The air inside the car is warm, and yet I'm shaking. It's as if I have spiders crawling there way across my body. Soft, stifled sobs still manage to escape the doors of my mouth, despite my attempts at muffling them.

I hear my mom's heavy breathing as well. She still fears for my well-being, even though I have not taken any of the Avaracil. Every few minutes, from the corners of my eyes, I see her take hers eyes off of the road just to catch a glimpse of me, to ensure her worrying mind that I'm alright and safe.

"How much did he tell you?" I finally ask in the middle of a secluded whimper.

The minute I speak, my mom glances in my direction, eyeing me briefly before turning away again.

"Enough," she answers.

I too turn away, placing my eyes on the window and looking up into the glistening sky. It may seem joyous, but each and every star has their glares rested upon me, knowing full and well of what I was about to do. I was about to accomplish the the greatest of sins without even the blink of an eye. If my mom hadn't found me when she did...

The drive back home finally becomes too quiet for my liking. Now that my mom is aware of the situation, I can't imagine what her plans are for moving forward, or whether or not she wants be to keep the baby. If it were truly up to me, I think that the best choice would be for me to give the baby up for adoption. It would be for the best. I'm only a teenager in high school. How am I supposed to care for, nurture, and be a mother to a newborn baby.

Then again, it isn't all up to me.

"What are we going to do about the baby?" I ask.

"I don't know yet," Mom responds. "But we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, we have to tell your father and Noah's parents, and we'll go from there."

I'm snapped out of my current state of concentration. "Why do Noah's parents have to know?"

I can't see why my mom would feel the need to let others know that her underaged daughter is preganant. If I were her, I would want to keep the news on high alert and on a need-to-know basis. I get that she and my dad are close with Noah's family, but that doesn't automatically entitle them to get in on the situation. Though I love them both dearly, this is something I don't want them knowing, especially since I'm currently in a romantic relationship with their son, or at least I hope I am.

"Rowen, they have a right to know. It would be wrong to keep something like this from them and it wouldn't be a good idea if we held it off until the very last minute," she explains.

"But they have nothing to do with it."

"You're carrying their son's baby, Rowen. Whether we like it or not, they need to know what's going on and you and Noah are going to be the ones to tell them."

My blood runs cold as it curls within the walls of my veins, freezing every muscle and thought. Noah didn't only tell my mom that I was pregnant. He told her that I was pregnant with his child.

Not that long ago, him and I made a pact. He told me that if anyone were to find out the truth, he would step in and claim the responsibility of the father. Otherwise, I would have been forced to Darian, meaning that the news would spread more quickly than a bacterial disease. I would become the joke on social media and all throughout school, leaving Darian and his family to pick up the pieces.

My mom seems to notice my hesitance as I analyze the situation. This is just another lie that will eventually spawn a whole new string of lies, each one webbing and tying themselves together until it's one, gigantic knot.

"What? What's wrong?" Mom asks.

Snapping out of it, I answer, "Nothing. It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Rowen," she sighs, "If you're in some other kind of trouble than you need to tell me. I can't help you if you don't-"

"Mom watch out!"

Bright, blinding lights stab holes into my vision, sending shock waves down my spine. I suddenly feel myself being whipped around in my seat like a ragdoll, my head rolling in different directions. Shards of glass scatter like a dozen, sharp insects around me as the world around me falls into an oblivious state of black, darkness absorbing my mind and line of sight. Everything seems to spin out of control and I can no longer control my own actions, my thoughts now completely obliterated at my head collides with the roof of the car.

