**Sorry it's been so long, but I had no idea where to go with this. I have
been working on this chapter for three weeks.
The cliffhangers walked into the room together. Peter watched them, he knew they all were upset, but Ethan seemed the worst. "I'd better talk to him," Peter told himself."
The group formed a circle, and they were all silent. Katie was holding Ethan's hand, Olivia was resting her head on Lindsey shoulder, and Owen, Daniella, and Perry were sitting somewhat apart from everyone else.
"I know this is hard, but that is why we need to talk with each other," Peter told them. "What is wrong with Ethan?" Peter asked, as if Ethan wasn't in the room.
Katie looked at Ethan. Ethan whispered something to back to her. Then Katie said, "Peter, Ethan and Leah have been seeing each other for four months."
"Five, Daniella corrected her, "almost six."
"I see, and by "seeing each other" you mean dating," Peter said.
"Right, Leah is Ethan's girlfriend," Katie clarified.
For a moment, Peter didn't say anything. He didn't know whom he was more upset with; Leah or himself. How could he have missed this?
@--)--- Leah was awoken suddenly by the sound of metal banging, it was Alec.
"Let's go," he told Leah.
The two went out to a black car. Leah noticed someone sitting in the passengers seat; it was Rob.
"What's going on?" Leah mouthed to Rob.
When Alec opened the backdoor, Rob said, "Don't worry about it."
The trip seemed longer than the last few days put together. Leah looked down at her lap, her pants had mud on them. She cringed, she had been wearing the same clothes, for three days.
The car slowed, ad turned onto a private drive. All of the houses were set farther back from the road, some had iron gates. The car slowed even more and turned into the largest of these estates. Alec, Rob, and Leah got out of the car and walked toward the house.
"Don't worry about it, everything's fine," Rob said to Leah.
"How is everything fine?" Leah demanded. "I haven't showered in three days. I'm spending my birthday in old smelly clothes," Leah exclaimed.
"We have showers here, I'm sure you can take one," Rob told her.
Rob opened the door, and the three entered a large hallway. Leah was taken back a bit, as she looked around, above her head hung a massive chandelier. Alec left Rob and Leah alone.
"It's going to be awhile, before Grandfather will be ready to see you. Do you want to take shower?" Rob asked.
"Heck yeah," Leah responded.
"You can use one of the guest baths, come on," Rob said.
"Guest bathes? How rich is this guy?" Leah asked.
"Pretty rich," Rob answered, "The bathroom is stocked with whatever you could want."
"Am I supposed to put on the same stank clothes?" she asked
"Well, I can get you a sweatshirt or something, but other than that your out of luck," he commented.
"I'll take the sweatshirt," Leah told him.
"Let me go find one, I'll be back in minute," Rob replied.
Leah took a shower longer than any shower she had taken before. She had the water hotter than she normally would have, as if it was burning way all off her fears, worries, and problems. She put old clothes back on, with the exception of Rob's sweatshirt. She walked out to the bathroom, to find Rob sitting on the floor outside the door.
"Did you leave any water in the ocean?" he asked.
"That isn't funny," Leah commented. "Why are you waiting for me anyway? She asked."
"No reason," Rob said.
"You're a bad liar," she informed him.
"And you're a good liar?" he questioned.
"Actually I've gotten pretty good at it lately," Leah told him.
"So I've heard," Rob said, "We can go talk in my room."
Leah followed Rob, but she followed slowly; she couldn't get enough of this house. Everything in her sight was huge and expensive looking. Rob turned the handle of a door, which opened into a sitting room.
"Are you really my brother?" Leah asked.
The question caught Rob off guard. "How did here about that?" he asked.
"Dizzy told me. What is going on?" Leah demanded.
"It's a pretty long story," Rob told her.
"I'm not going anywhere," she commented.
"For starters Ivy, you, and I share the same mother," Rob started to say.
"Gloria Carter," she said.
"Yes, Grandfather tended to favor her over his sons Alec and Jon. Gloria was never the angel, Grandfather believed she was; she was." Rob was searching for his choice of words, "promiscuous. Anyway, she had me and gave me up without telling her father. The second time she was pregnant, she told her other brother Jon. Jon convinced to keep the baby or babies as it turned out to be. Grandfather loved you two very much, he made up a will leaving everything to Ivy, you, and Gloria. She was murdered six months after you were born, Alec disappeared the day of the murder. Grandfather was fearful, he didn't let anyone into the house. He later decided it wasn't save for you here, and handed you over to the adoption agency."
"Wow," Leah said, "and I thought my life was boring."
"I know it's a lot to take in," he told her. "Alec wants his cut, but Grandfather wouldn't even speak with Alec, until he knew you were save."
"What about my parents?" Leah asked.
