A Broken Family Ch. 02

"I don't need to date, Holly. I'm happy. It's just a different type of happiness. I don't want to go out and get married and have kids because I feel like I've already done that. And I didn't sacrifice anything for you okay? I don't want you feeling guilty for anything. I wanted to have you guys because I didn't want us split up." He put his arms around me and squeezed.

I pressed my face into his chest and mumbled, "Promise that if you find a girl you like you'll consider dating her?"

He laughed and I looked up at him. "Sure. I'll consider it, Holly."

I didn't like his sarcasm—I wasn't used to him using it. "I mean it."

"I know." He smiled at me, but his eyes didn't hold the light of it. "I'm going back to sleep, okay?" He let his arms slip from me, but I stayed where I was and lay my head on his chest.

-

"Let's go swimming," I announced after we'd eaten our breakfast.

Alex looked over the cliff at the waves and nodded. "Okay. Let's go to the other side though where it'll be calmer." He headed back towards the tent and said over his shoulder, "I'm going to change, then you can."

So Eli and I waited as JT and Alex changed in the tents. "JT snores."

I laughed at Eli's depressed tone and looked at him. "I'm sorry?"

"I want to trade Alex." His mouth was set in a frown which made me laugh more.

"You can ask."

"Don't you want to share a tent with me?"

I thought about it a moment. "I'd love to, but Alex doesn't bother me or anything. Just ask him if he'll switch." I looked over at the tent as Alex crawled out. He looked over at us and nodded toward the tent to tell me it was all mine.

"He's not going to." I glanced over at Eli who was looking at our older brother as I got up.

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head and smiled up at me. "You saw how he was the other night."

"He was just mad. Ask him if you want." I started walking towards the tent. Once in, I quickly changed into my two-piece despite knowing there'd probably be other guys down there and Alex would get mad. I was in a good place with him right now, so I might as well test my boundaries. I put my sunscreen on my stomach and chest before exiting and taking the bottle with me to get the rest.

"Holly, go change into your other swim suit," JT told me as I exited and Alex turned to look at me. His face set into a grim line.

"I didn't bring my other one," I lied. "Besides, it's just you guys. I'll be in the water down there if we see anyone else. Now, get my back for me?" I turned around in front of them and held the bottle out to the side. It was taken from me a second later. "Thanks."

I jumped as the cold lotion touched my skin. "I'm not happy with you right now." Alex's statement was punctuated with a firmer touch as he rubbed the sunscreen into my back.

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking?"

"You were too. We're not idiots," JT commented from behind me as Eli walked over towards us. Eli himself tried to hide the small smile on his face as he saw mine. He knew I'd schemed my way into Alex letting me where my two piece without hearing the conversation.

Alex handed me back the bottle and I put some on my arms before pouring some into my hand for my legs and offering it to Eli. "I'll make fun of you if you turn out red as a lobster."

I finished with my legs as Eli handed it back to me and told me to get his back. I flicked his ear before stepping away and asking if the other two wanted any sunscreen on their backs before I washed my hands off. They both looked at Eli's back before pulling their shirts up and off. I got JT's first and then Alex's, wondering in how their muscles got more defined in age difference.

"Alright, I'll be right back. Get the rest of yourselves." I pressed the bottle into JT's hand before walking towards the camp-site bathrooms. They weren't dirty with excretions, but spiders and their webs clung to 50% of the place and I quickly scrubbed the lotion off my hand before exiting quickly.

"You know what you forgot," Eli said as I walked up. He started to put some sunscreen on his face and it dawned on me.

"Get it for me? I don't want to have to go back in there. It has spiders all over."

"Sure. Come here." He held my chin in his hand and rubbed it into my forehead, cheeks, and nose. "You should be good now."

"Thanks," I hugged him without thinking and made a disgusted noise as I pulled away. "You're sticky."

"That's generally what happens once you put this crap on. You're not so smooth and dry yourself."

"Come on, you two," Alex called as he and JT started walking downhill towards the trail that led to the beach. JT carried an ice chest and Alex had four towels.

"It sure is nice being the babies of the bunch. I bask in never having to carry or do anything," I mused to my little brother as we followed about twelve feet behind.

"Because you're a girl. You have no idea how damaging it is to my ego to be called the baby of the family."

I shrugged. "So become a girl? Or better yet, get a girl who inflates your ego with compliments all the time. I want a guy like that. I want to feel beautiful and amazing every day I'm with him." I smiled up at the sky at the thought.

"I'm pretty sure I've never met a guy who doesn't ogle you. If that doesn't make you feel beautiful, I don't know what will."

"Ah, thanks." I bumped his shoulder. "But for real, that's the kind of girl you need."

"Nice theory. You're the only girl I've met who pays out compliments like they're water."

