A/N - shorter chapter but I'm back so who can complain ✌🏾
I have 2 exams left physically can't wait
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Isabella
"You two went out and did what?", the layout of the kitchen right now resembled two things - either a courtroom with the two defendants standing before the judge, or a classroom with two students being told off by a teacher.
Zane and Phoenix were standing in the middle of the room with Marco opposite them, the rest of us (that being me, Xander, Xav, Milo, Cay and Scott) watching in anticipation.
"Okay in our defence we were just scoping it out y'know? Well that's what Zane told me anyway, we-,", Phoenix's explanation had me biting back a smile, well until Marco cut him off anyway.
"You shouldn't even be talking right now", he snapped, I swear my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Zane stepped forwards and squared up to our cousin, his chest rising and falling as he balled his fists.
"You will not speak to him like that", he warned Marco who only hummed and cleared his throat.
"You disobeyed me", he replied.
"The last I checked I don't take orders from you", Zane cocked his head and Caleb whistled lowly in the background.
"And I take orders from you?", he asked, "remember, I'm the one who's practically keeping your siblings safe right now; if you were on your own-,". Zane gripped Marco by the collar and twisted his shirt in his hand, the close proximity between them causing the rest of us to fall into an even more silent silence.
"If I was on my own, what?", he pushed, "you don't think I'd protect them with my fucking life? You don't think I wouldn't take another bullet for them? Don't underestimate me Marco, I may show more emotion than you but I can be you and ten times worse".
He released him and turned, not even glancing back as he latched onto Phoenix's wrist and left the room with him - not even nine in the morning.
"Damn", Xander whistled lowly, "and he didn't even retaliate". That didn't really shock me, I'd never seen Marco retaliate to anything- well, until his brothers were involved.
"Good morning", speaking of two of the devils, also the two birthday boys, Eli and Zeke strolled into the room. The pair of them were shirtless, something that I was growing accustomed to seeing in this house on a daily basis; Eli was in black shorts and Zeke in grey.
"Happy birthday", everyone said in unison and two smiles broke out on their faces - per request by the pair of them, they wanted minimal celebration today even though it was literally their 18th. Apparently with everything going on, they weren't feeling the birthday spirit and wanted us to respect that, I was having a hard time doing that though.
"I can literally feel your eyes burning into me Izzy", Eli rolled his eyes and I squinted at him, "we don't wanna do anything".
"Yeah Izzy", Xav practically jumped on my back and ruffled my hair, I don't think he realised that he was fucking 6'1 and huge compared to me, "we can do something if you wanna, I'm free until four".
"What's happening at four?", Xander asked with his mouth full as he handed each twin a wad of cash, "no drugs, or do- I don't care".
"No drugs", Marco cut him off with a shake of the head, "your presents are at home, later".
"Therapy is at four", Xav answered his twin's question and he hummed, "oh shit wait, I have something to do at three too".
"What's that?", Scott moved towards the fridge and started digging around, "who ate the fucking cake that was in here?".
"Guilty", Milo raised a hand slowly and winced, "tasted good though".
"Of course it did, I made it", he grumbled, at least he knew his worth I guess, "Cub, you feel like getting me more ingredients?". Our brother snorted, glancing up from his phone screen and biting his lip.
"Yeah no thanks", he declined, "I'm going to see Theo".
"What a fucking shock", Marco cleared his throat and Xander apologised, "you see him more than you see us".
"Awww, is little Alexander missing his big brother?", Cay cooed, pulling our youngest brother into a hug and roughing up his hair harshly.
"Oh fuck off", he shoved him away, "I don't miss you".
"Yeah and Scott's taller than me", he deadpanned, the fridge slammed shortly after.
"Not funny", Scott grumbled.
"What are you doing at three?", I flicked Xav's forehead and he squealed.
"He's going to stare at his crush while she works", Xander, the exposer of all secrets struck again and Xav groaned.
"Do you have nothing better to do?", he waved a hand before proceeding to run it through his hair, "like, I dunno, sleep with yet another guy?".
"Ew", Eli and Zeke scrunched up their faces.
"He exposed your ass", Milo chuckled.
"I'll remember this", Xander warned and Xav laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder; he'd been very physically clingy with everyone lately.
"No you won't", he scoffed, "okay, pancakes- yes, no?".
"Always yes", I grinned, "are you two sure you don't wanna come?". The other twins looked at each other and had a whole fucking conversation with their eyes before Zeke glanced at me first and shook his head.
"We're good Izzy", he declined, "we wanna open our presents at home".
"I knew that's all you'd care about", Marco spoke for the first time in a good few minutes, "very well, vamos". So I guess we were all splitting our separate ways for now...
Xavier
Addison Hale. Hands down the hottest girl I'd ever laid my eyes upon in my life, and probably the one person on this planet who could literally tell me to fuck off and spit at me and I'd still like her.
She'd already told me to fuck off, we hadn't gotten to the spitting yet, but I probably wasn't helping myself by watching her work.
"You know you have to be eating or drinking something to stay here?", she stared down at me with crossed arms and dark brown eyes: her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, I preferred it down, and a rosy coloured lipstick covered her lips- pull yourself together Xav.
