"If you always make the right decision, the safe decision,
the one most people make,
you will be the same as everyone else."
― Paul Arden
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Chapter Ten - Liam
I woke up to a nice pain in my stomach that knocked the breath out of me. I groaned and wheezed before sitting up, and I felt slightly annoyed at what I came face to face with.
"Kaylis Hope Johnston!" I glared at the five year old who currently had her knees dug into my stomach. She just tilted her head to the side and smiled innocently at me; Batting her eyelashes. Manipulative child.
I shook my head, but it was really hard to keep glaring at her. She knew exactly how to get out of trouble, just like Faith did. Those two together are a cute but deadly combination.
When I didn't break, she widened her eyes and just stared at me. My lip twitched up, and we both knew that she had won, again. She always does.
"Liam" a huge smile broke across her face when she knew she was forgiven. "Love you" she scooted closer to me and wrapper her tiny little body around me. Her hands securely clamped together on the back of my neck. She snuggled up against my chest and I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her to me.
She may be a pain in the ass, but words can't express how much I love my little sister.
"Liam" I hear another voice yell and when Kaylis let's go, another little body's on top of mine.
Faith.
I love her like a sister to, not quite as much as my own, but close. I look between the two, and as always I smile at how much a like they look.
"Is there a reason you're in my room?" I asked
"Addison's awake" Faith chirped up. And now everything makes more sense.
"Did mom ask you to get me up, Kaylis?" I asked
"Yep!"
"And did she tell you to jump on me?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nope, I decided to do that because I know you'll forgive me!" she yelled and then they both ran out of my room while I sat there shocked.
I mean I know that she knows when she does something wrong or annoying, but I never actually heard her say that she does it because she can get away with it! Manipulative brat.
I jumped out of bed and hurried to put on my shoes before I stormed over to Mrs. Lalan's house. I didn't even knock, I just barged in. I made sure to take off my shoes before I stood up, and Mrs. Lalan and Addison were sitting there just staring at me.
I smiled sweetly at them "Kalila!" I yelled, trying to sound normal "I need you girl!" she came bouncing down the stairs smiling, she was so going down.
"Yes handsome"
"Well hello beautiful" she was like a sister to me, so this was just normal conversation
"What did you need?" she asked
"Kaylis told me today that she does what she wants to me because she knows I'll forgive her." I crossed my arms and her smiled faltered, she knew where I was going with this, she took a tiny step back. I placed a finger on my chin like I was thinking "I wonder who taught her that" I glared and she smiled at me
"You see" was all she said before she turned and booked it, but I knew that one was coming. She didn't get more than a few steps before I had my arms wrapped around her waist then I threw her over my shoulder
"Help! Asher, help me!" she yelled while hanging upside down over my shoulder and he came running down the stairs.
"What the hell?" he asked
"Asher, help me!"
"Liam?" he questioned, I knew he wouldn't help her
"He's going to kill me!" she yelled again and he just looked amused
"Say Asher, has a certain twin like pair been extra manipulative lately?" I asked and something seemed to click in his head and I turned around so he could see Kalila's face
"I got told by a certain little sister that she does things like jump knees first on my stomach to wake me up, knowing it would hurt and annoy me, simply because she knows I'll forgive her"
"I got one of those this morning too" he groaned and I turned to see Mrs. Lalan laughing and Addison smiling at us.
"Asher, where's the closest lake or pond?" I wondered
"No!" Kalila yelled and started squirming around more trying to get down but I just held tighter, no way was she getting out of this
"Oh, I know one close by, follow me!" he walked past me and held the door open
"Put me down Liam! Asher you're supposed to help your little sister, and protect me" I could just tell she was pouting trying to give him the look.
"Liam, did you hear a traitor talking?" he asked amused and came beside me so he couldn't see her, I knew he would still cave if he looked at her, she's good at manipulating him, not so much me, which is why she's teaching the twins.
She started kicking and pounding her fists into my back "Put me down!" she was yelling over and over and cursing quite a bit.
