When people see something devastating and heartbreaking, time seems to slow down. Seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours. That's how both SJ and Harrison feel. They stare and it's only for two seconds but they stare and it feels like an eternity because Tom's face is bright red with tears glistening against the horrendous yellow lights and Arthur's knee is dug into Tom's back with the round lighter pressed up against his shoulder blade. It's a sight that only brings a burning sensation to the back of SJ's eyes and barbed wire coats around her heart. And it's a sight that just sends Harrison into a fit of rage.

Those two seconds of shock are up and Harrison lunges for Arthur, SJ moving to Tom. With a hard slam, Harrison tackles Arthur off of Tom and right to the ground. His hands grip the dress jacket and he shakes Arthur a few times before his fist comes back and connects with his skin. Everytime Arthur reaches up to try and stop Harrison, to get any form of a grip, Harrison's fist just connects again. Everything is red and Harrison can't even see anything besides Arthur's bloodying face. It's like tunnel vision all the while SJ is getting Tom.

SJ's hands glide over Tom's back, checking the burns. Luckily, they are only five new ones but they're bad. They're worse than the others but there's only five. Just five hollowed circular burns tracing around his shoulder blade. SJ shakes her head and swallows the golf ball sized lump in her throat before yanking her hoodie over her head.

"C'mon, gonna get you outa here." SJ sets her hoodie down and grabs Tom's arm to help him sit up. "Put this on your arms, it's cold outside." She hands him her hoodie and he doesn't hesitate to only use the use the sleeves, ready to protect himself from the fall air.

SJ gets to her feet and sticks out her hands for Tom to grab hold of and help him up. It's exactly what he did for her when she needed him. She didn't call him, she didn't even really want him, not exactly. But, it was Tom who helped her and it's going to be SJ that's going to help him.

"Harrison!" SJ yells, Harrison's first freezing mid-air. "Let's go." She lowers her voice and pulls at Tom's arm to get him to start leaving the room.

Harrison glares down at Arthur, his fist still held in the air and ready to come down. Arthur is just grinning beneath him, teeth coated in a thin layer of blood as if all he did was take a sip of red-colored corn syrup. He's a cocky son of a bitch and he's proud of what he does to other people. Harrison has half a mind to knock him all the way out, maybe even make sure he doesn't wake up at all. Arthur attacked his friend, his best friend, his family.

"Haz." Tom's voice rings through Harrison's ears and Harrison only shuts his eyes for a second.

Harrison's fist clenches harder, but he's not going to hit Arthur again. Tom's up, he's relatively okay. Harrison can back up, he can go now. Let it go.  

"Okay." Harrison says, letting go of Arthur and letting his arm drop. He wants to get to his feet but he can't, not yet. He grabs Arthur once more, bringing his face close to his and Harrison's eyes have never been so dark before, rage and venom mixing with the usual vibrant hue. "Touch him again and I'll kill you." Harison's grip tightens before he slams Arthur into the floor.

He lets out a breath and gets to his feet, turning to face SJ and Tom. The pair share a similar expression of impressed and shock. SJ thought he was cool-headed one of the two but now she's not so sure. Maybe Harrison is the one who can have a temper and Tom just rolls with the punches. Tom on the other hand, he just didn't expect Harrison to attack Arthur. Not after knowing that Arthur will just go around and burn people. But, they're like brothers and people do for family.

"Let's go." Harrison mutters but he doesn't move, just reaches for Tom's bag. He waits for SJ and Tom to leave first in case Arthur decides to get up and finish a fight Harrison would love.

SJ just nods and guides Tom out of the room, her hand on his lower back. The walk through the hallway and through the center of the basement until they finally reach the exit. They climb the few stairs and exit the building. The cool air smacks Tom in a rush. He becomes incredibly grateful SJ loaned him her hoodie to cover his arms for the short walk to the car Mikey and Matty have waiting. SJ is shivering beside him but her mind is still focused on getting Tom away from the club and away from Arthur.

