"I'M SORRY," WERE the first words Niko and I said to each other when I came back home. He let out a chuckle and wrapped his arms around me.
"I overreacted," I said as I graciously accepted his embrace.
"No, I was being a dick. Just because I harbour no feelings for him doesn't mean that you aren't allowed to feel however the hell you want."
"Don't fight with me anymore," I grumbled. "I hate bickering with my favourite brother."
Niko grinned. "So now I'm your favourite, huh?"
"Just don't tell Alex that," I jokingly warned. "Where is he by the way?"
"I don't know, I went outside for some self-reflection." He folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath. "I thought about what you said and I asked Monica to meet. I'm going to tell her everything."
"Really?" I was not expecting Niko to actually listen to me. I pretended to wipe a fake tear from my eye. "They grow up so fast."
"Yeah, yeah, shut up."
~*~
A few days had passed since Niko dropped the huge revelation on me and he was back at Penbrooke without Mom ever knowing he came home. I felt kind of bad for him for dealing with this situation but I just hoped he would do the right thing and tell her. Don't get me wrong, I hated Monica but she deserved to know the truth. I hadn't heard from Niko since he left but I figured he was trying to get into the right headspace and figure out how to confess so I didn't bother him.
James had picked up extra shifts at work and he went straight to the diner after school so I was on my own. I didn't mind being alone but with him and Niko both busy, I was bored out of my mind. Brenton had detention and Amber had to go to the dentist to get her cavity filled so I was stuck with the youngest Parker. I had nothing better to do on a Friday evening therefore I decided to hang out with Alex and play video games in the living room.
"Hand me the sword," he ordered.
"What sword?"
"The one right beside you."
"There's nothing there."
"Time's running out," he yelled, pointing at the animated clock counting down on the TV screen. "The stupid sword is right beside you."
"If it's so stupid why do you want it?"
"Dani!"
I snickered at Alex's annoyed reaction. "Relax, here's the sword."
He gasped. "Wait, there's a bad guy behind you!"
I fumbled with the controller. "What do I do?"
"Stab him!"
"How?"
He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "With your sword."
"Oh." I pressed a bunch of random buttons before my avatar finally stabbed someone. Judging by the look on my brother's face it appeared I managed to screw up that simple task.
"You killed me!" he screeched.
"Oops?"
"You fu—"
"Alex!"
"—dging moron," he finished.
I raised my eyebrows. "Fudging, huh?"
"Don't tell Mom," he pleaded. "I didn't mean it!"
I rolled my eyes at him. Video games really did bring out the worst in today's youth. "I'm going to go upstairs," I informed him as I dropped the controller.
"Good," he grumbled, clearly fed up from playing with me. I shook my head at Alex as I walked up the stairs. I was just about to enter my room when I heard a gasp. "Alex, are you okay?" I called.
"Stop distracting me," was his snarky response.
I heard another gasp, making me jump. If it wasn't Alex, then who was it? "Brent?" No answer. "Mom?" Nothing. "Niko?"
Even though none of them were home I thought I'd test my luck but I didn't get any responses. I didn't want to assume there was an intruder again and make an idiot out of myself so I silently crept down the hall, listening for the noise.
"Keep it down," a voice said but it was too faint for me to recognize.
I tiptoed closer to the sound, passing Alex and Niko's bedrooms. I stopped in front of Brenton's room where I heard more hushed voices. I really didn't want to traumatize myself like last time so I knocked on the door and waited for a response. The voices immediately stopped and no one replied. I didn't want to jump to conclusions but had that been my brother he would've answered. That meant whoever was inside really was an intruder... I twisted the doorknob and barged in only to find myself getting scarred all over again. Brenton was busy getting some action in his bed and although our parents used to give us buddy baths when we were kids, I could have lived a long life without seeing his buddy again. Brenton grabbed a pillow to cover his...you know, and normally I would've ran for the hills and splashed soap water in my eyes but I couldn't move. It was like my feet were drilled into the ground and I was momentarily paralyzed. Now I didn't go into shock because of the disturbing sight of my twin's naked body. Rather, I was more fixated on the girl beside him. She was hiding under his blanket but I could spot that cheaply dyed hair anywhere.
"Brenton Wilhelm Parker," I said very slowly, knowing if I allowed myself to show a hint of emotion I would castrate him with my bare hands. "Why is my best friend in your bed?"
"This is Kayley," he corrected.
I clenched my hands into fists and felt my nails digging into my palms. "First of all her name is Katy, you inattentive buffoon. Second, Amber if you don't show your face right now I swear to God I will yank out your extensions with my damn teeth like a rabid canine." So much for staying cool, calm and collected. I was ready for war now and I didn't care who I hurt. I was perfectly fine with skinning both of them alive.
