Atlas

ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ

I don't remember one day that I haven't spent at the office. And now it's day two of me staying far away from it. In a row.

Sierra asked me to stay home as Athena and Cody would come over later today. I planned on going to work, but I don't have it in me to say no to her. Not sure why that is.

Honestly. I don't have a single problem when it comes to doing things I want. But then Sierra asks me for one thing, and it's like my own brain is betraying me. Like my brain erases the word "no" from it when Sierra asks a question, or a favour.

She's currently upstairs in her bedroom, together with Athena, talking all about the wedding, and probably her pregnancy, and whatever women talk about. That at least gives me some time to speak to Cody. Alone. Without Sierra getting suspicious.

I mean, she did say she wants me to bond with her brother, so I might just do that. Not that it's really necessary after fifteen years of friendship.

Also, I hate the fact that I have to lie to her. She's the only person I ever want to be one hundred percent transparent with, yet here I am. Perhaps I should just tell her...

"I don't think I have ever seen you having so much junk food at home," Cody says as he looks through my cabinets.

I'm leaning against the kitchen counter, simply sipping away my water. "You bought most of it."

Cody's head snaps towards me. "I don't recall buying tons of ice cream and donuts."

I shrug. "It's been weeks and Sierra's still craving those sugar bombs of donuts. And, she loves ice cream. Don't you know that?"

Cody shakes his head, then says; "How would I? Whenever she came out of our room or wherever she stayed, she wasn't eating anything at all. And as she grew older, the more distance came between us. You know, with me going to college when she was thirteen. I wasn't home a lot."

"Yeah, but aren't you close?" I still think knowing one's sister loves ice cream doesn't require to be in touch twenty-four seven.

"I don't exactly ask about her favourite movie snack or whatever. We usually talk about how arrogant and asshole-like you are," he says, smirking at me disgustingly.

"How come you never told her about my existence?" I ask, anticipating an answer that most definitely won't be any good. I know why he didn't tell me about her, but she still could've mentioned me. Especially after she started working for me.

I also don't quite understand why Athena and Cody keep all of this a secret from her in the first place.

Cody jumps up onto my kitchen counter, sitting. Cause I don't have good six barstools by the kitchen island he could sit on instead.

"Well, you know," he begins, "she has always had this fear of men, I didn't want to scare her with... you."

"I wasn't even half as bad then as I am now." I raise my eyebrows at him. It's true. I might have always been a grump, but I wasn't always mad and an asshole.