They reach the car and Mikey and Matty look a little more than worried to say the least. Tom's face is tear-stained, SJ's without a hoodie, and Harrison keeps looking over his shoulders, fists balled at his sides. The three just look like walking disasters.

"What happened?" Matty asks. "Are you okay?" Matty's attention is solely on Tom.

"Yeah." Tom says, looking down to SJ.

"Can you clean the burns?" SJ asks bluntly. "I still have the stuff you gave me at the house and Travis is--"

"Okay." Matty cuts her off, knowing she doesn't have to ramble around him.

"You guys take the car, we took my bike here." Mikey says, jerking his head towards the door and then to Matty.

"Yeah, okay. My house." SJ clarifies and Mikey just nods.

SJ is first to get into the back of the car followed by Tom and then Harrison. Mikey and Matty were already off to where Mikey had parked. SJ gave the Uber driver the address and they were on their way.

The air is thick between the three in the back seat. Tom's leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and the burning is still prominent. It's throbbing and stinging, consistent and relentless. Everything hurts. SJ had to come and save his ass and it hurts to have to sit next to her. It hurts that she's the one willing to help him. And it hurts more because Tom still finds himself pissed about her lying and he's pissed at himself for being pissed. She didn't have to come to him, just like he didn't have to go to her, but she did. He's pissed for being pissed at her.

SJ doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what to say or how to handle it. All she knows is that Matty can clean his burns better than he can given their location. Matty actually knows how to clean them and Harrison probably doesn't. But then what? Should she tell him everything about Arthur? Maybe show him her arms? Because he looks so ashamed it's crushing her. There has to be something she can say or do.

The car pulls against the curb and the three pile out of the car after a quick thank you. The sound of Mikey's motorcycle comes from down the street and by the time Harrison, Tom, and SJ are up the stairs, Mikey is pulling against the curb. SJ leads the boys inside, leaving the door cracked for Mikey and Matty. She flips on a few lights while leading them to the living room.

"You guys can sit. I'm gonna get the kit and stuff." SJ mutters.

"SJ." Tom's voice pulls her attention before she leaves. "Here." He pulls the hoodie from his arms and she takes it from him with a nod. "Thanks." He dodges her eyes and looks to Harrison.

SJ leaves for the stairs, trying to remember exactly where the ointment that Matty had given her was and where their first aid kit is. Matty always just carries one so she doesn't usually use the one he'd given her. Matty's always a little too prepared sometimes but it does have it's advantages.

"You okay, mate?" Harrison breaks the silence.

"Are you?" Tom asks. "Been awhile since you've been that pissed."

"Fine." Harrison shrugs. "Your back though?"

"It's fine." Tom runs a hand through his messy curls.

"Doesn't look fine and you didn't sound fine." Harrison argues as Mikey and Matty walk in.

"It's fine." Tom says through gritted teeth.

"I'll be the judge of that." Matty interrupts the tension and takes a seat on the couch beside Tom.

Matty grabs Tom's shoulders and moves him so he can get a good look at the burns around his shoulder blade. Matty winces but he's relieved. They could be worse. They aren't great and they're going to scar like a bitch. The dead skin will probably peel and they're going to blister. Tom's going to be in pain there for a bit but it'll be tolerable.

"Here." SJ walks behind the couch, the first aid kit in hand with the ointment for burns and a wet paper towel.

"So, what happened?" Matty asks, taking the ointment from SJ.

"Nothing." Tom says and SJ shakes her head at Matty and Mikey.

"Arthur had him pinned to the ground with a lighter to his back. He said somethin' about Tom blowing the first round or something." Harrison tells the group what lead up to Tom being locked in a room with Arthur.

Harrison is so sick of having to hide things and keep secrets. He's fucking done. And telling them this, it's not going to hurt Tom. It's not going to change anything. They already know. SJ has burns on her arm that prove they know what Arthur does. Telling them what happened, that's just being polite.

