Chapter 4 : Don't forget the rule

Alex stood in front of the mirror and hated what he saw

He looked the same but he didn’t feel the same, his eyes were tired, his shirt was buttoned all the way up to his throat

He pulled the collar down with shaking fingers

Bruises, dark and ugly, right on his hips, and a mark at the base of his neck

"shit" Alex whispered to himself "get it together"

He let the shirt go and buttoned it again, every single button, then he tucked it in and ran a hand through his hair

He had to be normal, he had to be Alex Bennet, top grades, perfect stepson, invisible

Downstairs smelled like coffee and pastries, it made him sick

He walked into the dining room and stopped

Silas was at the head of the table with his iPad, Bridget was pouring tea, the sun was too bright

"good morning sweetheart" Bridget smiled "you’re up early"

"morning mom, morning Silas" Alex said, voice steady, he sat in his usual seat across from Troy’s empty chair

Silas looked up "Alex, perfect timing, I was just looking at the quarterly reports, the analysis you used for your midterms is exactly what our senior team is doing right now"

"is it" Alex picked up toast "I was just applying the theory"

"it’s more than theory" Silas said "it’s discipline, that’s what separates people who run things from people who watch"

Alex nodded "thank you"

Before he could say more footsteps came from the hall

"discipline" Troy’s voice "big word for breakfast"

Alex’s hand tightened around the toast until it cracked

Troy walked in, linen shirt open at the sleeves, hair perfect, he looked like he slept eight hours

"you’re up early" Silas said, tone cooling "did you and Paxton keep it clean last night"

"cleaner than clean dad" Troy said, kissed Bridget on the cheek "morning"

"morning Troy, coffee’s there" Bridget said

Troy poured coffee then sat down, right across from Alex

His eyes went straight to Alex’s collar, to the top button, and his mouth twitched

Alex looked at his plate

"so Alex" Troy said, casual "dad says you have discipline, were you in the study all night or did you finally go out"

Alex looked up "I was working, my studies are my priority"

"of course they are" Troy sipped coffee "good boy, never makes mistakes, never gets dirty"

" Troy" Silas sighed "leave him alone, if you spent half that energy on your own future we wouldn’t be talking about your gap year every week"

"I’m just interested in my brother’s development" Troy said to Silas, but he was looking at Alex

Under the table something hit Alex’s ankle

Troy’s foot

Alex jerked his leg back but Troy’s knee was already there, heavy against his thigh, pinning him

Alex’s breath caught

Troy didn’t even look down, he just reached for the sugar "Bridget, cream please"

"of course dear" Bridget passed it

Alex’s hands were shaking on the table, he pressed them flat

Troy’s knee didn’t move

"Alex" Silas said

Alex looked up too fast "yes"

"I got you that internship" Silas said "executive floor, Morrison Global, directly under the board, it’s competitive but I told them you can handle it"

Alex blinked "that’s... thank you Silas, I won’t let you down"

"I know you won’t" Silas smiled

Across the table Troy smiled too, slow

Under the table Troy’s knee moved higher, up Alex’s thigh, pressing in

Alex’s whole body went hot, he gripped the edge of the table

"executive floor" Troy said "that’s a lot of pressure, late nights, lots of eyes on you, don’t break under it little brother"

Alex met his eyes "I’ll be fine"

"good" Troy said "because I’ll be around to make sure"

Bridget laughed "you two are so competitive, it’s cute"

Neither of them answered

Silas went back to his iPad "the internship starts in June, you’ll shadow the risk team first, then move to strategy"

"that sounds great" Alex said, voice tight

Troy’s knee pressed harder "you nervous"

Alex shook his head "no"

"you sure" Troy said "because you look tense"

"I’m fine" Alex said through his teeth

"if you say so" Troy leaned back "pass the eggs"

Bridget passed them, completely oblivious

Alex tried to move his leg but Troy just shifted and locked him in again

"so" Silas said "Alex, I was thinking you could start sitting in on the Monday meetings, get a feel for it early"

"I’d like that" Alex said

"great" Silas said "Troy, you should come too, maybe you’ll learn something"

