embarrassment. I pressed into his side and awkwardly looked around the living room, avoiding Clay's gaze as it burned into Phoenix and I. "Um..." I mumbled, swallowing thickly. "S-Sorry." I stammered, still not looking at him, even a little. This was beyond uncomfortable, to me anyways, yet I realized pretty quickly that I was the only one between Phoenix and I that felt that way.

Phoenix snorted and rolled his eyes as he stared at his younger brother, not looking very phased. "I'm not." He said bluntly. Clay clenched his hands into fists and glared back and forth between the two of us some more, his face slightly red with annoyance and anger. Something told me he was more annoyed at me than he was at Phoenix, even though we had equal part in our shower activities. "Is dad still asleep?" Phoenix asked as he looked at Clay, curiously raising at brow at his angry little brother. It was as if Clay's obvious irritation didn't bother him even one bit. "Yes." He answered through gritted teeth. "So could you take your little girlfriend the hell out of here?" He practically demanded, sounding like he wanted me gone.

For a moment, a silent settled between the three of us as Phoenix stared him down, the two of their gazes locked like they were having some sort of silent conversation with one another. I just stood there quietly, not saying a thing as I clung onto Phoenix, my fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the fabric of his shirt.

Then, all of a sudden, Phoenix spoke. "I'm sick of this, Clay." He said simply. "What's your deal? Brielle hasn't done anything wrong. What do you have against her?" He demanded to know, raising his brows expectantly. I gently poked him in the side, biting on my lip as he grunted and looked down at me with a furrow in his brows. "What?" He grumbled, looking all adorably pouty. I couldn't help but to smile a little, finding him cute, and then gently shook my head. "It's okay if he doesn't like me. Some people just don't like you." I whispered, and he scoffed. "No offense, baby, but that's just bullshit. You've already had enough people be shitty to you for something you didn't do, and I'm not going to allow for my brother to treat you like you're nothing." He said with clear frustration and feeling, immediately making me grow quiet. My heart fluttered at how protective he could be over me, something which I had never really had before.

Smiling to myself, I decided not to interfere with the situation with his brother anymore, because maybe he was right. Since my parents died, people being hateful or just disliking me wasn't something I was unfamiliar with at all, but I was beginning to think that maybe Phoenix was right. Maybe I deserved to be treated better than that.

"I've told you why I don't like her." Clay scoffed as he looked at me. "She's not going to be here for long. I mean, you're never serious about girls. Besides, this chick isn't even anything to be upset over losing." He mused, scoffing. "Hell, you'd probably even be better off if she j—" He opened his mouth to speak and began to speak and it was then that Phoenix finally fully lost his temper. Before I even knew what was happening, Phoenix had stormed over to Clay, raised his fist, and then he punched him across the face so hard that he stumbled well back. The sudden act surprised me at first, so it took me a moment before I even realized that he was beating up his little brother. He'd already pummeled the poor guy to the floor in three quick punches.