p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanstrongemI'm only putting one chapter out today, but it's a MAJOR one, so I hope it'll suffice :) I publish chapters based on how well I think the flow of the story will go, and I think this chapter works best published on its own./em/strong/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanstrongemAlso, there's some suggestiveness at the end of the chapter, just as a heads up. Idk how old y'all are, so I just wanted to put that out there./em/strongu/u/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"strongem- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -/em/strong/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe foul, bitter stench of sweat shoved itself into my nostrils as Five, Vanya, and I entered the barn, greeted immediately with jeers and cries of praise. I kept close to my sister, but I couldn't draw my eyes away from the lumbering figures in the center of the ring. I'd never been the sort of person to enjoy fights— a fact completely ironic, and I was aware of that—but there was something compelling about this one in particular. Luther, one of the two fighters, almost looked as though he was pulling his punches in a few places, like he was letting the other man win. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFive tugged on my arm and pointed toward the rippling crowd, waiting for me to go through before he shut the door behind him. The three of us had to crouch down in order to get close enough, and we were pressed right up against the bars. Sweat splattered down on our heads in perfect time with the shouts and jumps of the overwhelmingly male spectators. Drinks spilled out from bottles and onto the floor, the droplets getting soaked up by hay not but a few seconds later. The screams felt as though they were pressing down on my head, forcing themselves into my ears and threatening to make my head explode./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNone of that mattered, though. Another one of my brothers was right within arm's reach—something I didn't realize I needed until this moment. Luther and I hadn't exactly left things on the best terms, so I hoped he'd be willing to acknowledge what happened and move on. Just because we often fought didn't mean I didn't love him, just like the rest of my family. I wondered, sometimes, if Luther thought I genuinely hated him, and that's why he tended to avoid me. I wasn't an idiot, I had noticed./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBeing separated from everyone again, unsure if they were in Dallas, or alive, brought down an internal barrier I'd clung to for so long. I'd emdespised /emLuther in our youth, and I certainly wasn't shy about demonstrating it, even when we all got back together as adults. Our mindsets and approaches to problems just never lined up, and there definitely was some of that familial stubbornness thrown in there. I still didn't agree with some of the things he'd done, or the decisions he made, but for God's sake, he was my brother. When push came to shove, I'd drop everything if he needed me. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight now, I hoped that went both ways. Otherwise, it'd take a lot more convincing to get him back with us. He'd already told Five he didn't give a shit, but maybe Vanya or I would be able to get through to him./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe feel of the fight shifted suddenly after Luther delivered a brutal blow, knocking his opponent back. He almost gave off the illusion this thing was about to be over, when all of a sudden, he stopped dead in his tracks and began to sway slightly, as though his mind had suddenly left him. That gave his opponent enough time to recover, and when he swung his fist out and landed a hit on Luther, the latter just stood there, allowing the beating to happen. I hissed through my teeth, my shoulders tensing, but it was like a car crash—I felt so compelled to watch this whole thing go up in flames./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Look, he's pummeling him," Vanya observed, bringing Five's attention to the fact Luther wasn't making an effort to fight. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe boos around us overlapped any cheers that may have come out of mouths. Luther's opponent grabbed onto his head and dragged him down before throwing him against the wall we were leaning on, causing me to flinch and move back slightly. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, my God, Luther?" Five sounded like he was about to be sick./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why isn't he fighting back?" I tried my best to push down the urge to shock the man, knowing that would throw the integrity of this whole thing, and possibly get Luther in more trouble than he was likely already in./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBlood started to trickle down from wounds as Luther stood completely still, taking the punches like they were just little pokes. It almost seemed like he was inviting this, as though he felt he deserved it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luther, are you crazy?" Five screamed, poking his head through the bars. "Just hit him!"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy breath hitched in my throat, horrified, as Luther's opponent wound up and struck him right under his chin, throwing him into the air before his giant bosy crashed down, nearly immobile. I winced and slammed my eyes shut, unwilling to look at first. The cacophony around me now pulsated against my mind, playing the image of the blow over and over again. