by Mallory Funk
I knock and ring the bell a bunch of times. I wince when I remember the time, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I hear footsteps inside and voices grumbling.
“Who that fuck is that?” one voice asks.
“How the fuck should I know, it’s six in the fucking morning,” I hear another person say.
Next thing I know, the door swings open and I come face to face with the same three men in the picture. They were a lot taller than I thought they would be. They also looked extremely grumpy from being woken up.
“Who the fuck are you?” one asks.
“Uhh… I am Paige,” I clear my throat a bunch of times.
“What can we help you with, darling?”
I blew out a big breath and thrust the pictures I had in my hand of them. “I found these at home with this address this morning, and I was wondering who you were,” I say, my voice slightly shaking.
They look at me and then at the photos of them growing up. They all look surprised and shocked.
“What did you say your name was?” one asks.
“Oh... it’s Paige Johnson.” They look at me in shock.
One of them asks me, “Johnson. What are your parents’ names?”
“Carl and Susan Johnson.”
“Ca… Carl Johnson?”
“Yes, that’s my dad. Why?”
“That’s our dad too.”
Their dad too? We have the same father? That means my father had another family.
“Fuck, I need coffee if we are going to sort this shit out. Come in,” one of them says.
I follow them inside and notice how nice their house looks for three men living in it.
“Do you drink coffee?” one asks making a pot.
I give a snort.
“You could say that.”
They smile at me. “Well, I’m Noah. That’s Luke, and the other one’s Kyle.” Noah was tall, about 6’4 with light brown hair and light brown eyes like me. Luke had dark brown, almost black, hair and light brown eyes. Kyle had dark brown hair like Luke, but he had green eyes which I assume was because of their mom. They were all around the same height though.
“Do you have any other siblings?” Noah asks me.
“No, it’s just me.”
We all sit down at the table and, after a few minutes of awkward silence, my phone goes off. Shit.
I cringe when I see Trevor’s name. Fuck. I forgot to leave a note or tell him where I was going.
“Hello.”
“Where the fuck are you?” I blow out a breath. He sounds pissed and I don’t know what to do about it.
“Baby, I’m fine. I will explain later and call you okay? I have to go.”
“My brothers are here, same with the girls. You know you shouldn’t leave the house by yourself. Everyone’s pissed at you for going out by yourself.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry. I’ve got to go, okay? You guys just have your coffee without me. I have some things I need to sort out before I go home.” I look at my brothers. Holy shit, brothers. I don’t know how this conversation is going to turn out. Part of me is pissed that my dad had a secret family, and the other part is excited that I have siblings. I have always wanted a brother or sister. Now it seems that I have three. They are all eyeing me curiously.
“Fine, don’t take too long okay? Just text me to let me know you’re okay if you take longer than an hour.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
Once I hang up the phone and look up, I see them all staring at me with an expression I can’t read on their faces.
“Is that your boyfriend?” Luke asks.
“Yes. I have some stuff going on right now and he is really protective of me. Once I found the photos and address, I took off without even thinking of telling anyone where I was going or what I was doing. You guys looked so familiar that I had to know who you were. I had a feeling that I knew, but I just needed to be sure. What I would like to know is how I didn’t know about any of you, or did my mom know? I’m so confused.”
“Well our mom and dad dated in high school. They ended up pregnant just before graduation and then had us other two shortly after. We are all close in age, but shortly after Luke was born, my dad left. We didn’t see him for a few years. When I turned seven, he came back. He has been there for us since then, and we all knew that he was married, but we didn’t know that they had a kid together. Our dad and your mom would come and visit us every once in a while, but they never mentioned having a kid. We haven’t seen them in a while, so we can’t ask them anything until we do,” Noah says.
The more Noah says, the more my eyes tear up. Not only did my parents treat me like they didn’t want me, but they acted like I didn’t exist to my brothers. They had no clue. If I hadn’t found the pictures, I would have never known. Then I focus on one thing they said- they don’t know that they died.
“Oh my god. They’re dead. They died a few months ago. I’m so sorry. I thought you guys knew. It was an accident. A car crash.” I look at each of them and they have tears in their eyes. Each of them look away and wipe their eyes. I could tell that they cared about my parents. I couldn’t say that I had any reaction to their death.
“Why did they never tell you about us?” Kyle asks.
“My best guess would be that they didn’t care. They always treated me like they didn’t want me, paying nannies to watch and raise me. I barely saw them growing up. After I graduated, I took off and only spoke to them occasionally. I would only see them on birthdays. After they died, I got left everything including their house. I had moved in just over three months ago. I haven’t even sorted through their stuff. I just left it in the bedroom that the movers put it in. It’s not that I didn’t love them. They were my parents, but I felt like they didn’t love me. They never really showed me any kind of love growing up.” By this point, we are all getting tears in our eyes. They look almost angry that my parents did that to me although I don’t know why considering that they had just met me.
