Justin let himself into his dad's house, holding his laundry bag over his shoulder. He usually washed his clothes in the laundry room at the apartment. But they only had a few machines and they all seemed to be broken. When he told his landlord the man said he couldn't get someone until tomorrow. It was bull, he just didn't want to deal with it today. But Justin needed clean clothes and didn't want to spend more and use the laundromat, which was why he was at his dad's.

Once he was in through the door he could smell food. Nothing his dad had ever made smelled as good as what he was smelling. Letting his nose and stomach lead him he followed the smell into the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" Molly said, glaring at him. She looked like her day had been hell.

"I need to wash my clothes."

Molly was standing in front of a pan of boiling water. She looked anxious about whatever was happening to it. It was almost comical how tense she was about it. He walked over to the stove.

"You're cooking?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

He cooked. His dad cooked. Vicky cooked. Hell, even C.J. cooked. Molly did not cook, she burned. One time she set macaroni on fire. That was the last time their dad let her near the stove.

"Deb's helping me, she went out back to make a call. I think she didn't want me to hear her tell Dad how hopeless I am. She said she could teach anyone how to cook." Molly sighed.

"What did you do?" Knowing it was going to be funny and humiliating for his sister. She was smart, funny, talented and athletic. She didn't need to be good at everything. He might be a little jealous of all her achievements. He was proud of her and wanted her to do well, so he just put it off on sibling rivalry.

"She said I should be arrested for cruelty to animals," she grumbled.

"Why?" he asked, while trying not the laugh.

"She told me to hit the chicken with a mallet. All I did was do what she told me. She never said how hard. She told me I wasn't trying out for the strongest woman contest."

"Molly, I just talked to your fath- oh hello sweety," Debbie said as she came back into the kitchen.

"Hi, Molly said you are helping her learn to cook. Good luck with that. Say hi to Mr. Gene when you see him," he said carrying his bag to the laundry room right off the kitchen. He heard Molly growl at him, he tried to hide his smirk.

"Who's Mr. Gene?" Debbie asked curiously.

"He's the Fire Chief," Molly bit out.

Justin couldn't stop laughing as he loaded the washer. He had two loads to do, he hoped whatever smelled good that Debbie would let him have some.

Walking back into the kitchen he saw Debbie taking a pan out of the oven.

"So what are you making?" he asked.

"Chicken Parmesan," Debbie answered.

He looked around but didn't see Molly any longer. "Where's Mol?"

"She went upstairs, in tears. I think you have some apologizing to do young man," she said sternly, maybe she was perfect for his dad.

Properly chastised, he headed upstairs to tell her he was sorry. He really didn't mean to hurt her feelings. It was just how they were with each other. When he failed his driver's test, the first time, she told everyone on her social media friends list. He was a laughing shock with her friends.

He knocked on her door. "Molly, can I come in?"

"Go away," she yelled through the door.

Opening the door and walking in any way he found her sitting at her desk. Her computer was on but she wasn't working on it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he said, sitting down on the end of her bed.

"You didn't, not really. I know I can't cook but she seemed to really want to teach me. At first when she tried to spend time with me, I thought she was a complete freak, but she's not. She's really nice, I just wanted her to like me. That sounds stupid doesn't it?" Molly was looking at him, he could see tears welling in her eyes.

"No that's not stupid, but I'm sure she already likes you. You don't have to do anything to make her like you. What's not to like, you're brilliant just like your dear ol' brother."

"Do you really think I'm as brilliant as C.J.?" she asked with a giggle.

Justin tried to school his features but he must have been unsuccessful because Molly caught it. While his dad seemed oblivious to his problems with C.J. Molly wasn't. She had asked him countless times what his issue with their older brother was. He had never told her because he didn't want to hurt her. When she wanted to visit C.J. the year after Justin did, he begged her not to go. He almost went to his dad to tell him what happened. But then before any plans were made their Aunt Sadie invited all three of them to her summer house.

They spent his dad's two week vacation in his aunt and uncle's place in Lake Tahoe. They had so much fun, Justin liked that it was just the five of them. No outsiders, no strange friends coming over and drinking. The best thing was they had locks on the doors.

A year later his brother moved to Germany. Then going to visit required a passport

"Justin, tell me what happened between you and C.J."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, going for causal.

"I'm not Dad, I know something is up. You're never around when he comes to visit. I asked him, he said you two had a difference of opinion."

Difference of opinion?

"I guess that's one way of putting it," he told her.

"Now I want to hear the truth. I'm not a child anymore, I'm fifteen now. That's three years older than you were when all this started."

She did have a point there. He didn't want to tell her though, it was shameful. He had come through a lot in the past six years since it happened, but there was the part of him that still felt trapped in that room.

"Mol, I really don't want to talk about it?"

"Don't you trust me?" she asked. Her face showed that his hesitancy to talk hurt.

After the colossal betrayal of trust by his so called brother, trust was hard to come by. He was torn about telling her the truth or letting her stay in glorious ignorance.

"Of course I trust you. But if I tell you this, your opinion of C.J. might change. I don't want to be the reason for any stress for you."

"I can handle it, I promise."

Closing his eyes, he tried to find a way out of telling her. The truth wasn't going to hurt him as much to tell, as it was to see how she reacts. He couldn't handle another sibling turning their back on him.

"Remember when I went to visit C.J.?" he asked.

She nodded, rolling her chair to the bed. Their knees where touching now.

"When I got there it was like C.J. had changed. All the stuff he said we would do on the phone changed. I got to his place and he ignored me. Catherine would ask him what we were doing and he would say he was too busy. The last night I was there Catherine took Tabby to a friends for the night. C.J. invited a bunch of his Air Force buddies. They all got hammered and C.J. passed out in the living room. All his friends left except one of them. He was a big guy - scary too.

"I went to the bedroom I was staying in just to get away from him looking at me. That was a mistake but I didn't know it at the time. I was there for maybe thirty minutes, almost asleep when the door opened. I tried to get out of the room but he trapped me," he said, voice breaking.

He looked up at Molly to see tears running down her face. "What did he do to you?" Her voice was hoarse.

"He pinned me down and threated to hurt Tabby. He said C.J. would never believe me. I couldn't risk him being right and hurt Tabby, she was only three. So I-I did what he said," he stuttered, the night was rushing back to him. The fear, the shame and the hope that C.J. would rescue him.

"What did he want?" she whispered.

"He wanted me to use my hand on him. After a while of that he tried to put himself in my mouth but I kept on gagging and I threw up. He hit me in the head and made me clean up the mess, but he kept blocking the door. When I cleaned up the sick he pushed his pants all the way down. I don't know what was supposed to happen next but I can guess. But luckily I think when he pushed me into the dresser and told me to clean the mess, I think the noise woke C.J.

"C.J. came in but instead of being mad at his friend and protecting me, he called me a faggot and said I was trying to make his friend a faggot too. He didn't even seem upset with his friend. I was only twelve, it wasn't my fault."

"Of course it wasn't," she cried, jumping out of her chair and climbing on the bed with him to wrap her arms around him.

"He didn't even make his friend leave, he let the guy sleep on the couch. I snuck out the window and stayed in a neighbor's gazebo. I couldn't sleep until I got back home and into my own bed, where I could lock my door."

It wasn't until he pulled out of Molly's hold that he noticed they weren't alone. In the doorway with mascara tears running down her face was Debbie. He didn't need to ask if she heard – it was clear she had.