And just as everything goes silent, the last thing I see before falling into the cold darkness is my mother's eyes, and the light peacefully fading from existence.

~~~~~

My eyes don't sway from their appointed target. Even as the words crossing the screen grow more intense and hurtful, I don't flinch. The point of view shifts between Olivia and Darian, and within every few lines, my name manages to pop up. Somehow, I had convinced myself to take a look at the flashdrive Felix gave to me to see just how bad this situation is. I knew it would only stir up distressing memories from high school the minute I plugged it in, yet I did it anyway.

Felix was right. None of this is good.

Aside from that, my entire household has been thrown into a strange frenzy. It's almost been a week since my dad came back. One week of readjustment, awkward conversations, and silent meals. After much consideration between my brothers and I, we decided that the only way that we can all truly heal is to allow Dad to move back in, much to Dylan's demise.

However, things between our oldest brother and our dad haven't been completely pitiful or hellish. They don't argue anymore and death glares aren't exchanged at the dinner table, which is a relief in the eyes of Caleb and I. But we're not out of the woods just yet though. The two of them may not be at one another's throats, but they barely speak to one another. Whenever Dylan walks into the room and Dad says hello, Dylan barely acknowledges his presence. On some occasions, he'll turn the tables and his reply will consist of a maximum of three syllables.

The two of them just need more time to get to know one another again. Both are very different now, but whether they like it for not, they are apart of one another's lives. If there is any hope in becoming somewhat normal again, then that's a barrier that they are going to be forced to cross one way or another. At some point, Dylan is going to have to accept that Dad is drastically changed man, and in return, Dad needs to get to know the man that his son has become.

Aside from the silent treatment, Dylan has been going about his days very oddly and secretively. Every day, he would announce that he's going to run some errands and he would be gone for hours on end. When he returns, he comes back with nothing from any potential shopping trips or other types of errands. Just the other night, I caught him sneaking out of the house and he didn't come back until the next morning.

I explained my suspicions to Caleb, and we both agreed that there is something fishy going on. After building theory upon theory, we both were able to agree on one possible explanation, that being that there is a girl involved.

When Dylan was in high school, he was only after one girl, and she was the one that got away, the one that he wanted but could never have. She was a grade above him and the two of them talked on a frequent basis in study hall and they would meet up at the library during free periods. When he finally built up the courage to ask her out, he was disappointed to discover that she was a lesbian. After that, the two of them barely spoke, and he was hung up on her ever since.

Earlier today, Dylan told us that he was having company over and that he had an important announcement to make. I'm assuming that he managed to find another girl, one that isn't a lesbian, and now they're dating, so excitement is little in my mind. At the moment, I'm too distracted by my own problems to involve myself in my brother's love life.

"Are you looking at porn or something?" Caleb asks. I snap my eyes into focus and slam my laptop shut before he has the chance to peek over.

"No, just personal stuff." He looks at me with suspicion and then disbelief. It was typical excuse and the most overplayed safety statement in the book, but it does its job well. "Did he call you back yet?" I ask, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Nope, not a word." Caleb extends an arm and scratches the back of his neck, ruffling the ends of his brown hair. It looks as if he's in deep thought, which is strange, considering he's Caleb. "What if this one is different? What if she's 'the one' or something like that?"

"What if the government is simultaneously plotting against the U.S. and we're all just technical entities that are apart of some global experiment?"

He rolls his eyes. "C'mon, I'm being serious."

"So am I. We don't even know if it's a girl he's bringing back with him. Besides, the only girl that will be able to shed Dylan's player persona is long gone. Trust me, the government conspiracy theory is hell of a lot more likely," I explain.

"Fine, be a pessimist. I prefer to think with an open mind."

"Since when?"

"Since we started living our lives in the kill zone," he begins. "After all the crap we tolerated over the years, it doesn't hurt to think of the glass as half full. We could use a win."

This I can almost agree with it. We've been through more heartache and sadness over the past two years than a lot of people endure in a lifetime. It's about time we got a win, no matter how big or small. One small glimpse of light can lead to an entire trail of light at the very end of the tunnel. This is one tunnel that's been going on forever, so any good news at this point will be worth the world in our eyes.

My eyes suddenly meander towards the sound of a shaky doorknob, a wisp of air blowing tactfully from the mouth of the opening door.

"Moment of truth," Caleb murmurs in my direction.

The two of us watch as Dylan makes his way into the house. Following him, I spot a mass of dark blonde hair perched upon the head of a porcelain doll. Caleb and I were right. He really did bring home a girl.

She walks into the full view of the room with a smile that practically sheds light in every direction. Her long hair hands loosely over her shoulders, reaching just a few inches below them, and her skin is paler than the belly of a seagull. It's as if she's never been in the sun a day in her life. The only dark thing about her is her eyes. From where I'm sitting, they appear to be black, or maybe a deep brown that compliments the apexes of her roots.