"What can I say? I'm pretty freaking amazing."

"I don't think you need a guy for that ego."

"Shut up, Eli."

"You two doing okay?" Alex called out as we started a rockier and steeper part.

"Stay quiet and see if he freaks out," I whispered and giggled. Sure enough, Alex stopped and turned around, a frantic expression on his face.

He met my eyes and narrowed his eyes. "That's not remotely funny."

"I thought it was. You should have seen your face." I patted him on the cheek as we got even with him. He fell into step beside me and Eli sped up a little to get in front of us as there wasn't enough space for three people to walk side by side.

I stumbled and Alex's hand came to hold onto my upper arm. He didn't let go until we reached the bottom. It was empty, which was probably because it was a Sunday morning and everyone was at church. JT set down the ice chest and Alex set the towels down on top. Eli and I headed towards the water after slipping off our shoes and the other two were right behind us.

The water was warm, thank god, and I quickly went in until the water was to my shoulders. "I've missed this." I spun around in the water and brought my feet up, wading in the water.

"We have a pool at home." JT swam in a circle around me.

"Not the same. The lake isn't chemically enhanced. It's natural and just... I don't know. It's different. I like it." I splashed him. "Stop doing that. You're making me dizzy."

He splashed me back and I swam towards him with the intention of dunking him. He stopped and stood up, grabbing me and throwing me across the water before I could even try to push him down. I managed a scream right before I went under, and came up sputtering a couple seconds later.

"JT, you're a jerk!" I glared at him from ten feet away and Eli came up beside me.

"Wanna get him back?"

"How?"

Eli's grin made me smile. "I say we swim under him and pull him under. I'll take one leg; you can have the other." I nodded and we turned to look at JT who was now standing and talking to Alex.

"I'll get his right leg." I dived under and headed towards JT. I grabbed his leg and pulled hard, pride flowing through me when I felt him give in under Eli's and my hands. I came up quickly, my air supply having left and jumped when I opened my eyes to see Alex standing inches away from me.

"You know he's going to get you two." He wasn't looking at me and I looked to the side to see Eli, JT coming up right behind him. He shook his head to get his hair off his face and narrowed his eyes at us. I quickly ducked behind Alex. "You can't use me as a body shield."

I slapped at the hand that grabbed my arm to pull me from behind his back. "Please, Alex?"

"But then Eli will take it all."

"So?" I scrambled back behind him as he let go and JT came closer.

"Chill out. I'm not going to get you now. I'll wait until you're unsuspecting."

"Alex, make him play nice. Eli was helping me get him back for throwing me."

"Sorry. As older brother, I'm supposed to help gang up on the younger siblings."

I slapped his back. "You aren't the favorite anymore."

-

"I want to take a shower, but I'm afraid of the spiders." I sat looking at the bathrooms, having just got back from swimming.

"You're turning twenty and you can't kill a couple spiders?" JT raised an eyebrow at me.

"You want to come kill them for me? They're freaking huge."

"I'm not going into the girl's bathroom."

"Then kill the ones in the men's and I'll shower in there. But you have to keep watch for any guys coming in."

"Like we'd really let any male within fifty feet of you showering." Alex sat down in the chair beside me and popped open his beer. I also never saw him drink except on holidays...

"Want to come kill the spiders so I can shower?" I waited for him to answer as he took a long drink of his beer.

"Sure. Go get your clothes and towel."

A couple minutes later I walked into the guy's bathroom after Alex said he'd killed all the closest spiders. It looked like there were more spider webs in there than the girls', and I chalked it up to the fact that most men used the bathroom outdoors.

"Stay inside the door in case one comes after me while I'm showering?" I turned and looked at him to get his answer.

"Sure. Make it quick though. It's hot in here." I turned back around and was looking at the stall with the flimsy curtain rod, wondering where I should lay my clothes. "Here, I'll hold them until you need them."

"Thanks, Alex." I hugged him as I put my clothes and towel in his hands. "I'll hurry." I pulled the pony tail out of my hair and shut the curtain before stripping down quickly. I started the water and wet my hair before rubbing shampoo in my hair and washing my body as fast as possible. I washed off and put conditioner in my hair as I watched a spider crawl dangerously close to my shower. It hit the edge of the tiled shower as soon as I shut off the water.

"Alright, towel please." I stuck my hand out and was relieved when the fluffy thing was pressed into it.

"That was fast."

"You said to be quick. Plus there's a spider like three feet from me. Clothes?" I stuck out my towel and he took it before handing me my clothes. I quickly put on my bra, panties, and shirt, pulling on my shorts last and stepping out before fully buttoning them. I grabbed my clothes from the ground and faced him as I started walking towards the door and fastening my shorts. "Let's get out of here. There's a spider chasing me.