Annie abandoning me in the hope that Daniel would take me home.
“I couldn’t find her so I decided to grab a taxi home.” Again, so not admitting I was really going to grab the tube. He would have a heart attack. “When I left the club, I was attacked around the corner by some druggy. He must have been on drugs because he was talking up some major crazy. Then this other bloke came to my rescue and rushed the guy who had grabbed me. I didn’t stick around but ran to the pub and called you.”
“Okay, at least you have some sense in that head of yours,” Sean groused. “I’ll call the station in a little while and see if anything was reported. Just to make sure your knight in shining armor wasn’t hurt. Who knows, maybe the bastard who went after you was arrested later on.”
He changed subjects and came back to me.
“But really,” he shook his head despairingly. “I assumed you knew better than to go out drinking and then try to find your way home on your own.”
Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air. “I didn’t realize how tipsy I was. I had one drink. Honestly, Sean, I am not a child.” I proceeded to prove that by crossing my arms over my chest and sticking my bottom lip out in a pout.
Eyes softening, Sean hugged me tight against him. “Baby sister, I’m not really angry at you. I was just so freaking scared. I don’t believe I’ve ever been more frightened in my life as I was last night.”
I leaned into his hug before pulling away slightly. I looked him in the eyes and told him tenderly, “Sean, you need to understand. I’m not a little girl anymore. Most women my age are in either a steady relationship or serial daters. If it were not for all my studies, I would have been dating a long time ago. You genuinely are going to need to let go.”
Sighing heavily, he ran his hands through his thick hair. “I don’t know if I will ever see you as a grown woman. I can still remember the day mum and dad brought you home.” His shoulders slumped as he settled beside me on the floor. “I was so angry at them, you know?”
“Mum and dad?" I probed. He nodded and carried on.
“Ten years old and I couldn’t understand why they wanted another kid. I really showed my ass there for a few weeks. I kept thinking, what, we weren't enough for them. They needed to bring in this brat to take our place. Mara was fine with it. I suppose she saw you as a new toy to play with. She had her own personal little dress up doll.
"Dad sat down with me one night a few days before you came home. He said ‘son, I know you don’t want another baby in the house. Much less, another sister, but you need to understand what is going on. Your mum and I love you very much and you are extremely lucky to have all that you do.’" The remembered pain on Sean's face broke my heart and I scooted closer to him. He pulled me in for a cuddle before continuing.
"'Dia doesn’t have anyone, Sean. We have this tiny new baby with no one to love or protect her. Her mum gave her away because she couldn’t give her what she needed. She requires someone who will not only love her but will help keep all the darkness away too. I hope you will do that, Sean. Take this poor abandoned little girl, love her, and guard her, as her mum and dad couldn’t.’
"I didn’t understand what they were going on about until a few days later when they brought you home. Mum sat me on the couch and put this tiny bundle of pink in my arms. As soon as I looked at your sleeping face, I fell in love. Even at ten years old, I understood I would go to hell and back for you. I would slay any dragon that came your way. Nothing would ever harm you as long as there was breath in my body to stop it.”
“Oh.” My eyes welled up as he finished his story and I looked at my brother with new eyes. “I never realized, Sean," I murmured. “You’ve never said anything like that before...”
“I never will again, baby girl. I just wanted you to understand why I
“I couldn’t find her so I decided to grab a taxi home.” Again, so not admitting I was really going to grab the tube. He would have a heart attack. “When I left the club, I was attacked around the corner by some druggy. He must have been on drugs because he was talking up some major crazy. Then this other bloke came to my rescue and rushed the guy who had grabbed me. I didn’t stick around but ran to the pub and called you.”
“Okay, at least you have some sense in that head of yours,” Sean groused. “I’ll call the station in a little while and see if anything was reported. Just to make sure your knight in shining armor wasn’t hurt. Who knows, maybe the bastard who went after you was arrested later on.”
He changed subjects and came back to me.
“But really,” he shook his head despairingly. “I assumed you knew better than to go out drinking and then try to find your way home on your own.”
Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air. “I didn’t realize how tipsy I was. I had one drink. Honestly, Sean, I am not a child.” I proceeded to prove that by crossing my arms over my chest and sticking my bottom lip out in a pout.
Eyes softening, Sean hugged me tight against him. “Baby sister, I’m not really angry at you. I was just so freaking scared. I don’t believe I’ve ever been more frightened in my life as I was last night.”
I leaned into his hug before pulling away slightly. I looked him in the eyes and told him tenderly, “Sean, you need to understand. I’m not a little girl anymore. Most women my age are in either a steady relationship or serial daters. If it were not for all my studies, I would have been dating a long time ago. You genuinely are going to need to let go.”
Sighing heavily, he ran his hands through his thick hair. “I don’t know if I will ever see you as a grown woman. I can still remember the day mum and dad brought you home.” His shoulders slumped as he settled beside me on the floor. “I was so angry at them, you know?”
“Mum and dad?" I probed. He nodded and carried on.
“Ten years old and I couldn’t understand why they wanted another kid. I really showed my ass there for a few weeks. I kept thinking, what, we weren't enough for them. They needed to bring in this brat to take our place. Mara was fine with it. I suppose she saw you as a new toy to play with. She had her own personal little dress up doll.
"Dad sat down with me one night a few days before you came home. He said ‘son, I know you don’t want another baby in the house. Much less, another sister, but you need to understand what is going on. Your mum and I love you very much and you are extremely lucky to have all that you do.’" The remembered pain on Sean's face broke my heart and I scooted closer to him. He pulled me in for a cuddle before continuing.
"'Dia doesn’t have anyone, Sean. We have this tiny new baby with no one to love or protect her. Her mum gave her away because she couldn’t give her what she needed. She requires someone who will not only love her but will help keep all the darkness away too. I hope you will do that, Sean. Take this poor abandoned little girl, love her, and guard her, as her mum and dad couldn’t.’
"I didn’t understand what they were going on about until a few days later when they brought you home. Mum sat me on the couch and put this tiny bundle of pink in my arms. As soon as I looked at your sleeping face, I fell in love. Even at ten years old, I understood I would go to hell and back for you. I would slay any dragon that came your way. Nothing would ever harm you as long as there was breath in my body to stop it.”
“Oh.” My eyes welled up as he finished his story and I looked at my brother with new eyes. “I never realized, Sean," I murmured. “You’ve never said anything like that before...”
“I never will again, baby girl. I just wanted you to understand why I
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