Chasing Innocence | ✓

54 | deja vu

The bed is empty when I wake. The early morning sun shines through Brax's window, casting a warmth against my bare thighs.

I pull on one of Brax's t-shirts. It pools around my thighs as I walk from his room.

He's sitting at the dining table, typing away on his phone. He looks up when he hears me approaching.

"You should be resting," I state. "You were shot."

Really?" He cocks his head, gripping my thighs as I land against his lap. "I never knew."

"It's not funny," I frown.

He kisses my throat, skimming his teeth up the length of my jaw. "I feel fine, Rhea," he whispers.

His hands moves to my inner thigh, caressing the skin there. My skin begins to tingle as I place my legs across his lap. He plays with the hem of his shirt, bunching it up against my stomach as he plays with the band of my underwear.

"Brax," I warn.

His fingers dip below the band, skimming his hand across me. I suck in a breath, hearing my heartbeat loudly. "Someone could walk out," I whisper, breathlessly.

His hand moves further down until he dips his finger inside me. I groan softly, resting my head against his shoulder. He kisses my jaw, thrusting his finger into me again before pulling away.

He spins me around so that I'm sitting normally in his lap, pulling his shirt back over my thighs as Sofía's bedroom door opens.

My guilty expressions at the thought of almost being caught melts when I see her tired eyes. "Hey. You're here," I say.

"Xavier brought me and mum home earlier," she nods. "I actually slept through the night. You've got a great mattress," she smiles softly.

Brax rests his palm against my thigh, caressing it. His muscular stomach presses into my back as he reaches for his phone again.

Sof quirks and eyebrow, moving between me and Brax. I bite my lip, looking away. "About time," she whispers.

I notice a brown book under her arm, large coils holding it together. "What's that?" I ask.

She drops it against the dining table, collapsing into the seat next to us. She opens it and I notice a baby photo on the first page. "Family photos," she says quietly. "I've been doing this a lot lately. Mum used to love making them so we have heaps kept in boxes."

She skims her hands across the photo, smiling softly. "Do you love torturing yourself?" Brax bites.

Sof frowns, but she turns to the next page. "I like the memories."

Brax's hands land on my hips as he pulls me closer to him. "It's unhealthy," he growls.

"Oh, like killing people isn't?" She snaps, glaring at him over my shoulder. "I know what you did, Brax. Xavier told me."

Brax fists his hands and I can feel the anger radiating from his body. His grip on my hips tightens. "He shouldn't have done that."

"Because I didn't have a right to know?" she grits her teeth. "He killed my brother," her voice cracks. "Casey was my brother too."

"I know that," Brax says quietly, almost gentle. I place a hand on his, smoothing out the tension.

Sof shakes her head, flipping through the pages. She stops at one; a larger family photo. Brax says something to her and they continue to argue. But I'm focused on the picture.

It contains all five of the siblings. Casey is holding the camera, his little hands trying to get everyone in the frame. Sof is standing over his shoulder, smiling. I can see Brax in the background, a signature frown on his lips. He's staring off at someone sitting beside his two other brothers...