Liah POV:
We were silently eating our sandwiches and I looked to the opposite side of the table where the grumpy brother was sitting. I caught him starring at me but he quickly pretended to be on his phone. I chuckled lightly at that and I could have sworn I saw a smile on his lips before he covered it up.
"He's Darien, our youngest oldest brother. He's 27."
Wow, that was a big age gap. But the older brothers all seemed to be around the same age. I knew Ian was 30 years old since that was written on the invitation and today was his birthday party. That meant the smallest age gab would be 10 years.
A moment later Darien looked up from his phone and at me. "What's your name?"
"Liah, why?" I asked confused.
"No, your full name."
I crunched my nose in confusion but answered anyway. "Lianne Santiago."
Rome and Darien looked at me for a moment but didn't say anything.
"So, uhm, Liah." Rome hesitated a little to say my name. I ignored the fact. "I'll show you a room later where you can sleep in. We also have a crib where Caleb can sleep."
"Oh, that's not necessary. I don't want to bother you anymore than necessary." I looked at Caleb. "I have everything I need in the car."
"You want to sleep in a car?" Damien asked suddenly, his voice raised a little.
I put a finger to my mouth and reminded him to be quiet since Caleb was sleeping.
"You're not sleeping in a car!" He said again but this time in a quiet voice.
"Come on." Rome tugged at my arm and indicated me to follow him.
"Wait, let me get Caleb."
I was just about to reach for Caleb and pick him up when Rome went past me. He carefully picked Caleb up and steadied his head with his hand. He looked so attentive and was really careful as he placed my sleeping baby in his arms. I never trusted strangers with my baby, not even my own mother, but seeing Rome look at my baby with such caring and mesmerized eyes I couldn't but trust him with Caleb.
"I think you carried him around enough for today." Rome whispered to me as he slightly rocked him up and down in his arms.
"This way." Darien stood up too and gestured me out the door.
"Can we stop at the car first. I need a few things for Caleb. I'm sure he'll wake up soon and if he doesn't have his teddy he won't be able to sleep again."
The two nodded at me and we made our way outside. Darien had placed his suit jacket over my shoulders as he saw that I shivered at the nighty summer breeze. I gave him a quick thanks and lead them to the car.
Since it was the beginning of summer it was still bright outside at this time and I could easily spot my car. As we walked towards the car I saw a few guests leaving and they looked into our direction. Darien and Rome moved ever so slightly to shield me from the people's gazes, at least that's what it looked like to me.
"This is it." I said as I opened the car.
"What do you need?" Darien asked as he opened the trunk.
"Caleb's stroller and his bag, there is everything inside I would need for one night. And his teddy, it is on the backseat." I said as I was looking for my own things and Caleb's travel cot. It was actually just his normal baby bed, he usually slept beside me in my bed anyway. I couldn't afford much more.
"Take him." Rome said with his scratchy voice as he carefully placed Caleb in my arms.
"I thought you said I shouldn't carry him anymore." I repeated his earlier comment.
"Well, he's lighter than all of those things." He pointed at my suitcase and the bag of the travel cot.
Darien had already gotten the stroller and the diaper bag and set it on the ground. "Here." He said as he held out the pink plush teddy to me.
I grabbed it and put it on my chest next to Caleb, he immediately held on to it even in his sleep.
Then we made our way back to the mansion but we didn't walk through the front door, where the butler had shown me inside earlier that day. No, we took a side door, seemingly to avoid meeting any guests on our way. We came into a hallway with a large staircase and Rome told me to follow him upstairs. As soon as we made it upstairs, he looked at me but hesitated to speak for a moment.
"We have a couple of guest rooms but you can also stay in one of our rooms. Only if you want to." He looked away shyly as he said the last part.
I chuckled softly at him. It was an adorable question coming from him. I didn't have to think long about it.
"I'd like to stay in your room." I said and it wasn't only because I wanted to get to know my twin.
The connection I was feeling with Rome made every doubt I had of not being related to him vanish. But that wasn't the only reason I wanted to stay in his room tonight. I didn't want to be alone in a strange place. I knew Caleb would be with me but there was no telling what could happen. Rome gave me a secure feeling and I had no doubt he would keep Caleb and me safe.
A big grin spread on Rome's face and I could see him make a little celebration dance behind me.
"Well then, my room is at the end of the hall on the left." He pointed towards the direction before picking mine and Caleb's things back up.
His room was lighter decorated than I had expected. The antique structure of the house and the modern interior complemented each other perfectly. The room was held in white and light grey with light blue accessories which complemented the white furniture. The bed was large and placed in the middle of the left wall. On the right side stood two desks, one with two monitors and a pc and one was free, probably to work at and study. There were also a few cabinets filled with some books and a few plants. The room was neat and clean and gave a warm feeling. Other things in the room where a large couch below the windows and another door to the left.
"Wow." I said as I took in my surroundings. "This room is beautiful."
"I'm glad you like it." Rome smiled as he put my things in a corner of the room.
