Sean

I stared at Devon Mercer as I stood in the doorway, while he glared down at his phone. I hadn't expected him to react the way he did when I mentioned Leah's absence, having thought he had known about it.

Clearly, I was wrong, considering the call that had just ended.

"Come inside," he grumbled, shoving his phone into his pocket.

Stepping inside, he closed the door behind me. The sound of it clicking shut, made me wince at the finality of the situation I found myself in.

Devon Mercer was a big guy, a head taller than me and bulky. He had broad shoulders with muscular arms that spoke volumes of how much he worked out. His dark brown hair lay limp on his head while his bronze gaze seemed to pierce me with their intense stare.

I felt uneasy standing there under his gaze, and instead turned to look around the house. It had two-stories with a somewhat well-kept front yard, which was painted a light blue with grey window panes.

Glancing around the inside, I made eye contact with Devon who raised a brow at me before shaking his head and heading further into it. With him gone, I looked up at the staircase in front of me, and down the hallway beside it which seemed to lead to the back of the house.

"Why did you get her work?" Devon's voice came as he appeared next to the staircase with a glass in hand.

"Uh- uh- because..." I stammered and trailed off, looking away from him and to my left. Unable to find the words.

The dining room to my left was in pristine shape as if no one ever used it; with a six-seater dining table in the middle of the room and comfy chairs around it. Taking in the cream carpet that lay beneath it, a few ferns and other ornaments lay around the dining room before my eyes landed on a black grand piano in the corner.

"Uh... what pretty boy?" Devon asked, his voice hard.

"I have most classes with her, so I got them," I answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, I doubt that," Devon scoffed, with a hard look at me before he wandered into the living room.

Following him, I looked around. This room looked lived in unlike the dining room. Devon dropped onto one of the two brown leather couches, placing his glass on the slightly cluttered coffee table. Grabbing the remote, he settled back and turned on the TV.

"My sister isn't a play thing," Devon said a moment later, and I stiffened.

"I didn't think..."

"Don't play games with me, Evans," Devon said, his voice dropping low in warning. "I'm guessing the reason you're here is because you're the one she was talking about. You're the one who saw her scars," he said with a knowing look.

Gulping at the fact that she had told him, told anyone. I shook my head in answer, hoping to deter him from whatever I saw in his eyes.

"I guess I'll take that as a yes then," he said a second later.

"Uh- so- she- she told you?" I stammered in shock.

Devon chuckled, his eyes hard and unnerving as they bore into mine, "Yes, she did. So, tell me. What's the real reason for your visit?" he asked with a raised brow.

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment before I remembered that he was waiting for an answer, "I- I-" I stuttered before sighing in defeat and asking, "What happened?"

"None of your damn business, Evans," a sneer came from behind me.

Turning around, I found Leah standing in the doorway. Her eyes narrowed upon me as she glowered in my direction.

A duffel bag hung from her left shoulder while her right was in her pocket. Her jet-black hair wild and loose as it cascaded around her shoulders, while the remnants of a bruise could be seen around her eye and along her jaw.

I frowned at the sight, wondering where she may have gotten it and why as well as who might have given it to her. My mind wondered back to the day when I had seen her body covered in bruises.

"Leah," Devon said in a hard tone. His voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Brother Dearest," Leah said snidely.

"Care to explain yourself?" Devon asked, as he ignored my presence and stood. His attention solely on his sister who glared at him.

"What's your issue, Devon?" she growled.

"You are," he shot back.

"I told you exactly where I was," Leah said in a hard tone.

"Yeah, and you skipped school while you were there," Devon bit back.

I frowned at their conversation, understanding dawned on me now that Leah hadn't been home. She had been somewhere else, living somewhere else and I couldn't help but wonder where and with who?

"What the hell is your gripe with me skipping Dev?" she asked, "You did the damn same thing."

"Asked and answered, Leah!" Devon shouted back.

"This isn't fucking court!" Leah snapped, her eyes turning deathly cold.

"If mom finds out, you know what will happen," Devon said in a low voice, which held a hidden sense of warning in it.

Curiosity gripped me at Devon's words as I wondered what he meant by them. Wondering what would happen to Leah if their mother did find out.

