"We're ready," Levi announced when we met Josiah and Asher at the door.
"Okay. Take care," Asher said, about to move forward, but he stopped and stepped back again.
I looked at Levi, who was already studying his every move.
The doorbell ringing made her look at the door.
"Be safe," Josiah said, before remembering something. "Did you take you phones?"
I nodded, while Levi stared at the door.
"Call any of us if there is a problem. You have our numbers saved in them," He said, smiling softly.
I nodded again and moved when Levi took a step towards the door.
She opened the door to reveal a tall man standing there in an expensive suit, much like Lucian. Father looked really young yet friendly. Unlike Lucian, young and scary.
"Good morning, kids!" He said, when he was done looking us over.
"Morning," Levi said, in her usual 'void of emotions' voice.
"Nice to meet you again, Amira," He said, making Levi turn her head towards him and nod. Although she looked fully focussed on him, she seemed to be lost. Like she was in a daze.
I don't know what is going on in her mind.
"Nice to meet you, Aurora," He said, leaning towards his side to look at me.
"Good morning, Father," I said, nodding my head. He smiled in return.
"Let's go then," He turned around and started walking towards the car.
He got in the driver's seat. Levi thought for a moment before opening the back door and holding it for me.
She got in the front, turning to glance at me. I gave a nod and she smiled before focussing on Father again, studying his movements.
We may be more inclined to live with him, that doesn't mean she trusts him fully. She will watch his every movement to take the decision.
Father focused on the road and put some music on.
"So, how have you been?" He asked, breaking the silence.
"Good," Levi responded shortly.
"I'm sorry for your Mom," He said, turning towards her to give a sad smile.
"You're four years late but okay." She said.
God! She can't let anyone catch a break. No one can be saved from her words.
Levi looked at Father to see his reaction.
Oh. She has some plan.
"Ouch," He muttered. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend the funeral. I wasn't in contact after the divorce and I got to know two days later."
"Hm." Levi muttered, narrowing her eyes at the man, in deep thought. "You could've at least called to see how your daughters were coping."
"I wasn't allowed to be in your life in any way after the divorce," He said, softly, staring at the road.
We reached the amusement park where Levi said no to most of the rides saying she wasn't interested or they were childish.
Miss Aurora Rose Verlice, on the other hand, was scared so she said no to most of the rides Levi rejected too.
Father decided to just sit down in the small garden and talk to us.
"This superdad is too strong to go on these silly rides," He mocked, jokingly.
Levi snapped her head towards him and her eyes widened a little.
I know. He sounded so much like Dad with that fake heavy voice.
"Why don't you go get something to eat, Amira?" Father asked, handing her his card. She looked at me, unsure for a moment before she got up when I nodded.
I will be okay. He can't do anything in a park full of people.
"What has happened to you two?" He muttered, seeing the panic on my face subside.
"Nothing has happened. We just grew up," I said, softly.
"Any questions you want to ask me?" He asked, smiling encouragingly.
"No. But I do have to say something." I said, looking at where Levi was standing near a food stall, looking at me worriedly.
"Go on," He encouraged.
"She didn't take Dad's death lightly. She needs more care and I just want her to get that. Everyone compares us with each other and treats her like a trouble kid. I want us to be treated equally so she can feel loved too," I said, looking at his face nervously which didn't give away any emotions as he listened to everything I said patiently.
He nodded.
"I understand and I assure you that she will not be treated badly. A sibling can have favorites but a father can't." He smiled at the end.
Just then, Levi came back and took her seat again, closer to me this time.
Maybe it will be better for her if we live with him.
"Hey, sweetie," Father smiled at her. "What did you get?"
Yeah. It will be better.
~Amira Levi Mazzanti~
It hurts.
The ways I see Dad in him hurts so fucking much that it's getting intolerable now.
I've spent a day with him and all I've got is memories of Dad.
My mind went to those times just at the mention of a father figure entering our lives again. That was our biological father returning after eleven years.
I know the court didn't allow him to contact Mom or us. Mom wanted no contact with him for some unknown reason.
That's why I tried calling my brothers when we first moved away but they hung up just after hearing my voice.
My foolish twelve year old self called them hundreds of times when Mom was dying and they never picked up. They never attended her funeral.
That's probably why I deleted their number from my Mom's old phone that I kept with me after her death.
That was the last call I made, when the casket was being lowered into the ground. I never called them again nor did I ever think they'd come back into our lives.
Now meeting my father, I'm being reminded again of my Dad's absence. The seven years we spent with him were filled with nothing but happiness, love and safety. Nothing else.
'Amira Levi Verlice, I promise I will protect you till my last breath.'
He kept his promise and indirectly and unknowingly protected us from Lucas when he gave him permission to go study in another city and live by his own at sixteen.
"Levi?" I blinked, turning my head slightly to look at Rose, who was sitting on the bed, the covers pulled up to her chin.
"Yeah?" I asked, shifting slightly and inhaling deeply to relieve the ache in my chest.
"What do you think?" She asked.
I honestly didn't know.