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why didn't he fight back?" Vanya's words echoed as I tried to process them./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt wasn't until the voices started to fade and the shuffling of feet had mostly died down that I dared to open my eyes again. Luther still remained still on the ground, his eyes shut. Panicked, I climbed over the railing and crouched down beside him, checking for signs of life. Thankfully, I noticed the rise and fall of his chest, indicating he was still breathing. Five and Vanya stared at me expectantly as I got back onto my feet./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He's alive," I assured style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Who the hell are you?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe three of us jumped and whipped around. Our eyes landed on a tall man, most likely smack in the middle of his life, perching a dog under one arm. He leered at us, his eyes only a few steps away from shooting daggers out of them. On instinct, I threw my hands up slightly and began to stutter, floundering for such a simple response./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Uh, we… we're his… siblings," I managed to squeak out. The man's brow flew up a little higher on his forehead./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luther's never mentioned siblings," he snapped./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, well, we've never been that close." Five managed to remain completely calm as he spoke to this guy. "But now, we just want to make sure he gets home safe." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"My guys'll get him back," the man interjected. The longer he looked at us, the more his expression started to soften, and after a few moments of awkward silence, he sighed. "You'll be able to see him in the morning."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe started to walk away, as though we were done with the conversation, but we didn't have all the information we needed. Thankfully, I managed to find my voice in time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And where is it we'll be able to see him?" I called out, causing the man to stop in his tracks and turn back to us./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Plano Street House for Solitary Men," he stated bluntly. "Do you—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I know the place," I nodded. With that concluded, I grabbed onto Five's shoulder and started to guide him out, allowing Luther to be taken care of. "Thank you, Mr…" I trailed off, waiting for him to finish the sentence./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ruby," he replied. "Jack Ruby."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes flew wide open as I watched the man round the corner. That was… holy shit. Maybe there was some water to Diego's ramblings about needing to save JFK./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe moment that thought came on, I shook it away. Diego was just trying to prove himself to someone that didn't give a shit he existed./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe muggy night air felt like a relief compared to the stale and stagnant interior of the barn. I could already tell Five wanted to jump on a plan, but for once, I just wanted him to slow down. Besides, I could already feel the fact I hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours catching up to me, threatening to knock me over if we didn't get back soon./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"All right," I spoke up before Five got the chance. "I say, we head back to Elliott's, get some rest, and the moment the sun comes up tomorrow morning, we go see Luther." As expected, Five glared up at me, his jaw tensing./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We don't have time, Mina," he barked. "The world is ending in almost seven days, and we've got nothing."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five, Luther's injured. He needs time to rest, otherwise, he's useless. And we need sleep, too. I drove all last night. So, please, just let me have this one." He didn't agree, but he didn't protest, either, so I took what I could get. "Vanya, you should come with us. I'm sure Elliott won't mind." That was a pretty big assumption on the behalf of someone I barely knew, but I was willing to risk it for my sister./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, sure," she agreed quietly. "Thank you."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Of course," I shrugged. "Just follow us back."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe car ride home was completely silent, and at first I thought it was because Five was cross with me, but when I looked over at the passenger side, I noticed he'd fallen asleep again. A little smirk crawled onto my face. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOnce we reached Elliott's, I made my way around to the other side of the car and picked up Five, intending to get him to bed as quickly as possible so I could do the same myself. I managed to set him down on the only bed in the entire place and head out toward the inflatable mattress that had been set up on the ground, when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned slowly to see Five standing in the doorway of the room I'd emjust /emput him in, already starting to move in my direction./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'll take the floor." His words were barely audible, due to his exhaustion./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What? No, no, Five. I really don't mind." I pointed toward the mattress. "It's an upgrade from what I'm used to." Five wouldn't take no for an answer, and before I could protest any further, he brushed past me and plopped himself down on the inflatable bed. "Five—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You've slept on the floor for years," he reasoned. "Just take the comfortable option this one time."