Huxley again (Part 10)

Riley was fuming with anger. His little brother was definitely after Dawn, that much was sure, but Dawn seemed to like him back. He had watched them ride their horses, and the smile on her face was enough to make him jealous. He hadn't seen that gorgeous smile since she got raped, eventhough he had tried everything he could to make her smile. And now his little brother got her smiling with just a stupid joke. He threw the hayfork in the barn and walked outside. His dad was busy milking the cows, and didn't notice his eldest son was so confused.


Dawn was still with Marc, and they had fun together. The reason why she liked being around him so much was because he didn't know of the rape. He didn't treat her like she could break any second, and therefor she could forget it while she was around him. When Riley was with her, it made her think of the rape almost constantly. It didn't mean she didn't love being around Riley, but because he was busy working, she saw no harm in spending the day with someone she liked. She didn't know Riley was acting so strange because he was jealous. She didn't understand at all why he was avoiding her, but because he had told her his parents were deeply religious she expected that to be the reason of his behaviour.
Marc knew his brother was angry. He could see it in the big steps and the cramped shoulders Riley had when he walked out of the barn. He knew his brother was jealous, and since he was not easily made jealous it made him think he might have a chance with Dawn after all. She seemed to enjoy his company, and said yes to almost all his plans. When he invited her to go to the city with him that night she accepted without even thinking about it. He smiled inwardly. Maybe this was going to be easier than he thought.
They ate in silence. It wasn't the comfy, we-don't-have-to-say-anything- silence though. It was an awkward silence, in which Bob and Patty tried to fill the silence by asking Dawn and Riley questions about their relationship.

'So you love him very much?'

Patty filled Dawns glass with water before she sat down. Dawn looked at Riley. Yes she did. But something in the way he acted made her insecure. It made her voice shake when she answered.

'Yeah I love him very much'

Riley looked up at her for one second. Her voice was shaky...it sounded like a lie. Like she wasn't sure about her love for him anymore. He stood up from the table and walked out without saying a word. Dawn got up and went after him.

'Riley?'

She was afraid to come too close. He looked so angry.

'what's wrong?'

He didn't answer, didn't even turn around to face her. It made her sad and insecure. Was it something she had done that made him so angry? Didn't he love her anymore? When he stayed silent she had trouble fighting her tears.

'Right...I get it...I'll just leave you alone'

She walked back into the house, went straight through the kitchen and climbed up the stairs. Inside the guestroom she fell on her bed and cried her eyes out.
He knew she would probably need some comfort now. Or some fun. So Marc went up to her bedroom and asked her if she still wanted to go out with him. If it was the fact that she wanted to get back at Riley, or something else, he didn't know, but she accepted his offer and told him she would be ready in a few minutes. He went downstairs and told his mother he would show Dawn the city, loud enough for Riley to hear it. His mother looked from Riley to Marc and back.

'Why don't you take your brother with you?'

She tried to mend the bond between the two brothers.

'No thanks mother, if she's rather with him than with me I don't want to be in her way'

Riley's voice sounded coolly, and he walked out of the kitchen with an air that said I don't care.