Speak No Evil

“Who’s grilling today then?” Jimmy asked Matt as Emily and Leana followed the two into Matt and Val’s home.

“I am Jim.” He replied walking straight out into the back yard. Jimmy followed him out whilst Leana and Emily took a detour into the kitchen. Leana placed the bags onto the side, Emily following her actions. “Hey Val, Jimmy’s taken the meat straight out side. There’s the food that needs to be made up and I have some dishes in the car that I’ll go grab.” Emily made the move to follow until Leana made the gesture for her to stay.

“Hey Emily, how’s your foot doing?” Val asked looking up from the food she was cutting. Gabbed the note book out of her bag, Emily wrote her response that it was okay, “That’s good; it looked pretty nasty when you did it. Can you come and help me make the salad; these vegetables take ages to cut up.” Emily nodded and placed her notepad and pen on the table.

- - - - - - - - - -

“Cannonball!” Johnny screamed, jumping into the pool,

“Johnny, careful, you’re gonna get the food soaked!” Val screamed from the sun lounger, “I swear the boys get more and more reckless and childish as they get older, and that thought worries me.”

“They will definitely be the old men on the granny mobiles having races round the nursing homes.” Annaliese agreed as Jimmy and Zacky tried to drown Johnny under water.

“Food’s ready!” Matt called from behind the grill. Jimmy and Zacky were out of the pool in seconds, leaving Johnny to swim to the surface gasping for air. As soon as he saw the meat, he was out of the pool faster then Jimmy was. The girls sat and waited patiently for the guys to grab what they wanted first before they made their way over.

Emily followed quietly behind Leana, picking up the smallest bit of chicken there along with some salad and potato wedges. Sitting back on her lounge chair, she tucked into her meal observing the guys eating like animals.

“Emily, please tell me that isn’t all you’re having right?” Zacky asked with his mouth full. She shook her head and got up to go get more food that she didn’t feel like eating. Before she could walk away Leana grabbed her arm making her sit down.

“You don’t have to eat any more then you want to Em. Unlike the guys, we don’t eat like animals.” Leana spoke smiling at Emily and glaring at Zacky who shrugged and went up for seconds. Leana smiled at Emily and took her plate placing it on the table before grabbing more food for herself.

“You really don’t have that big an appetite do you?” Brian asked sitting in front of her, she shook her head in reply. “Well at least Leana and Jimmy don’t have to worry about you eating them out of house and home then ay?” he nudged her lightly with his elbow. Instinctively she brought her hand to rest where he had touched her. Brian’s facial expression dropped and worry took over,

“Hey, you alright? I didn’t hit you too hard did I? Sorry if I did, I didn’t mean to.” She shook her head and smiled at him and picked up her notepad,

It’s fine, just took be by surprise is all :)

Smiling at her, he stayed where he was sitting and finished off his food. The ten of them sat in a comfortable silence, music playing from the speakers Matt had set up outside the house. A splash broke the silence followed by Jimmy’s distinguishable laughter. Johnny emerged from the water moments later, spraying the water in his mouth over Jimmy’s leg. Giggling, Jimmy walked off into the house leaving Johnny to pull himself out of the pool. Johnny grumbled as he pulled himself out of the pool for a second time, moaning as the food from his plate floated aimlessly round the pool.

“Look what you did Jimmy, all that lovely food, wasted! Disgusting.” Johnny shouted to Jimmy,

“Not my fault you can’t hold your balance Christ,” he screamed back. Johnny just rolled his eyes, going to get another plateful, “Well you’re getting the food Jim,”

“No I’m not!”

“Yes you are Jimmy! Otherwise you can clean the whole pool and save me a job later on!” Matt shouted at him in a threatening tone. Emily pulled her knees to her chest at the sound of his voice, rocking slightly. Placing his plate on the grass Brian moved up to sit next to her,

“Are you cold or something Em?” he asked. Seeing her nod, he wrapped his arms round her rubbing them to warm her up. She smiled and curled into his side, reminded of the way He would treat her when She was gone. Yawning, Emily rested her head on his bicep, falling into a light sleep.

“Hey Emmie darling, do you want to sleep in my bed with me tonight. Breanne is out and you have been a good girl these past few days haven’t you?” Emily nodded timidly from her place on the floor next to His feet.