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I didn't want to give in, I also knew Five had made up his mind, which meant I wasn't going to win this argument. Reluctantly, I turned on my heel and walked into the room he'd just left, taking a heavy seat on the mattress. Not one minute had passed, when there was a knock on the door, and Lila entered, shutting it behind her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Who's the chick out there?" she asked quietly, pointing out toward where my sister had sat herself down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Vanya," I answered curtly, running my hands over my face. Lila hesitated before she made her way over and took a seat beside me, our shoulders pressed together. "Tomorrow morning, we have to go back for Luther, and then… somehow, we have to find Allison and Klaus." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSaying it out loud, it seemed a lot more hopeless than I had previously made it out to be in my mind. The weight of it all felt as though it shoving me, and I flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, at least you're closer. That's better than nothing, right?" Lila shifted and laid down next to me, propping herself up on one of her elbows./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I guess." I turned to my right, meeting her eyes./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, what did Five mean when he said you'd been sleeping on the floor for years? Another weird thing your dad did?" The memories that played through my head as I prepared to tell the story brought a smile to my face./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, no." I paused, laughing to myself before continuing. "Sometimes, when Five and I were young, he would have these terrible nightmares that would scare the shit out of him. He couldn't go to Dad, and at night Mom was… unavailable, so he'd come into my room since it was right across from his. When he did, I let him sleep in my bed, and I'd lay down on the floor and face my doorway, so I could watch for anything that might try to come in and get him. Now, it's just an instinct to give him whatever bed there is while I take the floor, or a chair, and 'stand watch', per se." I let out a long sigh, the smile on my lips refusing to budge. "But, also, he's my brother. I'd sacrifice my own comfort to make sure he's okay in a heartbeat."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI was still running through a light in my past, when the question that had gone to rest for a while reared its head again. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why were you following me?" Lila's expression went sullen as she rotated on her elbow to lay all the way down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I thought you were taking off on me," she admitted with a sigh. "What people do." Her mouth moved for a bit, as though she had something else, but eventually, it clamped shut again. I felt a pang of sympathy in my chest, worried that she might have thought I was mad at her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, if you hadn't been there, Diego probably wouldn't have made it. So, thank you." She turned her head, so that we were looking at each other./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five wouldn't have been able to help you?" I chuckled and shook my head./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No. I have a lot of faith in my brother, but… there's no way in hell he would have been able to lift Diego." I expected her to laugh at least a little, but her face had gone completely serious again. "You okay?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLila remained quiet, until the confession suddenly spilled out. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When Diego was lying there, I… I thought he was dead." She sounded almost indifferent to that. Strange, considering they had known each other for a while. "That's how I found my parents." My eyes widened as she shifted her gaze away. "Face down in the living room." I wanted to reach out as she began to tremble, but feared what would happen if I snapped her out of the trance she seemed to have fallen into. "It was a home invasion."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI sat up and leaned against my arm, attempting to process the complete gravity of what she'd just told me. Based on our conversation earlier, she made it sound as though it was just some sort of accident that befell her parents, but this… /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit," I whispered, still trying to grasp everything. "How old were you?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Four." Her voice was barely audible, but I still caught the heartbreaking age. To witness something like that at a young age… /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe difficulty with which she spoke made me think this wasn't exactly something she was used to sharing, but she and Diego at least knew each other moderately well before this. Part of me wished, had he known, that I could have gotten a heads up, but at the same time, it wasn't his story to tell./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Does Diego know?" I asked, moving some hair from her face; it all just fell back a moment later, when she shook her head./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I never talked about that with anyone before."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough the moment was filled with somber words, I couldn't help but smile just a little bit. It felt hard to believe just a couple of days ago, Lila and I had been strangers. The trust I'd hoped to establish was definitely there, causing the typical thumping warmth to spread into a constant blanket./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"As messed up as this might sound… I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me that." