Songs for the chapter:
Hot Blood by KALEO
The Darker the Weather// The Better the Man by MISSIO

After dropping Noa off that night, all I could think about on the drive back was the fact that she said she was used to being the one to pleasure, with nothing in return. I clenched the steering wheel a little tighter.

I channeled my inner anger towards the thought of her selfish past lover. I had to think of something else because my hands were hurting from gripping the wheel so tightly.

Trying to shake myself from that angering thought, I thought of Noa. Every look, touch, kiss we've ever shared. Biting my lip at my growing erection, I tried to think of something else. I didn't want to have a boner while driving.

For the remainder of the ride home I began to recite chemistry terms and equations which helped a lot. My study sessions with Noa proved to be effective.

After parking and turning off the car. I sat for a second, a strange feeling surging over me. The air felt eerie and the house seemed too empty. Pulling out my phone, I checked my messages, noticing how there was a couple missed calls from my mom.

Strange, I had thought. She never called me unless it was really important. She also knew I was out with Noa as I had messaged her briefly I would be home late.

Dialing up her number, I called her back. The phone only rang once before she picked up.

"Rhett... come to the hospital. It's Ripley... he had an accident." That's all she needed to say before I hung up and pulled out of the driveway, hastily cruising down the street.

My hands clenched onto the steering wheel once again, except more in anxiousness this time.

My mind kept saying the same thing over and over.

I knew he would hurt him, and it was my fault.

I wasn't there for him.

I knew our father told him to say it was an accident. It was something he always told me to say. It got to the point where I began to run out of excuses. A person can only "slip down the stairs" so many times before people start questioning.

I glanced briefly at the speedometer: 100 miles per hour. At this speed I would get locked up in jail if any cop would be around.

I made it to the hospital in a matter of minutes. I zoomed into a spot and rushed out of the car towards the main sliding doors. I ran up to the front desk, trying to get the receptionist's attention.

She was smacking her gum whilst talking on the phone. She held up a hand as if telling me to wait. After two long minutes she hung up, finally looking up at me to speak.

"My brother Ripley Ryder was just taken in. I need to know the room," I managed to get out in one breath. She looked down at her computer, clicking away before she must have found it.

"What's your relation to him? Only family is allowed back in emergency." I wanted to strangle her in this moment.

"I just said he was my brother. Please I need to see him NOW." I snapped a little at her. She rolled her eyes, scoffing as she did so.

"Geez, kid. Don't need to be rude about it." She crosses her arms, glaring at me before continuing. "He's in room 20A."

She pointed towards two large doors with emergency on it. I nodded my thanks swiftly before rushing through the doors.

I was able to find his room after a couple minutes of searching. Upon entering, I noticed his arm in a cast as well as the black eye.

My mother sat next to him in the bed whilst the devil sat on the chair across the room.

My mother was the first to notice my presence as she stood up and walked over towards me, giving me a quick hug.

"Rhett. Thank you for coming. Your brothers doing better now. He just had an accident at hockey practice. He was asking for you." It took all my willpower to not beat up my father. Blaming hockey for this.

"Rhett!" Ripley perked up on the bedside: waving me over with his free arm.

I grabbed my mom's arm. "Can I talk to him alone? Brother to brother." She nodded with a smile, clearly oblivious to the real reason of his accident.

Patting my cheek, she said, "of course, dear. Your father and I will be in the waiting room. Come on out once the doctor discharges him."

My mother walked out first. My father, who hadn't said a word since I had entered the room, was almost out the door when I stopped him.

Giving him a hard stare, I shake my head. "Hurt him again, and you'll regret it." I wasn't sure where I managed the strength to stand up and threat him, but it didn't surprise him like it surprised me.

"I don't know what you mean? Your mother just told you it was an accident from hockey."

I scoffed. "Yeah sure, dad. And you're a complete angel."

He approached me, looking me straight in the eye. "Careful, son. I'm still your father, Rhett. Do you need to be taught another lesson?"

Usually I would have backed down in fear, but I couldn't. Not with Ripley watching me.

"You don't scare me. Not anymore."

With that I turned away from him and walked over to Ripley's bedside. I was here for my brother, not him.

"Hey Rip." I hear the door slam before he speaks up.

His eyes find mine. He looks like I had the first time dad beat me.

Scared.

All of a sudden he breaks down in tears, and I carefully circled my arms around him, hugging him closer to my chest as he cried.

It takes him a few minutes before he settles down, left with hiccups instead of tears.

He pulled away from my embrace before speaking. "I- I should've listened to you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. And the only person that should be sorry is him. Not you."

He wiped his nose with his sleeve before continuing. "I didn't listen to him when he told me to stop playing my game. I- I didn't think he would come in and throw the controller at my face and bend my arm to the point it would snap. He-he told me I had to say it was from hockey otherwise he would hurt you too. Rhett, I'm scared."

He began to cry again, shaking like I had the first time.

This is what I tried to protect him from, but how could I protect him when I couldn't even protect myself?

Enough was enough.

He was going to pay.

I wasn't going to let him lay a finger on my brother again. Never again.

...
*unedited*