Don't Give Up On Me ✔

Chapter 43 ~ We aren't going anywhere

Isla's POV

Five hours! It took us five hours to finish all the shopping. Since it was so late by the time we finished shopping, we picked up pizza for everyone on the way home. When we pull up in the driveway Luke is outside with Emma, Isabelle, and Isaac making snowmen. Watching how good Luke is with the kids makes my heart swell. Nick leans over to me and whispers, "I think you still care for him more than you think."

I sigh. "Nick, I know I care and even love him, but it's not in the same way that it once was." Nick nods his head and gets out of the car.

Luke smiles when he sees me. "Isaac, go tell everyone to come outside and help bring the stuff in." Luke tells him before rushing over to me and grabbing the pizzas out of my hand. "Let me help you with those." He says.

"Thanks. It looks like you and the younger ones were having fun."

We walked to the house. "Yeah, the others were unpacking, and Emma, Isabelle, and Isaac kept getting in the way. I thought that it would be better for everyone if I took them outside."

"Sorry I couldn't be here to help y'all." I laugh.

"I'm sorry you got stuck with all of the shopping. Why did Nick not want anyone else to go?"

"He said we haven't spent any time alone lately, so he wanted sister and brother bonding time." I laugh.

Luke rolls his eyes. "He does know that you aren't really his sister, right?"

"I'm starting to wonder the same thing."

We put everything away and sit in the living room watching 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' while eating pizza.

"After we are finished eating and the movie is over, we should go to bed. We need to go to the tree farm in the morning." Tyler says. The younger kids groan and so does Nick, but Tyler is right. We have a lot to do and we need a decent night of sleep.

The movies end and everyone goes to their rooms to change into their pajamas and go to bed. After putting my pajamas on, I go and check on my brother and sister. When I check on Isaac, he and Nick are already asleep and snoring. I chuckle to myself at how cute they are. Nick really has become a brother to me, and I love how he also treats Isaac and Isabelle like they're his younger siblings too.

Next, I check on Isabelle. When I walk into the room Emma is already asleep. I am glad that she is having her first real Christmas and we get to be a part of it. As I look towards Isabelle, I see her shoulders heaving up and down like she is crying. I then hear her sniffling.

"What's wrong Isabelle?" I whisper as I rub her back.

She turns around and hugs me tightly while crying. "I miss mommy and daddy."

"I do too." I cry softly. "It's okay for us to miss them Isabelle, but they would also want us to be happy."

She lifts her head and looks at me. I can see her tears glistening from the night-light. "What's going to happen to us when you leave to go to college, sissy?"

"I'm not leaving y'all. I'm not going to be going to college."

"But Sissy, what about what you wanted to do? I thought you had big plans for your future."

"Isabelle, what I want to do is to be here for you and Isaac. Family has always been my number one priority. If I do want to attend college, I can take online courses. Everything will turn out fine and I'll be by your side the entire time." I hug my sister tightly and kiss her forehead. "Go to sleep, okay? Tomorrow we have a fun day planned."

"I love you, Sissy."

"I love you too, Isabelle."

No longer feeling sleepy after talking with Isabelle, I head back to the living room and start cleaning up the mess we left from dinner.

Killian's POV

I tried to go to sleep but like most nights, I'm restless. Luke is asleep so I quietly tiptoe out of the room and walk to the kitchen for something to drink. In the living room cleaning up everyone's mess is Isla. "I guess I'm not the only one that can't sleep."

She jumps slightly at my voice but relaxes when she sees me. "I guess not."

I help her take the trash to the kitchen before we both sit on the couch in front of the fire. "So, why are you up?"

She sighs. "I went to check on Isaac and Isabelle before going to bed. When I went to check on Isabelle she was crying. She misses our parents and I don't know what to do for her. I'm afraid I'm going to let her and Isaac down."

I wrap my arm around her and she snuggles into my side. "Angel, I don't think you need to worry about letting them down. You have gone above and beyond for them, but what about you? How are you doing?"

She snuggles more into me. "I don't know." She whispers. "During the day I feel fine, but at night is when my thoughts get to me. As long as I keep myself busy, I'm fine. It's when I'm still and allow myself time to think that things start to bother me. Isabelle is worried that I'm going to leave her and Isaac. Little does she know I'm worried that everyone is going to leave me."

"You don't have to worry about that, Angel," I say as I lay my head on hers. "We aren't going anywhere. The ten of us are a family and we all love each other. You did that for all of us. You gave us the family that we were all missing. None of us want to leave each other. And by some kind of chance, the others leave you, I never will. You don't understand what you've done for me." I whisper the last part.

"Thanks, Killian. I'm really glad you, Sofia, and Emma are in our lives. I'm really glad that I ran into you at the park."

I smile at that. "I'm really glad that I met you too."

"Killian, why are you still awake?" She asks.

I hesitated at first. "I don't like sleeping because I get nightmares."

"Nightmares?" She looks up at me with her beautiful brown eyes.

I nod my head. "Yeah, I get nightmares about my uncle beating me. It's not every night but I get them at least a few times a week. In the nightmares, he normally gets ahold of either Sofia or Emma and I can't save them."

Isla turns around and wraps her arms around my neck hugging me. "Killian, you have saved them though. Y'all are no longer with your uncle and he will never hurt y'all again."

"I know, and the nightmares have gotten better but I still get them, and they still scare me. They just seem so real." Isla stops hugging me and snuggles back into my side while we sit on the couch. "Thank you, Angel. Thank you for everything that you've done for me and my family."

"Thank you, Killian, for being here for me."

We fall into a comfortable silence just watching the fire. An hour passes and Isla has fallen asleep snuggling against me. I would love to stay like this, but I know if someone sees us it could cause problems.

I gently pick her up and carry her to her and Sofia's room. I lay her on her bed, cover her up so she will stay warm, and kiss her cheek. Before leaving the room, Sofia wakes up calling me over to her bed. "What is that about?" She gestures towards Isla.

"We were talking on the couch and she fell asleep, so I carried her to her bed."

"And you kissed her cheek." She coos.

My cheeks heat up and I know they're red. I'm glad that it's dark and my sister can't see me blush. "I know you're blushing." She says with amusement in her voice. Of course, she would know. She's my twin and she seems to know everything about me. "Y'all would make an adorable couple, Kill." She whispers. "I think you should try to start spending more alone time with her."

"How am I supposed to get alone time with her when there are always eight other people around?" I whisper-yell at my sister.

She shrugs. "I don't know but if you really care for her, you'll figure it out." She smirks.

"Yeah yeah, sis. Now go to bed."

"You too, Kill." She whispers. After snuggling with Isla, for once I think I will be able to go to sleep easily dreaming of my angel instead of my uncle.