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSomething seemed to spark in Lila, and her facial expression shifted as she sat up. My heart rate spiked as she adjusted herself, bringing our faces mere inches apart. I could feel her breath dancing a waltz against my chin as her hand just barely brushed mine, causing a jolt of electricity to run down my spine./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Is it okay that I don't hate you like most people?" Lila's question was completely earnest, causing me to chuckle a little. It was a glimpse into the walls completely coming down, and it only drew me closer to her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah. Yeah, that's okay by me." The tension grew thicker by the moment, as the two of us just sat there, staring at each other./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScrew it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTrying to push down the shy part of me screaming to back down, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers, making the first move for once in my goddamn life. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanUnfortunately, I seemed to misread the signs, as only a second after, Lila reached over and slapped me, right on my cheek. Pain rushed to the site and I immediately clapped my hand over it as shame started to crawl over me./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lila demanded, glaring down at me./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit, Lila, I'm so sorry," I began to apologize, shaking my head. "I thought, maybe, you liked me, and so I did that. But I guess I misread things. I'm so—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI forced myself to look up at her again, and when I did, I noticed smile on her face, barely suppressed as she bit down on her lip. My brows furrowed down as she let a tiny laugh escape./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What?" I sighed, completely lost and confused./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You make a really cute face when you're embarrassed."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I got the chance to retort, Lila swung her legs over my torso and leaned down, placing her hands on my cheeks as she brought her lips to mine. The warmth in my chest completely enshrouded me, and through the kiss, a smile crept its way onto my face./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFor a moment, I snapped back to reality, and when I realized where this was going, I drew my face away from hers and glanced toward the clouded window on one of the walls, making sure there wasn't any movement outside./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everything okay?" Lila's playfulness melted away for a moment, leaving genuine curiosity and slight concern. The world outside seemed completely still, but I just wanted to be careful./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, just… my siblings are out there, so… keep it quiet." She smirked as she leaned down again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Never," she joked./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI hadn't laughed that much in a long time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanstrongemAlso, there's some suggestiveness at the end of the chapter, just as a heads up. Idk how old y'all are, so I just wanted to put that out there./em/strongu/u/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"strongem- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -/em/strong/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe foul, bitter stench of sweat shoved itself into my nostrils as Five, Vanya, and I entered the barn, greeted immediately with jeers and cries of praise. I kept close to my sister, but I couldn't draw my eyes away from the lumbering figures in the center of the ring. I'd never been the sort of person to enjoy fights— a fact completely ironic, and I was aware of that—but there was something compelling about this one in particular. Luther, one of the two fighters, almost looked as though he was pulling his punches in a few places, like he was letting the other man win. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFive tugged on my arm and pointed toward the rippling crowd, waiting for me to go through before he shut the door behind him. The three of us had to crouch down in order to get close enough, and we were pressed right up against the bars. Sweat splattered down on our heads in perfect time with the shouts and jumps of the overwhelmingly male spectators. Drinks spilled out from bottles and onto the floor, the droplets getting soaked up by hay not but a few seconds later. The screams felt as though they were pressing down on my head, forcing themselves into my ears and threatening to make my head explode./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanNone of that mattered, though. Another one of my brothers was right within arm's reach—something I didn't realize I needed until this moment. Luther and I hadn't exactly left things on the best terms, so I hoped he'd be willing to acknowledge what happened and move on. Just because we often fought didn't mean I didn't love him, just like the rest of my family. I wondered, sometimes, if Luther thought I genuinely hated him, and that's why he tended to avoid me. I wasn't an idiot, I had noticed./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBeing separated from everyone again, unsure if they were in Dallas, or alive, brought down an internal barrier I'd clung to for so long. I'd emdespised /emLuther in our youth, and I certainly wasn't shy about demonstrating it, even when we all got back together as adults. Our mindsets and approaches to problems just never lined up, and there definitely was some of that familial stubbornness thrown in there. I still didn't agree with some of the things he'd done, or the decisions he made, but for God's sake, he was my brother. When push came to shove, I'd drop everything if he needed me. