The Winter I Fell for August

December, it all started in December.

That was when Justin fell in love with August. Juliet was long gone and Justin was in desperate need of someone to fill his void.

August had perfect timing.

Alex could remember what August did to their family when she came into Justin's life. She tore their family apart.

August had perfect timing.

It all started in December, when Justin fell for August and his sister.

---

"Justin! Get up! You've been lying in here all day! Get up!" Alex Russo swung her brother's bedroom door open allowing gallons of light to flood in.

Justin rolled over in his bed covering his head with the covers to shield himself away from his younger sister. He had made no plans to get out of his warm and comforting bed, no intentions at all.

Alex groaned and walked further into her brother's room. She sat on the edge of his bed and shook him furiously.

"Wake up you lazy ass!"

Justin huffed and resisted any movement. Alex stripped the covers off of her brother and avoided looking anywhere below his neck.

Since when did Justin sleep shirtless?

"Alex, cut it out!" Justin growled pulling the covers back over his shirt-barren body.

"Not until you get up! Come and eat breakfast at least," Alex sighed.

"No!"

"God Justin, could you just get over this whole 'Juliet moved away' situation?"

Justin finally sat up and grabbed Alex's upper arm, "Justin, you're hurting me," Alex whimpered reaching to pull her brother's hand away.

Without releasing his grip, Justin spoke to his younger, "Get out of my face, get out of my room, right now."

Alex swallowed a knot of fear down her throat. Her brother had never talked to her that way, never grabbed her nor touched her with such force. It was scary to see what he was capable of.

The 16-year-old snatched her arm away from Justin's grasp and stood from his bed abruptly. Without another word, Alex stalked out of her brother's bedroom, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

---

Once out of his room, Alex looked down to her arm to see a reddish purple ring forming around her arm. She bit her lip and hurriedly pulled her sleeve down to hid the bruise.

If this was going to start happening Alex and Justin were going to start having major problems.

---

Justin felt bad for hurting Alex the way he did. He was hoping he didn't leave any marks. But Alex didn't get that he wanted to be left alone! No one in his family got that.

The 18-year-old got out of his bed and stretched for a moment. He looked around his room, it was atrocious, hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Not since Juliet left. Justin momentarily allowed his eyes to wonder to his digital alarm clock. It was 2:56 in the afternoon. He'd woken up early today.

Justin grabbed a random wife beater from his floor and slipped it on before leaving his room sluggishly. He walked down the hall to see if anyone was still in the house.

Max: gone.

Mom: gone.

Dad: gone.

Dragon: outside.

Alex: bingo.

Alex's door was cracked open and inside Justin could see her standing in front of her mirror. She was shirtless, in only her bra, standing sideways rubbing her arm.

A short-lived thought surged through his brain, beautiful, was the word that he saw. But just as quickly as the thought came, it was gone.

But the image was stuck in his head. Alex's short bob-like wavy hair. Alex's innocent baby-face. Her black lace bra. Her slender and perfect and curvy torso.

Justin shook the thought of his sister half-naked away from his head. Brothers weren't supposed to go on reveries about their little sisters.

"Alex?" Justin pushed the door open once his sister had pulled a shirt over her head.

She turned around suddenly, "What?"

"I'm sorry…about earlier, I got carried away," Justin held his head down as his sister pulled her shoes on.

"Yeah, whatever," Alex mumbled rushing out of the door, her arm briefly bumping into her brother's chest.

"Ow."

"Can I see?"

"It's nothing," Alex shook her head and continued down the hall to the stairs.

Justin followed behind, "Alex, let me see."

"Nothing!"

"Alex!" Justin shouted her name.

"What?!"

"Just let me see," Justin exasperated.

Alex was fuming; he could tell because she was breathing heavily, that only happened when Alex was really angry, "You want to see Justin? Do you really want to see?" The teen yanked up her sleeve and showed her brother the bruise that was forming around her upper bicep, "Do you see what you did to me?"

Justin remained silent as Alex pulled her sleeve back down and stormed out of the door. With a sigh he sat down on the staircase and buried his face in his hands.

Justin had always known that he and his sister didn't get along very well. However, it was always well controlled. Never had it escalated to the point of him hurting her. Ever since Juliet had gone a lot of things were different. Justin wasn't putting effort into anything but arguing with his family members.

---

"Alex, did you get your brother to wake up?" Mrs. Russo asked carrying an empty tray that formally held food.

Alex grabbed the tray and shrugged, "No, don't really think it'll make any difference. He isn't coming down to work or anything."

"Alex, I asked you to get him up."

"God mom he's awake. Just not personable," Alex walked into the back kitchen quickly.

It was then that Justin waltzed down the stairs scratching his head still in only pajama pants and his t-shirt.

"Justin!" Mr. Russo shouted, "Clothes now young man!"

"Mom, seriously, please, don't bug me."

"Excuse me?"

Justin sighed and continued to make his way behind the counter. He sat on the stool at the register and rested his head in his hands sitting bored.

Alex came out of the kitchen, "Ha, look at what the devil blew in, would you like to hurt me some more, I won't cry, believe me," she hissed into his ear.

"I'm sorry, I said that already."

As Alex opened her mouth, the ring of the customer bell alerted them. Justin looked up and was in sudden awe when he saw the girl standing in front of him. She was a smooth chocolate brown skinned brown eyed beauty. She had long dark hair cut into a flattering mid-chest style. The girl was tall and slender and pretty, beyond pretty, she was exquisitely beautiful.

"Hi," she said politely, "Um, can I have a tea refill please?"

Tea not soda, how perfect was she?