"Thanks, mate." Tom says sarcastically, scowling at Harrison.

"He's just relaying what happened." SJ mutters.

"Oh," Tom lets out a dry chuckle looking to her, astounded by her audacity. "That's real good comin' from you."

"Anyway," Matty says, "It's gonna hurt." He says quickly before lightly dabbing the wet paper towel onto the burns.

Tom's eyes slam shut and his arms extend forward, preventing him from falling. He bites his lip, trying not to yell as the burning increases everytime Matty moves the paper towel. It stings and all he wants to do is yell his head off. Hell, he'd rather the damn metal be pressing into his skin rather than Matty cleaning them right now.

SJ's stomach turns watching Tom try not to yell and she can't watch it. Maybe it makes her weak and selfish but it's not like Tom wants her help or wants her around anyway. So, maybe it's best if she does the both of them a favor and just excuses herself for a little bit.

SJ heads for the stairs and Mikey gets up to follow her but Matty stops him. "Just let her be."

"Fine." Mikey sits back in the chair and the room falls silent.

Matty moves as fast as he can to clean the burns and apply the ointment. It really didn't take too long but to Tom, it felt like an eternity. It stung so bad, he couldn't even straighten his back by the time Matty was done. It's just sore and sure the ointment is easing some of the burning but Tom knows it's going to wear off and he'll be in a world of pain soon enough. It's like a never ending cycle of pain. He gets punched in the face, lied to, used, and burned. That seems to be his life for the time being and he's less than thrilled.

So, how does someone ease their pain? They address it.

"Thanks." Tom says as he turns to Matty.

"Here." He hands Tom the ointment. "I can get SJ more so you should hold onto that. You'll need it."

"Where is SJ?" Tom asks, taking the tube from Matty's hand.

"If she isn't here, it's because she doesn't want to take part in this." Mikey quips and he's instantly granted a nasty scowl from Matty.

"Upstairs, turn right, room at the very end of the hall." Matty explains.

"Did you know?" Tom asks as he stands up. "About her using me?"

He's not even sure why he asked. They're SJ's friends. They're not going to rat her out but there's something in Tom that has to know. He needs to know if he's really the only one that was left in the dark. Is he really the only one that doesn't know what's going on? And if he is, why? Why isn't he good enough or trustworthy enough to know?

"Nope." Mikey denies but Matty isn't having it.

"We told her not to and she didn't. She didn't use you." Matty states.

His loyalty runs deep but he knows the difference between right and wrong. Mikey was far more vocal about how wrong it was for SJ to go out and use Harrison and/or Tom but Mikey's loyalty runs deeper than his moral opinion. He won't rat SJ out even when he probably should. Matty will if he feels it's best for the other party and in this situation, it is. Tom has every right to know and Matty isn't going to cover for SJ's fuck ups. Mikey can do that if he wants.

"Right." Tom scoffs. "I'll be back."

Mikey goes to open his mouth, a smart remark to try and deter him but Matty is quick to hit Mikey and shake his head. Tom is good for SJ whether she wants to admit it or not. He is and Matty is going to be the person that's going to make sure they try to hash it out. Tom isn't going to put up with her bullshit and him ignoring her and still being pissed after she saved his ass, proves that. SJ needs people who won't put up with her bullshit and will call her out. Matty doesn't want to stand in the way of that.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Mikey asks once Tom has started up the stairs, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Matty gets up from his seat. "Yeah, why don't you?" His voice is challenging, he knows the answer but he's waiting for Mikey to admit it.

"She won't tell him anything." Mikey leans back in his chair, his confidence radiating from him.

"Not everything but she'll tell him something," Matty says, hoping he's right. "Something to drink? Water? Pop? Beer?" Matty turns to Harrison.

"Beer would be great, yeah." Harrison sighs. "Thanks." Harrison would actually love something stronger if he's going to have to listen to Mikey and Matty question the state of Tom and SJ but, Harrison keeps that thought to himself.

