"I need your help."
Eliott stood in my doorway when I woke up the next morning, looking as if he'd been standing there for hours contemplating whether he should wake me or not. He was still in his plaid pajama set that made him look like he was six rather than sixteen.
"Help?" I grumbled, rolling over and burying my face in my pillow, "With what?"
"I know you got your learners permit a couple weeks ago," he started, "and I really need to learn how to drive before July."
Something told me his sudden interest in learning to drive had to do with a girl.
"Ask one of the triplets. They actually have a license." I responded into my pillow.
I was exhausted and wasn't in any mood to deal with my brother's attitude when it came to not being able to pick up certain things as quickly as he should. I had gone through it a couple years ago when I taught Eliott and Ethan to cook. Ethan had excelled; he became an even better cook than I was and had a heart for cooking now. Eliott hadn't latched on to the instructions as quickly, and had screamed repeatedly until he finally got it right.
"About that," I heard Eliott draw out his words, "the boys kind of already think I have a license."
"Why is that?" I questioned, rolling back over on my back and rubbing my stomach. Eliott bowed his head shamefully.
"Because I told them I did." he mumbled.
"And you want me, your sixteen year old sister, to teach you to drive when I can barely do it myself?" he nodded, "What's her name?"
His cheeks immediately flushed, "I don't know what you mean."
"Eliott."
"Her name is Roni." he sighed in defeat.
"She wants you to drive?" I guessed. He shook his head.
"No. I. . . there's this weird summer dance thing at her camp and she asked me to it. I'm supposed to drive her back home at the end of it."
"And you don't want to embarrass yourself by not being able to drive?" I finished. He didn't answer, but reached back and scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah. So can you help me?" I was already going to give in before he turned his pleading eyes on me.
"You, my idiot brother, are lucky I love you."
*
I checked my phone for a message from Toby periodically all day. Teaching my brother to drive had been a lot less painful than I though it'd be. He picked up on most of the instruction and lectures I gave him fairly quickly, which gave me a little insight on just how much my brother liked this girl. Any girl that had one of my brothers bending over backwards to impress her better be worth it.
"How'd I do?" Eliott questioned, a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Great, actually." I slapped my hand on his shoulder, "Now you're just going to have to ask Aliyah to teach you how to drive it and you'll be ready to go."
He paused, and spun around suddenly, taking me in his arms and hugging me before I could get a word out.
"Thank you, Alex." he whispered. It wasn't every day I got hugged by one of my brother's, I wasn't sure how to feel about it.
"Eww, Eli. Why are you hugging me?" my brother laughed, ruffling my hair on our way back up to the house.
"You sound like Ethan. He thinks I'm too sensitive. I think he's too moronic to even know what that means." Eliott rubbed his hands against his face as he spoke.
"All of you twins and triplets are so mean to each other." I commented, "I'd love it if I had a twin."
"I'm honestly surprised you don't." he said, "It seems like every girl your father finds is a twin or triplet herself. Kind of weird, if you ask me."
We both laughed, clearing the porch of our water bottles before heading in. I grinned when I found Luke perched on the arm of the couch, but his attention was on his phone, unaware of his surroundings.
"I know, Kat. I'll call you later." as if he could feel my presence in the room, my brother ended the FaceTime call and lowered his phone to his lap.
"What, do I not get a Welcome Home Hug?" he feigned offense, smirking.
We met halfway, my arms tangling themselves around his torso as he sniffed the air.
"Why the hell do you both smell like manure?" he held back his laughter, doing his best to keep a straight face.
"I was teaching Eli what everything in the car was and how it works when driving and he decided it would be a blast to kick mud at me." I gestured toward our brother on the couch with a crooked smile.
"Well, you need to shower." Lucas poked at my stomach, "Because I want to take you out for dinner."
"Favoritism at its finest." Eliott muttered from the couch. Luke winked, rubbing my shoulder.
"It's not favoritism, Eli. It's called being hungry and knowing that Alex is nice enough to pay half of the bill."
"That's not taking me out to dinner, that's asking me to help pay." I said with a smile, "I'm going to have to take a raincheck on that, Luke. Aliyah's taking me down to the diner for a Mother-Daughter bonding night."