This girl is a picture-perfect representation of happiness, and I hate it.

"Good, you guys are up," Dylan calls as he approaches us, a lively smile drawn on his face.

"Dylan, you didn't tell me your guest fell from Heaven," Caleb shimes in.

I can't help but hide my squirmish expression with my hand and look away. They've only been here for about thirty seconds and Caleb is already flirting with his brother's potential girlfriend.

Dylan suddenly shoots his brother a well-deserved death stare, while the mystery girl's smile seems to widen. I can't tell if she's feeling flattered or uncomfortable.

"Thank you very much," she says, and I immediately note the settle intimations of country in her voice. Obviously, she isn't from around here. "You must be Caleb."

"One and only," Caleb states, not bothering to shield his cockiness.

The girl nods and her dusky eyes manage to find me. "And you must be Rowen. Dylan has told me so much about you."

I don't have the minutes to put together a hand of movements, so I sacrifice a simple shrug of the shoulders.

"I wish I could say the same thing about you."

She turns to look to her right where Dylan is already close to her side. I watch as his arm slithers around her waist, holding her adjacent to his. From his expression alone, I can tell that he's happy, and that it's not just some performance. Of course, the source of his happiness can't stop smiling either. Even as she puts away her set of pearly whites and encloses her lips, she still puts the sun to shame.

"Guys," Dylan stars, eyeing Caleb and I. "This is Carly. We met in South Carolina when I went to Jakobstone Academy."

"So she's an old college friend?" I ask.

"Yup. I was in town, so I figured that I'd stop by for a visit," the girl, Carly, adds.

Dylan went to Jakobstone for college a few years back for football, but after things got bad here, he decided to drop out to come and take care of us. He was barely gone for a year before he came back home, and some of the guilt still rides upon my shoulders. He shouldn't have had to give up his chance at living his dream for me. Even Caleb was thinking about college, but he also decided that he was needed here.

My gaze drops to the floor once a speck of orange captures my attentions, forcing me to peer towards the door. A bright orange suitcase lies just beneath the doorknob.

"Are you staying the night?" I ask Carly.

She must have realized that I've spotted her luggage, as she perks up at the sound of my question and briefly looks over her shoulder. "Yes, and for every night this week. Dylan brought up the offer, and I thought it sounded like a good idea. It also gives me the opportunity to get to know the rest of his family."

Dylan shyly smirks from behind her, looking content where he's standing, whereas I'm tossed into a state of complete shock. How could he not tell us that he was having a girl over the house for the rest of the week, and not purposely give away any clues or signals? How did I let this highly important piece of information just whip right past me?

"There's also one more thing you need to know," Dylan says. His smirk begins to drop, along with the corners of his lips as the nervousness begins to make its appearance on his face. Still, there's a peculiar excitement that breathes on his eyes, one that I've never seen before, and it only grows by the second. "While I was at Jakobson, Carly and I started dating, and we've been dating ever since."

"You mean you, of all people, were able to keep a long distance relationship running? Why didn't I know about this?" Caleb questions.

"We wanted to keep things on a low profile, at least until we knew for sure that it was what we both wanted," Carly replies.

Dylan nods in agreement. "And with that being said, after about a year and a half of dating, we've decided that we want to take the next step." He pauses, almost like he's holding his breath. I do so as well as Carly lifts up her right arm to extend out her hand. There, sitting beautifully on her ring finger, is an engagement ring.

My jaw drops to the floor as I stare at the diamond adorning Carly's hand, unable to produce any words. I don't know whether to look at the ring, Caleb, Carly, or Dylan. Everything is happening all at once that I can't even differentiate between my feelings and scrambled thoughts.

Apparently, it takes Caleb an extra minute to discern what is going on, and when the moment finally arrives, his eyes grow five times the size of his sockets.

"Dude," he stammers, getting out of his seat. "You popped the question?"

"Yeah, I did," Dylan grins.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

The two of them share a laugh and Caleb embraces Dylan with a brotherly hug. It's clear that this news is music to his ears. Carly, on the other hand, can't seem to stop giggling, her fingers caging themselves around her lips in attempts to conceal hre laughter. Together, the three of them share what seems to be a happy moment, each beaming smile challenging the cheshire cat himself, and I'm left as the shadow in the background.

I still don't know how to react to this news. Dylan never even mentioned that he had a girlfriend, let alone his plans to propose. I've never even heard of Carly before today and I'm just finding out that she's going to be staying with us for the week and she's my future sister-in-law. How could Dylan make this kind of life-altering decision and not tell his family about it until the last minute? That's almost as bad as finding out about the wedding through an invitation.

Dylan takes Carly into his arms and places a passionate kiss on the top of her head, the two of them already illustrating the perfect couple. "Now, I know this is all kind of sudden and you guys weren't expecting an upcoming wedding, but I just hope that you both can give me your blessings and will also be apart of the ceremony," Dylan exclaims.

"Dude, of course you have my blessing!" Caleb laughs, taking his brother into another hug. "However, you owe me big time for not blabbing about this sooner."

"Yeah, it's definitely a surprize for all of us," I comment.