"He's going to go up there and SJ's gonna scream her fucking head off. She'll defend herself to preserve her name and you know that." Mikey argues, ignoring Harrison.

"Yeah, they'll start yelling, SJ will feel bad, so she'll jump him, we get to overhear that and then she'll tell him something." Matty rambles as he walks to the kitchen, grabbing two beers and a water. "It's what she did with him already."

Mikey's face scrunches together as Matty enters the living room again, handing him a beer and handing Harrison the other. Matty takes his seat, not gathering why Mikey looked confused.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Matty gives him a yikes face as he takes a drink of his water. "She slept with him and told her about her weird thing with fish." Matty explains further.

"She told him about marine biology?" Mikey asks and the confusion and hardness completely disappear.

"That's what she told me." Matty shrugs. "She told me she went to him that night and he was there for her. They fucked and then she told him about her thing with the ocean and fish."

Mikey's attention turns to Harrison. "That true?"

Harrison is perfectly fine with not being involved in the conversation especially when it concerns other people's sex lives. It's none of his business but now he's being stared at and they did wake him up.

"Uh, well, I can't speak for what they talked about but...." Harrison trails off. "Yeah, they woke me up." Harrison shrugs a shoulder.

Matty holds a triumphant smile, looking back to Mikey. "She likes him more than she's letting on so yeah, Mike, she'll come clean about everything. It might take some time but I've got more faith in her." Matty pulls his feet onto the couch and grabs the remote, turning on the TV and dropping the conversation.

Tom reaches the door of SJ's room and he can see her shadow pacing from the door and he pauses. He's so angry, and frustrated with her. All he wants to do is be there for her and be her shoulder for whatever she needs and it's just hard. It's hard when he doesn't trust her and she doesn't trust him. What do people have when they don't have trust?

Tom knocks softly and he watches the shadow under the door come towards him. The doorknob squeaks as it turns. SJ opens it and her eyes widen with the sight of him. She's surprised to see him despite knowing he was right downstairs. She just assumed with his annoyance with her, he wouldn't bother coming upstairs. Not to her room but there he is, black basketball shorts and no shirt with messy hair and yellow and pale blue bruises decorating his body.

"Hey?" She lets him in and closes the door behind him.

Tom walks into her room and looks around, noticing the posters with marine life, random facts printed onto the pictures, similar to the ones seen in science classrooms. Her room is remarkably neat, the complete opposite of her life outside of this room.

"What the fuck?" Tom turns to face her and her jaw just drops.

"What the fuck? That's what you have to say?" She crosses her arms, brows pulled together.

"Fuckin' with my best mate to get to me, yeah that's what I've to say." Tom mutters and his jaw clenches.

"You really wanna do this? Now?"

Tom gestures his hands out, knowing if he doesn't get it all out now, he won't. He'll cave and talk to her but he won't let out everything he's thinking. He won't snap on her or call her out for her shitty thinking. He'll just nod and go along with it so while his back is in pain and he's pissed off about everything tonight, he's going to hash it out with her.

"Okay." SJ says. "Yeah, and I didn't though?"

"But you were going to, were you not?" Tom's voice raises.

"But I didn't!" SJ yells. "That's the point! I didn't!"

"But you thought about it! You were actually goin' out with him and that's when you change your fuckin' mind!"

"And I didn't do it! I didn't do it! Alright?" SJ yells louder than him, taking a step towards him.

"You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie to you!" SJ screams. "I just didn't tell you! There's a difference!"

Tom looks to the ceiling in frustration. "That's your excuse?"

"It's not an excuse!"

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because of this! I knew you'd be pissed!"

"Then what was your fuckin' point? Huh? Why did you fuckin' bother? How do I know you're not working with Arthur? All this is some fuckin' show to throw me off?"