I was glad to find that Lucas wasn't upset, "Whew! I thought it was one of the triplets trying to steal my place as your favorite. I'm happy you're spending time with Ally, she's a really fun person to be around." with that, my brother tossed himself on to the couch beside Eliott and started some conversation about hockey.
I headed down the hall to find Aliyah, slowing when I heard shouting ricocheting in and bouncing against the walls until I heard it.
". . . and I don't care anymore, Jared! It's not your choice anymore! She's almost seventeen and-"
"If you take her then this is over. You and me. After eight years you're going to blow it for a stupid decision." my dad's voice was so loud I was sure that Jace could hear it through his bedroom door upstairs.
"I'm going to blow it, Jared? She's your fucking daughter and you've done absolutely nothing to show her you care. She wants to meet her mother, she wants to know of the life you've kept her so secluded from." Aliyah's voice cracked halfway through and I heard a loud slapping sound. Her hand against my father's cheek.
"That's it then, Ally? You're going to go against my wishes and do this? Destroy our marriage over a mistake?" I stumbled down the hall, still able to hear the next words that left my stepmother's mouth loud and clear.
"The only mistake in this house was anyone ever believing that a piece of shit like you could ever be a father." I heard footsteps retreating down the hall, "I'm pregnant, Jared, and I'm not going to give you another chance to ruin a child."
I felt a gentle hand on my arm, then the back of Griffin's head appeared in my line of vision. My Dad had ran out after a crying Aliyah, but Griffin intercepted him and shoved him back against the door to his office.
"Alexis isn't a mistake, you unfaithful bastard. She was the best thing that ever happened to this family. If you can't accept her for who she is, then you need to be the one to leave. It's not like anyone wants you here anyway." my father clawed at Griffin's hand around his throat, his face an unhealthy shade of red. The triplets were looking down from upstairs, Ethan and Eliott were on the stairs, Mason and Ash were a few feet behind me, and Lucas stood at my side. None of them made an advance to stop Griffin.
"If I hear one more word out of your mouth about her, I will make it so you can't bring anymore children into this world, are we clear? Are we?" Griffin slammed my dad back against the door, earning a cry out of me as I backed right into Lucas. Our father nodded and Griffin released so he crumbled to the ground at his feet, his hands at his swollen throat.
With a shake of his head, Griffin turned and walked back toward us, catching my wrist as he passed by.
"You're perfect the way you are, Alex." he breathed before shoving passed Eliott and Ethan on the stairs and heading into the room he shared with Jace down the hall. My brothers all exchanged a look before Mason and Ash, tailed by Lucas, made their way over to my dad and helped him to his feet. Before my father could apologize, Aliyah took my wrist and guided me toward the door without giving him the satisfaction of stopping us.
*
I left Toby a couple messages on our way to the diner, praying he'd get back the second he got them. I knew it was a low blow, considering he hadn't even said his morning and evening texts today.
"He's probably just busy, sweetie. He'll get back to you." Aliyah said encouragingly from the driver's seat, sweeping her sleeve under her nose with a smile.
"You think so?" I asked, hopeful.
"I know so, honey. The boy loves you to death. He'll be freaking when he sees how many calls he missed from you." I smiled down at my lap as the engine of the car died. I looked back up to find Aliyah staring at the diner with a strange look lingering for a few seconds.
"Are you okay?" I asked her, touching her shoulder. She cleared her throat and turned to face me.
"Perfectly fine, Lexi. Are you doing okay? Your father didn't mean-"
"I'm okay. Really. He wasn't ever really a father, it doesn't hurt as bad as it should." I assured her, climbing out of the car before she could respond. She looped her arm through mine and led me through the doors, the strange look returning.
"I know you're going to hate me, Alexis, but I felt that you needed to do this. Be my strong little girl." I was about to ask my stepmom why she was talking so crazily when she turned my body so I was facing an occupied booth a few feet away. A middle aged couple sat before me, the man with eyes so blue that they could be mistaken for the sky and the woman with a sneer that could kill anyone with one glance.
I felt my feet preparing themselves to run, but Aliyah took my shoulders and stepped forward, offering the couple a forced grin.
"Anna, Rich, this is Alexis. Alexis, this is your grandfather Richard and your grandmother Annalise."
***AN***
So, what did you guys think? How do you feel about Griffin standing up for her? Do you think he'll go through with his promise?
Hope you enjoyed!
Let me know what you thought!
~ChasingMadness24