Stepbrothers' Darling

by K.A. Knight

so I slowly begin to detach myself from them, cutting them off.

Seems smart

“Hey, baby girl—fucking hell!” he cries, reaching in and switching off the shower.

“I-I just want to be left alone, okay?” “Even from us? From me?” he queries sadly.

I force myself to go find Cyrus to make sure he’s alright.

“Erm, shaving?” he jokes weakly. “Tell me now,” I order. He sighs.

“It doesn’t need stitches. It might scar, but you got lucky,” he mumbles.

Look, I’ve been thinking…” “Always scary,” Bray teases.

and my heart tears apart at what I’m doing.

When I stop at the door, they all become silent, glancing from me to the bag.

They do follow, of course, and shout my name.

and I have to avert my eyes from his broken, kicked puppy dog eyes and the tears trailing down his face.

“Blair,” Bray sobs.

Big, scary, brave Blair is running because she’s afraid and using excuses. Well, fuck that and fuck you. You don’t get to hurt him because you’re a vindictive little cunt.”

I can handle their hate as long as they are alive.

as Bray sobs in the doorway

but know if you leave, you’re walking away from the only people who care about you because you’re scared—not because you don’t love us,

and now you want to just walk away because it got too real? No, baby girl, fuck you.

You’ll have broken your own heart and walked away from the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

and Cyrus’s terror filled eyes as he realises he let me go.

As he grasps I got what I wanted. As he comprehends his family is just as broken as the barely beating organ in my chest. He roars, grabbing his hair as he falls to his knees.

I watch her drive away as my family crumbles.

All I can do, though, is kneel here with Asher’s hand on mine and think... I did it again.

“I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t—” “Shh,” he murmurs,

He’ll take this harder than anyone.

“We need her back, or we are going to fall apart,” Asher says, and I flinch. “It’s not your fault, Bray. Didn’t you see? She was looking for any excuse to run. She’s scared and worried that what happened to Meredith will happen to us. This wasn’t about you or even us, it was about her. Her old fears have taken over, and we can’t fight them, only she can.”

“I told her I love her,...

“We all love her; you were just brave enough to tell her when she needed it most.

she will be back, and we’ll be waiting. But until then, we have to keep this family together—for her.”

Come on, let’s go beat the shit out of Cyrus until he can think clearly.”

If Blair isn’t careful, she will break Bray and Cyrus beyond repair.

She trusted us, now it’s time for me to have a little faith and trust in the woman I fell in love with too.

I’ll be the one who keeps us together for her. I’ll save this family with blood, sweat, and fucking tears.

She’s ours, even if she doesn’t want to be right now.

I can’t even hold myself together enough to go check on my brothers.

to chase her down and drag her back and tie her to my bed so she can never leave us again.

I should have listened, seen her fear, and helped her through it instea...

I would have done anything for her. Killed for her. Stolen. Lied. Cheated.

I’m not enough. When will I realise that?

“Don’t!” I yell. “Blair needs you,” he states defiantly.

and before I know it, I’ve punched him square in the face.

“Ash, I’m sorry!” I exclaim. He waves it away and sits u...

“Just please don’t say her na...

Bray grabs my keys out of my hand

We know you, Cyrus. You’re crude, mean, and a fucking asshole.” “Thanks,” I mutter.

“No, thanks, I’d rather fuck our girl,”

or we can step the fuck up and show her we aren’t leaving her like everyone else.

and let’s fucking come up with a plan to get our girl back.” Well, fuck.

“That boy.” I sigh. “He loves you.”

My words cut off as I look into the dining room, drawn by a muffled noise. My eyes meet their wide, terror-filled ones. They are all tied to chairs, their mouths gagged as they struggle, trying to warn me.

“Welcome home, Blair,” a dark, satisfied voice croons next to my ear.