Her chest was tight. Vision tunnelled. The constant thump of her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Kelsey stood staring at her reflection in the tinted window of the taxi, it's engine spluttering before pulling away from the desolate car park of the travel lodge.

Numb. Ever since their eyes met, that's all that Kelsey felt. Numbness. It spread like wildfire, engulfing her entire being. Nothing but those piercing eyes starring daggers, penetrating deep into her.

"What's going on." His voice was void of any charisma.

"Jake, I can explain." Sean's hand dropped away from Kelsey's waist, his palm now stretched out in front of him.

"What the fuck is happening here."
"Just wait-" Sean took a step forward.

"Are you fucking my brother." His eyes, cold and sharp narrowing in her direction. The air rushed out from her lungs, her throat tightening. She couldn't move, her mouth open but no words escaped to her defence. Kelsey could feel the telltale signs of tears prickling in her eyes. His eyes snapped in Sean's direction, his face reddening and eyes wild. "Are you two fucking each other!?"

A harsh breeze whipped her hair across her neck and face, obscuring her vision momentarily. His eyes remained, glaring at her from wherever she looked. Her breathe hitched in her throat as she stumbled forward. Each foot weighing more and more with every step.

Martha held Kelsey by her shoulders gently, her eyes searching for Kelsey's attention. But Kelsey couldn't look away. Sean held Jake back, his hand tightly gripping Jake's wrist as he pushed him back down the corridor away from her.

"You raise your hand to her again and you're fucking going through that wall." Sean's voice filled the space, each word laced in venom. Jake stared past his brother glaring intensely at Kelsey, his gaze unbroken. His shoulders shaking from fighting his brother back. Sean's grip tightened and he pushed him down to the ground.

Martha's voice was a distant wave of sound even though she stood in front of her, green eyes shimmering as tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks.
"...Outside. Kelsey." Like a radio finally tuning, Mrs Henderson's voice heightened and caught Kelsey's attention. Dragging her eye's away from the brothers Kelsey focused on the woman that was carefully guiding her to the open door behind them.

"Come on, darling. Let's get you outside."

The automatic doors dragged open, the lobby empty apart from Sadie who sat with her feet resting on the counter, phone in one hand and energy drink in the other. Her mouth opened and moved in the movement of words when she saw Kelsey. Kelsey stared onwards, Sadie's voice a blur in the background. Her feet carried her forward, nothing but the sound of footfalls and her heartbeat ringing out through the buzz of her surroundings.

The gravel slipped and twisted beneath her feet. Martha held her tightly against her side as they walked down the drive way, her hand rubbing Kelsey's shoulder in comfort. Distant sounds of shouting blurring into the background. Kelsey focused on her breathes. In, out. In...out...

The taxi appeared from the corner of her vision, it's engine silent and the taxi's driver's voice mute. Martha leant into the vehicle and moved her lips, her voice lost too to the over whelming crashing of white noise that was filling Kelsey's head. The old cabbie nodded and glanced back to Kelsey in the rear view mirror, his old eyes filled with concern before returning to the road in front of them. Martha's face filled Kelsey's vision once more as she rested her hand gently on her cheek to get her to focus in on her.

"I'm so sorry for his behaviour." She whimpered. "Please don't leave on a note like this. Jerry and myself would love to see you and catch up. Properly." She pulled Kelsey into a tight hug.

"Please darling, let us chat later when you and Sean are back." She pulled back, reaching up to delicately tuck the lose hairs behind Kelsey's ears, a practiced smile spreading across her face tightly.

Words failed Kelsey once more, a small nod was all she could muster before ducking into the back seat of the taxi, sitting there almost completely catatonic.

Her feet froze, her body feeling like stone Kelsey could no longer move. Sadie stood up from her desk, her phone falling silently onto the top of the counter. Her eyes stretched wide as she continued to speak to Kelsey, her words lost. Kelsey stared at the young woman, her vision blurring as the tears she'd been holding back began to spill over, careening down her cheeks. Sadie exited the reception space and raced over to Kelsey, words tumbling out of her mouth but falling unheard to Kelsey as her heartbeat reached new volumes, pumping heavily in her eardrums that she felt as if the ocean was swelling around her.
Sadie reached out tentatively, pulling her towards her she wrapped her arms around Kelsey. This gesture popping the bubble that Kelsey encased herself in. The sounds of the outside world flooded her eardrums; cars passing by, whatever show Sadie was watching on her phone, the sound of the guttural cries that were leaving her mouth. Sadie held her tighter.

