Oh Brother (Completed)

Ready or Not

Aden hadn't said anything to me since the day on the stairs, but he'd stopped all that he was doing. He would even occasionally smile sadly in my direction whenever I passed. But seeing both him and Damien back in their usual competitive state, it gave me hope that maybe my twin had finally started to warm up to me. As if he could feel my eyes on him now, Damien passed his controller to Aden and crossed the room to Hudson and me, sitting himself on the arm of the couch.

"How are you guys feeling?" He asked, eyes flickering between me and Hudson.

"Like shit." Hudson grumbled. "Especially since school starts in two weeks. Like, dude, do you know how hard it is going to be to climb those stairs."

Damien's face fell and I winced. "I got you, man, so does Aden."

"You guys go to school together?" I piped in, surprised. I hadn't ever considered the idea that the boys all went to school together. Some part of me had believed that they were only around each other over the summer and when they went back home they went their separate ways. "Like all three of you?"

"Yep." It was Nix, waving a wooden spoon from where he stood just outside the kitchen. "Sam and I just got our own place, but we used to live with your dad too. We all went to the same high school."

I frowned, but it seemed to jar something in Hudson because he sat up and looked toward me with wide eyes. "That reminds me, my mom wanted me to ask you something."

I smiled at the thought of Hannah. She'd stayed back for a couple hours to talk to me after our hug, reassuring me that my own mother must have been extremely proud of me and that I was a strong woman for being able to put up with all my brothers.

"What'd she say?" Nix asked when I didn't, eyebrows drawn in confusion. "Oh, that;s right, she saw Fae that night at the hospital."

Hudson swallowed hard at the memory and looked back to me. "She wanted to know if you might consider spending your Senior year with us."

Damien's head whipped in Hudson's direction, and he nearly shouted, "Wait, what?"

"I explained a little bit about what happened with Ari before the. . . the attack, and she said that she fell in love with Arianna when she spoke with her. She said she'd love to have another girl in the house and she'll need more help, especially with me not being as mobile. She believes this is the best way of expressing her gratitude for saving me."

Before I can remind him that he's the one who saved my life and ended up without a limb because of it, Damien interrupted, leaning forward. "That means she'd be staying in Cali."

"Yep." Hudson nodded. "But its even better because she doesn't have to deal with living with you idiots."

"Hey!" Nix snapped, pointing the spoon at Hudson with a playful smirk. "We are very lovable idiots, thank you."

Damien shook his head at his brothers immaturity and nudged me. "You should consider it, Ari. That means you'd be closer to the boys, to your dad."

And you, I almost said, but tore my eyes off him and looked to Hudson with a small smile. "I'll consider it. Tell her thank you for even offering it though, I appreciate it."

Hudson reached over and squeezed my hand before looking to Nix in front of the kitchen door.

"I'm assuming you just standing out here with a spoon was your way of telling us dinner is ready?"

*

I nearly fell into the pool when I felt someone sink down beside me. Thinking it was one of the Holts or Sam, I was shocked to find Aden wiping his palms against his shorts, eyes trained on the stars I'd been gazing at only a few seconds ago.

"I'm so sorry, Ari. I shouldn't have hit you or shoved you, or did everything I did." Aden said quickly, "You don't control who you fall in love with."

"What do you mean?" I knew exactly what he meant. "I'm not in love with anyone."

Aden cracked a smile at the denial. "But you are. And he's in love with you too. So is Phoenix."

"I know." I huffed. He smiled a little, leaning in closer to me so our shoulders brushed against one another.

"You know, I always thought this was the kind of shit that only happened in movies. The love triangles, the loving two people at once. I thought it was impossible. Yet here we are, my twin sister in love with both of them."

I kicked at the water, looking toward the sliding glass door. I could see Nix playfully shoving Sam through the glass, a scene that should have made me happy. I glanced sideways at Aden beside me and whispered, "Sam said that I need Nix, but I want Damien."

"He's right." Is what Aden said, following my eyes to the living room with a longing expression. "I see it in the way you look at Damien. But you're genuinely happy with Nix, Ari. He makes you smile in a way that nobody else can."

"I didn't come here to fall in love." I said softly. "I came here to grieve and reconnect with you guys, but somehow the two idiots wormed their way into my broken heart and tried their best to mend it. I don't know what to do, Aden. What do I do?"

My twin closed the distance between us and touched a comforting hand to my shoulder, eyes gleaming with genuine sympathy.

"You figure out if your desire and infatuation for the unknown with Damien is comparable to the safety and security you feel with Nix." Aden replied. "Once you figure that out, you're answer will be plain as day."