Somehow, I'd lost track of time at the Valimenati family. The half-moon was shining through my window by the time I got back home. Tevessa and Tujan were such great company, too great.

I opened the door of my room, took off my pair of purple sneakers, and headed to the bathroom. Our bathroom was on the other side of the corridor. There were two doors before the bathroom, dad's room and mum's room. Rowan's was before mine.

I washed my hands and face hurriedly because I was too tired to get showered. I took off my trousers and pink blouse and stepped out of the bathroom.

Striding to my door and placing more weight on my left leg, I was just about to open it when someone cleared his throat.

"Ah!" Rowan leaned on the wall beside mum's room. His arms were crossed and if looks could kill, I would have been six feet under. I held my door handle defiantly. "What's your problem, Rowan? You scared me."

He huffed. "Where are you coming from?"

"Can you, like, turn around though? Or, at least let me get dressed or something."

He rolled his eyes, taking off his blue sleeved top. "Nothing I haven't seen before." He threw the top in my direction. "Where are you coming from?"

"Um... the coffee shop. I am not wearing your sweat-clad pyjama top!" I threw it back to him.

His eyes scanned my right leg. "What happened to your leg, Emery?"

"I got hurt."

"I can see that." He walked toward me as he put his top back on. "Emery, I went to your coffee shop and figured that you don't work on Sundays."

"Uh..."

"Emery, don't think about lying to me. Where are you coming from?"

I sighed, hoping it would make him think I was giving in. "Look, I went to go see my... er... Boyfriend?"

He hissed. "I'm not stupid, Em."

"But I'm serious. Stop looking at me like that. I need to go change into something." I opened the door of my room, turned around and limped inside.

I groaned with each step. This injury hurt like hell.

I tried to shut the door, but Rowan held it with his leg. He pushed it open, walked in and shut the door.

"Emery, the only person you love is King and you're not even dating him because you think he's got eyes for Sandra... or whatever."

"Well, I made a move. Listen, Rowan just get out of here and-"

"How did you get hurt? Who treated you?"

"Do I need a reason to get hurt!? Come on, it could be King's mother or anything, what's your deal, Rowan?" My leg was beginning to hurt from the standing so I got out a pink sweater and a pair of shorts. I turned my back to him, took off my bra, put the clean clothes on and lay on my four-poster bed, my head to the bed. "Do you mind? I have school tomorrow and you're seeping into my bedtime."

"You're not going to school tomorrow with a mysterious bandage around your leg. Do you realize how worried I and mum were?" I snapped my eyes open. "Are you crazy?"

"I'm sorry, okay?" I muffled in my bed. "Just leave me alone, Rowan, I don't want to talk about it. Please!"

I heard the door open and a few soft steps. The door shut again, my drawers slid open and there was the soft sound of cloth dropping on cloth. "Don't leave your clothes in the bathroom," Rowan said. "If you ever want to talk about... Whatever it is, I'm here, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Emery?"

"What?" I turned, throwing my pillow over my head. Rowan looked serious, concerned.

"Don't keep things from me. I'm your elder brother."

"It's nothing that can put me in danger. I just... I'm not supposed to talk about it. You wouldn't even believe me."

"I will. Tell me."

"Believe me. You won't," I objected. I lay on my side, my eyes on the wardrobe. "Goodnight, Rowan."

He sighed and turned off the lights. "Night." He left the room and shut the door.

I sighed and turned to the other side. Did Rowan just bring in my clothes? He never does that. Rather, he'd seize your belongings and you just had to forget about them completely.

Feeling a bit unsure, I stood up and turned on the lights. Walking to my chest of drawers, I'd opened it. The clothes I'd worn were neatly folded. Hastily, I brought out my trousers and put my hand in the pocket.

The Mehjazgeu wasn't in there. Shít!

I limped-stomped to his room, this thing hurt like hell, but my secret getting out overshadowed the pain. I opened Rowan's room and he was standing in front of his full-length mirror, scanning my can.

