Then You Look At Me |COMPLETED|

Barricade

"Speaking of Lea, where is she?" Alex scrunches his face up. "She disappeared after Ansel went after Rain."

Aiden shrugs. "I caught her staring at Ansel's room door from the stairs when Shanelle and I were on our way to mom and dad's room. It seems she saw when Ansel took Rain upstairs but when she realized that I saw her staring like some creep, she quickly left the party. She looked sad."

I glance at Ansel to read his expression, but he does not seem bothered by the news as he traces his thumb on my knuckle, our hands tightly intertwined.

"Well, that's her loss." Alaric has no hint of care in his tone. "By the way, did you just say; 'while you were on your way to mom and dad's room with Shanelle?'"

"Yeah," Aiden smirks cockily as he reaches for a leftover chip from a bowl on the center table. He raises it to his mouth, but a cushion knocks it from his hand and smacks him in the face unexpectantly. He shuts his eyes. "That hurt."

"Did you actually fuck a girl on our parents' bed, Aiden?" Alaric furrows his brows and Aiden rubs his lower lip where the pillow had slap.

"Firstly, I think my lip is swollen. Secondly, Riley and Rainey are in our presence, Ric; your vulgar language is quite inappropriate. And fyi, we used the nightstand, not the bed."

"What the hell is fyi?"

"It means ′for your information,′ but people don't use that anymore, Aiden is just logging behind of time." Arden props his feet onto the table while he scrolls down his cell, the light illuminating his features.

Alaric shuts his eyes and decides against further responding, shifting his focus back to me instead.

"Anyway, Rain, in due time you will know about what happened with our father and Ron. It's quite a long story but you will come to know eventually. You're apart of us now anyway. But for tonight it is getting late and I need you girls to return home and get some rest. Alex will drop you guys off. Don't worry about Ron, we won't let him hurt you, okay?"

"Yeah, we will slit his throat if he dares to lay a hand on you," Aiden adds, jutting his lip out as he attempts to examine it cross-eyed.

I smile gratefully. "Thanks, guys."

You are a part of us now anyway.

There is this strong feeling of comfort within me when Alaric uttered those words. Aside from my dad and Riley, the king boys are the only other persons who do not look at me with contempt. Their gazes are not judgmental, and I realize that family does not have to be blood-related. It can just be a group of persons with different DNAs coming together by fate and giving each other a sense of security.

I feel safe with the King brothers.

°°

It was a quarter past one when Riley and I arrived home last night. Jeff and my mom were already in bed and it offered us such relief as we immediately scurried upstairs at the speed of light. We were careful not to make too much noise as a confrontation with my mother is something I was not up for. I was exhausted and too much had already gone down during the day that I just wanted to crash in bed.

I used Riley's cell to phone my dad. He was mad that he could not get through to me for these past few days but when I informed him that Miranda took my cellphone, he calmed down a bit and pointed all his anger to her instead. He promised to send some funds to my account and requested that I get a new cellphone as soon as possible. The thought is hardly thrilling because I got too attached to the confiscated one and now, I will have to reinstall all my applications.