Blood is thicker than water

Chapter 29

Adelina POV:

It's the first time time I'm sitting in front of the vanity the brothers had installed in my room not long ago.  It's odd, I must admit. 

The top drawers are filled with makeup. Makeup I know how to use only because of Phoenix. We were both young when she insisted I start sleeping at her house more often. I hadn't thought she noticed the bruises. 

I couldn't look at them for a long time, so she took it upon herself to cover them for me. I remember sitting there, silent tears streaming down my face at nine or ten years old, while she patted the product into my skin with her fingers. 

I'd cried. Cried myself to sleep sometimes with how much they'd make me sick. Phoenix was determined to take away at least a portion of the suffering. She learnt how to progress in makeup as the years went and I did with her.

We were both mediocre at best, but not clueless.

I feel the unnaturel need to make myself more presentable. As if I'm a mess and have to fix the outside to hide it. 

Product lightly coats my face, I settle for nothing dramatic. There is no one to impress on this date, it is purely for fun. 

Sebastian should be here within the hour and I am nothing but happy. The excursion with Valentino and Valerio the other day was fun in the moment but ruined in the end. 

My brothers.

It's a weird thought. Accepting them as my blood wasn't expected and I still don't know how I feel about it now. 

A text rolls in from Sebastian stating that he is five minutes away. Unprecedented feathery nerves errupt in my stomach. I still, not quite understanding the feeling- it had never happened before. I play it off as nothing and exit my room after giving my choice of clothing a once over. 

I'll declare my departure to either Val or Valen. They'll be sure to refrain from asking the most questions humanly possible. 

I think for a moment while standing between the two room, surely Valentino's lack of logic sometimes would work to my advantage.

I step into his room, not caring much to announce my presence by knocking. The boy I'm looking for sits by his bed, playing a video game I don't bother decipher. His head instantly whips around to greet me with the familiar smile of his. 

Still grinning he says, "What's up little sis."

I don't find amusement in the nickname he's picked up recently. While he turns his gaze toward the game once again, I walk over to his bed and pick up a pillow. Wasting no time, I quickly knock him over the head with it, "Shut up."

He groans at the impact and grabs another pillow to swing it behind him.

I watch as it hits lamp in the far corner of his room, "You missed."

He shrugs me off and I take this moment to say that I'm leaving. He doesn't turn back, passively saying "Don't die," and swearing at his game. I roll my eyes.

I ignore everyone and everything I see walking down the stairs and head directly to the door. I slip on one of the two pairs of shoes that I've taken to wearing. I enjoyed the luxury of picking out and having my brothers buy me the various pairs of shoes I now own but now having them at my disposal, I don't find the need to try out a new pair each time I leave the house. It's unnaturel to me and I don't need anything else making me uncomfortable given the new developpements I've had recently. 

My heart still aches at every thought of my mother. At every reminder of her, at the way she died. She was dead before she took her last breath, I realised not long ago, but but her lifeless eyes always brought as much comfort as she could.