by G. Bailey
“What are you talking about? Harley is paying, and trust me, we all have enough. We can’t see you suffering in old clothes when we can look after you. We want to look after you, so let us?” he asks, watching me closely. I have the feeling if I say no, we will stay here and he wouldn’t push this. I don’t want to say no though, not when he explains it like that. The last person who ever wanted to look after me died and there was no one left to care. I nod once, and with that, he grabs my hand and drags me out of the house.
Sebastian grabs some keys on the way and unlocks an impressive Audi; it's blue and looks custom-made. I get in, loving the soft leather seats and the purr of the engine as we set off. How did my life change so quickly?
6
Izzy
“You’re completely crazy, Sebastian. I mean insane. I can't accept any more,” I plead to him after he bought me over twenty bags of clothes and a beautiful, bright-red Land Rover. Which he says he will be able to see me anywhere in. It’s being delivered tomorrow. Sebastian goes even farther by buying me a new iPhone with an unlimited contract and a new laptop. When I think we are done, he just laughs, dragging me to a salon. They wax me head to toe, do my eyebrows, add blond highlights to my long, blond hair, which falls to my mid-waist, now in layers. I never knew shopping could be a form torture.
While the salon tortures me, Sebastian opens my phone and fills it with contacts I will need. This includes a screen saver of Sebastian’s face and a Facebook page he makes for me, which he states I need. He even adds people I don't know, telling me I will meet his friends soon. I secretly hoped Blake was one of those friends he added, but he isn’t.
“Sebastian, can we call it a day on the shopping and do some more tomorrow? Right now, I need to collapse into a bed,” I say with a long sigh, catching his arm and stopping him from dragging me into the next shop.
Sebastian agrees, with a roll of his eyes and a smirk, before we head back to the car. We chatted all day, and I’ve learnt he loves himself, a lot. Sebastian takes good care of himself—his hair, his looks, and his clothes—but I think he is looking for the perfect woman to complete himself. Despite his cheery attitude, I can sense a sadness that I don’t want to ask about.
“So, what are you studying at school?” I ask as we put the stuff into the car.
“Art, Math, and English, but, honestly, I like working with numbers. I’m hoping to get into the local university to study math at a higher level before finding a job. I applied a few months ago, so, hopefully, I’ll know soon,” he states, shutting the boot.
“That sounds good. I never thought about what to do after school, but I guess I would want to apply to a university to study art more. I love art therapy, so maybe a course like that.”
“Why art therapy?” he asks, leaning against the closed boot next to me.
“When I was younger, I would get so angry about my dad not being around, and my mum used to make me draw. I’m glad she did because it stopped me from getting into fights with bullies over me not having a dad. Later, when my mum died, drawing was the only thing I had left. I could have gone off the deep end with anger and sadness, but every time I felt lost, I drew. It helped me, and I want to help other people.”
“Wow. That sounds good. How about I get you some brochures for the local university? It would be nice to have you near.” He smiles that killer smile at me, making me just want to hug him. I’m happy he doesn’t ask any more questions about what I told him.
“I would like that,” I say, feeling happy and enjoying that close-family feeling I haven’t had in a while.
Sebastian grins at my answer, and we get into the car to drive back home.
As we enter the house, with all the clothes and stuff between us, he tells me to follow him up to my room as the new stuff should be there by now. He grins, looking pleased with whatever surprise he has waiting upstairs.
I silently follow him, and we take a right at the top of the stairs. The first door we come across, Sebastian swings open, and all I can think is, it’s lovely. It has a white, four-poster, queen-sized bed with white linens and a white bedside unit in the room to match. The white walls and dark-wood flooring make it feel homely. There is a seaside picture above a white dressing table by the window. The window has white curtains with little silver boats on them, and it’s picture-perfect. I can’t believe it’s mine.
“It’s a little plain now, but we can change that,” Sebastian says as he stops near my bed.