“So, your saying your parents, OUR dad, had not shown you any love and just threw money at nannies, and you call that ‘taking care’ of you?” Noah says with his voice getting louder with each word.
“Yep, that’s how I was raised and I’m not going to hold it against you guys or anything. I put all the blame on them. We were never really close, and I accepted that over time. I’m pissed as hell that I had three brothers out there this whole time seeing as all I ever wanted was another sibling. They always told me that they didn’t want me and were forced to have me. I knew that was why they didn’t like me, but why would they hide me from you guys after all these years? Also, why would they leave me everything and leave you all nothing? What’s the reasoning behind that?” I say getting frustrated. So many unanswered questions.
“This just pisses me off more and more. We thought it was just the three of us and we wanted a sister too. They told us they couldn’t have kids. Our mom died when we were just in high school, so it’s not like we can ask her. FUCK!” Kyle says.
“Well, we can sit here wondering and never actually find out what they were thinking, or we can get to know each other. I, for one, want to get to know my sister. We have missed too much of each other’s lives,” Noah says.
We all seem to nod our head in agreement and, after a few minutes of silence, we start talking about each other’s lives. From what I understand, they were close with my parents in a way that my parents never were with me. They are also all single. They enjoy the single life. I also learned that Kyle is Bi which is cool with me- whatever he likes. I know the girls and brothers won’t care either way. Who someone prefers in bed or to love is that own person’s business. As long as they are happy then I don’t see a problem.
I tell them about moving back in to my childhood house, and about meeting Trevor and his brothers. I had also explained about Shaun so that they understood why everyone wouldn’t stop texting me through the whole time we were visiting.
They understood and automatically I could see the protectiveness in their eyes. You would think that they had been in these big brother roles for their whole lives. We all have the day off, and I know that my friends do too, so I ask if they wanted to meet everyone and see where I grew up. We figured that while they got my dad’s, or both of my parents’ love, I got material objects. I explain to them that I now live in the big house with my friends.
I drive home with Noah in the car with me, and the other two brothers are driving behind us in one of the cars that they have.
We pull up to the house and get out. Walking up the steps, I turn to them. They are all looking at me, curiously raising their eyebrows. “Okay, the guys are really protective of us girls and, well, I see them like brothers too- well except Trevor- so they may get a tad caveman on you.”
They just laugh at me. “Don’t worry, sis. We wouldn’t expect anything less from the men in your life,” Luke says.
We walk inside and it’s quiet, so I know that everyone must be out on the deck having coffee. Once I open the door, they all stare at me with relief until they see the three big men coming in behind me.
“Hey guys,” I give a silly awkward wave.
Chapter Twelve
Trevor
When I see Paige come through the back door I feel relief knowing that she is home safe, but that’s short lived when I see three guys come in behind her. Then she does an awkward wave thing that she does when she’s nervous. I get up and walk over to her. “Hey baby. Where have ‘ya been?”
She gives me a kiss, and then turns towards the men standing behind her. I notice them sizing each of us up. She takes a breath. “Well, this is Noah, Kyle, and Luke.” We all either nod or say ‘hi’ to them while still wondering who these men are.
“Well… uhh… you see, the thing is, they are my brothers.” We all stare at them stunned. They do have similar features to each other.
“I thought you were an only child,” I tell her.
“So did I, but this morning I took a paper out of a drawer to make a grocery list, and I found an envelope with pictures of them. There was an address on the back of them. I didn’t even think about anything, I just took off and went to check out who they were.”
“Holy shit. So, they are legit. You have brothers,” Cole says.
“No, they are fake. I had hired them to play a joke,” Paige says dryly.
There are some chuckles.
“So, I’m guessing since you kissed her, that would make you Trevor. I’m Noah.” He puts his hand out for me to shake. We both shake with the same firmness, and I can tell I impressed him just by that alone.
They tell us everything that they know. How they got Paige’s parents’ attention and love in addition to their own mom’s affection while all Paige got was money thrown at her. Paige’s parents hid her like a dirty little secret. I wish her parents were alive now so that I could deal with them. These brothers seem like pretty good guys, and I can tell that Paige is excited to get to know them. I know she always wanted a sibling, and now she has three. We start up the grill and get some burgers ready for lunch. The ladies go inside and start making salads and other sides leaving my brothers and I alone with Paige’s brothers.
“Just so you know, we think of Paige as a sister. She means a lot to us and, blood or not, you hurt her, and you will have us to deal with,” Liam says with his arms crossed.
“The same goes for you. We have always wanted a sister, and to hear how she was hidden away from us and never shown any love is devastating to us. We may have just found each other, but she’s family. If you guys hurt her, you have us to deal with.”
“Alright, it’s settled. If anyone hurts Paige, or one of the girls, we all get permission to kick that person’s ass,” Derek says.