"It's ok. You're safe here."

.............................................................................................................

Sean watched on as Jake took a testing step forward.

"I want to know what the fuck is going on." Jake hissed, looking back and forth between Kelsey and Sean. He swallowed hard, his jaw muscles clenched. Martha stuck her head out from the living room door, her eyes wide as she took in the scene before her.

"Jake there's nothing like that going on." Sean said slowly in a attempt to diffuse the situation. The full wrath of his younger brother turned on him with those words.

"Then please, brother, enlighten me to what this is." Jake spat, throwing his arms up. "Because I can tell you what it looks like."

"Jake please-"
"It looks to me like my older brother is sleeping around with my whore of an ex girlfriend."
"Jake!"

"How long has this been going on for, huh?" Jake laughed pointing aggressively towards Kelsey, his sudden movement causing her to flinch. Sean stepped further forward, the heat licking the back of his neck as he tried to remain calm.

"You need to shut your mouth." He spoke through gritted teeth, all niceties fading. "Just let Kelsey leave and then we can have a talk."

"Oh I'm sure she's been in your sheets for a while." Jake continued to move towards Kelsey. "She was always such a tease when we were together, probably even had you back then too." His manic eyes bore deep into Kelsey's causing her to slink back.

Martha stepped into the hallway, edging closer to her sons that stood a mere few feet apart now.
"Boys, I think we need to break this up and-"

"So is that the case, Kels? You fucked my brother when we were together?" Jake said ignoring his mothers words. Kelsey could only shake her head in small motions, her words still stuck in her throat. Jake kissed his teeth, throwing his head back as another laugh left his lips before turning back to her pointing aggressively in her direction.
"You always were a devious slut-"

Sean's hand stopped him in his tracks, pressing against his chest firmly.
"Get your hand out of her face." Sean's voice growled.
"Stop being so fucking ridiculous and listen for a second."

Jake tore his eyes away from Kelsey to look at his brother, swallowing his words and lowering his arm.
"Nothing has happened, Jake. We had a night out and she crashed here." Sean said, his voice still fighting back the anger that was wanting to lash out. "So simmer down."
Jake stepped back nodding slowly.

"So that's all then?" He asked looking back between them both. "No more surprises. Kelsey walks out that door and you'll never see each other again?"
Sean lowered his guard, looking back at Kelsey, her eyes found his. His heart ached at the fear that contained within them, her anxious compulsion to play with the ring on her finger in full affect. Closing his eyes he took a deep breathe and turned to face his younger brother again.

"No."
"No?"
"No, Jake. I'm taking Kelsey out later this evening." Sean answered, clenching his fists reflexively. "I don't need your approval for that."

Jake turned away from them, his hands flexing beside him as he did so. Like a flash he was back facing them, his feet carrying quickly towards Kelsey, one hand raised in a threatening manner.
"You little-"

The anger engulfed Sean in a blaze, his own arm shooting up and grabbing the wrist of Jake. Pushing him back across the carpet, he could just about hear his mother's rushed footsteps towards Kelsey.

"You raise your hand to her again and you're fucking going through that wall." He bellowed, Jake's eye's blinked rapidly at the sudden confrontation from his brother. His shoulders shook as he fought against the grip of Sean. Losing energy Jake caved, allowing Sean to push him down onto the ground.

"You want to act like a big man. Start by respecting women." Sean continued, his eyes a dark storm thundering down on his brother. Jake got back up on his knees, rubbing his wrist before standing up to look at Sean.

"Respect? I think that's a bit rich coming from you right now."
"Your reactions have no need to be like this."
"She was mine, Sean."

"Stop!" Sean shouted, the second wave of anger crashing down on him. "She's her own person! Even when you were together she wasn't yours to control."
Jake inhaled, clenching his jaw avoiding Sean's disapproving gaze.

"Even still. That was four years ago." Sean continued. "Four fucking years ago, Jake!"

Jake looked back towards him, eyes glazed over with a thin gloss.
"Are you done?"

Sean scoffed, running his fingers through his hair and shaking his head at his brother's tone.

"Yeah, we're done." He said, his voice still tainted with hostility. Turning away from Jake he walked to the open front door and watched as the taxi pulled away down the street, his mother stood still at the end of the driveway her head in her hands. Reaching to his right he took his car keys off of the hook, shoving them down deep into his pockets. Pushing his feet down into his trainers, he looked over his shoulder at his brother.

"I'm off to get my car. If you want to have a civilised conversation, I suggest you grow up in the time it takes for me to get back."