And he was just about to spray it on the inside of his wrist.

"Rowan!" I ran to him but the pressure on my leg added to the sting and I raised it, inadvertently falling to the floor from imbalance.

He shrieked but relaxed quicker, dropping the can on a table in his room aggressively and helping me up. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"Yeah but I just felt that it was odd that a person like Rowan would help me with my dirty clothes!" I rolled my eyes. "How wrong I was."

"Fúck!." He let go of my arm and I fell back to the floor with a groan. This dude was an idiot. "What the fúck is that?"

"You shouldn't take my stuff like that. It's stealing!"

"Well, you just don't fúcking appear in the house by eight-thirty-seven p.m. and expect me to not suspect anything! The front door is fucking locked, Emery! How did you get in!? What's up with you lately!?" His eyes were on me, watching me lay there helpless, as I tried to get up.

"Don't you trust me?" I finally got up, putting my hands on his surprisingly soft bed for support. His room was just like his personality: dark blue, well organized and annoying to the core.

"No, I don't trust you! Because you're not giving me a reason to. This has happened before. You went to a party and boom! You were in your room the next day... Sandra said she never got you back home. She never even saw you leave."

My eyes widened. Rowan had been observing me! "During the weekdays, you just get back home and suddenly, you're not around! For the love of God, what do you expect me to think?"

"Give me my can, Rowan. I don't owe you an explanation. Just go back to your university and stop worrying about me."

"I'm your elder brother-"

"And I'm turning seventeen in two weeks! Shít don't you get it? I'm not a child."

"Em-"

"Give it to me!" I extended my arm, showing my palm to him. "Right now!" He did place the can on my palm and I clutched it tightly and muttered a very dry 'thank you'.

He shook his head disappointedly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do, thank you very much."

***

True to his word, Rowan didn't let me go to school today.

I was seated on the chair, my injured legs resting on the table. Rowan had prepared spaghetti and sauce-he was a good cook but pasta was his favourite-and he forced me to eat it.

Pfft. As if I wouldn't have done that.

I was taking a spoonful of spaghetti in my mouth when I heard the horn of Sandra's car. I could see her through the window. She parked by the garden and got out.

She was wearing her green cheerleading outfit. Expectedly, she knocked. What was not expected was my phone ringing. The caller ID read 'King'.

I stared at the door, then at the vibrating phone. Sighing, I picked up my phone and made it to the stairs. Rowan emerged from the kitchen and spotted the ivory car from the window. The knocking continued alongside a 'hello?' from Sandra.

My phone vibrated in my hand.

"Isn't that your friend, Sandra?" He asked, taking off the apron.

"Yeah, get it for me." I slowly made my way up to my room and shut the door. I accepted King's call on the second ring. "Hey, King."

I heard the distant sound of gunshots from his room. He was in the middle of a video game.

"Hey Em, what's up, you never miss school. Is something wrong?"

"Um... Not really, King. I have a minor injury and my brother didn't want me going to school with it."

"Oh cool. I thought it was something grave or... Listen, I wanted to apologize for what I said that day. That was very-"

"It's okay." I lay on the bed and hugged my pillow. "I guess..."

We were both silent for a few seconds. I turned around, wondering if I should hang up when he finally spoke. "Hey if you get better, can I teach you to play basketball?"

My eyebrows shot up, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, if you're running for class president, being involved in the school's extracurricular activities, especially basketball, gives you a boost in your qualifications. It's the least I can do. Please let me make it up to you."

A smile tugged my lips. "I don't think I'll be able to do anything stressful with my leg for a week, perhaps."

"I'll wait till your better." I heard the click sound of a door opening in the background. Kimberly's voice came in, saying, 'Where's my slippers?' To which King replied, trying to keep his voice low, 'Why would I have those animated things?'

I chuckled. "Maybe I should call later."