“Come here then darling, we’ll go get a bath and have some pasta then curl up in bed. I’m very tired and that floor must be hurting your back.” He picked her up gently like the past few times He had decided to do this. It was times like this Emily felt safe, except for having to bathe with Him, the rest of the night was nice. He allowed her to watch Disney films and never complained instead sat there and twirled her hair gently between his fingers.

The bath water was luke warm like always. He removed her clothes before placing her fragile body carefully in the bath then stripped off and sat behind her. Grabbing the flannel He poured a generous amount of soap over it then cautiously washed her body of the dirt that had gathered on her skin.

When He had finished bathing her He wrapped her tiny body in an oversized towel drying all the water off her body and once that was done He towel dried her hair. He placed an oversized jumper on her along with a new pair of panties leaving her on the couch while He prepared them a small dinner.

Halfway through The Little Mermaid, Emily fell asleep in His strong arms. When He wasn’t using them to harm her she found them, and His chest, extremely comfortable. Deciding it was time to sleep; He turned of the video and took himself and Emily up to His bedroom. As He placed her down on the soft queen sized bed she crawled up ‘til she lay in the middle. He climbed in behind her and after turning off the bedside light, acted as her pillow for her first comfortable night in weeks.

- - - - - - - - - -

“What do you think you’re doing?! Get out of the bed you little rat! Come here!” Her screeching voice woke Emily and her husband up the next morning. She grabbed Emily’s arm, digging her long fake nails into her skin. Striking her across the face Emily curled herself into a ball.

“Breanne, what do you think your doing!” He screamed at his wife,

“This little rat has stolen one of your jumpers and slept in our bed! She needs to be punished.”

“Come here babe, I need to talk to you about something.” Throwing Emily into the corner of the room, she walked over to her husband leaving Emily to shake in the corner and watch the whispered argument. Breanne smiled a sickly smile before picking Emily up by her upper arm,

“Come on darling, back to work.”

Emily awoke with a start, causing Brian to drop his beer on the grass before looking at her. “Emily are you al-” before he could finish, Emily was up and into the house before anyone could question what had just happened. Patting Jimmy’s leg, Leana sighed and told the guys and girls not to worry as she followed after Emily.

Searching every room, she found the downstairs bathroom to be locked. Leaning against the door, she waited a few moments before knocking lightly,

“Emily open up, it’s Leana. Come on hun.” The door was pulled open and a sobbing Emily fell into Leana’s open arms, “Come here, it’ll be alright.” Taking her back into the bathroom, Leana locked it after her.

- - - - - - - - - -

Brian got up as Emily came back out going to give her a hug. Leana stopped him however and smiled as he asked if Emily was alright. Emily nodded smiling before reclaiming her seat and accepting a glass of apple juice from Leana. Brian sat down cautiously next to her; she smiled making more room for him.

Conversation continued as the sun started to set, making Emily feel more comfortable. For one of the first times in her life she felt like she wasn’t being judged by the people surrounding her. She laughed with them and contributed whenever she was asked or spoken to directly. Brian sat by her all afternoon and night bringing her drinks over when he went to get his beers, his arm draped lightly over her shoulder. Unlike with other guys she felt comfortable with his arm there.

Not realising she had been in a day dream she jumped when Leana’s cold hand touched her arm. “Emily, everyone has had one to many to drink tonight and are staying here tonight. We are one bed short so I was wondering if maybe, you wouldn’t mind, well if you were alright to share a bed with Brian?” Leana asked cautiously waiting to see her reaction. Emily pondered for a moment before slowly nodding her head, a hint of fear evident in her eyes. Leana sighed in relief, smiling at her friend,

“Thank you Em, that makes things much easier.” Giving Emily an encouraging smile, she carried on the conversation she was having with Val whilst clearing away. Looking up at Brian, Emily smiled to herself before taking a sip of her drink.

- - - - - - - - - -

Later that night, Emily lay under the covers of one of the guest beds in Matt and Val’s house, wearing a pair of Val’s pyjamas. Brian walked into the room in his boxers and the shirt he had worn during the day. Closing the door behind him and getting under the covers, he laid down close to the edge on the other side of the bed, leaving plenty of space between Emily and himself not sure what he should do.

“Night Emily, sweet dreams.” He smiled at her, she signed something back to him, “I guess that means good night or something.” Emily nodded and smiled before turning her back towards him and turning off her bedside lamp.