"Would you stop moving?"

Saffron seethed, her grip stronger than before as she pulled me back to relax on the chair, my shoulders still pulsed in pain. I groaned, my mind in a hailstorm. I only decided to get this checked — asking my step-sister, Saffron to do so.

She was a little over seventeen and decided to go into physiotherapy after an incident she'd been hell bent on keeping shut about. Her passion for it made me curious. Saffron's red curls bounced on her broad shoulders her as she huffed, glaring at me. I had moved out of the spot again.

"I admit it's strange that you'd come to me to check this out. I thought Mr. military could withstand even a knife stab and claim he's fine." She teased, squirting the gel into her palms, rubbing on my exposed shoulder until it became one with my cream skin tone. Her words made me chuckle, the way she deepened her voice and puffed out her chests to mock me. Deciding not to say anything, I just chuckle, enjoying the soothing feeling of whatever gel she had applied.

Admittedly, her hands worked wondered, I wondered how Saffron's slim hands to press against the muscles to massage them. Closing my eyes, the once throbbing pain decreases, but just a bit. The darkness I saw faded into a memory of the girl I had encountered. Her smile, her stature, her radiant energy.

Damn.

I shook my head. It'd been a while since I thought of a woman this way, it was strange.

Before I was sent off to war, the woman I'd been engaged to at that point made it her agenda to rip my heart before she left. She settled on one of my duffel bags, a handwritten break up letter. It hurt. Bad. According to her, she couldn't bear the pain of me going to war with a significant percentage the I may not return to do all I promised.

It'd been almost eight years now.

"Hey, Saff?" She hummed, going over to my other shoulder in a swift motion, her oversized polo falling to her thighs as she stood. Blinking my eyes open, I stare at the wall.

"Do you know any girl from here called Amelia?"

Yes. I had decided to ask.

"Amelia? Nope. Why'd you ask?" My shoulders almost deflate at her words, it made me more intrigued. Was she not from around here? I couldn't say I hadn't seen her around because apart from six month ago when I got back from the hospital, the last time I'd been here was over eight years ago.

"It's nothing."

It was better to rid my head of the girl, perhaps it was one of those encounters where you wouldn't see the person again. Though the thought made my chest sigh.

"You're not going to tell me why? Big brother?" She teased, her hands forming a fist as she began drumming on the spot which ached. I groaned. I knew she was doing it harder than needed because of the taunting smirk on her plump lips. "It's just a question, so nosy." I scoffed, looking away from her prying eyes.

Amelia's orbs are deep green.

This was ridiculous, the little voice seemed to find pleasure in dropping facts about the girl. She was too young for me anyways. I bet her and Saffron here were age mates. I couldn't imagine feeling such a way towards someone as young as my step-sister. Shuddering, I purse my lips, hoping she was at least past eighteen.

Not that it would matter, but you know...

Saffron gasped, squinting her eyes in a glare. "I'm not nosy! I'm just curious." She gleamed like those weren't the same thing. I rolled my eyes, "I'm not in pain, I'm just hurting." I mocked, smirking as she clacked her tongue in my direction.

Saffron had clear honey skin, ginger red hair and a dust of freckles from cheek to cheek. She'd really grown since the last time I saw her, running naked around the house while Pa chased her to to get her overalls on.

Pa remarried shortly after my mother passed, I had to say, I was hurt. How could he marry so quickly? But as I grew, I began to understand that when you could have more than one soulmate. And his came with a ginger haired child.

She'd grown to be a heck of a smart mouth.

"Whatever." Saffron snorted with an eye roll.

Recalling the conversation I had with my dad, I arched my head towards the seventeen year old. "Pa tells me there's this guy who won't stop following you around." Her eyes darted to me, shock widening them. I saw as she pursed her lips, her cheeks coloring a darker shade. Oh?

"And I'm guess you like the attention." I conclude, making her blush even more. "Argh! Everest!" Saffron whined, turning her head to the other side so I'd stop inspecting her reddening face. The way she flushed made me chuckle, perhaps it was deeper than my dad had let on. "So?" I hummed, waiting for the explanation.

"His name's Rivers. And...he said he likes me...a lot. I guess I kind of like him back."

As she spoke, her eyes went around the room, refusing to meet mine. Rivers. I had to admit, it turned my stomach to see her cheesing this way for a boy I hadn't met before. It was impossible not to feel protective of her.

"How old is he? Have you kissed him before?"

Saffron gasped at my question, her hand going to punch my shoulder. I groaned in disdain. "Everest!" She whined again. Something I noticed she did when she got shy or flustered. It was cute. Another reason to be protective of her. I couldn't imagine her blushing for this Rivers of a guy.

"Answer the question before you make the pain worse than it was before." I hissed, running my shoulders which she swatted away before doing it herself.

"He's nineteen. And, we just kissed that one time. Please, don't tell Pa. He'd throw a fit." Her lips pouted out, pleading with me. Chuckling, I shrug my shoulders. "You can trust me, Saff."

Saffron grinned.

"Oh yeah, and if I ever see him I'd break his legs for kissing you."

Saffron's grin fell flat. I was half serious. How dare he kiss her lips? Her nose scrunched up in a frown.

"Oh yeah? And if I ever see that Amelia of a woman, I'd break her toe." She seethed back, her face, serious. This made me cackle, throwing my head back. "You wouldn't dare."

She stuck out her tongue. "You're not the only one who can be overprotective, big brother."