[A/N]: One of the saddest and yet one of my favourite chapters. People might hate this chapter but it is very close to my heart<3
Next day I woke up with a slight headace but I was fine with it. What I was not fine with was that it was already noon and we were all asleep at Sam's. Eventually everyone woke up and left.
I bid a goodbye to Sam and Charles dropped me home. We had another date tomorrow set up by our lovely mothers. I pecked him on the cheek and left. Generally, he comes inside but he was hungover himself, so I let it go.
When I reached home, I heard a loud noise coming from my fathers' study as if someone was fighting. My pulse quickened as I rushed towards that wooden door.
I opened the door and everyone stopped talking. My eyes landed on Tris and I lost my breath for a second.
His eyes were bloodshot; it was either crying or a lot of drugs. Oh no...
"Tris..." I rushed forward. And then the least expected thing happened, he shoved me away harshly.
"Get away from me, you bitch. You knew about this, didn't you?" Tris yelled at me, waving some papers in his hands.
"Tris, honey, she doesn't know. Please calm down." My mom said softly but maintaining a good distance. I was so stunned by the push, I didn't say anything.
"I won't calm down. Not for you. Bunch of fucking liars!" He spat. That was when my patience snapped.
"You need to stop talking right now, Philip. That is your mother!" I scolded. He turned towards me and laughed. It was scary. I have never watched this side of him. It was a deeper, darker side.
"You can drop the act now, Elena." We said each other's name like a taunt. Like our bond had been tempered with.
"What are you..." He shoved the documents in my hand and left the room not before saying,
"Don't you fucking dare follow me! Any of you." And slammed the door. When I read the papers I left my body freeze, I couldn't move a muscle till my father shook me.
They were adoption paper. Adoption of Philip Tristan Black, originally called Tristan Buckley. I didn't know what to do or to say. I couldn't completely register the newfound knowledge because I knew that my brother needed me. Right by his side is where I'm supposed to be. I rushed out of the room too.
"Tris open up please... please. T-talk to me... I ne-need to know your o-okay." I had started sobbing but kept on banging his door. Finally, when I gave up and sudden wave of anger flooded me. I went back to the study because I wanted-needed- answers.
"Do you think we did something wrong?" Came a strained voice of my father. I was still outside the door eavesdropping. I know it's wrong but if that was the only way to get answers, then so be it.
"No honey, we needed a son." My mother soothed.
"Yes, your daughter is getting married anyway, you go get your son back. You need someone to take our business forward. We always knew it would come down to your son." That old cow!! I have never wanted to hit my grandmother more than in that moment.
"What about his drugs?" Tris told them? Oh no he must've confessed in anger...
"We'll hide it. He can go to rehab and come back and no one will know."
That's when I heard another loud bang followed by quick footsteps. Tris.
In that moment, I didn't care about my treacherous prejudiced family. I loved my brother and I'm gonna get him back.
I rushed outside the house, just in time to see Tris leaving in his car. I got my car keys and started mine. Thank god our property was big enough for Tris to not disappear in traffic. I followed him but I had no idea where he was going to go.
Surprisingly, he went to the library. For drugs or for Cloe... again I had no idea. I followed him inside and called his name.
"Leave me alone Elena." He said spitefully. He was a mess, I could smell alcohol. I could see the cigarette tucked in his lips. He was pacing towards me angrily, I had to admit I was intimidated.
"Tris, I did not know." I said softly but winced when he smashed his bottle into a shelf and screamed.
"SHUT UP! You know, my whole life I wondered why I wasn't like you. A fucking overachiever. I'm the bastard. Deep down I always knew I didn't belong with you rich sophisticated people. I'm just a fucking orphan. I'm not like you, I can't satisfy your dreams and I'm not made for that. Now I just know why. I'm not your brother Elena, I don't deserve to be, we both know that now."
"You are my brother." I tried sounding firm and confident but we knew the truth. My whimpering voice was not enough.
He paced towards me and grabbed my shoulders roughly and shook me vigorously, as if he was shaking sense into me.
"Listen to yourself Elena, we both know that's a lie. I'm the family embarrassing fuck-up and you're the perfect golden child. I'm not your brother." He repeated. Again he pushed me back ruthlessly and turned his back on me.
What he didn't see was the satin white sleeve of my shirt quickly turning red. I wanted to scream from the pain but I just rushed outside. The broken wine bottle had made a deep gash on my left shoulder. That monster inside was not my brother. My brother would never hurt me.
When I turned around the corner, I ran into a girl. The brown haired girl asked me,
"Oh my god, should I call 9-1-1?" She rushed by my side. I saw her dark blue eyes and instantly knew who she was.
"Cloe?" I asked, just to be sure.