"In that case", I picked up the menu from under one of the many empty glasses on my table, "I'll take another hot chocolate- large, and a grilled cheese".
"Again?", she scribbled down my order nonetheless.
"I didn't know shaming customers was part of the job", I grinned and she rolled her eyes.
"You're insufferable", she put the pen behind her ear and cleared her throat, "I know damn well you've got plenty of food at home, why are you here?".
"How do you know my kitchen isn't empty?", I frowned, stacking all of my plates and glasses the second she reached for one.
"You drive around in a Jeep, have a watch on your wrist that's probably worth more than my house, and your twin drives a Mercedes", she reeled off and I smirked.
"So you pay attention hm?", I raised an eyebrow and she blushed, "I'm playing, my kitchen isn't empty, but I'm here because I wanna be here- am I gonna get that order anytime soon?".
She just stared at me for a moment before nodding once and walking away; she'd have a civil conversation with me one day, watch.
Sitting and admiring Addison wasn't the best thing to be doing right now, sure, but it kept my mind off of the shit that really mattered.
Like the fact my father was literally out of prison and in the vicinity of us, or that my twin was going more and more off of the rails every day. Or the fact that it was the anniversary of my best friend's death in three days.
A whole year.
Easily the darkest period of my life, but I was getting better. I had to get better.
"One hot chocolate, grilled cheese is on the way", her scent filled my nostrils and I tried to hide my smile, "why are you always so happy?". I got that a lot from people who didn't know me, if only they knew I guess.
"Pancakes", I answered without a second thought and she frowned, "I'm this happy because of pancakes".
"You're strange", she commented and I snorted.
"You don't know the half of it", I shrugged, "uh, how's biology? You seemed pretty stressed the other day".
"So you pay attention hm?", only she could use my own words against me and make it hot, "I'm fine, biology's fine...thanks I guess".
"Anytime", I grinned, "I mean I would offer to help, but I have the attention span of a fly and the only thing I'm good for is the hockey team".
"Living up to that athlete stereotype", she shrugged, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her lips, "um, enjoy your drink, someone will bring the food soon".
"Thanks Addy", her face scrunched up in distaste at the random nickname which only made me grin harder- like I said, she took my mind off of the bad shit and I was more than grateful for it.
Caleb
I'd always been a protector.
Wholehearted.
That was what my name meant, and my father had never let me forget it.
"You should always be committed to your family, Caleb".
"You are to show devotion, Caleb".
That shit was more engraved into me than the ink that my best friend pressed into my skin.
I protected my siblings by default, whether that was beating up kids two years younger than me for picking on Chase for wearing hearing aids, beating up kids four years younger than me for saying stupid shit about our family to the twins, or the nicer shit like comforting them when necessay, they always came first.
Which is why I was glad to see that Xav had come to me on today of all days rather than shut himself away from everyone in the house. The therapy he'd been going to must've been doing something right, because I'd never heard Xav talk about his feelings the way he was right now.
"I feel like he would be laughing at me right now, crying and shit", that hadn't changed though, the guy was most definitely still a crier, "I just don't know how it's been a year". I lowered myself onto the bed next to him and dropped a hand on his back, rubbing it slightly.
"The first year is always the hardest to get through", I told him, "you've experienced every first without him now, and it'll start getting easier yeah?".
"Yeah", he sniffed, "do you believe in the butterfly effect?". Who was this guy and what had he done with my brother?
"I do", I nodded, running my fingers over the butterfly tattooed on my left wrist, "why'd you ask?".
"Do you think Asher passing away has anything to do with what's happening now?", he fiddled with his fingers, my whole bed vibrating as his legs bounced, "I wouldn't have had my attempt, we wouldn't have all been so stressed and-".
"You can put all of that on that man", I shook my head, "Santiago would've shown up at some point, as much as we hate to admit it, it was inevitable". The thought of that man made me feel sick, I didn't know how such fucking scum could still walk the earth like it was normal.
"You think so?", his legs continued to bounce and I glanced down at them, he must've clocked on because they stopped instantly, "sorry".
"Don't apologise, or stop on my accord", I sighed and he started again, making me crack a small smile, "and yeah, that man was put on this earth to fuck up his kids, and we were put on this earth to be fucked up by him".
"You can't think that's all we were put here to do", he frowned, "we can't let him dictate our lives forever, at least that's what Zane says".
"Zane needs to hurry the fuck up and kill him", I muttered, sighing into my hands, "or I'll get it over with and kill him myself".
"What if- what if something happened to you?", I didn't really wanna answer that, but I knew he wouldn't let it go.
"Then you'd know I went out with a bang", I snorted, "I'd die if it meant ridding you from him".
"I don't like the idea of that", he shook his head.
"Yeah well", I shrugged, "worst comes to worst, I'll kill him Xav, whether it kills me or not".
~~~
A/N - look at me introducing character after character...
The RESTRAINT I am fighting to not give Xav and Addison their own book 😐
Next chapter will be v long and probs be out in a week...who knows tho I'm full of surprises 💃🏽