Carly's face lights up, listening to the excitement in the room with her dark raging with joy. "Well we haven't set a date yet, but we're hoping to have it around the autumn equinox or later, and the house up in South Carolina will make the perfect destination for both the ceremony and the reception. The guest list is also in the works, but it's not going to be a large gathering," she explains.

I hardly pay attention to the last part of her fragmented speech, as I'm hanging on to the words said before that. "You guys are getting married in South Carolina?" I ask.

"My parents owned a house that's been in the family for decades, and they recently downsized, so Dylan and I will be settling down there," she answers happily.

South Carolina? Settling down?

"So... you're moving out?"

Dylan looks at me anxiously, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Yeah," he replies steadily. "I think I did what I could here, so it might be time for me to move on and get a place of my own."

"That's awesome!" Caleb blurts out, and once again, everyone but me looks excited. How could I be if my brother is about to get married to someone I don't even know and then move across the country with her?

As everyone is chatting about the upcoming wedding plans, I take this chance to waltz up to the group and sneak up from behind Dylan. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I ask. Caleb and Carly go silent, the quiet beginning to concern me.

"Sure," Dylan says, turning to his fiance. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

Once I have his attention, I take his hand and drag him away from the flurry of emotions stirring just beyond the back of our heads. Steam is beginning to rise from deep in my bones as I do my best to calm it. How could he do this? How could he just decide to pick up everything and leave? Was he even planning on saying goodbye?

Question upon question materializes in my brain until the stack is the size of a skyscraper, its masculine size and sharp pinnacle beginning to hurt my head. I need straight answer from my brother if I'm going to be able to breathe correctly ever again, because at this moment, I could be classified as a walking corpse. I don't care how mad he gets when I question his thinking and motives. If he wants my blessing, he has a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

I lead him upstairs so our words can't be heard by any curious ears, and once I know that no one will be able to hear us, I turn around a shoot him with a glare.

"I know what you're gonna say," he says, a presumptuous smirk playing with his lips, which only pushes me further over the edge.

"Do you think that this is a game?" I spat, sounding like an uptight parent. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm engaged, Rowen. I'm not joining a gang of street mobsters and junkies."

"That's not what I mean and you know it. Who is that girl and why haven't you mentioned her before today?"

There are so many questions that I want to ask at once, things that I want to say that can only be said in separate contexts. But more than anything, I want to slap him for being so arrogant. He's pulled stunts like this before, but none were ever this reckless. And now that I've backed him into a corner, I can't wait to hear what he has to say.

Dylan takes a deep breath before daring to respond, trailing a hand through his short hair. "Rowen, I know that this is all a little sudden-"

"Yeah, you think?"

"But I really need your support on this one," he continues. My remains shut, silently demanding more than just a plea for pity. "Okay, when I was at Jakobstone, Carly was in a few of my classes. We instantly hit it off, and a few weeks later, I asked her out. It's not like she's a complete stranger."

"But she is," I sigh. "I've never even met her before, and you never brought her up before today. As far as I'm concerned, yes, she's a stranger."

"You just don't know one another yet. Trust me, once you get to know her, she's a fun person to be around." In some circumstances, he's not entirely wrong. I don't have the right to judge someone if I don't know them.

From what I've seen so far, Carly is definitely the enthusiastic and optimistic type, and I'm the downer and the pessimistic type. Our personalities would clash light fire and water, resulting to only chaos. Families that do not get along and are connected my marriage is the recipe for drama, especially for the couple uniting the two. I may not be in the same boat as Dylan and Caleb about this whole thing, but that doesn't mean that I don't want my brothers to be happy. Dylan shouldn't have to give up all he may have built with Carly because his little sister doesn't approve of the relationship.

However, if this wedding is really taking place, then Dylan is really leaving. He's going to continue on with his life away from the place he once called home, away from me. I may not always get along with him, but I love him very dearly, even if I don't want to admit it into the open.

"Rowen?" I look up into his soliciting eyes, noticing that mine have become lustrous and glossy.

"Do you..." my wording is cut short as it begins to dive into a mumble. "Do you really love her?"

"Yeah, I do. And I think you could too if you would just give her a shot. She may just surprize you." He says this with no defensive means, but in a way that's intuitive and genuine. It's not some speech that sounds like simple strums of the heartstrings, and I know that he isn't joking around. Just looking at him now, I can tell that his feelings for this girl are true, and who am I to stand in the way of that? "But this isn't just about Carly, is it?"

Knowing that there's no ethical way that I can sway him, it only makes this moment more real. Our family may be growing, but at the same time, it will also be shrinking. Dylan wants to leave town with Carly to start a life of their own, and that means that I have to say my goodbyes to my oldest brother.

I've bid too many goodbyes before, and I don't want anyone else that I care about being added to that list.

"I just," I say meekly, sounding like a mouse trying to speak. "I just don't want you to go."

It's in this moment that Dylan takes his little sister into his arms and holds her closely to the beating sound of his heart.