Jace noticed his brother had spoken more words than he had spoken to him in a day since their adoption. He wondered why his brother never felt like talking this much with him until now. "Did you build all these yourself?" Jace asked.
"Yes," Liam replied since his brother did not come to kill him.
"How is that possible?" Jace asked confused.
Liam did not answer but took a sip of the hot black Charlie made brought for him.
"You are really my brother," Jace said under his breath and got up.
Liam heard Jace despite how low he tried to make his voice sound, it was just a whisper. He now felt really guilty for making his brother unable to recognize him any longer.
Jace felt a strong urge to leave his brother's presence. The façade he took a lot of effort to put on was about to peel off. He wanted to cry like his usual self and brg his brother to come back home.
"Let's have lunch together," Liam offered seeing his brother was about to leave.
"No, thanks. I need to return back home right away," Jace replied hastily and walked out of the office.
"Wicked," he said between clenched teeth as he remembered how his brother's face still remained calm despite the inner turmoil he was going through. Pressing his head on the steering, he sighed.
He just confirmed that he had lost his brother totally. He ran his fingers through his hair and mopped the tears that streamed down his cheeks.
"I will not care about you again," he forced out the vow before driving off to where he was supposed to be at the moment.
***
"There is going to be cold at night," Anna reminded her sister as she walked in her sister's closet to pick a jacket or shawl for her.
"I know, I have prepared a jacket but I don't thing I need it as much as you do," Rose said staring at her sister who wore a sleeveless corset dress that stopped way above her knees.
"I prepared a long jacket. It will protect me well," Anna said smiling. "I will take care of your hair sit down," Anna said smiling broadly with excitement.
"I just want a simple ponytail," Rose told her sister.
Anna nodded in agreement. She did not need to change her hairstyle since her hair was short but she really wanted to style her sister's hair.
###
"I will be sleeping over here with the two of you," Debby said as soon as she say behind the steering of her car.
"Sure," Anna agreed without hesitating after all Debby made that a statement not a request for permission.
Debby texted Wayne who came out immediately to pick them. He was smiling brightly and his usual pair of glasses were missing. He styled his hair in a very different way different from his usual fringe.
"Wow, you look so different," Debby had to comment as she could not help but keep staring with her mouth agape.
"My new girlfriend wants me to change my style," he said without waiting for them to ask him why he changed.
"You must really like her a lot but remind her that we come first," Anna said hugging his arm.
"I don't think she will take that easily," Wayne said. "You all look really pretty especially Rose. You look like a princess."
"Thank you," Rose appreciated with a smile. I am really a princess.
"Well, that is bias," Debby said hugging his other arm.
"I don't care. Guys, we need to go in. Everyone is waiting for me," he said.
"Wait, we brought a birthday gift for you," Anna said releasing his arm and brought out a white big box from the car. "We had them bake a fruit cake for you. I know you love it."
"Thanks but that was since elementary school. I stopped taking fruit cake since my mum died," he said hesitating to take the cake from her.
"Wayne, I know that very well that's why I suggested this recipe. I have eaten your mother's fruit cake and it the best in the world. Then, I told her to write the recipe put for me and she did. I found the paper a few days ago and decided to give you this," Anna explained giving him the cake.
"Thanks but I think it will take a lot of willpower to eat it," he said smiling sadly as he took the box from her.
Rose looked down, she had been friends with Wayne for almost two years but she did not know his mum was late. She could not help but scold herself for not being observant.
"I invited your friend but he might not come," Wayne said trying to change the topic of the conversation.
It took a few seconds for Rose to know he was talking to her. "Oh I did not know you invited him. I hope he comes," Rose said when she noticed be was looking at her.
"I also invited your friend and I think he will come," Wayne said looking at Anna now.
"What?! Why?" Anna asked her eyes taking the shape of a saucer.
"I thought you might want to hang out with him," Wayne said with a pretentious innocent expression as he walked into the clubhouse followed by his female friends.
"Hell no!" Anna shouted stumping her feet before walking after her friends and sister. She could not hide the smile that lifted the corners of her lips at the thought of seeing him in the clubhouse with her. She really wanted to hang out with him.
Rose froze as soon as she stepped into the large room. It was filled with people she could not help but wonder where Wayne got all of them from but then she remembered he invited the whole school. Some where sitting in and drinking, some were dancing and some standing around in groups.
She took a deep breath and walked amidst the smell of different perfumes and sweat. The beat of the music was not doing her nerve cells any good. What she wanted most was to go to a quiet less crowded place but for the sake of a friend, she had to undergo this mini-torture.
She felt really dizzy and need of immediately rest when the memories of her past life came to haunt her. She sat on a stool. The handsome bartender immediately moved his attention to her on her arrival.
"What will you like miss," he asked with a cheeky smile on his face she was too occupied with her thoughts to notice.
"Anything nerve calming," she blurted out without a second thought and regretted it almost immediately but the guy had already began mixing the drink.
She did not stop him since a nerve calming drink did not seem to be a bad idea. She really wanted to forget how she was attacked in her past life and how she was disgraced and framed afterwards and if the drink was going to make her forget, she won't mind.
She gulped the whole content in the glass looking around for her sister and her friends but she could not see them with the colorful lights almost making her visually impaired.
She got up with unsteady feet her eyes towards the entrance at the end of the room that she hoped led to the female restroom.
She lost her footing in the heels she wore and fell but as she waited subconsciously for her body to hit the floor, it was held by a pair of warm strong hands and she could not hold back the urge she felt to inhale that beautiful scent.
***
'Where am I?' she thought staring around the unknown room she found herself in. A sharp headache made her wince and relax back closing her eyes tightly.
She felt a strong urge to get up and find out everything about this strange room she found herself in but the scent she suddenly got aware of, made her relax and inhale deeply.
Liam stood leaning on the wall as he watched her sniffing into his pillow and it took him all his willpower to hold back his laughter. She actually looked so adorable.
Rose recognized this scent as the incense that fought off her nightmares and she did not hesitate to fall asleep comfortably.