"I'm not working with him and fuck you for thinking I am! You know what I'm trying to do? Get your ass out of the mess you created. I don't know what the fuck you did to get in with Arthur but I'm trying to save your ungrateful ass."

"I'm ungrateful? You're shitting me, right? Look at you!" Tom's voice booms against the walls. "I fuckin' help you and--"

"And what?" SJ cuts him off. "I fuckin' thanked you. I came and saved your ass tonight. I am saving your ass and you know why? Because. That's the fuckin' reason. I don't have another one. Not anymore because you're in-fucking-sufferable!"

Tom heaves and she's right. She did come and help tonight. She didn't have to and if she were working with Arthur, it would have been in her best interest to just let Arthur continue. But, she didn't. She came to help him, she didn't pull Harrison off of Arthur when she could have. SJ isn't working with Arthur and Tom is just paranoid, albeit, rightfully so. SJ is just screaming her head off at him and Tom deserves it as she deserves him yelling at her for not telling him anything. But, it's just keeping the anger flowing through Tom's veins, for the moment.

"Why don't you just fuckin' tell me what the hell is going on? If you told me, I'd have somethin' to go on!"

"Because!"

"Why?" Tom asks and he's letting his anger slip, just enough for his voice to crack like a plea. "Just tell me you're not fuckin' with me and what the fuck is going on!"

"I'm not fuckin' with you! Okay?" SJ screams and the crack in his voice gets her to crack, just enough. "I give a flying fuck about you and I'm not fucking with you, alright?" She catches herself and she switches right back. "So, you owe me a fucking thank you."

A switch flips with SJ's words, her stepping forward, almost chest-to-chest with him. Tom moves forward, pushing her against the wall but not hard, just enough to pin her to the wall with his hands on either side of her head. She admits she cares for him, in a yelling match, but admitted it nonetheless. She cracked and sprang right back with the thank you remark and Tom curses himself because it's intoxicating.

"Thank you?" Tom's voice is low and rough.

SJ's heart jumps to her throat with his close proximity and taunting question. "Thank me, yeah. You heard me."

Tom's lips crash into hers in a rush. "Thank you." He mutters into her mouth.

SJ's hands go to his unruly hair and tug lightly. "Fuck you, Holland."

Tom pulls away, moving his hands to her cheeks and he thinks maybe she wants to stop but the corner of her mouth twitches up and she pushes into him. Her lips mold into his. The anger Tom felt towards her completely melts away and his hands move from her cheeks to her thighs, picking her up. A squeal falls from her lips while her legs wrap around his waist.

"Fuck you, too." Tom mutters, smirking and nipping at her neck but minding the bruise that's still decorating her skin.

SJ's eyes close and she whispers in his ear. "Fuck me then."

She doesn't have to say anything else for Tom to oblige. He brings her to the bed and strips her of her shirt. There are more bruises than the other night but she's just as perfect as ever. He kisses around her stomach and over her sports bra before his mouth reaches hers once more. SJ's knees hug either side of his hips and he's so warm.

He pisses her off and he makes a solid argument and he is addicting. It's infuriating but there's something about him standing up for himself and calling her out that just turns her on. It makes her fall that much harder for him. It makes her want him in every aspect. No one does that with her besides Mikey and Matty but they're her best friends, that's expected. Tom is different and he's so warm.

Tom's hands glide down her side and push her sports bra up, revealing her breasts. A breath escapes her throat from the cool air touching the newly exposed skin. One of Tom's arms hold him up while his other and kneads her breast, open-mouthed and sloppy kisses being pressed against her cheek to her neck. SJ's eyes flutter closed and the coil starts to build in her stomach with the heat between her legs. She reaches her hand up and pulls at the elastic of Tom's shorts, pulling them just enough to snake her hand inside and inside his boxer briefs, grabbing his hardened length. Tom's head falls into the crook of her neck with every pump of her fist.