"Shame on you Kalila, those words are not lady like." Asher smirked and shook his head
"Asher, I think someone keeps tapping my back, or little pillows keep hitting, Ouch!" I jumped
"What?" Asher looked confused and I flinched again
"She's pinching me. Grab her arms! Those are claws, not nails" I told him and he went behind me and I'm guessing grabbed her arms because she started yelling again and squirming around
"Mommy! Help me" I looked over my shoulder to see Mrs. Lalan and Addison following us, she just laughed again and shook her head.
"Hey Ethan" I smiled and waved.
"Daddy!" she wined "Help me, they're going to kill me"
"Move in front so he can't see her face" I told Asher and I felt him closer to me
"Daddy, please" she yelled desperately. No one was going to help her.
"Sorry Princess, I have work to do" I laughed at that. He was just as amused
"He's following too" Asher whispered
I started climbing the hill and she began to panic again "No! No, Liam put me down, I can't swim!" she yelled and I snorted
"You taught me to swim Kalila"
"I can't from this height!" she yelled again. if you go down a trail on the top of the hill, you can jump off into the water, it's a ways down, but not super far.
"You're the one who called me a baby for not jumping first. I've known you all your life, try again"
"I'm on my period" I faltered for a bit
"I had to go buy you chocolate last week. Nice try, almost got us" I smirked
"I'm pregnant!" she was getting desperate
"Excuse me, who the hell are you having sex with!" Asher yelled and her body went ridged.
"I'm not actually pregnant Asher"
"No shit, you were on your period last week."
"Kalila Grace!" he yelled and she was pretty quiet
"Please" her voice broke "Please put me down" she cried. I rolled my eyes, how many times had she used that one?
We got to the end and I looked at Asher and smirked "Okay, Are you okay Kalila, I'm sorry" I sat her down about ten feet from the edge, and Asher was on the other side of me.
She looked up and smirked before turning to run only to freeze when she realized she was about two feet from the edge. Asher and I right behind her
I grabbed her again, crossing her arms over her chest so she couldn't get out.
"Should we throw her, push her, or you can take her legs and we can toss her" I asked Asher like it was a huge decision, either way she was going in the water
"No, no, no, no! Don't" she said "Please don't" she kept repeating something along those lines while we thought about it.
"I think I'll get her legs, the father out the better" he sighed and bent to grab her ankles. Soon I had a grip on her wrists and she was thrashing around
"One" we swung her over the edge
"Two" Asher said as she went back over and she started screaming. Not yelling like she was but screaming.
"Three" I said in finality and she screamed again, but we didn't throw her, we brought her back so she was just being help still in between us.
"Thank god" she mumbled with her eyes closed and I smirked at Asher and we swung her back and then threw her over the side.
All you heard was screaming before she shut up and then there was a splash. At least she decided to stop screaming long enough to hold her breath.
I heard laughing and then looked at Asher and we bust up laughing at her
"Asher! Liam! You're so going to pay for that"
"Can I sleep over there tonight?" Asher asked and I laughed and nodded
It happened quick, we were sitting there laughing then Asher was falling over the edge, my eyes went wide and I turned around long enough to see Addison standing there as I fell over the edge too.
I held my breath as I felt my body hit the water. I came up coughing to see everyone just silent. We were all looking up At Addison on the cliff.
She pushed us, meaning she willingly touched us. And we heard laughter from up top before she willingly jumped off, there was a splash and a couple seconds later she surfaced smiling sheepishly.
She has a beautiful laugh, and I bet her voice is the same way. She looks good happy, it's a nice site to see. She slowly and cautiously swam over to the three of us, and I looked behind her to see Lalan and Ethan smiling. They probably thought of her as a daughter more than her parents did.
When she got to us she looked on edge, it probably didn't help that we were just kind of staring at her blankly. The longer we stayed in this awkward stare off, the more uncomfortable she looked. So being the gentleman I am, I did the first thing that came to mind in this situation. I splashed her with water then turned to do the same to Asher and Kalila, which seemed to snap them out of it.
"You're so going to pay for that!" Kalila yelled and jumped on my dunking me under the water, but she was so small I easily pulled her under and she pushed away letting me go.
"That was awesome" Asher gave me a high five over Kalila's head and she rolled her eyes and went to go after him. He quickly moved to the side and swam away and Kalila followed to attempt to get her revenge. I smiled and watched them go.