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanRight now, I hoped that went both ways. Otherwise, it'd take a lot more convincing to get him back with us. He'd already told Five he didn't give a shit, but maybe Vanya or I would be able to get through to him./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe feel of the fight shifted suddenly after Luther delivered a brutal blow, knocking his opponent back. He almost gave off the illusion this thing was about to be over, when all of a sudden, he stopped dead in his tracks and began to sway slightly, as though his mind had suddenly left him. That gave his opponent enough time to recover, and when he swung his fist out and landed a hit on Luther, the latter just stood there, allowing the beating to happen. I hissed through my teeth, my shoulders tensing, but it was like a car crash—I felt so compelled to watch this whole thing go up in flames./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Look, he's pummeling him," Vanya observed, bringing Five's attention to the fact Luther wasn't making an effort to fight. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe boos around us overlapped any cheers that may have come out of mouths. Luther's opponent grabbed onto his head and dragged him down before throwing him against the wall we were leaning on, causing me to flinch and move back slightly. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, my God, Luther?" Five sounded like he was about to be sick./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why isn't he fighting back?" I tried my best to push down the urge to shock the man, knowing that would throw the integrity of this whole thing, and possibly get Luther in more trouble than he was likely already in./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBlood started to trickle down from wounds as Luther stood completely still, taking the punches like they were just little pokes. It almost seemed like he was inviting this, as though he felt he deserved it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luther, are you crazy?" Five screamed, poking his head through the bars. "Just hit him!"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy breath hitched in my throat, horrified, as Luther's opponent wound up and struck him right under his chin, throwing him into the air before his giant bosy crashed down, nearly immobile. I winced and slammed my eyes shut, unwilling to look at first. The cacophony around me now pulsated against my mind, playing the image of the blow over and over again. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why didn't he fight back?" Vanya's words echoed as I tried to process them./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIt wasn't until the voices started to fade and the shuffling of feet had mostly died down that I dared to open my eyes again. Luther still remained still on the ground, his eyes shut. Panicked, I climbed over the railing and crouched down beside him, checking for signs of life. Thankfully, I noticed the rise and fall of his chest, indicating he was still breathing. Five and Vanya stared at me expectantly as I got back onto my feet./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He's alive," I assured style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Who the hell are you?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe three of us jumped and whipped around. Our eyes landed on a tall man, most likely smack in the middle of his life, perching a dog under one arm. He leered at us, his eyes only a few steps away from shooting daggers out of them. On instinct, I threw my hands up slightly and began to stutter, floundering for such a simple response./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Uh, we… we're his… siblings," I managed to squeak out. The man's brow flew up a little higher on his forehead./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luther's never mentioned siblings," he snapped./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, well, we've never been that close." Five managed to remain completely calm as he spoke to this guy. "But now, we just want to make sure he gets home safe." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"My guys'll get him back," the man interjected. The longer he looked at us, the more his expression started to soften, and after a few moments of awkward silence, he sighed. "You'll be able to see him in the morning."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanHe started to walk away, as though we were done with the conversation, but we didn't have all the information we needed. Thankfully, I managed to find my voice in time./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"And where is it we'll be able to see him?" I called out, causing the man to stop in his tracks and turn back to us./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Plano Street House for Solitary Men," he stated bluntly. "Do you—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I know the place," I nodded. With that concluded, I grabbed onto Five's shoulder and started to guide him out, allowing Luther to be taken care of. "Thank you, Mr…" I trailed off, waiting for him to finish the sentence./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ruby," he replied. "Jack Ruby."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes flew wide open as I watched the man round the corner. That was… holy shit. Maybe there was some water to Diego's ramblings about needing to save JFK./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe moment that thought came on, I shook it away. Diego was just trying to prove himself to someone that didn't give a shit he existed./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe muggy night air felt like a relief compared to the stale and stagnant interior of the barn. I could already tell Five wanted to jump on a plan, but for once, I just wanted him to slow down. Besides, I could already feel the fact I hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours catching up to me, threatening to knock me over if we didn't get back soon./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"All right," I spoke up before Five got the chance. "I say, we head back to Elliott's, get some rest, and the moment the sun comes up tomorrow morning, we go see Luther." As expected, Five glared up at me, his jaw tensing./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We don't have time, Mina," he barked. "The world is ending in almost seven days, and we've got nothing."