Hurt shone in Leah's eyes at his words before she shook her head and laughed. Her laugh held no humour and sounded more like mockery than anything else. Her body shook with the action before she stood up straight and glared at him.

"Thanks for caring, brother," she said bitterly. "But, like I said, I've got things handled. So go to mom if you like, see if I care."

Devon clenched his jaw as he glared down at his sister, while I watched. Anger and frustration shone in his bronze gaze while anger and hurt shone in Leah's. Neither of them seemed to notice me.

"Oh, and Sean," Leah said a minute later. Her sudden mention of me, made me stiffen as I snapped my head in her direction. The iciness with which she spoke shocked me out of my reverie as I stared into her cold eyes. "Stay out of my business," she said, before turning on her heel and walking out.

Looking over at Devon who glared after her, I stood there with uncertainty rushing through me, before I raced after her.

"Leah, wait," I called as I pulled on her right shoulder.

A loud hiss followed by a shout left her lips as she turned towards me before shrinking away. Pain etched on her face as I cringed and pulled my hand back, my eyes wide.

A moment later Devon came around the corner and looked between the two of us with a frown. His eyes narrowed upon Leah as he finally noticed what I had when she entered.

"What the hell happened to your face?" Devon asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," she mumbled, turning around.

"Leah."

"I got in a little fight, what's new Dev," Leah answered as she took a step up.

I frowned at her nonchalance about being in a fight. Her utter disregard for her own well-being, not sitting well with me. For the way she acted when I had touched her arm said it was more serious than she cared to let on.

"Leah," Devon called his voice hard.

"What Devon, what?" she snapped as she turned to face us. A sneer curling her lips "You want to know what happened, huh?" she asked.

Devon narrowed his eyes but nodded his head as I took in her appearance once again. Noting that the sleeve of her right arm was empty yet placed in her pocket.

"Fine, this is what happened," she said as she slowly unzipped her hoodie. When her hoodie finally fell open to uncover her body, I couldn't help the audible breath I drew in.

Her right arm was tucked close to her body and in a sling, while the flimsy crop top she wore did little to hide the healing bruises that covered her stomach.

"I got into a fight, no, actually I got into three. And this was the outcome of them," she chuckled dryly, looking between the two of us, her eyes cold and hard. "So forgive me if I skipped school for a week or two, I was kind of busy trying to heal!" she shouted, before turning on her heel and stomping further up the stairs.

Devon stiffened beside me as he stared after her, "I thought you quit," he called.

"Well, I lied," she sneered over her shoulder, before disappearing from our view.

I stared after her as my mind raced with thoughts of their conversation. Where had she been? What was she supposed to quit? And what kind of fights did she get into? All these thoughts raced through my mind.

I blinked a few times, as fingers snapped in front of my face. Turning I found Devon glaring at me.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you going to post this for all your idiotic friends see and judge?" he asked with a raised brow.

"No," I answered with a frown.

Devon stared at me for a long while, his brows furrowed as his eyes looked over my face. His eyes were inscrutable as he took me in. Shaking his head, a moment later, he held out his hand.

"Her work, pretty boy."

With a nod, I pulled my backpack around my body and pulled out the stack of work. Handing the folder to him, Devon raised a brow at it before nodding.

"Now leave," he said with a look at the front door before walking into the living room. Devon dropped onto the couch and grabbed the remote, meeting my eyes for a second, he moved them in the direction of the door again before turning to focus on the TV.

Standing there, I glanced up the stairs where Leah had disappeared, wondering if I should follow. Taking a step towards it, I stopped.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Devon called.

"And why not?" I asked with a frown as I stepped into the doorway of the living room.

"Because we don't need your charity Pretty Boy, so I suggest you leave. And stay away from my sister. She doesn't need you nosing around where you don't belong, okay?" he said in a hard voice.

I glanced back in uncertainty, before walking out the door. My mind whirled with what I had just seen and heard. The information, leaving me with many more questions than before, but now I was more determined to get them answered.

* * *      * * *

And that's a wrap... Holy moly, this was a scene to write and figure out... It took me a while to figure out what to even write for Sean's POV but once we got there... It was smooth sailing...

Well more like many retake on different moments...

I hoped you like a little insight into Sean's thinking on Leah's life... And also a look into Leah's and Devon's relationship however through the eyes of another...

Tell me your thoughts on this...

- Orlaith