City of Blind ✓

Elephants dancing in my brain

"It's okay, Astrid-bear. You know he loves you, right? It's just that; he has a different way of showing it." I nodded and gave him a small smile. "I have always got your back, Astrid-bear."

He squeezed me one last time before he got out and helped me out too. Aiden was in the kitchen when we entered. I was about to run upstairs when Aiden stopped me.

"Hot chocolate."

Two words. Just two words and my heart melted.

I looked back at him. His face was emotionless but his eyes were shining with concern and love.

Asher smirked and winked at me as I suppressed the urge to tackle my brother in a bone crushing hug.

I settled for a small nod and took the mug. Aiden strolled upstairs to his room. Asher ruffled my hair and followed his twin. I sighed and gulped my hot chocolate in one go.

Who were you, Mr Stranger?

~~~

I cursed under my breath as bright light disturbed my sleep. A groan escaped my lips as I felt sandwiched between hard walls. Blinking back the black spots, I opened my eyes to find two identical people, cuddled on either side of me. I rolled my eyes but smiled nevertheless at the sight of my two adorable caring brothers.

Aiden shuffled and threw his arm to cover his eyes. I turned my head in Asher's direction and shrieked when I saw him laying there with his eyes crossed and tongue out in dead man pose. Aiden groaned beside me.

"Don't scare me like that!" I whisper yelled at Asher as he grinned cheekily.

Aiden rolled on his stomach and craned his body up with his left elbow while scratching his head with right one.

"Good morning!" I greeted cheerfully. I may or may not have done it to avoid the lingering discussion.

"Good morning!" One of the twins matched my enthusiasm, and the other one just mumbled back while frowning.

"Astrid-"

"Kids! Are you up?!" Dad hollered, unintentionally saving me.

I jumped out of bed and started running downstairs but Aiden yanked my- well his shirt and threw me back on the bed.

"Not so fast, squirt."

Hearing my nickname from him, reassured me that Asher indeed must have talked to his twin. But he still terrified me. I gulped and sat between the twins who were eyeing me creepily. I didn't miss the baseball bat on the Aiden's side of bed.

"What were you doing there?"

So with a deep breath, I narrated my whole story to them. They listened intently and nodded occasionally. Aiden took a sharp breath and conveyed a secret message to Asher with his eyes, making him sigh. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Aiden-bear, listen what we are saying carefu-"

"Kids?!" dad's voice boomed.

The three of us groaned in unison and scrambled downstairs.

"What?" we whined in sync. I guess their creepiness is rubbing on me. The thought made me shiver.

"Go get ready, we are having Parker family time. We are going to Bentley's Kitchen for breakfast."

My eyes brightened, and the twins choked back a groan. I immediately ran to my room and messed my closet up.

"Astrid!" Asher groaned as Aiden complained, "He is not a good guy!"

I gave them a blank look.

"I don't like him! I just... I-he is just cute!"

Yeah, I have an itsy-bitsy, tiny-mini crush on Ryder, a waiter at Bentley's Kitchen. He is a sweet guy with a cute cheeky grin. He is cool and never hits on me or judges me. We don't hang out often, as he is not in my school and the twins don't like him. But in my defense, they don't like anyone. The sad part is, he has a girlfriend- Lizette, and I admit that they look perfect together.