I drop the bags near the door to run and hug Sebastian, who is tense for a second in what I believe is shock, but then he swings me around as I exclaim, “Thank you, it's amazing. And, thank you for today.”
“No need to thank me, you’re my family now,” he says with a smile.
A deep, seductive voice interrupts whatever I was going to say. “You could thank me. I helped sort your room out, beauty.” I inwardly want to sigh hearing his voice, but I remind myself not to.
Letting go of Sebastian, I turn around to see the smug asshole leaning against my door with his legs crossed in front of him. I quickly look at his dark jeans and tight, black top, which shows off all of his impressive muscles, before I meet his blue eyes, his face hiding a smirk.
“Like what you see?” He winks as he speaks, and I want the world to swallow me up right there as he catches me drooling over him. At least I’m not literally drooling.
I blush and manage to stutter out, “Thanks for doing my room. You can leave now.” I then clear my throat and turn back toward a now angry Sebastian.
“Oi, no hitting on my sister, Blake,” he nearly shouts across the room, patting me on the shoulder and then walking past me to shove Blake out of my room.
“See you tomorrow, sis. We’re out tonight,” Sebastian says and shuts my door behind him.
I sit on my bed, letting out a sigh before grabbing my bags and pushing them into the wardrobe. I grab my new lacy underwear, silk shorts, and a Cami top before I jump into the shower. I dry my hair before returning to my room, my thoughts go to Blake again, picturing his blond, wavy hair, which looks as if it’s come straight off a surfing ad. I wonder what it would be like to run my fingers through it. I shake my head from the thoughts of my brothers’ best friend because they should make me feel guilty, but they don’t.
I decide to pop downstairs and grab some snacks before watching a little TV in my room. I grab the new bunny slippers Sebastian thought were cute–which they are–and run down the stairs into the kitchen where I stop dead as three pairs of eyes stare at me.
“Holy shit, this is your sister, Elliot?” the male, red-haired stranger says to Elliot, who is still avoiding my gaze.
Of course, Blake is sitting on a stool by the counter looking me up and down very slowly. I blush as I realise I should have worn more clothes.
“Shut the fuck up, man. Come on, let’s go out,” Sebastian says as he appears behind me and practically drags the red-haired man out the door, with Elliot following while he shouts for Blake to come with him.
“You look insanely gorgeous in your pyjamas, Izzy,” Blake seductively whispers as he walks over to me, and I walk backward until my back hits the wall. Blake puts his hands on the wall, boxing me in, and I shiver from the heat he is giving off. I can’t help but stare into his sexy, blue eyes as my heart beats faster than I can bear.
Blake leans in so his lips are a breath away from me, and I can smell his peppermint breath mixed with mine as he whispers, “I’ll see you soon, beauty. Next time, I won't stop at just a gentle kiss.”
Before I can make heads or tails of what he said, his lips are on mine. The first brush of his lips is gentle, giving me time to push away before he starts gently exploring. I'm in shock for a second before I return the kiss. My mind goes blank as I open my mouth and his tongue spills in, wrestling with mine. Pleasure fills my body with his every touch, shocking me.
The loud beep of a horn breaks us apart as Blake moves back and smirks. “I guess I was right, you do want me.” He soun
ds as breathless as I feel.
I’m about to say something, but before I can reply, he is out of the kitchen and I hear the door shut. I'm still standing, with my back toward the wall, five minutes later still in shock. It wasn't my first kiss, but I’ve never been kissed like that. It felt amazing, and I shake my head knowing I’m playing with fire letting him kiss me.
I open the freezer, finding Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I nearly jump up and down in excitement about the thought of eating this. I think this ice cream will take my thoughts of Blake’s kiss away. Hell, who am I kidding, nothing will. I take it upstairs while trying to forget about that kiss and the handsome man behind it.
Deciding to use my new laptop to check my emails, I sit on my bed eating ice cream as I open it. I used to go to the library to do it as it was the only way I could chat to Tilly, so a new laptop is awesome.
I start a message to her:
Tilly!!
Miss you!