I placed Caleb's sleeping body on the soft bed and took his shoes off. I went to get his pajama from his bag and saw Rome and Darien quietly setting up the travel cot. I smiled at them as they tried to figure out how it worked. I decided to leave them to it and let them figure it out themselves as I started changing Caleb into something comfortable. As soon as I was finished with Caleb he started to stir in his sleep and started crying. I quickly picked him up and rocked him up and down saying calming words. I saw that Darien and Rome were done setting up his bed and I set him inside. Since it was summer I cover Caleb with a light blanket and gave him his teddy. He immediately clenched it tightly and his eyes closed again.
I let out a sigh when I saw he was sleeping peacefully again.
"He's adorable." Darien said beside us, as soon as I looked at him he avoided my eyes and looked away shyly.
"Thank you." I whispered and just as the words had left my mouth I yawned deeply.
The two guys chuckled at me. "You should go to bed too." Darien spoke first.
"You can change in there." Rome pointed at the white door, I looked at him quizzically. "It's my bathroom." He added.
"Oh." I said and nodded to him. I went to my suitcase and grabbed a pair of pajama shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in.
I walked to the door and opened it. I stopped in the door as I saw there was no window. I looked at the door handle and saw a keyhole and the fitting key in it. I took a deep breath.
"Is everything alright?" Rome asked as he came up beside me. He looked inside the bathroom but retreated as he saw nothing special inside.
I turned around to face him slowly. "Could you two leave the room for a moment so that I can get changed?"
They exchanged a quick glance but nodded at me and walked outside. I quickly took my romper off and changed into the shorts and t-shirt. I went into the bathroom leaving the door open, I brushed my teeth and opened my hair. Then I took my contact lenses out to reveal my one blue and one brown eye.
As soon as I was done I opened the door to the room and Rome and Darien came back inside.
I felt them looking at me, they tried to do it secretly but weren't very successful at it.
"I can feel you starring, you know." I crossed my arms over my chest as the two guys coughed surprised after I called them out.
"I just can't believe it yet. It's so unreal that you're here."
"Yeah, I feel the same." I said to my twin. Yap, definitely need to get used to that.
A small silence fell over the room until Rome spoke up again. "You can leave now Dar."
"What?" Darien asked confused.
"Isn't your fiancée waiting for you? Or just go back to the party." Rome said impatiently.
"What if I want to stay?" Darien put his arms at his sides and walked in front of his brother. He was a tiny bit taller than Rome and challenging looking down at him.
"If you want to stay here you can have the floor. And I won't allow it if Liah doesn't feel comfortable with it." Rome placed an arm over my shoulder as he said that.
I was glad that he had considered my feelings, but I wouldn't mind Darien staying here. He didn't give me the best first impression but after hugging him and him crying, which I thought he usually wouldn't, I thought he was nice. He hadn't talked as much as Rome but his actions where just as caring as his.
"I don't mind." I said as I walked over to the couch and sat down. "Is it alright if I take the couch?" I asked carefully, I didn't want to invade anymore of their personal space.
Rome walked over to me and before I could react he had picked me up in his arms and threw me on the bed. I let out a loud shriek at the sudden action.
"What was that for?" I pouted at him but Rome only looked at me amused.
He laid down on the couch. "You're taking the bed, I'm not tired anyway."
I put my arms on my sides and looked at him. "It will be uncomfortable on the couch."
He turned around on the couch then said. "What, I couldn't hear you?"
I crossed my arms and pouted as he was obviously teasing me. I took a pillow and threw it at him, it landed right on his head but he didn't react. He grabbed the pillow from his face and placed it under his head.
"Thanks, little sis." He said seemingly more comfortable now.
"I'm not your little sis, we're twins." I complained.
"Well, believe it or not but you're the younger twin." Rome said.
"By 42 minutes even." Darien added as he put a thick blanket on the floor and laid on it. "Can you throw a pillow at me too?" He asked me amused.
I took a pillow and threw it as hard as I could.
"Girl, don't kill the poor pillows please." Sadly Darien had caught it.
Then the door opened. All of our attention was on the door now. In stepped a man from earlier, I think he was one of the brothers too.
"I heard a scream. You good here?" He looked at his brothers then at me.
I nodded weakly since he was waiting for a response from me. As he saw me nod he smiled relieved.
"Your name was Lijah, right?" I asked while hugging a pillow.
The man nodded. "It's actually Elijah but family calls me Lijah." He smiled.
I was a little taken aback since he didn't tell me not to call him Lijah. Was he thinking I was their sister too? I mean it seemed like they really did have a sister they even knew about.
I could only guess the reason for not growing up with them, it was one I didn't like in the slightest. It was a thought I had ever since a few years ago, ever since Adira and Ethan were in my life. I doubted it at the time but over the past years I started to grow more suspicious of my mother.
"Okay kids, lights out and good night."
What?
Lijah moved to the light switch.
"NO!" I screamed and everyone looked at me surprised.
I stood up in a hurry almost stumbling over Darien's blanket and made my way to Caleb's bag. I got the item out of the bag and went to the closest plug that was available and in sight of the bed.
"Well, the night light needs to be on. He can't sleep without it." I said in a hurry as I plugged the nightlight in. I let out a sigh as it started glowing. "You can turn the switch off now." I walked back towards the bed and got under the blanket hugging it tightly.
"Alright. Good night then." Lijah turned the light off and closed the door behind him.
The others said goodnight too and I wished the same. My gaze fell on the nightlight and I saw how it illuminated Caleb's travel cot. I concentrated on it and quickly fell asleep.