Flick

XVI

"What's going on?" Wren stuck his head into the kitchen, worry etched clearly into the lines of his face. I wasn't sure whose safety he was worried for, but I could guess it wasn't mine. I glared at Emmett, who stared back at me with wide, sad eyes.

"Why won't all of you just leave me alone? This is my fucking apartment, and I can't get a goddamn moment's peace!" I threw my hands up in the air in frustration, and Wrens eyes softened even more.

"Flick, we all just want to see you. No one means to invade your space. Give us 10 minutes to see you, and then I promise Emmett, Jules, and everyone else will leave you alone for the rest of the night. Okay?"

I hesitated for a second. An unbothered night sounded lovely. But I hated to ever make things easy, especially for them.

"7 minutes, and I don't want to hear shit about it. And no one bugs me tomorrow either." I added quickly. They wanted something from me, I would take something from them. No sense in passing up the chance to sweeten the pot a little. Wren looked at Emmett who just shrugged stupidly.

"Fine with us. 7 minutes it is." I tensed my shoulders as I followed Wren back into the living room. The invaders all sat around on the couch and floor, some having dragged kitchen chairs in. They all sat around all smiles and laughs until they laid eyes on me. As if I was the one who didn't belong here. I clenched my teeth when I saw the woman sitting beside Cam on the couch. I had never seen her before, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was Emmett's wife. I couldn't remember her name, and frankly, I didn't give a fuck. She smiled at me warmly, tucking her blonde curls over her shoulder. She looked like a bitch. I could assume Mom was right.

"Hey, Flick, you came," Noel was the first to speak. I didn't take my glare away from whatever her name was. I ripped my wrist away when I felt a hand coil around it.

"All of you stop fucking touching me," I spat down at Emil, who gave me an unimpressed look and nodded towards Noel who had moved over a little to make space beside him on the couch, putting him in between me and her.

"Go sit next to Noel. We were just talking about what we're gonna do for Christmas," Emil gently pushed me, ignoring my glare, much to my annoyance. I should have known it wouldn't take long for Emil to stop giving me a reaction to this attitude of mine. I always considered him the most parental and even-tempered of the boys. I flopped down on the couch next to Noel and glanced at the clock.

"Six minutes," I muttered. Wren quickly explained our arrangement to the rest, and slowly conversation resumed within the group.

"Well, I was thinking we should go find some decorations or something tomorrow. I saw something about a sale at the department store downtown," Wren said. It was pointless chatter I had no interest in participating in. I couldn't care less about Christmas or holiday preparations. I think it's fucked up that we're all sitting here like this is normal. Well, I guess for them it is. For them, the only difference is me. They've all had each other all these years, all these holidays, all this time. And I've been by myself. And it's like they don't even fucking realize it. Like they can't imagine why I resent them so much, after all that they put me through. I knew all this, I've said it all out loud but it just seemed too brutal a truth to think that they're so selfish, they can't even see why I hate them the way that I do.

"I was thinking maybe we could go ice skating before Friday. Felicity? Would you want to come with us?" I turned my head when I heard the female voice say my name.

"Why the fuck do you get a say in Christmas plans? You're not even family." I wasn't really mad at her. I didn't even know her name. But I felt compelled to punish her for all the shit in my life, specifically the fact that she married my goddamn brother and didn't think to invite our mom, let alone me. She wasn't really at fault, but she was here, and she was an easy target at the moment.

"Felicity!"

"Hey, don't be rude!" Emmett and Emil yelled at the same time.

The woman looked at me with wide eyes, but I kept my facial expression neutral towards her.

"What? It's true." I said, rolling my eyes. "Marrying my brother doesn't mean shit to me." Especially when I wasn't even there to witness it. I didn't say the last part out loud. The wedding was a discussion for another time.

"Hey! You can be as mad at me as you'd like, but don't you dare talk to my wife like that."

The woman put her hand up, to stop Emmett who had stood up ready to march over to me. "Em it's okay," She said softly. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Felicity." The fact that she was being nice pissed me off to no end. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her.

"The fuck do you know about how I feel?" I spat.

Noel pinched the back of my arm, making me yelp. "Cut it out, Felicity. Seriously, not cool." He whispered in my ear. I growled and stood up.

"My six fucking minutes are up." I jumped off the couch, trying to ignore the looks of disbelief and anger written on my various brothers' faces. "Mom was right, she is a bitch." I muttered to myself as I walked past Emmett. He caught my arm roughly, turning me to face his seething expression.

"The fuck did you just say?" He growled.

I dropped my arms from my chest, my eyes growing to the size of saucers in fear and shock. I couldn't hide the fact that he was scaring the shit out of me, and I was silently very grateful when Emil pulled my arm out of Emmett's grip.

"Felicity, go to your room. Now." I didn't need to be told twice before I stumbled down the hall, suppressing tears and panicked breath along the way. I didn't close my door right away when I heard Emil start to speak harshly to who I assumed was still Emmett beside him.

"Can you please remember that she's a kid?"

"That kid talked to my wife like she was an asshole, and I was not going to just sit there and let it happen. She called Lily a bitch, Emil. Not okay with me."

Emil sighed. I could see him shake his head in the shadow against the wall of the hallway. "Emmett, she is a child. That doesn't make it okay, but grabbing her like that, and scaring her, won't make anything better, and we came here to make it better with her, did we not?"

"Emmett, I'm not upset about it. Emils right, she's a kid, and she's obviously been through some stuff, which I won't ask about right now, but her reaction to me was clearly one of self-defense."

Fuck her and all her logic. Whatever her name was.

Slowly, I shut my door and slid down it, lighting a cigarette and taking a swig of Gatorade.

Tears streamed down my face as I listened through the door as their conversation resumed.

I had almost been a part of them for a minute. And I couldn't decide if I liked that or not.

A/N-Life update: Still no cat, still crazy stressed. Don't get used to these quick updates, I promise they won't last long. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the Interlude for TWTWM will be up later this afternoon after I get out of school. I am uploading this while I sit in spanish class and wait for my teacher to take us out of break out rooms. Don't ask me why it takes 15 minutes for her to put us in break out rooms and take us out, because I have no idea. Anyway, what do y'all think of Lily and Emmet. You'll get to know them better in the next few chapters, but what are your first impressions. Thank you all for almost 50k on this story and almost 250k on TWTWM. It really means the world to me that you guys enjoy my writing so much. Anyway, go eat something, go drink some water and take care of yourself. I love you all, and have a good day :)