His mouth is hot against her skin, dangerously hot but all the more inviting. His kisses trail down to her nipple and she never wants the warmth to leave. Her heart is pounding loud in her ears and it's like it's just singing for him. It's singing for him as he pulls her shorts and underwear down, tossing them across the room somewhere. Tom pushes her legs aside and he kisses up her thighs and she's already seeing stars. His lips are like little surges of electricity causing sparks up and down her spine in the best way. Tom's mouth reaches her folds and his tongue darts out, teasing her folds.

One of SJ's hands come to his hair, pulling a little harder than intended. "Tom." She moans and in his lustful state, Tom doesn't care what it would take if he got to hear his name fall from her lips like that all the damn time because it is the sexiest thing he's ever heard.

"What was that?" His voice is husky and it makes SJ squirm beneath him. Her eyes meet his and they're so dark and there's a teasing grin across his face. He could get anything he wanted from her if he keeps it up. She's wrapped around his finger and he doesn't even know it.

"Tom." Her eyes widen with the needy whimper and Tom chuckles, loving the ego boost.

Tom doesn't tease any longer, his tongue works her heat, eager and needy. He alternates between flattening his tongue and working in zig-zag formations, all just as fast and his pace just increases with her high pitch moans. One hand tugging his head closer to her and her hips buck up to his face. Tom's arm goes across her hips to keep her on the bed and she whimpers under him, the coil in her stomach begging to be snapped.

"Please," She begs, looking down to him and he pulls away just long enough to ask a question.

"Please what?" He's taunting her and all it does is make her want him more.

"Ma-ohh," SJ's cut off when Tom's mouth attaches to her clit, sucking softly. "Make me come." She rushes as her legs start to close around his head. She's so close but Tom isn't. His cock twitches with her begging beneath him and he's not ready to let her finish just yet.

"Condom?" Tom asks, releasing her swollen bud and kissing up her waist and stomach, sucking on a spot near her side.

SJ releases her sweaty hand from his matted curls and reaches to the nightstand beside the bed, pulling the drawer open and just grabbing the box. "You're a fuckin' tease."

"I could stop." Tom taunts, sitting up on his knees after tugging his clothes off. He grabs a little square package from the box.

SJ sucks on her teeth, never wanting him to stop. She watches him roll the latex over his throbbing cock and she just wants him to come back to her. And she isn't mad that she's willing to admit it.

She pushes up and lets her hands hook around his neck, pulling down with her. Her lips attach to his, hungry and needy for attention. "Don't stop." She mutters into his mouth and there's a rush of relief and adrenaline that comes over Tom.

"Hands and knees, darlin'." His voice is dark and SJ nearly whimpers at the sound alone.

Tom sits up and SJ moves to her hands and knees. He lines himself up with her soaking entrance and his tip brushes against her a few times before Tom slowly pushes in. He's so slow the anticipation is almost agonizing. Tom bottoms out and leans down, pressing kisses down SJ's back and a shiver runs down her spine. She clenches around him and a gruntled swear falls from Tom's lips.

He grips her hips and starts thrusting into her, at first slow but it doesn't last long before his thrust are fast and hard, him bottoming out every time. SJ's higher pitched moans fill his ears and it's beautiful in the most forbidden way, his head clouding and eyes closing. Tom's low moans come deep from his throat and neither can be bothered to stay quiet, not tonight when there's so much unsaid and pent-up annoyance and frustration. They just throw caution to the wind and ride out their highs together, loud and blissful.

SJ falls onto the bed, a sheer layer of sweat covering her body while she catches her breath. Tom falls beside her, taking a second to gather his breath before removing the condom and tying it off, tossing it in the small garbage can SJ directed him to.

Tom tosses SJ her clothes while dressing himself and lays back on his side once they're both dressed. His body aches all over but not an ounce of regret finds itself streaming through his veins. The aches are worth it and by the blissful and soft smile on SJ's face, he can only assume she's feeling the same way.