"No, it's okay... Get out of here!... So, Emery, I-" He was cut off by his sister saying, 'You're talking to Emery?' I guess King nodded because she added, 'How awesome,' in a quite sarcastic tone before I heard the door get shut.

"Where was I, Emery?"

"Help me apologize to your sister, please? I haven't had the time to see her and I owe her an-"

"You don't owe anyone anything. None of what happened was your fault. Look, it's been two weeks, can we not talk about it? I spoke with Sandra, was going to come over with her today but... Home called and I had to rush. Some other time, okay?"

I thought of a response for a little while. "You don't have to."

"But I will," he chuckled. "You're an... amazing species."

"Species?"

Now he was laughing very hard. I couldn't not laugh back. King was charming, with or without his physical appearance. "I gotta go, Em. Hope to see you in school tomorrow."

"Yeah... Bye."

"Bye." King hung up. The conversation hung in the air, keeping my face flushed.

God! King was everything.

I got out of bed and made my way downstairs. Rowan and Sandra were discussing, laughing and enjoying the moment. Whatever Rowan said now, Sandra found it funny. She laughed hard, her head going back. Rowan observed her facial features, a small loving smile on his face.

For the love of God!

"Um... Hi Sandra." I made my appearance known.

"Emery!" Sandra squealed, running to hug me. "Rowan told me everything that happened! How's your leg?" She glanced at my injury visible in the denim shorts I was wearing. "Oh my Goodness! Was it that bad?"

What did Rowan say now?

"I'm fine, thanks." I plodded, extra carefully, to the sofa and sat down. Rowan excused himself to the kitchen. He came back out with two plates of fried potatoes and chicken which he set on the table. My half-filled, possibly cold, plate of spaghetti was now forgotten.

"We weren't expecting anyone," he told Sandra.

"Not a problem. I'll eat yours," she replied, taking a chicken wing in her hand and biting off a piece.

"So Em, did I tell you I'm running for class president?"

"Um... No." I stretched my lips. "That's great," I mumbled.

"Yeah. King said I would make a good president."

I shifted slightly and looked at Rowan. He shrugged, took a chicken from my plate and stood up. "I'll leave you guys to have your girl talk." He left to the kitchen.

"Nice."

"King's being saying things." Sandra turned to me. Her eyes were cast on the plate on the table."About you and I."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"He's been spreading rumours. Said that I was the one who made you trip at Kim's party. Why would I do that? And why would he say something like that?"

"Sandra..." No. King wouldn't have lied to me.

"Now he's saying that I'm the reason you're not in school. That I must have done something to you. Everyone was blaming me, saying that I was being a bad friend blah blah blah." Sandra's eyes got teary so she turned. "I don't care what they're saying... they're tryna ruin what we have."

"I..." Honestly, I didn't know what to say. "What makes you think it's King. I thought you love him."

"I do." She turned and hugged me. She was crying now. "I was expecting him to call me and explain himself but no, he didn't. I've confirmed from people, my girls, Cole, Bryan, Ashley... I hate him. And it hurt cause I love him."

It couldn't be. King just called me.

I hugged Sandra back, tears welling up in my own eyes. She smiled. "Do you trust me, Em?"

King had always been honest with me, kind, and protective.

Sandra, well, she was the reason my mother was alive in the first place.

But she was a self-absorbed person, caring more about her girls-her fellow cheerleaders-and more about party and King than she cared about me.

Sandra didn't look like her breezy self. She was crying, vulnerable, looking for solace in my hug. She looked like that girl who assured me, three years ago, that my mother won't die. She never flinched, not even when the doctors provided the reports and all the numerous possibilities of my mother's condition.

She would press my hand and nod. Even when I could see the hopelessness and doubt in her eye, covered by that breezy smile. That was the exact way she looked like.

I hugged her and let that painful moment envelop me. She'd saved my mother. She and Luan.

"I trust you."

.

A/N

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