"Umm... how do you know...?" She stuttered. She was really cute and pretty. I smiled at her and said.
"Tris just found out his whole life was a lie. Go easy on him. I'll be fine." I gestured to the back of the library and left.
I got in my car and the blood was still oozing out. Now, I felt like leaving Cloe alone with Tris wasn't a good idea but my bleeding arm was screaming for attention. There was no away I was going back home so I went to the only place I could think of.
"El, what the hell happened, come in, oh my god." Sam brought me inside and till he brought a first aid kit, I took my shirt off. It stuck to my skin but finally was off. He started cleaning and dressing the wound. I winced a couple of times but when he was done I was fairly exhausted and wanted nothing more than going back to sleep. He gave me one of the shirts I left at his house and sat down after washing the blood off his hands.
"So, what happened?" He sighed out.
"Would I be excused just this one time? I have no energy to recall everything right now. Also can I stay over?" I pleaded. He nodded and brought me into his arms. I sighed against his warmth and fell asleep.
I was woken up by muffled noise.
"Ya, fine. I'll remind your girlfriend okay..." It was Sam. I was lying in the guest room; he must have brought me here. But who was he talking to.
"...I have no idea why Elena even likes you. I'm hanging up." He said.
"Sam?" I made my presence known only because he took my name.
"Oh nevermind, she's awake. You tell her yourself." Sam said, handing me the phone.
"Hello?" I called out.
"Why are you at Sam's place?" Charles' velvety voice accused.
"Because I'm a free independent woman." I retorted.
"Okay, then why are you at Sam's place?" Wait! Both of us made sense. A sudden jerk of pain reminded me exactly why I was here in the first place.
"Ugh... why did you call?"
"We have to go to the beach. I was outside your house but now I'm coming to Sam's. I know for a fact your ass must be still in bed, so get the fuck up." He laughed and hung up.
I reluctantly decided that maybe my mood would be better if I went.
"Sam, do you have a bikini or something?" I called. A muffled reply from the kitchens came,
"Why hell would you assume that?" I rolled my eyes and decided, I'll make Charles stop and go buy a new one. That's when I realised I can't. Flashing the world my bandages was not on my to do list today. It would also lead to rumours and as much as I hate my family right now, I don't want our image stained.
"Here, it's my sister's but it has a label, so I guess it's new." He hands me a black simple one and I take it to change, I'll just wear a shirt.
"El, will you please speak up? The only you've said to me since last night is asking for a bikini." I looked down shamefully because I could not talk. I didn't know what was going to happen with Tris and I, and that scared me. We can't live without each other. And everything seemed to be crumbling and I had no solution.
"I know you're not ready to talk and I'm not telling you to. Just say something... anything." He begged. A tear slid down my face and into the crook of my neck. He pulled me in an embrace and left, when he knew I just wouldn't talk.
I wore a big grey shirt and shorts and glided into the Bentley of Charles.
"Please tell me you didn't cheat on me." He laughed. I tried to laugh, I really did but I just couldn't.
My mind was wondering to darklands. I hate Tris, I didn't know if I was right but there's this certain nagging in my head telling me all this happened because I was girl. No matter how much I deny it, it was true. If I had been a boy, I would be ruling the kingdom of companies my father owned, I wouldn't even know who Tristan Buckley is.
I love him but I can't help but resent my family. And he thought I was the perfect child. Now that I think about it, every mistake of his was forgiven, he was treated like a prince. I should be jealous of him, not the other way round...
"LENA! Earth to Lena." Charles hand waved in my face.
"Sorry." I muttered and went back to filling my mind with toxicities.
"Okay, that's it! What's wrong? Did you fight with Sam? Should I beat him?" I hadn't realised but Charles had pulled over and was facing me.
"No and I don't wanna talk about it." I said, again in a small voice.
"Come on, I'm your fiancé." He insisted. Whatever happened from hereforth was someone else's doing.
"Well, let me remind you, last time I checked you were in love with someone else and my FAKE fiancé, so don't go acting like I owe you any explanation or that you care."
"Well I thought we were friends, so I DO care..."
"Well don't because you're just my fake fiancé and that's all you'll ever be. Know your place, Charles Windsor." I shrieked. His expression turned from surprised to hurt to stoic.
"Duly noted." He nodded and started driving.
He did not say a word to me while driving, nor when we reached there and laid our sheets and basket, nor when he removed his shirt and laid down for tanning, I guess.
He went for a swim and soon returned. I saw that he was angrier.
"I'm not!" He stated resolutely.
"Huh?"
"I'm not just your fake fiancé. We're friends, close ones at that and you know it!" I sighed heavily. I was still not sure if I wanted to tell him.