Taming Pierce

27

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R E E C E
27 | a rose for a Lizzie

A rush of golden blonde hair goes past me when I step into the foyer of my home. I stumble at the unexpected force, blinking rapidly at Crystal who is skateboarding inside the mansion.

"Crystal, watch out!" I yell, making her stop and spin around. "You'll hurt someone."

She removes her headphones, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous grin as she zips around me. With her hands discreetly behind her back, she studies me from head to toe.

"Bold of you to assume I care, bro," she says, grinning like the spoilt brat Ryan says she is.

I grab her arm when she goes to whoosh past me again. "You have to care. Come here."

A groan leaves her regretfully as I force her to face me. Her arms cross finely in front of her, the two cuts of blond eyebrows on her forehead creasing the skin in between.

"Ugh...I hate when you guys behave like Dad," she scoffs with a roll of her eyes. "Newsflash: I'm still in mourning."

"You don't look the part," I counter, my jaw flexing at her insolent tone. "You can't make excuses all your life saying you're in mourning."

She places a hand on her chest, feigning a look of horror at my accusation. "Ouch! Since when did you start speaking Ryan's tongue? That's so rude."

"You're our responsibility. Do you see Ryan's graying hair?" I lower my voice, afraid Ryan might hear and get conscious about his appearance again. He has been a little insecure ever since Crystal pulled a white hair out of his head two years ago. "It's because of you."

"And now you're concerned about him?" she quirks an eyebrow, swaying side to side on the board.

"Shut up."

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asks, shrugging. "You never come home."

I try to not let the bitterness of that truth get to me. It always stings when someone says how much I avoid home. Home is just not home anymore. It is Lizzie's home now and being here near Lizzie, having to look at her every day and tolerate her ignorable attitude towards me is too much. Not to mention, having to tolerate Ryan's presence already has me grating my nerves.

It was Tatia who made me realize how stupid I had been all along. She is the one person in life who erases all the darkness, bringing in so much hope with her. That girl is in love with me and I didn't get to tell her that I love her back because, in the back of my mind, that faint lie of leaving things unresolved with Lizzie kept gaslighting me.

It all ends today. I will sort the shit in my life, pile it in a bag and dump it in the dark sea. Then, I will go back home to my girl and tell her that she is the one for me.

"It's my home," I comment with a drop of my shoulder. "I can come and go anytime I want."

"Ah!" Crystal bops my nose with the tip of her index finger. "Except for that one time when the servants didn't let you enter 'cause Lizzie told them so."

I force the twitch in my lips to stay put, biting the inside of my cheek as I watch my sister's sinister smile grow. I might not always be on good terms with Ryan but I can see why he is tired of her attitude.

"Lizzie and I are a different deal."

She pouts, pulling a sympathetic look on her expression. "Still healing a broken heart?"

My cheeks warm up at the suggestive note, the embarrassment of having my secret known to my whole family now causing my heart to beat in my throat.

"No," I croak with a little cough, taken uncomfortable by the remark.