Compassion (A Selection Story)

>11<

The air grows thick, ropes of tension whipping their way from wall to wall, weaving a net around us. Toby is staring at me with a look in his eyes so fierce that I can't avert my gaze- or move at all, for that matter.

"What?" He pauses, still trying to determine whether or not I actually said what I did. For both of our sakes, I hope I didn't. "Fleur, did you just say that your mother tortured your little brother?"

I freeze, unable to decide between admitting to it or lying. I open my mouth to respond,  but my voice catches and instead I find myself pressing my lips together and tears rolling down my cheeks. Except for that brief moment in the safe room, I haven't cried in two years. There's not time to cry when you are constantly fighting for your survival. I bow my head and let the tears drop from my chin to the floor.

Toby is behind me now, an arm around me, guiding me out of the room. He takes me up a flight of stairs, which confuses me, as we truly aren't supposed to be up here- even though I've broken that rule twice.

The next thing I know, we're in his room, sitting on his bed. He turns my head to look at him, and the swipes his thumb across my cheek, removing the tears. "Fleur, I need to know. Did your mother abuse your brother?"

"Still abusing," I mumble.

He takes a deep breath. "Did she ever abuse you?"

I avert my eyes. "A couple times," I say, still quietly. "Maybe four or five."

He runs a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh. "Your last name is Dreaner, right?"

"Sort of," I say simply.

"What?"

"Yes, I mean, my last name is Dreaner."

"This may be what you want to hear, and it may not be, but I'm sending someone to arrest your parents."

I bite my lip. There are two things holding me back, and even though he knows my other secrets now, I just can't tell him about my father... and I can't let him find out. "What about Kai?"

"Who?"

"My brother."

He lets out a breath that sounds like a laugh.

I frown. "Is that funny, Toby?"

"No, it's just that you cried his name in your sleep sometimes, and I always was worried that it was someone you loved- an old boyfriend or something."

"Why did that worry you?"

"You're so oblivious sometimes, Fleur," he says, cupping my face. "It worries me because I want you to love me. Because I am in love with you." He leans in and presses his lips to mine, triggering the lockout reaction from me- the one where the room could be filled with ticking time bombs, and I wouldn't notice.

We lean back, rolling over until I am pinned beneath him. He moves to kiss my neck, and I suddenly realize what's happening. My eyes snap open and I put my palms to his chest, pushing him away and sitting up.

His expression makes me wince, like you would after scolding a puppy. "I'm sorry, Toby, I just-"

"No," he says cutting me off. "No, I'm sorry. That was... extremely forward of me."

There's an awkward pause, before he breaks the silence. "Uh, we should sort out this whole family situation of yours."

"Yeah, um, what would happen to Kai? The royal family hardly has time to find a suitable adoptive family for him."

"We could keep him here. You can be his legal guardian, seeing as you're 18."

"Yeah, uh, my mother lied about that, too," I say, wrapping a stray thread from my shirt around my finger a couple times.