"What do you think?" I asked, surprising her if the slight widening of her eyes told me something.
'How could the dictator let her decide something.'
"I don't know. I'm not good at taking decisions," She said, looking away. I frowned.
"I can't decide this time, Rose," I said, biting the inside of my cheek. "I don't know what we should do and I'll go by whatever you decide."
She looked at me, turning her head so fast, I almost got up to see if she hurt herself.
"You know better than me-" I cut her off.
"That's not true. I just know what you want before. I don't know this time," I said, crossing my legs and arms while looking at her, expectantly.
"I mean, I don't want you getting hurt," She mumbled, fiddling with the blanket. "I was scared Damien would hurt you and he did maybe."
She glanced at my chest where the bruise was, for a moment. I never told her there was a bruise. She might've assumed it.
"I just want us to be safe and not scared of someone." She ended.
"I think I got my answer," I smiled, looking at the almost proud look on her face. "You're good at making decisions."
"Thank you," Rose said, her face turning pink from embarrassment.
I got up and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge beside her, facing her. My right leg crossed beneath me while my left leg hung down the bed, my foot almost touching the floor.
"I'm happy you thought about me, but I want you to think about yourself. Think about where you will be happy. We still have till eleven tomorrow," I said, taking her hand in mine and rubbing my thumb over the back of it.
"I've thought about myself too. I know you will protect me. So wherever you're happy, I'll be happy," She said, softly. She lowered herself a little to hide in the covers.
"That I will," I said, clenching my right hand in a fist and sticking my thumb out. I extended it towards her, watching her do the same.
"Our happiness is linked," I muttered when my thumb touched hers.
"It is," She said, smiling at our hands before looking back at me.
"Dinner!" Asher yelled, his voice echoing around the mansion, shaking the walls.
I sighed. Another meal in the presence of a stupidly scary person who loves to shoot lasers from his eyes.
"I have to wash my face. You go ahead." I gave her a tight smile.
She looked at me wide-eyed.
"Can I stay and go with you?" She asked, softly, still processing my previous words.
'Pet dog who follows Levi around.'
"No. I'll be there. Go ahead," I said, still having that reluctant smile.
'What if someone hurts her?'
'Whatever. That's better than being a dictator.'
Rose looked at me for a moment before she stood up from the bed. She glanced back at me nervously before leaving, after seeing I really wasn't following her.
I hate myself.
No one will hurt her.
I kept assuring myself but everything inside me was screaming at me to run and find her. Be with her.
I waited for a few minutes before opening the door and walking out.
She's safe and okay. No one will hurt her.
I nodded to myself and continued walking, with my hands stuffed in my pockets.
I turned a corner and came to an abrupt halt. My heart dropped, as my breathing quickened.
Damien stood in the hallway, with an angry scowl on his face. My gaze turned to the other person.
Rose.
Pinned against the wall, her feet a few feet away from the floor, with Damien's hand on her throat. She struggled to breath while flailing around, failing to get a sound out of her throat.
"You're scared of me, huh? Pet dog." He mocked, smirking evilly.
As soon as my senses came back to me, I ran. I ran the fastest I could, towards Damien.
But the punch I threw never hit his face. Instead it went through him, just hitting the air.
I panicked, looking at my fist then at him. Then my gaze fell on a struggling Rose, who was losing her consciousness.
My vision blurred with the tears forming in my eyes. I ran to her to grab her, take her away from him.
Instead my hands came in contact with the wall.
My chest tightened with every breath I took. I stumbled back from the wall, still panicking.
As my panic grew, the sounds of Damien mocking us turned into a deafening ringing in my ears.
My hands flew to my ears as I started gasping for air.
Panic attack.
Dad. Tears fell from my eyes at just this. He's the first person that came to my mind every time I had a panic attack.
My panic grew more and Damien started fading a little, turning into Lucas, who turned his head to smirk at me.
The scars on my back tingled, making me choke back a sob.
Count to ten.
I took deep breaths to calm myself down. I clenched my eyes shut to take my mind off of the horrifying scene before me.
When I finally opened my eyes after another minute, the ringing had quietened and the hallways were empty again.
What was that?
I stood up from my curled up sitting position shakily, still taking deep breaths.
I wiped my tears away with my shirt sleeve and ran back into the room. Quickly splashing my face with cold water, I dried my face and rushed to the kitchen.
I need to make sure she's okay.
"Levi!"
My heart dropped again when I heard that while I was on the last step. I ran towards the source, only to find Rose standing against the wall with her eyes clenched shut and her hands before her protectively.
Damien stood near the opposite wall facing her, his hand raised in mid air, like he was about to touch her.
Not again.
Despite my inside telling me this was another twisted thing my mind was doing, I ran towards him ready to let my anger out.
Just as I reached there, arms wrapped around my waist, holding me back while I flinched and struggled to get away.
I elbowed the person behind me and shoved them as hard as I could with tears already falling down my face.
"Leave me alone!" I yelled at Jayden as I backed away, towards Rose.