Troy shrugged "maybe, if I’m not busy"

"what could you possibly be busy with" Silas asked

"life" Troy said, and his eyes flicked to Alex

Alex looked down

"Alex, are you okay" Bridget asked "you look pale"

"I’m fine mom" Alex said "just didn’t sleep great"

"too much studying" Silas said proudly

"too much something" Troy murmured into his coffee

Under the table Troy’s hand moved

Alex froze

Troy’s hand rested on Alex’s knee, right on top of the fabric, heavy and casual like he was just resting it there

Alex’s heart was pounding so loud he was sure they could hear it

"you okay" Troy asked, voice low, only for Alex

Alex didn’t answer

Troy’s thumb moved, a small circle on Alex’s knee

"answer me" Troy said, quieter

Alex looked at him "stop"

"stop what" Troy said, innocent

"you know what"

"I don’t" Troy said "I’m just sitting here"

His hand moved up an inch

Alex sucked in a breath and dropped his fork

It clattered on the plate

"whoops" Troy said, and bent down like he was picking it up

Under the table his hand was on Alex’s thigh now, firm

Alex grabbed Troy’s wrist under the table "don’t"

Troy looked up at him, still smiling "what"

"let go" Alex whispered

"make me" Troy whispered back

Silas looked up "everything okay"

"yeah" Troy said, sitting back up, hand still on Alex "Alex dropped his fork, clumsy"

"you’ve always been clumsy" Silas said, then went back to work

Troy let go and Alex exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for an hour

"so" Troy said "this internship, executive floor, that means you’ll be working late"

"probably" Alex said

"good" Troy said "I get lonely at night"

Alex didn’t look at him

Bridget was talking about a charity event, Silas was nodding, the normal world was happening around them

And under the table Troy’s leg was still pressed to Alex’s

"you know" Troy said "I was thinking about last night"

Alex went rigid

"not what you think" Troy said quickly, too loud "I was thinking about how you left the library lights on again, dad was mad"

"oh" Bridget said "Alex, honey, turn them off next time"

"yeah, sorry" Alex said, heart still racing

Troy smirked

After breakfast Silas stood "I have calls, Bridget, you coming to the club"

"I’ll be there in an hour" Bridget said

They left, and the room went quiet

Just Alex and Troy

Alex stood up fast "I need to go"

"Sit" Troy said

Alex didn’t

Troy stood too and came around the table "I said sit"

"What do you want from me" Alex said

"nothing" Troy said "just talking"

"that’s not talking" Alex gestured under the table "that was—"

"what" Troy stepped closer "that was me reminding you"

"of what"

"of the rules" Troy said "you remember them right"

Alex looked away "we live with them"

"exactly" Troy said "so you’re going to act perfect, and I’m going to act perfect, and when no one’s looking you’re mine"

"you can’t just—"

"I can" Troy cut him off "because you let me last night, and you didn’t say no this morning"

Alex’s chest hurt "that’s not fair"

"life’s not fair little brother" Troy said "now are you going to sit or do I have to make you"

Alex sat

Troy sat across from him again "good boy"

"don’t call me that"

"why not" Troy said "you liked it last night"

Alex flushed "shut up"

"make me" Troy said again

They stared at each other

Finally Alex broke "what happens if someone finds out"

"they won’t" Troy said "you’re too smart to let that happen, and I’m too careful"

"and if I say no"

"then you say no" Troy said "but we both know you won’t"

Alex hated him for being right

Troy stood "I have to go, Paxton’s picking me up, try not to miss me while I’m gone"

He walked to the door then stopped "oh and Alex"

"What"

"button your shirt all the way up today, you don’t want mom to see anything" Troy said and walked out

Alex sat there alone, hands shaking

He looked down at his collar, at the top button, and realized Troy was right

He couldn’t tell anyone, he couldn’t fight it at the table, he couldn’t run

Because the second he did, everything he’d worked for would burn

His phone buzzed

Devil Brother

_don’t forget the rule_ 

Alex deleted it and put his head in his hands

The house was quiet

And he was trapped.