Her Five Brothers

Chapter 11 - Axel

Aspen: TW

"Well..."

"Love?" Asher asks softly, stroking my hair.

I'll tell them about the abuse. I'll show them. They deserve to know, they've treated me well. I know now that they won't hurt me. Or at least not yet. I just won't tell them about my self harm. It's too much.

"My ribs." I whimper out.

"Okay sweetheart, can you turn over?" Elijah asks.

I nod reluctantly, carefully flipping onto my side with the help of Alexander.

Silence. Complete silence. I squeeze my eyes shut, not even flinching when Elijah's cold hands begin to press onto them with shaking fingers. Asher keeps stroking my hair but his body is tense, his hand trembling through my scalp.

I couldn't see Alexander or Axel, I could just feel the anger radiating off the both of them.

Pure rage.

However, they kept their places. They stayed silence.

Were they angry with me? Surely they know that I tried to prevent this. I fought, I screamed and I cried. I tried to appeal to Adam's humanity, praying that he had some sort of compassion left. That wasn't the case, but I tried. They must know that. They need to know that.

"I- I tried but Adam was too strong." I reveal, letting out a sob while wincing as my ribs flare with pain.

"Open your eyes, bambina." I frantically shake my head.

"Bambina." Alexander places his hand over mine, filling me with comfort. "We will never blame you for this, do not blame yourself. It was his job to protect you, he failed. Not you."

I just nod, not really believing him. I could always have fought harder, screamed louder, cried more. I could have stopped him. It's my fault he took it that far.

"I see what you're doing," a quiet Axel announces, fluffing up my pillows around Lorenzo, "you need to get out of your own head. What he did was sick and twisted, in no way were his actions your responsibility. They were his, and his only."

"Okay." I murmur out, opening my eyes and blinking away the last of the tears.

"There we go, love." Asher kisses my head. "We will keep you safe, we will show you the love you deserve to know."

Then, I fall to sleep.

—————————————————————
AXEL POV:

My little sister jumps from her place at the doorframe, snatching her rucksack out of Alex's reach.

I hope he finds the rest of the cigarettes, she shouldn't be smoking at her age. Who knows what could happen to her body? It's still growing and developing. Smoking causes a lot of damage internally. I mean, what if she develops lung cancer?

She could die.

My little sister could leave this earth and i'd never see her again.

Despite my inexcusable actions towards her, I love Aspen. She's my family, of course I love her. I'd want nothing more than to be apart of her life.

It sounds unreasonable, unrealistic. How could someone who has behaved like I have, love the very same person they wronged? All of the things i've said, my threats, i'd never go through with them. They are empty and I don't believe in them.

But all of my reasons, all of my excuses, do not make up for the fact that I hurt her in ways that are unspeakable. For god sake, I'm supposed to be her brother. I need to show her that, show her how much I can be a brother. One like Asher, kind and sweet. Loving. They all show their love for her, even Alexander, who finds it hard to express his own emotions. He tried for us four, but he succeeds with her.

I'll apologise after this, I will show her that I've changed and how I should've never acted like that in the first place.

I'll be her brother. A brother she deserves. I'll learn off of Asher and I'll try harder to control my anger. She doesn't deserve the anger I have for my biological mother to be placed on her. After all, she looks exactly like dad, Alexander and I. She's one of us.

I'm snapped by in to reality by Lorenzo screeching, pointing towards Aspen. I twist my head slightly, glancing in horror as I see a large red stain growing on Aspen's back. Blood.

My eyes widen in shock, and I have to double take. Blood. How the fuck is she bleeding that much?

I turn to the doorframe, seeing a small splatter of blood dripping down. I wipe it away with my sleeve. Let's not ruin the floors today.

Lorenzo and Asher are sent away for Elijah's things and I move further inside her room, standing at the balcony doors. If she is like me, she'd try to run. She won't like the attention, all eyes on her, searching deep into her soul.

She glares at me, as if I had betrayed her.

And I deserve it.

When the boys come back into the room, Lorenzo immediately rushes to my side. I pull him close into my side, knowing that he won't be able to hold himself together. And he shouldn't have too.

Soon enough, he is fully wrapped in my embrace, sobbing his little heart out.

I watch as my two oldest brother's and twin take care of her, bring her comfort. Soft and gently touches, you'd never believe they'd be the same hands to kill. To torture. But they are, they are all the same palms and finger tips. Same nails that blood gets stuck under after an eventful day. But they can just switch it off, for their family. For her.

It's harder for me, to be so gentle. So loving. It takes a lot for me to show somebody I love them, i've always been that way. I just need to learn to let my guard down for Aspen.

My eyes are trained on her back, every cut, bruise, hand mark. All of it. I see everything. Even the thick words carved into her back. "My little slut" as if he owned her, as if she was some sort of possession. And "slut". That word makes my heart drop to my stomach. His slut? His? Did he use her? Did he forcefully touch my little sister?

Anger fills my bones but I swallow it down. I can't scare her, not now. I grit my teeth and turn away, unable to look at my vulnerable sister.

A sister who deserves so much better.