You won’t believe this, but I have four brothers. My oldest brother, Harley, just turned up and took custody of me. They seem nice and friendly. Sebastian and Elliot (twins) are the same age as me, and Luke is a little younger than me.
Plus, they have a hot as fuck friend that just kissed me!!!!
I’m still in shock, but it’s complicated, and he seems like a man-whore. So, don’t worry, I'll be careful!
Wish you were in England. I miss your crazy ass.
Oh, I will add my new number (Sebastian took me on a massive shopping spree and bought me everything. Even a new car!) I haven’t been this happy since Mum.
I’m not alone anymore.
Love you!
Izzy xoxoxoxoxo
Getting into bed later, I feel something crunch under my pillow and I pull out a folded piece of paper. I open it and it's a drawing of me from yesterday. A simple pencil drawing, yet it's done attractively, making me look good. There is just the letter ‘B’ in the bottom right corner of the paper, and I realise quickly that Blake must have drawn this for me. Holy crap, I thought I was good at art, but this is remarkable. I fall asleep smiling and thinking of bright-blue eyes with a smirking, attractive face.
7
Izzy
Sitting, flicking through TV channels in the lounge, I look up as Sebastian walks in.
"Hey, sis. We thought we should all go out for a meal together tonight," he suggests, standing by the door.
"That would be nice," I reply, glancing back at him.
"Well, you have one hour. I’ll drive you and Elliot," he replies with a grin and walks back out.
I turn the TV off and hop up, heading upstairs to my room. I decide to wear a simple, blue sweater, which is very soft, and black, skinny jeans. I wear my black heels, which aren't very high, and then style my hair in a French plait, leaving a few bits to hang around my face. I can’t help but stare at my face, looking at the same cheekbones as Sebastian’s and the same eyes as all of my brothers.
I still have fifteen minutes to spare, so I check my emails. Tilly has written back.
Izzy!
That is brilliant and I'm so happy for you. We both have lots of brothers now! Maybe I can date one ;)
I miss you more. My parents are hoping to move back to the UK in a year, so I’ll ask them to move near you.
My brothers are driving me mad, and I dislike speaking French. I think I’m failing as a French person. My brothers all speak it well now, but I only know the bad words ;)
Let me know how your first week of school goes!
Wow, how hot? What does he look like?
I'm jealous! There are no good looking guys here, and if there was, one my brothers would have scared them off!
Love you
Xxxxx
I laugh at her email, and it makes me miss her more. I walk down to the kitchen to wait for Sebastian after closing my laptop.
He comes into the room a few minutes later looking cool in a black, buttoned shirt and cream chinos. Sebastian’s hair is perfectly styled again, and it makes me smile.
"You ready? You look great. I’m a good shopper," he winks and I nod, laughing. I slip my phone into my purse, and we head out.
Elliot appears as we lock the door and hops into the back of the car, not saying a word. Elliot is dressed in his usual black-leather jacket and all-black clothes. It surprises me that it suits him with his messy, black hair. I get into the front with Sebastian, as I’m still a little nervous around Elliot.
"So, where are we going?" I ask after we have driven for a bit.
"It's called Camino's. It's a cool Mexican place in town that we like," Sebastian answers.
"I like Mexican, so this must be good." I grin at him.
Elliot doesn't say anything during the car ride. Not that I expect him to as he hasn't said a word to me yet, but when I look back at him, he’s just glaring at me.
We pull up about twenty minutes later to a small restaurant with a lovely cosy feel to it. It has lanterns on all the red tables lining the room. The walls are a dark-brown colour, with lanterns dotted around. It’s amazing, but very busy. We walk in further, and Elliot says our name to the waiter, who then takes us to our table.
"Hey," Harley says as we walk over, and I take the seat next to him. Luke isn't here yet, and the twins take the seats opposite us.
