The Victim (Book #1)

Chapter 12

After our session, Charlotte made pancakes for us and the boys, and let me give them out to everyone. I liked that she let me help her and didn't treat me any differently now that she knew my secret. It was almost as if she had known all along, and just wanted me to say it aloud. I let go of my fears as she cooked and I ate, and then helped her clean.

I made plates for Caleb and Brooklyn next, who were already downstairs, but I decided to have a bit of fun with Damon's. When he came downstairs almost an hour later and smelled the burnt butter and cooked batter, I stood casually against the edge of the table with all of the pancakes behind my back.

"Dibs on the biggest one left!" he said, rushing over to me.

Charlotte left the room with a smile, letting us work it out for ourselves.

"Ahh, ahh, ahh." I said, shaking my finger. "You'll have to get through me first."

He grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me up, spun in a circle, and placed me behind him. As he faced them again, I rushed back in front with a hand up.

"Not like that!" I said angrily. "You'll have to trade me something if you want any of my pancakes!"

"Or I could just move you again." He said with a smirk.

"And then I'll tell Charlotte and you'll get in trouble!" I said back cockily.

He chuckled and said "Alright, kid. What do you want to trade for my breakfast?"

"Hmmmm..." I said, smiling. I did not think I would get this far. "I don't know." I said with a shrug.

"Well I'm hungry so think fast!" he said, fixating his eyes on the delicacy behind me.

"Make me an offer!" I said haughtily, with my nose up in the air.

He laughed and rubbed his chin. "How about..." he suggested, "I won't call you any nicknames for a day if you give me some!"

I bit my tongue and said "Mmm, no, something else."

He quirked an eyebrow up and a small smile crept to his face. "Wait a minute... I thought you hated when I called you them, more than anything!"

Shit.

"I do! I despise it!" I said, going up on my tippy toes to seem even more fierce.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, a wide smile covering his face now. "I think you're lying!"

My mouth dropped open in surprise and I said in a very high-pitched way, "I never lie!"

"Suuuure you don't baby. Be careful, Dominic hates liars." He said with a smirk. "And you love your nicknames!"

"No no no!" I said, stomping my foot on the ground.

He poked me in the stomach and said, "Yes you do!" I tried not to laugh at the tickling, but it was so hard.

I shook my head firmly, but he put both hands out to grab my stomach saying, "Yes you do!"

I shoved him back as I released a loud laugh, then watched his eyes lit up. "You're ticklish!" he shouted, elated.

I knew I couldn't lie this time. Instead of answering, I took off like a roadrunner and ran up the stairs away from him. Like a bullet he shot after me, past Brooklyn and Caleb who were watching TV, and probably wondering what the hell we were doing.

I made it to the top of the stairs with him hot on my heels, so I took the first open doorway and jumped inside instead of my room. The room was dark and didn't have much to hide behind, so I jumped on the bed and burrowed down beneath the covers before realizing there was a person under there.

Dominic looked up in shock from his phone as I yelled "SAVE ME DOM!!!" He looked up to see Damon sprint in and laugh before coming over and reaching for me. I hit away his quick hands and giggled like a crazy person at his attack until I was dying of laughter once more.

"Freeze!" Dominic yelled to both of us, causing us to stop everything and turn to him.

"Sit up." he said to me.

"Back up!" he said to Damon.

We did as he said, and I realized it wasn't just Damon that had a superpower. It was all scary older brothers.

He had a stern expression, but he also looked massively confused so I couldn't help but let out a little giggle. His lips twitched upwards at that and he turned to me saying, "What on Earth is so funny?"

"Your hair looks like a big fat bird's nest made by the messiest bird on the planet." I informed him with a laugh.

He put a hand to his chest as if I had offended him deeply and I smiled again.

"Why are you guys up here?" he asked, shaking his head and getting down to business. We both started yelling at once until he clapped a hand over my mouth and nodded at Damon, letting him go first.

"Well, I found out the baby likes being called baby and all her other nicknames," he said as I rapidly shook my head no, "and that she's very ticklish."

Dominic pulled his hand away from my mouth and said, "Maya? Is this true?"

I bit my cheek and shook my head a bunch, but I've always been a bad liar. I saw the realization light his eyes as I tried to jump up and get away, but he grabbed me back gently and flipped me around.

"I think she's the most ticklish on her feet." He said, to Damon's delight and my absolute horror.

I tried to get away but for a couple of minutes there was absolutely no escape, until I held up my hands in a T shape for "timeout" and collapsed on the bed out of breath with laughter.

"You guys are monsters!" I said, furiously.

"Monsters that are about to have an amazing breakfast." Damon said, taking off downstairs and calling out "Thanks, baby!"

"I don't like that nickname." I said in a huff, crossing my arms and looking at Dominic.

"Whatever you say, kid." He said with a chuckle, getting up and following his brother downstairs.