HER || Brothers

Chapter 13: A Secret

3rd PERSON

"What's wrong with you?!", Leandro turns the confusion and worry into anger once he realizes that Camila thought he was going to hit her. He couldn't ever let himself be caught showing any type of sympathy for her, it would hurt his ego way too much.

Deep down, he knows it's his fault that her first reaction to him raising his hand was for her to shield herself. He knows he had gone way too far with the way he had manhandled her a few days ago, going as far as pulling her hair and kicking her, he knows it was wrong. His pride wouldn't allow him to apologize or admit to his mistake though.

What he doesn't know though is that her reaction was not solely based on his constant anger and unpredictable, violent behavior.

"N-Nothing, I'm sorry..", Camila moves her arms down and gets off the couch, cautious, but with a lot of hesitation takes Leandro's still outstretched hand.

Leandro feels her smaller, clammy hand shaking in his own, but he doesn't comment on it as he leads her out of the living room and towards the kitchen, where he then orders her to take a seat on one of the stoles.

For a few minutes, the 16 years old just quietly watches her brother move around the kitchen, the silence surrounding them so suffocating, she can't help but feel the need to say something. Maybe, hopefully, start a conversation with Leandro that lasts longer than three seconds.

"Alistair- he allowed you to stay at home?", she starts, just these few words leaving her breathless. Her whole body is aching, especially her hip now, but she is going to sit through the pain because for once, Leandro is here and even if it's because he was probably forced to do so, he is taking care or her, talking to her.

Camila feels pathetic that even after all that he has done and said to her, she is still holding onto that little string of hope that one day everything will be okay between them. That one day, she won't feel on edge being alone with him, that maybe one day, he will love her again.

Because she loves him.

"Yeah, only because they have some useless meeting to attend", Leandro turns to place a cup of tea in front of her, before grabbing the two plates he had prepared and placing one in front of her too. He then opens the fridge to grab an iced americano for himself and finally takes a seat, but at the other end of the kitchen island, far away from Camila.

She doesn't take it to heart, but instead focuses on the fact that he had made her a cup of tea and a sandwich. Willingly or not, she still appreciates it and no matter how small her appetite is right now and how nauseous she feels, she eats her food.

"Is it about fath- Ernesto again?", Camila asks, no longer tiptoeing around the topic of the man, which surprises Leandro, but what really leaves him shocked is the fact that she used his name instead of addressing him as 'father' like she usually would.

"Ernesto, huh? Since when?", he questions her, finding this more amusing than anything, but more in a mocking way and Camila can tell, however, she doesn't dwell on it because she knows why he reacted that way.

She knows he thinks Ernesto never hurt her like he had hurt them and that therefore she has no right to act like a victim, or like she understands what they've been through, but his assumptions and accusations that he doesn't voice but that he doesn't hesitate to make known with his remarks, are far from the truth. Very far.