"Luke is in the bathroom if you were wondering," Harley says, taking my attention. Harley’s dressed in a grey jumper with his hair tied at the back of his head. I’ve not seen a lot of guys who can pull off longer hair, but it suits Harley. I would say it would fall to his shoulders if he had it down, but I haven’t seen that yet.
"Oh," is all I say.
Luke comes back a little later with a grin. I’m surprised to see him wearing glasses, which make him look older. Luke’s tattoos and glasses give him a cool nerd kind of look. I don’t comment on the glasses because it would be weird. The waiter takes our drink orders while I look at the menu. I decide to have a simple Mexican lasagne, so I order that when the waiter arrives.
"So, Izzy, tell us about you growing up," Harley says, sipping his beer, and Seb burps after drinking his, which earns him a glare from Harley as he laughs. Boys.
"Not much to tell. My mum was great. She spent all of her time with me and worked as a secretary at a local firm during the week," I say, even if it hurts to mention my mother.
"How about your social life? Did you have many friends or boyfriends? I realise I moved you away so quickly and you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to anyone," Harley comments, watching me closely for my answer; all of them seem interested in my answer as I look around.
"I had a best friend named Tilly, but she’s in France now. Tilly wants to come back in a year. I’ve dated one guy, a few months ago, but it didn’t work out," I say before drinking my coke.
"I'm glad you had a friend to get you through losing your mother," Harley frowns, comforting my hand on the table.
"Yes, it was hard, but she was there. I will always owe her and her family for that." I look away, not wanting to think about how I was. Tilly’s parents wanted me to move in with them, but social services wouldn’t allow it because Tilly’s dad was in prison for a while. I don’t know what he did, but he is a nice guy, so I doubt it was too bad.
"I'm sure she doesn't feel you owe her anything," Sebastian says.
"No, she states that I'm family, so I don't." I laugh.
"She sounds like a good person." Harley smiles. Our food arrives, ending this discussion, and we chat about random things as we eat.
"How did your mum die?" Luke blurts out, and all the boys go quiet, but Elliot whacks him on the back of the head.
“I'm sorry for asking, I didn't know how,” Luke says.
"It's all right. My mum had breast cancer, but by the time we knew, or she had any symptoms, she only had a few weeks left." I try not to remember those last weeks.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth, the cancer is too far spread, and you need to prepare yourself for the worst at this point. Your
mum has a bad infection, and I don’t want to scare you with all the details, but we can’t help her anymore. Can I get you anything?” The doctor, whose name I have forgotten, tells me as I look at my mother in her hospital bed. There are tubes everywhere, and her usual glow is gone, replaced with a ghastly, white colour that almost matches the white hospital sheets. The only movement she gives while she sleeps is her shaky breathing, and the only sound is the beeping of the heart monitor by her bed.
“No, I just need some time alone with her, please,” I whisper as I stare at my mother, who is dying in front of me. My tears turn to anger. How can she leave me? The doctor rubs my shoulder in sympathy before walking out and leaving me alone with my mother and the many beeping machines.
I shift myself over to the side of the bed and pick up her cold hand. “Don’t leave me. I can’t be alone.”
She doesn’t respond at first, but then I feel her hand twitch in mine.
“Mum?” I ask quietly.
“Elizabeth, baby, is that you?” her rough voice croaks out.
“Yes, it’s me, Mum. I'll go and get the doctor,” I say, standing as her blue eyes flicker open. The sparkle I’m used to seeing isn’t there, instead a dull loss of colour replaces it.
“No, I need to tell you something. I love you so much, my Elizabeth, and–” she coughs, sounding terrible as she stops mid-sentence whatever she was going to say, and blood drips down the side of her mouth as her hand slips out of mine. The alarms start ringing as my mum’s eyes close for the last time, and I scream out with her loss.
A tear runs down my cheek as the horrible memory of her loss washes away from my mind, and Luke reaches over to hold my hand.
"I'm sorry, Iz. I didn't mean to upset you," he says with worry in his eyes.
"No, it's okay. You’re my family. You should know," I say and smile while the boys stay quiet, nodding at me.