Her eyes are closed and her breathing has returned to normal. Her hair is a matted mess, some strands covering her face. Bruises still decorate her glowing skin and Tom's heart just flutters. There's no more anger and there's no animosity. No frustration or vendetta. He's over it. The only thing he's focused on now is how incredibly peaceful she looks facing him and how vulnerable she looks. It's a moment of peace in the chaos of their lives, in the forest fire.

Tom reaches for the strands of hair and pushes them behind her ear. Her eyes flutter open and they're the prettiest shade of brown he's ever seen. He's never liked brown eyes. They've always seemed bland. He has them and they're just, brown. One color, boring, not even very pretty. At least people with blue and green eyes, they have vibrancy and there's usually different hues within the iris, he never saw that with brown eyes. But, maybe that's because he's never paid attention. He's never felt like he needed to pay attention or even cared much to pay attention, but now he is and it's like he's seeing another galaxy with gold blotches. Her eyes remind him of venus and he's never loved brown eyes so much.

"You're beautiful." His voice is just above a whisper and SJ's cheeks flush red.

"Stop." A smile is splitting her face as she looks away from him, shyness coming through.

"Nah, I mean it." Tom's hand cups her cheek and glides it to her shoulder and to her waist, pulling her close to him.

She looks up to him and he has his flaws. Clearly. But, he's perfect to her. In this messed up world, in the universe that has fucked her over more times than she can count, it let her know him and he's perfectly flawed and she'd be damned if that four letter word wasn't taunting the back of her mind already. And she'd be damned if she'd ever say it.

SJ presses a kiss to his shoulder and he presses a gentle kiss to her head. "Stay tonight." SJ mumbles against his skin.

Tom's arm flexes and pulls her closer to him. "Gimme your phone." SJ looks up, quirked brow, showing her wonder. "Text Harrison."

"Right." SJ nods nonchalantly before her eyes widen. "OH. They're downstairs."

Tom's grip on her loosens as his laugh fills the room. "Yeah, they are."

"Oops." SJ chuckles, turning in Tom's grip to get her phone from the nightstand.

"Oh well." Tom's laugh continues as SJ unlocks her phone and hands it to him.

"Harrison can stay if he wants. Travis won't be home until late tomorrow." SJ explains. "Mikey and Matty will likely stay anyway."

"Alright." Tom types away with the hand that was wrapped around her. "Who's Travis?" Tom asks and whenever someone would ask about Travis, someone SJ shows interest in, there's always a jealous undertone but there's no jealousy in Tom's words, just curiosity. It's refreshing.

"My brother." SJ answers while Tom sends the message.

Her answer catches Tom by surprise. She didn't hesitate to answer. She gave him a detail about her life. She gave him something. There's a little glimmer of hope that she's really going to open up. He won't get his hopes up but maybe she'll tell him more.

"You live with your brother?" Tom rests the phone behind SJ before resting his arm around her waist again.

"Yeah, kinda." SJ sighs. "I swap between Mikey and Matty and here. Travis, he, uh," SJ sighs, her hand coming up to his arm and her fingers trace his veins. "He helped raise me so sometimes I just need to get away from him."

Tom's thumb brushes under her shirt and rubs her smooth skin gently. "Understandable."

SJ sighs and she doesn't want to talk about her family. If she talks about family, her mom will come up and she'll have a mental breakdown from pure fury. She'll completely lose her shit. If she talks about family, she'll talk about her dad and that'll just lead to a mess for too many reasons to count. And if she talks about family, details about Travis will come up and she doesn't want to talk about it. So, she lets Tom in about something else.

Her fingers stop tracing his veins and she extends it from her side, showing him her inner bicep, opposite the side of the burns on her other arm. Tom's eyes meet the paled skin, a burned scar in the shape of what looks to be some type of crest. It's round with two crisp detailed bucks. His brows furrow as he takes her arm in hand and leans in, looking closer.

"The bloody hell happened?" Tom asks.

SJ swallows thickly, ready to give him some answers."That's Arthur's family crest."