My supposed best friend slowly revealed her face, her cheeks redder than her hair. "Dani, I can explain."
Brenton rolled his eyes. "You don't need to explain anything."
"Yes she does," I snapped. "Get dressed, Amber, we need to talk." Brenton opened his mouth to retort but I beat him to it. "I'm coming back for you, micro penis." Brenton gaped at me, at a complete loss for words while Amber scrambled to get her clothes back on. Again, I could've lived a long and happy life without seeing either of these horny teens naked. Once she was decent, I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to Niko's bedroom. His room was vacant and I also didn't want the stench or Brenton's fluids to enter my room. Amber wasn't allowed to set foot in my room until she took at least a dozen showers to rid any traces of him.
"Why are we in Niko's room?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if you've been here before," I spat.
In any other scenario the look on Amber's face would have made me feel bad but not today. I didn't exactly keep my detest for her obsession with my brothers a secret. Who knew how long this was going on? If I didn't walk in on them would I have ever known?
"I'm sorry," she started. "I was trying to find a way to tell you but I didn't know how."
"What made you think hooking up with him was a good idea?" I paused. "If you were really going to do this, you should've at least done it with the brother who wouldn't throw you away like a dirty tissue afterwards." When I saw the hurt look on her face I realized I should have been kinder with my words. I wanted to feel pity for her but I couldn't. She knew exactly the type of guy my twin was yet she made the active decision to hook up with him regardless.
Amber played with the ends of her curly hair. "I really like him."
"You say that now but sooner or later your senses are going to kick in and you're going to run for the hills," I told her bluntly. The rare occasion a girl stuck around long enough to retain Brenton's interest they usually left on their own when they realized how much of a self absorbed dick he was.
"Brenton makes me feel special," my ditzy best friend argued. "I know you think the worst of him but he's a really sweet and sensitive guy."
I couldn't help but cackle. Yes, I emitted a witch-like laugh. Sweet? Sensitive? Those were just about the last words anyone would use to describe Brenton. I loved him but he was an absolute idiot. "You're under his spell," I dismissed. "Once the fog clouding your judgement disappears you'll realize what a huge mistake you made."
Amber was the type who wanted to find her soulmate in high school and date them all the way until she finished college and got married. She was as lovesick as they came and Brenton was the last person to be thinking about marriage. My dumb ass sibling wasn't even forward-thinking enough to know what he was going to eat for dinner tomorrow. I wished Amber could see him through my eyes so she would realize that her hookup with him was nothing more than a fling. She felt special today but by tomorrow he wouldn't even look her way again and all she was going to be left with was a broken heart and that godawful red hair.
"How long has this been going on for?" I asked.
Based on how long ago they got into this mess I could mentally project when he was going to ditch her. That way I could plan for the shattered heart I had to mend. On the plus side it meant I got to eat a lot of ice cream with Amber, but that was also simultaneously the downside. It wasn't easy being lactose intolerant and in love with all things dairy. My love for dairy was like Amber's love for Brenton — unrequited.
Amber wouldn't meet my eyes and stared at the wooden floorboards below us instead. "About a month."
"I'm sorry, what?"
She still wouldn't look at me. "We've been together for a month."
"I'm sorry, been together?"
Amber rolled her eyes, finally tearing her gaze away from the floor. "Are you going to keep doing that?"
"You," I jabbed a finger at her accusingly, "have been hooking up with my brother behind my back for a whole month?"
Although Amber wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, my best friend of all people knew to shut up during my outbursts, however it seemed like she was more concerned about another Parker because she came to my stupid brother's defence.
"We aren't just hooking up," she corrected. "I like Brent and he likes me. A lot."
"And I like iced coffee a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm going to drink it whenever I get my hands on it!"
She furrowed her eyebrows. "Didn't you drink some last—"
"Not the point."
I could not believe her at all. It felt like there was a stranger in front of me because I couldn't even recognize her. Amber was taking his defence and she wasn't going down without a fight. While I understood she was madly in love with him, what would it take for her to realize the feelings weren't mutual? I was about to go off on her for being so naive, but I had a more burning question in mind.
"How did you two get away with this for so long?" I knew I wasn't the most attentive at times but there was absolutely no way they could have been swapping spit under my nose for a whole month and I didn't notice.
She awkwardly rubbed her arm, an apologetic expression on her face before she sprinkled salt onto my wound. "I'm not actually on the swim team." She paused before squeezing a whole goddamn lemon on the aforementioned wound. "Our school doesn't even have a swim team..."