I turned to face Addie and she gave me a small smile.
"I can honestly say I didn't expect that to happen" she shrugged and her smile brightened.
"Wanna go get some breakfast now?" I asked she shrugged again and nodded so we slowly drifted back to shore. When I we were walking out of the lake she turned and pushed me back so I stumbled into the water and took off running towards the house while laughing.
I just watched her run away shocked until I snapped out of it and took off running after her, but she was pretty quick. She was opening the door when I got to the front yard, then she turned to face me and stuck her tongue out, smiled again and walked in the house.
I don't know what was making her so much more playful and social, but I wasn't complaining. I liked it, but it made me like her even more. It just showed how amazing she was, and it scared me. I knew nothing would ever come of it, and I didn't want to push her or make her uncomfortable.
I walked inside and didn't see her, I looked around and she was nowhere to be found, so I made my way upstairs and knocked on the door, when I didn't hear an answer I opened it and heard the water running. I went to grab some of my clothes I've left here from Asher's room and jumped in the other shower.
I finished quickly and got dressed before tossing my wet clothes in the shower, I would grab them later when I went home, and went back to Addison's room. When I knocked this time the door opened and she was standing there in shorts and a tank top with a towel in her hands.
She ran the towel through her hair to dry it and just looked at me. I watched her for a few seconds before I realized she was waiting for me to say something.
"Do you want me to make some food?" I asked and she tilted her head to the side and watched me before turning around and walking into her bathroom, she came back out with no towel and walked right past me out of the room, signaling for me to follow.
This new behavior was really throwing me for a loop.
I followed her to the kitchen and she went around and grabbed pans and various things before proceeding to make breakfast. I just watched her move around looking like she was at home in the kitchen.
I kept watching her as Kalila and Asher came stumbling in laughing, and stopping to watch her as well when they saw her. Mrs. Lalan and Ethan came in in the middle of a conversation.
"Who's cooking?" she asked curiously, no one but my mom and her ever really cooked in this house. They both stopped and were staring as Addie was finishing up the food.
She turned around and jumped slightly. I didn't blame her, I bet this was actually pretty creepy to her.
"What?" she asked and all of us were moving at one.
"I'm going to go change" Kalila said
"Me too" Asher followed and they both went upstairs
"I'll go get everyone else" Mrs. Lalan said and left and Ethan looked at me and moved his head to the side signaling for me to follow him outside and I did.
"What's going on with her?" he asked me as soon as the door shut.
"I have absolutely no idea. I'm as confused as you are"
"Hmm" he paused "Better go eat breakfast before she wonders where we all disappeared to."
We headed inside and Addie was setting the table, so I hurried over to help her. She jumped when I moved near her quickly.
"I'm just going to help you with the table" I told her and she nodded.
We had just finished when everyone made their way into the kitchen. We all sat down at the table, Addison seated between Faith and I. when everyone joined hands to say grace I put one hand in my lap and grabbed Kalila's hand, and Faith grabbed Kaylis's hand and put her other one in her hand, no one touching Addie so she didn't feel uncomfortable.
I looked at her and she took a deep breath to try to calm her breathing and she looked like she was silently hyperventilating. She reached her hand out to mine, and her other one out to Faith who looked just as surprised as, well everyone else. I gave her hand a quick squeeze and smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way. She smiled back then looked to Faith and smiled at her too.
Faith quickly smiled back warmly at her cousin. And Ethan cleared his throat before saying grace.
"Dear lord, thank you for all these people gathered around this table today and thank you for the lovely meal Addison has prepared for us," he smiled at her "And thank you for bringing her to us this summer. We pray today continue to be a great day like it has been so far and for everyone's health and safety. In Jesus name, Amen"
"Amen" everyone followed and we dropped hands.
Praying has always been a big thing at family meals, and it's great that Addison joined in today, I was very proud of her, and I could tell that everyone else was too.
She was making some huge steps forward, I just hoped that it was having a good effect on her in the inside, that her pushing through her fears was really helping her.
After breakfast Addie left the house and went outside, I watched after her as she headed towards the field behind the ring for the horses.