After that, we all talk and get to know each other more. We tell them about the girls and the water balloon fight we had. We explain how the girls ambushed us, and how we are thinking of a way to get back at them. They all laugh. At that moment, the girls come outside.
“What’s so funny?” Court says.
“Oh, we were just telling them about the water balloon fight,” I say.
“Oh yeah, that was awesome,” Paige says.
“Speak for yourself, darling. I don’t think that I will ever be able to have kids now,” Liam says while angling his body away from Paige. She just rolls her eyes.
“It’s not my fault that you kept getting in my way.”
“Baby sis, are you telling me that you threw water balloons at this poor guy’s junk?”
“Not on purpose.”
“They WERE! I saw that evil look in your eyes. You knew the best way to take me down was through my manhood.”
“Low blow going to his manhood.” Cole wags his finger at Paige.
“Oh whatever. He was just asking for it!” she says as she comes and wraps her arms around me.
Everyone else just laughs.
We enjoy the rest of the evening talking and telling stories. I think that Paige’s brothers will get along fine with the rest of us. They seem to be doing her well so far. There is a new light in her eyes and I can tell that she’s excited; she never really had a family and now she does. Not that she didn’t have a family in the form of my brothers and I, but she has always wanted biological family. It will also help having them around in case Shaun comes for Paige. I can already tell that they are protective of her from the warning we all gave each other, and from their response to Paige letting them know about Shaun. This guy would be stupid to show his face or harm our Paige in any way especially now. Back then, she didn’t have any of us- just Courtney. Now she has eight men in her life who would do anything for her including harming anyone who would hurt her. This woman means so much to so many people. I don’t think she even realizes it.
Everyone gets into our regular routine of just working and hanging out during the next couple of days. Nothing out of the ordinary happens to us except that Paige’s brothers came over once more. We decide to have a BBQ this weekend. Everyone seemed to be busy all week. The salon has been very busy, and Paige loves her employees. There seems to be no problems there.
It’s Saturday morning and I see Paige’s brothers pull up. I appear to be the only one awake. They seem to have the same coffee addiction as their sister. I can’t help but laugh when I see them bringing in a huge coffee urn.
“What the fuck did you bring that for?” I ask them chuckling.
“We noticed that the coffee goes pretty fast here, or Paige told us that it did. In any case, this is so we can make a pot and put it in here and start another one now that there are more of us,” Kyle says.
“Great thinking. Your sister is a nightmare if she doesn’t get her cup in the morning. We usually pour hers first before anyone else’s.”
“Sounds a lot like us. Where is everyone?” Noah asks.
“They are all still sleeping I guess.” I shrug as I take a sip of my coffee.
“Well, let us grab a cup and we will be right back,” Noah says.
They all get up and grab their coffees. Once they are sitting on the porch, we get into an easy conversation until we hear a scream across the street.
“What the fuck?” Liam yells.
He comes storming over to Paige’s house. We notice his lips are really red and he’s got blue eyeshadow on. I have a feeling I already know what happened and, judging by the look on his face, he is not impressed.
“What the fuck happened to you?” I say with a laugh.
“What does it look like?” He looks at me like it should be obvious. “This better not have been your girl. I may not be able to kick her ass, but I will kick yours.”
I am laughing so hard. I can’t stop staring at the makeup on his face. There is so much detail in it that I wonder how he did not wake up to her doing that. Paige’s brothers are laughing at his expense too. Next thing I know, the door opens and out steps Paige herself.
“You!” Liam says with a growl.
“You did this to me! I know you did. All because I threatened to get you back for attacking me like a crazy woman during the water balloon fight.”
Paige looks like she is fighting a smile. “I swear I did not do it. I mean, whoever did it has done a very good job. Very nice.” And she fucking winks at him. If I wasn’t laughing so hard at the ridiculousness of this conversation, I wouldn’t like her winking at him, or maybe if he didn’t look like that; I’m not even sure anymore.
“If you didn’t do this then who did?” Liam asks. And hell if I’m not curious too. Paige and Liam had this little threat lingering between them for a while now. I don’t think that either of them were ever planning on doing anything to one another. We all just figured that they were empty threats to one another.
“I don’t know, but whoever did was awesome. I wish I thought of that.” She grins widely.
“Where are the other girls?” Liam asks.
“Sleeping. It’s Saturday! You know they never wake up before they have to.”
“Whoever did this to my hair is dead! You hear me?” We hear someone yell from across the street.
We all look over and burst out laughing. Cole’s hair is bright pink with ponytails all over. There must be at least ten. On the right side, there is a bright blue bow clipped in his hair.
Paige clutches her side and falls to the ground with laughter. Since Paige’s brothers and I are all sitting, we fall back over onto our backs laughing. Liam looks amused by his brother’s hair but still pissed since he had a makeover himself. By the time that Cole makes it over to us, we see Derek and Sam come out of the house; but they don’t appear to have been attacked by whoever decided to give my other brothers a makeover.