I gawked at her, shocked beyond comprehension that after bitching to me about being honest she had a whole secret affair. "I can't believe you."
"Dani, please, I can't choose who I l—"
"Finish that sentence and I will literally bite your finger off," I warned.
Amber frowned. "I didn't want to hurt you."
"I'm not hurt," I corrected. "Betrayed, disgusted, traumatized, irritated, confused and enraged, but not hurt."
Her frown deepened. "What do you expect me to do? Break up with him?"
I had to stop myself from guffawing. "Why would you two need to break up if there's no relationship to begin with?"
Her previously saddened face was replaced with a scowl. "Brenton and I are together, okay? I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but get over it. I don't need your permission to live my life."
I returned her look with one of my own. "If you don't need permission then why the hell are you telling me?"
Amber trembled in her spot, her tough façade melting away. "Dani..."
"Just go."
I knew I'd get over the anger I was feeling right now but if Amber stayed any longer we'd be caught in a back to back crossfire that I wasn't in the mood for. She slowly turned around and left Niko's room and it wasn't until I heard the front door shut that I marched to Brenton's bedroom. Thankfully he learned his lesson and was clad in a pair of shorts when I barged in. He was still laying down in his bed, his cell phone in hand. Brenton didn't even bother to look up. "Can you learn to knock?"
"Can you learn to not hook up with my friends?" When he didn't answer I continued lecturing him. "It's like me getting it on with Holden."
Brenton dropped his phone at the mention of Holden. "That's completely different."
I placed my hands on my hips. "Please do tell me how they're different. Holden's your best friend and Amber's mine."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, okay?"
"Sorry won't cut it."
"What do you want me to do?"
I gave him a flat look. "Stop leading her on."
"I'm not leading her on," he testified and I had to fight the urge to laugh in his face. Either Brenton thought he could lie to my face or he really was a dumb ass.
"You know she thinks you're in love with her, right?"
He did a double-take. "W-what?"
"If you're not leading her on I guess you feel the same then, don't you?" I sneered, knowing damn well he didn't.
He let out a groan and slapped his hand over his face. "Dani, stop it."
"Stop what?" I asked innocently.
He threw his pillow in my direction. "Stop saying that shit to me. You know I don't love Amber."
I was about to say I told him so but any reply I had was cut off by a noise behind me. I whipped my head around, coming face to face with none other than Amber. I looked at her with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?" She quietly pointed at the black purse on the floor. Without a word Amber grabbed her purse and bolted out the door.
"Shit," Brenton cursed as he got up. "I have to talk to her."
"No, let me."
I ran out of his room and down the stairs before Amber could leave. Don't get it twisted, the thought of her and Brenton together was revolting but my idiot of a twin wasn't the reason I was going to lose my best friend. She hooked up with Cade and I didn't blame her for crying out loud, so why was I upset that she was with Brenton? I knew the answer to the question as soon as it popped into my head.
Brenton was notorious for having playboy tendencies and commitment issues, so he usually broke the heart of whatever girl he was with. Amber was the only close girl friend I had because whenever any of my past girl friends got together with my brother they usually left me when he left them. Amber was like a sister to me and I didn't want to lose her. She was just getting into her car when I made it out. I grabbed the handle on the passenger side and opened the door, knowing very well Amber had a bad habit of never locking her doors. I sat inside much to her dismay.
"If you're here to make me feel worse, don't bother."
I flinched at her icy words. "Amber..."
"Message received loud and clear. I want nothing to do with any of the Parkers."
I let out a sigh. "I'm an idiot."
"Agreed."
I turned to look at Amber, her mascara running and her face red and blotchy. Again, perfect opportunity to take a picture of her to use for emotional blackmail but sadly my conscience kicked in and I refrained from doing so. "I'm sorry about what I said. I was just scared you'd stop being my friend when Brenton left."
I was expecting her to forgive me instantly and cry tears of sympathy when she saw me open up, the type of scene that would have the imaginary stage audience in my head saying aww.
What I wasn't expecting was for Amber to glower at me. "Why are you so convinced he's going to leave me?"
"I... I don't know." For once I didn't have a comeback. Based on his track record I figured he'd leave sooner or later but Amber was right. I highly doubted my brother changed his ways but the least I could have done was given him the benefit of the doubt for the sake of my best friend. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I have no right to stop you from liking who you want." Here came the hard part. I could literally feel the bile rising up my throat. "If you want to be with Brenton..." I swallowed to keep the upchuck under control. "God, don't make me finish the sentence."
Amber laughed and threw her arms around me. "You're so annoying but apology accepted."
I smiled as I hugged her back, glad we were over this. "If I see either of you getting all loved up in front of me I will slaughter you both."