Laced

Laced - Chapter 49 (Uncovering the Past)

A heavily used rug was placed on the floor in the middle of the room, and I stepped over it to the side of the bed.

That's when my eyes fell upon the small picture frame on the wooden nightstand. There were two young boys, full, innocent grins on both of their faces. The obviously younger one's face had what looked like tomato sauce splattered across it, and the older one's finger was poking the smaller child's cheek. Brothers, they must be brothers.

I carefully picked up the frame, forgetting everything else around me, and sat down on the made bed. Something about this photo was strong and heavy - there was more meaning to it than just a first glance.

I glance up at Master Zayn. He's across the room, his back leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, watching me carefully. Looking back down at photo frame, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I was missing something completely.

"Oh my god." I gasp, my voice low. With a burst of intuition, I came to a sudden realization. "This is you!" I pointed to the older brother in the picture. "It's you, isn't it?"

He pushes himself off the wall, and brings his arms behind his back. He doesn't nod or answer my question, but I can tell that my assumption is correct.

"But that means, you have a younger brother? Who?" Before I finish asking, I already figured out the answer to my own question. "Caleb." I breathe, and he finally nods.

"Surprised?" His voice is soft, as if reminiscing over old memories. He smiles, but I can tell that it's forced.

I set the photo frame down, and nod. "That means...this is your room?"

He nods and sighs, and then rubs the nape of his neck. My head is bursting with questions, but I don't know where to start. I decided to go with the one that seemed most important to him - the couple in the master bedroom. "That means...those are your parents? The couple in the other room?"

"I am sure you have a lot of questions," he starts, and I smile. He knows me too well. "But I ordered pizza that should be arriving in a bit, and then I'll explain everything to you over dinner. Is that okay?" He asks, unsure. I could feel the raw emotion rolling off him in waves.

It's so unlike him, this man that stood before me. He was emotional, unable to meet my eyes. He was asking if what he'd ordered for dinner was okay; he was offering to answer my questions. This man was almost unrecognizable to me, and I longed to comfort him.

Standing up, I walk over to him, closing the distance in between us. I bring my hands up to his neck, and then cup his face, meeting my eyes with his. Slowly, I press my lips to his.

He immediately responds, bringing his arms up and sitting his hands at my hips. The kiss is slow, and I can tell there's a lot on his mind by the way he's distracted.

Pulling away, I give him a reassuring smile. "That'd be perfect."

--

"Fucking took you long enough." I hear Master Zayn spit as he opened the front door to pay for the delivered pizza.

I grimace at the hostility he showed the pizza man, but I wasn't going to say anything. I knew he wasn't feeling okay with the weight of his parent's house being on his shoulders, so I continues to quietly set up a few paper plates and plastic cups onto the coffee table in the living room. When I'm done putting the napkins on the table as well, I make my way back to the kitchen to grab the Coca-Cola bottle from the freezer.

"Abby?" He calls when he doesn't find me.

"Coming." I answer, and close the door of the freezer.

When I step into the living room, Master Zayn wraps one arm around me and pulls me in for a peck before setting down the box of pizza from his other hand onto the coffee table. I set the bottle of coke down as well, and unscrew the cap. I pour the liquid into the plastic cups I'd set out earlier, and i notice that Zayn's opening the pizza box and setting out two slices of pizza onto both paper plates.