"Just leave us the fuck alone!" I yelled, tears pouring down my face and sobs getting stopped at my throat. I was now standing just before Rose, looking back and forth between the two.
I wiped my tears away furiously.
"What happened?" Asher asked, when he stopped just beside Jayden. Josiah rushed towards the commotion a second later.
"I don't know. I said something to Rose but she was in her own thoughts. I just tapped her shoulder and she flinched and yelled for Bunny," Damien explained himself.
People can pretend.
"Stop lying," I gritted, before wiping the sleeve of my shirt on my face again.
Another pair of footsteps and the only person absent appeared behind Asher.
"What happened?" He asked, looking at Damien and Jayden.
But when he looked at me and Rose, his eyes darkened and his jaw clenched.
'He hates you.'
"Just a misunderstanding," Josiah said.
"I doubt it was," I accused, glaring at Damien while shielding my trembling sister.
My hand were shaky while I got over the adrenaline.
"It wasn't my fault. I didn't know she would react like that!" Damien said, looking at Lucian.
"Just stay away from us," I said, looking at Damien, before shifting my gaze from him to make eye contact with everyone.
I wrapped my arm around Rose's shoulder and led her away from everyone towards our room.
The silence followed us to our room. I didn't hear anything except Rose's panicked breathing and my own racing heart.
For the next twenty minutes or so, I just sat on my bed with my legs on either side of my twin and my back against the headboard, hugging her tight. Keeping her close, to make sure she was real this time.
My tears won't stop falling, no matter how hard I try.
The night Lucas tried that on her in his drunk state is the worst nightmare I've ever witnessed.
What happened today was close to that. Really close.
"Levi?" Rose mumbled softly.
"Yeah?" I sniffled, picking my head up from her shoulders and wiping at my eyes before facing her fully.
"I think I overreacted," She said, softly. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much."
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was my fault I..." I stopped.
I listened to this voice in my head.
"... my fault I let you go alone," I said, as new tears made their way to my eyes. "Don't apologise."
She closed her mouth and nodded.
A knock sounded on the door. When I didn't answer on the second knock too, the person decided to open the door and step in himself.
That person happened to be Asher.
"Dinner," He said, putting the tray on the nightstand and backing away slowly. "Please eat it."
I kept staring towards the balcony doors, while Rose stared down at her hands. A sigh was heard before his footsteps retreated and the door shut softly.
After a while, we were done eating. I didn't want to but Rose forced me too when I forced her.
"Can I hold you while you sleep?" I asked, watching the sleepy state she was in. She smiled.
"You don't need to ask that," She said, looking at me, like I was the crazy one.
I kinda was. She strives off of physical touch. How could she say no to being cuddled for a whole night by the only person she trusts enough to touch her?
I stood up and made her lay down properly, pulling the covers over her. I walked into the closet to put all the pins and clips in my hair where they belong and walked back out.
My eyes landed on the bags that had the candies and snacks Father bought us, despite our refusal.
I picked them up from the desk and moved to put them with the other packed stuff. A piece of paper stuck out of the bag. Frowning, I pulled it out.
'If you choose Lucian as your guardian tomorrow, consider Rose dead.'
"Who brought these up to our room?" I asked quietly.
"Damien," Rose mumbled. My hands clenched into fists, scrunching up the paper in my hands.
I threw it away into the bin and walked back to the bed, acting like nothing happened.
"Goodnight, Rose. I hope everything changes for good tomorrow," I said, when I laid down myself. I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her tightly, while she melted into the touch and released a satisfied sigh.
"Goodnight Levi," She said back, sleepily.
---
"So you've spent some days living with your brothers and a day with your father. I know that's a short time to decide who you want to live with," Our social worker said, as soon as she was seated on the couch.
All five of our brothers were seated on the huge L-shaped couch while Father was seated in an armchair opposite the brothers.
"Before you tell me what your decision is, I'd like to speak to you in private." She eyes the men around us.
Damien was the first one to walk out, followed by the other younger ones. Lucian waited till Father exited then walked out himself.
"I want you to feel safe and happy wherever you live. It's completely your choice and both of the guardians are fully capable of providing for everything you need or want," She began while I looked at her intently.
"I know it's a hard decision to make. You know how living with your brother is like. So, if you choose to live with you father, that choice is not permanent either. If you have any problem, I'm just a call away and you can move back here or in foster care if neither of the guardians provide you with the atmosphere you need."
I released a relieved breath at the offer. I looked at Rose who was smiling.
"So that means, we can make the decision of leaving if we have any problem," I said, trying to process everything she said.
"Yes. Any genuine problem, you can always call me."
"I didn't know it was that easy or we had that power," Rose mumbled.
"I didn't either," I said, grabbing her hand. "Are you sure about it?"
She thought for a second before she nodded. "I am. It's up to you now."
I nodded and turned to the lady who was looking at us with a smile.
She called the guys back in. It looked to be happening in slow motion. They took their respective seat, all of them bouncing their legs.
"We'd like to go live with our father."
---
How's it going so far?
(^.^)