Silent Singer

Chapter 15: Stories And Kisses

Everly

"We seem to have this problem a lot," Alex said. He was still as ravishing as I remembered considering I hadn't seen him in a few weeks.

"Wh- Are you two roommates?"

"Of a sort." He replied shortly.

"No. You see, we're actually brothers." Karson said correcting him, with a serious face.

And then I fainted. Now you're probably thinking, you're just over exaggerating. But no, I was completely blindsided.

___________

"Everly? EVERLY?!" I looked up to a concerned Karson and Alex. Both of their eyebrows were furrowed and I realized that they shared a lot of the same features. They both had high cheekbones, big round eyes, and a similar sized nose. But they had a striking difference in eye color. Alex's were murky swamp water, blue-gray whereas Karson's were a very bright bluebell color. Alex's were unique. They were mainly gray but also had some light specs of sea blue. It was quite beautiful actually.

"Everly?" Alex whispered quietly. It was so faint I almost didn't hear him but that seemed to bring me to my senses.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Karson butted in before Alex could reply.

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

They both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why'd you faint anyway-"

"Oh, what nice decorations you have!" I said changing the subject. I walked around touching everything I saw. Most of it consisted of art. By the feel of the rough canvas, I could tell that Alex made them but I asked anyway. "Did you make these? They're breathtaking." I gasped.

"Yes," He smiled walking over. "This one's my favorite." He pointed to one that looked like a woman with long black hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a blue dress and was holding a microphone. Then I realized... It was me. I looked over at him in awe and I saw his hand was behind his head and he was looking down blushing.

"I know it's not much but..."

"Oh, Alex thank you!" I ran at him and wrapped my arms around him and in thanks; I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

*Ahem* I turned around to see Karson standing there tapping his foot impatiently with a scowl on his face.

"Erm. Sorry." I whispered pulling away from him and taking a few steps back.

"Now how about we do what we came here for." He spat angrily.

He lost all sounds of warmth that he had just minutes before. I quickly shuffled over to him out of fear and followed him up the stairs. We got upstairs and he led me to his room. He sat on his bed and after a few minutes, he was calm and gave me a tour of it. It was small but already decorated with his own little knick-knacks. I looked around and finally settled on his face where he was staring at me intensely.

"So um... What do you wanna talk about?" I asked.

"What's your backstory? Like. What's it like being a normal kid?"

"Well I wouldn't say normal," I chuckled. "Well, as you know my dad was a famous musician. After I was born he stopped singing. He claimed that he had retired but it was really so he could take care of me. Obviously, some people know about me but not many. As you would know what it's like being a pop star, my dad didn't want that for me. He didn't want me exposed or to feel as if I was forced to go into the music career so they hid me. Very well now that I think about it. Anyways a few years before I was born, my parents were both diagnosed with cancer as it ran in both sides of the family, (tears started rolling down my cheeks.) Once I turned five they both died within a span of two months. I was put up for adoption and no one knew who I really was except for a select few. I was adopted by Joe and Kim Leey. They have a seven-year-old son named Grayson who has despised me since the day he was born. In the beginning, Joe and Kim actually cared for me but once they had a child of their own flesh and blood, they forgot about me... They've given me just enough money to get by, for food. But everything else I've had to buy with my own money. And it's been like that for nine years. And I miss my parents so much." By now I was silently bawling. Karson wrapped his arms around mine and comforted me. It calmed me because he smelled like the woods and lilac.

"When I was 12, my mom died. That's around when I started singing. My dad was so wrapped up in bills from the hospital and work he started drinking," He took a great breath waiting for my reaction but I was still buried in his sweatshirt so he continued on. "He drank so much that Alex couldn't take it anymore and he moved from New York to Arizona at age 13. He stayed with our third cousin until he was old enough to get this house. I was 12 and he just...Left me there. With him...And every once and a while...Every once and a while he would become so drunk... He would hit me with his belt... I still have the marks on my back...Now I'm 17 and he's been leeching off of me since I turned 14 when I started signing professionally." He pulled up his shirt and I saw lash marks. I hesitantly put my hand out and traced them with my finger. His muscles immediately relaxed and he continued the story. "Then... I met you. I was automatically attracted to you and I didn't know why... And here we are."

He finished his story. I released my hands from his back and as his shirt fell back down we locked eyes. We continued to gaze at each other until he slowly leaned in closing his eyes. I closed mine too and before I knew it our lips were connected. I felt sparks fly. Maybe it was because this was my first kiss or maybe it was because I WAS KISSING KARSON KAPE?! Either way, I enjoyed it all the same. Eventually, we both came up gasping for air.

"I guess we're in this together." He whispered.

"It seems so." Igasped breathlessly, his hand in mine.