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five, Luther's injured. He needs time to rest, otherwise, he's useless. And we need sleep, too. I drove all last night. So, please, just let me have this one." He didn't agree, but he didn't protest, either, so I took what I could get. "Vanya, you should come with us. I'm sure Elliott won't mind." That was a pretty big assumption on the behalf of someone I barely knew, but I was willing to risk it for my sister./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, sure," she agreed quietly. "Thank you."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Of course," I shrugged. "Just follow us back."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe car ride home was completely silent, and at first I thought it was because Five was cross with me, but when I looked over at the passenger side, I noticed he'd fallen asleep again. A little smirk crawled onto my face. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOnce we reached Elliott's, I made my way around to the other side of the car and picked up Five, intending to get him to bed as quickly as possible so I could do the same myself. I managed to set him down on the only bed in the entire place and head out toward the inflatable mattress that had been set up on the ground, when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned slowly to see Five standing in the doorway of the room I'd emjust /emput him in, already starting to move in my direction./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'll take the floor." His words were barely audible, due to his exhaustion./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What? No, no, Five. I really don't mind." I pointed toward the mattress. "It's an upgrade from what I'm used to." Five wouldn't take no for an answer, and before I could protest any further, he brushed past me and plopped himself down on the inflatable bed. "Five—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You've slept on the floor for years," he reasoned. "Just take the comfortable option this one time."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I didn't want to give in, I also knew Five had made up his mind, which meant I wasn't going to win this argument. Reluctantly, I turned on my heel and walked into the room he'd just left, taking a heavy seat on the mattress. Not one minute had passed, when there was a knock on the door, and Lila entered, shutting it behind her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Who's the chick out there?" she asked quietly, pointing out toward where my sister had sat herself down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Vanya," I answered curtly, running my hands over my face. Lila hesitated before she made her way over and took a seat beside me, our shoulders pressed together. "Tomorrow morning, we have to go back for Luther, and then… somehow, we have to find Allison and Klaus." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSaying it out loud, it seemed a lot more hopeless than I had previously made it out to be in my mind. The weight of it all felt as though it shoving me, and I flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, at least you're closer. That's better than nothing, right?" Lila shifted and laid down next to me, propping herself up on one of her elbows./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, I guess." I turned to my right, meeting her eyes./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, what did Five mean when he said you'd been sleeping on the floor for years? Another weird thing your dad did?" The memories that played through my head as I prepared to tell the story brought a smile to my face./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, no." I paused, laughing to myself before continuing. "Sometimes, when Five and I were young, he would have these terrible nightmares that would scare the shit out of him. He couldn't go to Dad, and at night Mom was… unavailable, so he'd come into my room since it was right across from his. When he did, I let him sleep in my bed, and I'd lay down on the floor and face my doorway, so I could watch for anything that might try to come in and get him. Now, it's just an instinct to give him whatever bed there is while I take the floor, or a chair, and 'stand watch', per se." I let out a long sigh, the smile on my lips refusing to budge. "But, also, he's my brother. I'd sacrifice my own comfort to make sure he's okay in a heartbeat."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI was still running through a light in my past, when the question that had gone to rest for a while reared its head again. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Why were you following me?" Lila's expression went sullen as she rotated on her elbow to lay all the way down./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I thought you were taking off on me," she admitted with a sigh. "What people do." Her mouth moved for a bit, as though she had something else, but eventually, it clamped shut again. I felt a pang of sympathy in my chest, worried that she might have thought I was mad at her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Well, if you hadn't been there, Diego probably wouldn't have made it. So, thank you." She turned her head, so that we were looking at each other./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five wouldn't have been able to help you?" I chuckled and shook my head./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No. I have a lot of faith in my brother, but… there's no way in hell he would have been able to lift Diego." I expected her to laugh at least a little, but her face had gone completely serious again. "You okay?