Hidden Melodies

Chapter Nine

Copyright Joelle Blue ©

Charlie

Eighteen Months Later

"Oh, dear little brother of mine, are you here?" I hear Calah yell from the front door. She knows I'm here, so I don't know why she bothers to ask.

"Yeah," I grunt, keeping my focus on the breakfast I'm making. I just finished my workout, so nothing else exists until I get to eat.

"Damn, who're you cooking for? That's... a lot of food," she asks incredulously.

"No, it's all for me. I'm bulking."

"Right, 'cause I know what that means."

"I'm lifting heavy right now, so I need the calories," I don't have the mind power to explain this to her. She's smart, she'll get it.

"Ah, okay, macho man stuff. Aren't you big enough, though? I literally can't see out the window when you stand in front of it," she laughs.

It's true. I've gained a lot of muscle since high school and grown an inch. But all I do is work, workout, eat, and repeat.

That horrible night changed so many things for me. I hated the man I saw when I looked in the mirror. Fucking hated him. I knew I needed to get rid of everything in my life that didn't make me better, and that included football. Did I need football? No. Did it make me a better person? No. The only reason I was playing and trying to go pro was to prove something to myself. That I was good and better than the next guy. What a crock of self-idolization that was.

So, within the week, I pulled out of my classes and the team and have never looked back.

I work with my dad, I get to make others happy by helping create the car or motorcycle of their dreams, and there's no one like fucking Grant anywhere near my life.

Turns out, he had a little habit of drugging people, mostly women, and is sitting himself in prison. Multiple women came forward after that party, and shortly after he was charged with possession, assault, and rape. He admitted to everything eventually. Apparently one of his victims has a dad that scared him enough, he would rather admit what he did and stay in prison than use his daddy's money to get out.

I was one of his victims that night. Brandi was his accomplice.

He wanted to get a video of me doing anything to use as blackmail. He had one for all his "friends", but Brandi must have grown a heart or part of one since she said she never touched me besides the kiss and led me upstairs to leave me in that room by myself. Grant must have assumed we did something, or Brandi told him we did. Either way, I've never felt so much lighter after learning she never touched me like that.

Life has been controlled since then. I haven't had any kind of alcohol, I only spend time with my family, and I spend all my time in the gym or at the shop.

My parents supported me one hundred percent, and I should have known that they would. I could have had this and peace and standard in my life years before had I just realized no one expected me to be perfect. Especially my parents. Especially Ellie.

I've seen her a couple times since I talked to her last. The most recent was about two months ago, as she walked into a restaurant I was eating at. I don't usually leave the shop for lunch, but mom wanted someone to go with her to her oncologist for her annual checkup. I offered to, wanting to hear what they had to say. Thankfully, she's still cancer free and to celebrate, offered to take me to lunch.