"I want to talk to them almost as much as you do, but we can't yet," Rob explained.
The cliffhangers walked into the room together. Peter watched them, he knew they all were upset, but Ethan seemed the worst. "I'd better talk to him," Peter told himself."
The group formed a circle, and they were all silent. Katie was holding Ethan's hand, Olivia was resting her head on Lindsey shoulder, and Owen, Daniella, and Perry were sitting somewhat apart from everyone else.
"I know this is hard, but that is why we need to talk with each other," Peter told them. "What is wrong with Ethan?" Peter asked, as if Ethan wasn't in the room.
Katie looked at Ethan. Ethan whispered something to back to her. Then Katie said, "Peter, Ethan and Leah have been seeing each other for four months."
"Five, Daniella corrected her, "almost six."
"I see, and by "seeing each other" you mean dating," Peter said.
"Right, Leah is Ethan's girlfriend," Katie clarified.
For a moment, Peter didn't say anything. He didn't know whom he was more upset with; Leah or himself. How could he have missed this?
@--)--- Leah was awoken suddenly by the sound of metal banging, it was Alec.
"Let's go," he told Leah.
The two went out to a black car. Leah noticed someone sitting in the passengers seat; it was Rob.
"What's going on?" Leah mouthed to Rob.
When Alec opened the backdoor, Rob said, "Don't worry about it."
The trip seemed longer than the last few days put together. Leah looked down at her lap, her pants had mud on them. She cringed, she had been wearing the same clothes, for three days.
The car slowed, ad turned onto a private drive. All of the houses were set farther back from the road, some had iron gates. The car slowed even more and turned into the largest of these estates. Alec, Rob, and Leah got out of the car and walked toward the house.
"Don't worry about it, everything's fine," Rob said to Leah.
"How is everything fine?" Leah demanded. "I haven't showered in three days. I'm spending my birthday in old smelly clothes," Leah exclaimed.
"We have showers here, I'm sure you can take one," Rob told her.
Rob opened the door, and the three entered a large hallway. Leah was taken back a bit, as she looked around, above her head hung a massive chandelier. Alec left Rob and Leah alone.
"It's going to be awhile, before Grandfather will be ready to see you. Do you want to take shower?" Rob asked.
"Heck yeah," Leah responded.
"You can use one of the guest baths, come on," Rob said.
"Guest bathes? How rich is this guy?" Leah asked.
"Pretty rich," Rob answered, "The bathroom is stocked with whatever you could want."
"Am I supposed to put on the same stank clothes?" she asked
"Well, I can get you a sweatshirt or something, but other than that your out of luck," he commented.
"I'll take the sweatshirt," Leah told him.
"Let me go find one, I'll be back in minute," Rob replied.
Leah took a shower longer than any shower she had taken before. She had the water hotter than she normally would have, as if it was burning way all off her fears, worries, and problems. She put old clothes back on, with the exception of Rob's sweatshirt. She walked out to the bathroom, to find Rob sitting on the floor outside the door.
"Did you leave any water in the ocean?" he asked.
"That isn't funny," Leah commented. "Why are you waiting for me anyway? She asked."
"No reason," Rob said.
"You're a bad liar," she informed him.
"And you're a good liar?" he questioned.
"Actually I've gotten pretty good at it lately," Leah told him.
"So I've heard," Rob said, "We can go talk in my room."
Leah followed Rob, but she followed slowly; she couldn't get enough of this house. Everything in her sight was huge and expensive looking. Rob turned the handle of a door, which opened into a sitting room.
"Are you really my brother?" Leah asked.
The question caught Rob off guard. "How did here about that?" he asked.
"Dizzy told me. What is going on?" Leah demanded.
"It's a pretty long story," Rob told her.
"I'm not going anywhere," she commented.
"For starters Ivy, you, and I share the same mother," Rob started to say.
"Gloria Carter," she said.
"Yes, Grandfather tended to favor her over his sons Alec and Jon. Gloria was never the angel, Grandfather believed she was; she was." Rob was searching for his choice of words, "promiscuous. Anyway, she had me and gave me up without telling her father. The second time she was pregnant, she told her other brother Jon. Jon convinced to keep the baby or babies as it turned out to be. Grandfather loved you two very much, he made up a will leaving everything to Ivy, you, and Gloria. She was murdered six months after you were born, Alec disappeared the day of the murder. Grandfather was fearful, he didn't let anyone into the house. He later decided it wasn't save for you here, and handed you over to the adoption agency."
"Wow," Leah said, "and I thought my life was boring."
"I know it's a lot to take in," he told her. "Alec wants his cut, but Grandfather wouldn't even speak with Alec, until he knew you were save."
"What about my parents?" Leah asked.
"I want to talk to them almost as much as you do, but we can't yet," Rob explained.