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLila remained quiet, until the confession suddenly spilled out. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"When Diego was lying there, I… I thought he was dead." She sounded almost indifferent to that. Strange, considering they had known each other for a while. "That's how I found my parents." My eyes widened as she shifted her gaze away. "Face down in the living room." I wanted to reach out as she began to tremble, but feared what would happen if I snapped her out of the trance she seemed to have fallen into. "It was a home invasion."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI sat up and leaned against my arm, attempting to process the complete gravity of what she'd just told me. Based on our conversation earlier, she made it sound as though it was just some sort of accident that befell her parents, but this… /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit," I whispered, still trying to grasp everything. "How old were you?"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Four." Her voice was barely audible, but I still caught the heartbreaking age. To witness something like that at a young age… /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThe difficulty with which she spoke made me think this wasn't exactly something she was used to sharing, but she and Diego at least knew each other moderately well before this. Part of me wished, had he known, that I could have gotten a heads up, but at the same time, it wasn't his story to tell./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Does Diego know?" I asked, moving some hair from her face; it all just fell back a moment later, when she shook her head./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I never talked about that with anyone before."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough the moment was filled with somber words, I couldn't help but smile just a little bit. It felt hard to believe just a couple of days ago, Lila and I had been strangers. The trust I'd hoped to establish was definitely there, causing the typical thumping warmth to spread into a constant blanket./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"As messed up as this might sound… I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me that." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSomething seemed to spark in Lila, and her facial expression shifted as she sat up. My heart rate spiked as she adjusted herself, bringing our faces mere inches apart. I could feel her breath dancing a waltz against my chin as her hand just barely brushed mine, causing a jolt of electricity to run down my spine./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Is it okay that I don't hate you like most people?" Lila's question was completely earnest, causing me to chuckle a little. It was a glimpse into the walls completely coming down, and it only drew me closer to her./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah. Yeah, that's okay by me." The tension grew thicker by the moment, as the two of us just sat there, staring at each other./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanScrew it./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTrying to push down the shy part of me screaming to back down, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers, making the first move for once in my goddamn life. /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanUnfortunately, I seemed to misread the signs, as only a second after, Lila reached over and slapped me, right on my cheek. Pain rushed to the site and I immediately clapped my hand over it as shame started to crawl over me./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lila demanded, glaring down at me./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Shit, Lila, I'm so sorry," I began to apologize, shaking my head. "I thought, maybe, you liked me, and so I did that. But I guess I misread things. I'm so—"/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI forced myself to look up at her again, and when I did, I noticed smile on her face, barely suppressed as she bit down on her lip. My brows furrowed down as she let a tiny laugh escape./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina." /span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What?" I sighed, completely lost and confused./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You make a really cute face when you're embarrassed."/span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBefore I got the chance to retort, Lila swung her legs over my torso and leaned down, placing her hands on my cheeks as she brought her lips to mine. The warmth in my chest completely enshrouded me, and through the kiss, a smile crept its way onto my face./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanFor a moment, I snapped back to reality, and when I realized where this was going, I drew my face away from hers and glanced toward the clouded window on one of the walls, making sure there wasn't any movement outside./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Everything okay?" Lila's playfulness melted away for a moment, leaving genuine curiosity and slight concern. The world outside seemed completely still, but I just wanted to be careful./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah, just… my siblings are out there, so… keep it quiet." She smirked as she leaned down again./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Never," she joked./span/p
p style="tab-stops: .5in 135.0pt;"span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI hadn't laughed that much in a long time./span/p